Tag Archives: Kristen Suzanne

June 24, 2011 · 1:30 pm

GUEST POST – Hemp as a Food Source

Today’s Guest Post is by Hailey Mills of Rain Hemp.  Hailey is passionate about sharing the benefits of hemp and does so through her blog (http://raindrops2000.wordpress.com/) and website (http://www.rainhemp.biz/index.html) where she sells all things hemp.

For those of you who worry that hemp is a product or marijuana…please rest assured that it is not.  Hemp contains less than 1 percent of the active ingredient THC, the substance that gives pot smokers a high. Marijuana plants, on the other hand, can contain 10 to 20 percent THC.

“Marijuana plants and hemp plants also have different appearances and are harvested differently. Marijuana plants tend to be short and bushy, while hemp plants can have stalks that are 25 feet high! Unlike marijuana, hemp has many uses. Over 25,000 products can be manufactured from hemp, including hair conditioner, diapers, insulation, carpets, rope paper, and perfume.  Hemp as a food is one of the most easily absorbed by the body, and can help you live a healthier life.” – Iamshaman

Enjoy Hailey’s post…

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of Mother Nature’s perfect foods.  With over 240,000 known uses for hemp, an annual growing season of five months or under, no need for fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides, no abundant water supply required, a natural ability to replenish the soil after each crop cycle, and adaptability in that it can grow on every Continent of planet earth, is it any wonder hemp is known as a Super Crop?

Hemp has been grown for 2000 years for the fiber produced in its stems and as a food source for its fruit – hemp.  Hemp seeds are sometimes referred to as hemp hearts and are a wonderful whole food that can also be broken down further into hemp oil, hemp milk, and hemp protein.  Hemp hearts, hemp oil, and hemp milk can be used in countless ways and added to many familiar recipes such as brownies, cookies, cakes, salads, breads, shakes and smoothies, crackers and hemp cereal. The possibilities are endless when it comes to using hemp…There is even hemp protein and hemp coffee.

There are many reasons to include hemp seeds and other hemp food products in your diet:

* Hemp provides key essential amino acids that your body can not produce on its own.

* Hemp is a complete source of protein, more balanced and digestible than soy

* 3Tbs of hemp packs a whopping 11g of protein

* Hemp can provide more protein than milk, eggs, and some meat products.

* Hemp hearts contain 47% hemp oil, 87% of which is omega 3,6, and 9.

* Hemp contains all the essential omega fats required for human health and several times more omega 3 than any fish.

* Perfect for those with constipation issues and those avoiding starches.

Hemp has many health benefits including:

* Lowering blood pressure

* Improving digestion

* Constipation relief

* Assisting weight loss

* Increasing energy

* Controlling blood sugar

* Aiding Detoxification

This wonderful food source which grows naturally has many uses and benefits that contribute to our over all health and well being.

~

While I am not a big fan of the taste of hemp protein powder, hemp seeds have a very pleasant nutty taste.  I have been making it a habit to top my salads with hemp seeds as well as my breakfast cereal.  The last time I made granola I added 1 cup of hemp seeds to it (click here for granola recipe).  Hemp is also the main ingredient in one of my favorite dips (pictured below) which I introduced to you in one of Kristen Suzanne’s Guest Posts for Veggie Grettie (click here for Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce recipe).

Top image courtesy of ecoki.com

Middle image courtesy of hempproteinhealth.com

Bottom image courtesy of Kristen Suzanne

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April 12, 2011 · 3:04 pm

KRISTEN SUZANNE – eBook Giveaway Update

Hello Readers,

It looks like I neglected to leave a link to Kristen Suzanne’s original post.  In order to enter the contest you need to leave the comment on her blog, not Veggie Grettie.

CLICK HERE to go to Kristen’s blog.

Here’s to health!

Gretchen

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April 12, 2011 · 2:07 pm

KRISTEN SUZANNE eBOOK GIVEAWAY

Kristen Suzanne of Kristen’s Raw is having an AMAZING giveaway to celebrate the new look of her blog!  She has written 12 ebooks filled with recipes and is planning on giving a whole set to three of here readers.  Here’s what you need to do to enter…

WANT THE CHANCE TO WIN?

It’s simple to participate. All you have to do is answer the following question (BOTH PARTS!).  CLICK HERE to go to Kristen’s original post and then leave a comment in the comment section. The contest will end Wednesday night, April 13th @ 11:59pm. I’ll enter everyone’s name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winners on my blog Thursday, April 14th.

QUESTION: Where is your favorite place to travel in the United States and Why?

Want another chance to win? Tweet a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Want another chance to win? Facebook a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

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April 7, 2011 · 1:20 pm

GUEST BLOG – Kristen Suzanne on Protein Powder

 Today we have another guest post by Kristen Suzanne of Kristen’s Raw.  Overall I like to have my diet consist of whole foods, but I do have a place in my diet for raw vegan (soy-free) protein powders.  Here is what Kristen has to say about the issue…

Protein powders get mixed reviews from people. There are some people who don’t care for protein powders because they say they’re a “fractionated food” (i.e., not a whole food). There are other people, however, like me, who are grateful they exist. Some raw peeps love them because they want more protein in their diets to support their intense exercise regime (such as my husband, Greg, and Robert Cheeke vegan bodybuilder). Other people, like me, love them when pregnant or breastfeeding for that easy extra protein. But, that’s not the only reason I like them…

When I’m eating an all raw diet (breastfeeding, pregnant, or not), I find that there are times that I want something to eat that is not high carb or high fat. A lot of raw foods are either one of those two options. Sure, I could gnaw on some plain romaine or cucumbers, but it’s not going to really fill me up or fill this unique need I’m describing. I’m talking about those times that I feel a need for something substantial and filling, but that is not high fat (there goes nuts) or high carb (sorry, fruit). I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced that when eating all raw, but it’s something that happens to me from time to time. So, how do I handle it? I drink a protein shake. And, it’s exactly what I need!

