Okay so I’m not talking about THAT kind of hemp—but I am talking the nutrition packed, awesome-town delicious hemp that packs a solid punch to your morning smoothie routine! Yup, I’m a total nutrition nerd and have a morning smoothie routine to get my day going instead of coffee. Hemp is a great vegan, plant-based protein, containing all the essential amino acids. Hello crazy sexy hormones ladies!
When looking for a good quality hemp protein you want to look for raw, certified organic, unrefined and free of any binders, fillers or added refined sugars. A good quality hemp powder is about 50% protein and the rest is mostly fiber and essential fatty acids- all good stuff for our brain and especially to get those bowels moving!
Weight Loss & Hormone Balancing
But the most important reason why I love hemp so much is because of its GLA (3%) containing goodness! GL-what? GLA- short for gamma-linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid that has been shown to effectively aid in weight loss. GLA assists in weight loss by significantly increasing metabolism and encouraging stored fat to effectively be used for energy.
More importantly GLA is crucial for proper healthy hormone balancing, particularly in women. Women can experience hormonal imbalances at any age, but symptoms can be often most seen in women during their late 20’s to 40’s.
Some research has found that hormonal imbalances are associated with deficiencies in Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s), including omega-3 and omega-6, in particular omega-6 gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Though not the highest and most abundant source of GLA, hemp seeds or hemp protein powder offer a good start to getting more of this most important omega-6 fatty acid into our daily diet.
It’s time to get your hemp on with this yummy and easy recipe!
Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana, chopped
1 whole orange, chopped
1 1/2 cups of almond milk
2 tbsp Hemp protein powder (I love Ruth’s Hemp Protein for this— Certified Organic)
4-5 raw cashews (*optional)
Pinch of cinnamon (*optional)
Dash of pure vanilla extract
3-5 ice cubes (or as coldness desired)
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (the Vitamix rocks for this!). Blend until smooth and creamy. Drink up!
This recipe was contributed by Jacquie Robertson. At The Naked Label we are head-over-heels in love with Jacquie’s passion and inspiration for self-healing! Check out her site by clicking here. She’ll blow you out of the water with her scrumptious recipes and health articles.
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