Food of the Gods

It is documented that the ancient Chinese were using hemp over 8,000 years ago, providing them with everything from good health to altered states of being. In India, Buddha is said to have eaten one hemp seed a day on his journey to enlightenment. For thousands of years hemp has sustained mankind, kept him warm and even helped him build empires.

The United States of America was founded on hemp commerce and (especially the government) shouldn't forget this. Over a hundred years ago hemp was the biggest cash crop on the planet and a gift to humankind, which makes its betrayal by a few greedy men all the more despicable.

It's kind of unfortunate that Cannabis gets you high, because without this effect, Anslinger and his friends would not have been able to make it illegal so easily. It was the industrial use they wanted to suppress back then and the fat corporations of today are still suppressing it. Fortunately, in the 21st century things are changing.

This generation is waking up to the fact that hemp can provide mankind with a sustainable lifestyle - and even a way we can all be friends. Exploration on a molecular level has shown hemp seed to be an almost perfect food source. Besides being the only common seed source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA) it also contains the essential fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6) at a near perfect ratio - 3.38 to 1 - providing the eight essential amino acids the body can't make by itself - and a few more besides.

Wake up at the back there; this is important!

What also makes it so special is that hemp oil is 65% globulin edestin, a vegetable protein. Globulin helps make up the building blocks of that thing you call a body and provides it with a healthy immune system. As a food source, hemp seed could easily feed the whole world - think about that.

History has shown us its potential and yet cultivation is banned (in the US) or heavily controlled worldwide... why? Sure you can buy hemp seed in a Los Angeles health food store at ten bucks a bag, but cultivating it as a food crop in Africa, forget it! So you, the privileged, should take full advantage of this wonderful gift and make a change. Such is the structure of our society that market forces control the supply of a product, legal or illegal.

So consume as many hemp products as you can and enjoy the benefits of a healthy body and balanced mind, knowing that your purchase will eventually help bring this gift to the masses. This article is way too short to go into all the benefits that hemp can provide mankind, so I suggest you research the subject and explore further. Suffice it to say, it also tastes good! If this has been of interest to you, then I suggest you bring hemp into your diet in the form of hemp protein powder; this will give you quick results that you'll definitely notice.

Then you could try creating meals around it. I found Healthy Eating Made Possible by Paul Benhaim (Fusion Press, UK) to be a very useful source of recipes and information on the subject, but there are many other books out there. Now that you've gotten this far, I suppose you deserve a little treat. Here is a tasty recipe that is a personal favorite. To make it easier, I've chosen a food with a familiar shape.

Hempalicious Pizza

  Makes a 10 in. pizza Utensils: medium-sized mixing bowl, blender, 10 in. pan and oven! Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz.) hemp seeds, ground 100 g (3.5 oz.) almonds, ground 50 g (1.75 oz.) sunflower seeds, ground 25 g (0.85 oz.) hemp butter (ghee) or non-hydrogenated margarine 2 T buttermilk 1 T water 1 ½ T baking powder Pinch of salt Pre-heat oven to 375ºF (Gas Mark 5 or 190ºC ). Mix seeds, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter or margarine to bowl.

Add milk and water; use hands to make into moist dough. Place into 10 in. dish and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Check to ensure it doesn't burn. Topping Tasty Tomato Sauce: 6 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until soft 2 fresh medium sized tomatoes (keep four slices for decoration) 1 clove garlic 2 t chopped basil (keep four whole leaves for decoration) 2 t miso of choice 2 T shelled hemp seed Blend until smooth. Spread out on pizza bottom and return to oven for another five minutes. Decorate with basil leaves or sliced tomato.

Crash Brownies:

After a tasty, healthy meal that feeds the body, you should follow it with a dessert to feed the mind. I'd like to recommend a recipe (another one of my favorites) from The Cannabis Cookbook by Tim Pilcher.

Crash Brownies:

10-15 servings This is an original recipe by Alice B. Toklas from her 1954 cookbook. You will need: 8 g (1/3 oz.) of Cannabis buds simmered in 175 g (6 oz.) of butter for an hour and strained 175 g (6 oz.) plain dark cooking chocolate 700 g (1½ lb.) clear honey 4 eggs, beaten 1 t salt 1 T vanilla extract 550 g (1 lb. 4 oz.) plain flour or a mix of hemp flour if available To prepare: Melt chocolate in a double-boiler saucepan and then mix in the Cannabis butter and honey. Add the eggs, followed quickly by the salt, vanilla and flour. Pour mix into greased oven tin, 9 x 12 inches, and bake for 35 minutes at Gas Mark 5/190ºC/375ºF.

The trick is not to overcook them, so they remain moist. When cooked remove from oven and allow to cool for one hour before cutting, then divide into 2 in. squares and enjoy. (Re-printed with kind permission)   Now visualize a world free from hunger; where rainforests expand, all plastics are biodegradable and essentials like paper and fuel are grown at sustainable levels.

Hemp is already used in everything from tea bags to automobiles, but you're just not hearing about it. I believe it's time the food industries joined in, stopped pushing empty addictive calories and started feeding us foods that make us strong and healthy. Become the change; buy and eat hemp!