Now, I realize that some people just have a hard time getting into protein drinks, even if they are interested, because of the chalkiness or the flavor. And, for those times that I mentioned above where I wanted something that was not high fat or high carb…. a protein shake that was simply water and protein powder was just what I needed. That probably isn’t appealing to many. But you know what? I actually love it. I’m over the chalkiness (of course, I’ve been drinking protein shakes for some 20 years now because they were a big part of my bodybuilding regimen). I’m used to them, have been for a long time. But then something more profound happened… now I even crave the stuff sometimes. I know, weird, huh? Craving a (plain) protein shake? Just the powder and water shaken up? Yes! Once I realized that it indeed filled a physical need for me, it mentally satisfied me. It also filled me up, which is great for people watching calories. It gave me the perfect solution to keeping my diet raw without eating more carbs or fat when that wasn’t what my body was calling for.

A smart trick is finding a protein powder that you like. I did a comprehensive review on protein powders here (be sure to check it out!). I also wrote about my husband’s Protein Grenades to give you some more ideas. I find that the protein powder I love and rely on the most now is Sun Warrior’s Chocolate protein powder. It seems they’ve improved their protein powder just recently and it tastes even better. 🙂

If you’re one of those people who can’t imagine drinking just protein powder mixed with water, try some of the following suggestions to see if they help:

1) Blend the powder with water and ice or…
2) Shake the powder up with really cold water. I find that when the shake is really cold, I enjoy it more. If the water from your tap isn’t cold enough, and you don’t want to use ice, then make the shake in advance and put it in your refrigerator to get cold before drinking it.
3) Add pizazz to it. I love adding 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to mine. Sometimes I add nutmeg, too. Raw vanilla powder is fun, as are other flavors like almond extract or orange extract. (The other day I used peppermint extract!) Add cayenne and give your circulation a boost! Get creative and diversify so they’re not always the same… you can even get extra wild and add garam masala or fenugreek or curry powder. This will keep it exciting.
4) Add extra water. My whole family drinks Sun Warrior’s Chocolate (mom, husband, my brother, and myself). My mom likes hers with more water and she enjoys each sip of it as she takes her time drinking it. I tend to make mine thicker and drink it faster.
5) Mix it with raw coconut water or raw almond milk for variety.

Before I realized that protein shakes were a perfect solution, I used to sit there and think, “I’m hungry. No, I don’t want a bunch of nuts. No, I don’t feel like sugar from fruits. No, I need something more than a huge bowl of plain romaine. I think cooked black beans or lentils would do the trick but I want to keep it raw right now. Hmmm….” That’s when I decided to just drink a protein shake one night because I was out of options. Well, it worked. I was full and satisfied. I was excited because it was a way for me to stick to the raw diet and be happy without filling up on foods I wasn’t in the mood for.

Do you drink protein powders? If so, what are your favorites and what is your regimen?

Photo courtesy of Kristen Suzanne

 

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February 16, 2011 · 2:55 pm

CHEEZY HEMP NACHO SAUCE – Guest Blog by Kristen Suzanne of Kristen’s Raw

Kristen Suzanne

Kristen Suzanne

Today’s guest blog is by Kristen Suzanne, who is a leader in the raw food world.  She is an accomplished Raw Food Chef and former competitive bodybuilder. Through radio, television, books, classes, and her blog and email newsletter, Chef Kristen Suzanne helps people live life to the fullest with the healthiest cuisine in the world.  To learn more about why Kristen chose the raw food lifestyle click here.

Enjoy her post…

Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce

Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce

Hemp foods, now widely available in health food stores across the country, are taking the natural foods world by storm! A true “superfood,” hemp is high in protein, has excellent ratios of all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, tastes absolutely delicious, and is amazingly helpful to the environment due to its fast growth and lack of need for herbicides or pesticides.

Hemp is not your typical granola fare — it’s a subtle and delicious dream come true for foodies and connoisseurs of everything exotic and unique!

Let me tell you, this recipe is so good! I mean, like, really really awesomely delicious. I’ve made it every week for the past five weeks because we seriously cannot get enough of it. I’ve made it for lots of different people (non-Raw and Raw) and they all love it… I’m talking “lick-the-bowl-please-give-me-more” loving it. It’s perfect for showing off at the next party you attend or host. And, of course, it’s full of nutrition… hemp seeds (complete protein, essential fatty acids), red bell pepper and garlic (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals), and more. So, without further ado… here it is!

CHEEZY HEMP NACHO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS – Yield approximately 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup water
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, seeded, rough chopped (approximately 1 cup)
1 cup hemp seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon chili powder*
2 teaspoons tamari, wheat-free
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

*My favorite is by Simply Organic

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. This can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. · Use this for dipping fresh veggies or corn chips (Raw or not – it’s up to you!)

Serving suggestions:
· For those eating cooked vegan foods, this is an awesome sauce on top of veggie burgers
· This also makes a delicious Raw vegan dressing on a hearty salad with romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and cucumbers. You could even sprinkle on some Raw vegan taco meat and Fun Corn Chips for a tortilla type salad.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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