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Issue 18 — February 2006 Greetings! First, the DEA has actually met with the Secretaries of Agriculture from the states of North Dakota, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Massachusetts to discuss the issue of licensing. While DEA officials stonewalled at the meeting, the fact that they met with the Ag Secretaries at all is a good sign. Second, the California hemp farming bill has passed the California Assembly and now awaits approval in the Senate; from there it will go on to the Governor's desk. The indications coming out of Sacramento are that Governor Schwarzenegger will sign the bill. The DEA will likely block California from issusing hemp permits to farmers. Yet, in that event, Nutiva, Dr. Bronner's, and Vote Hemp are ready to file suit in the Federal Ninth Circuit Court. Assuming the bill is signed into law this fall and then blocked, Nutiva and Dr. Bronner's will both have judicial standing because they are based in California and because, in that case, a Golden State law will be blocked by a federal agency. In any event, expect some good media on this -- which will only drive hemp food sales higher. I love to joke that the DEA is our best PR firm, and we don't have to pay them a dime! Until the next e-news, enjoy the last of the winter season! In health, John W. Roulac
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2006 may well be remembered as the year the tide turned for hemp
cultivation in the United States. While it could still be at least
five years before commercial production begins, new developments are
heralding a positive shift.
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Is Hemp-Based Protein Powder Safe? The following is a reprint from the blog "Livin' La Vida Low- Carb" Hold on to your hats today folks because everything you thought you knew about the plant known as hemp is about to change. Now before you think I've gone off the deep end on this one and started smoking the stuff, here me out on this. There is a company called Nutiva, in business since 1999, that has taken the same plant species that we get marijuana from and extracted the very healthy hempseeds out of them which only contain undetectable trace amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical that causes halucinations when people smoke marijuana. There's no more danger in eating this product than there is from the trace amounts of opium found in poppy seeds. But these hempseeds are very healthy for you and even look like sesame seeds. They have a distinctively nutty flavor to them and are packed with essential fatty acids as well as protein similiar to what is found in flaxseed. Nutiva's hemp protein powder, for example, has 11g protein, 14g fiber, 120 calories, and 3g healthy omega-6 and omega-3 fats in addition to other key vitamins to supplement your diet. It even comes in a hempseed oil which tastes superb on salads especially. The fatty acids found in hempseeds are good for controlling your blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and can even improve irritating skin conditions like eczema. Cool! Just in case you are wondering (and I know you are!), this hemp protein powder and oil meets all USDA standards for organic labeling and Nutiva even donates 1% of its sales to help promote sustainable agriculture. The best part of hemp is that it can be grown without the use of harmful and dangerous pesticides which are much worse for your body than consuming hempseeds ever will be. For people who are livin' la vida low-carb, you will be pleased to hear that Nutiva hemp protein powder contains ZERO grams of net carbs and can be used to make your favorite protein smoothies. Unlike soy- based protein powder, hemp protein powder can be eaten raw to preserve its nutritional content and eliminating the risk of consuming hexane, a harmful greenhouse gas byproduct in most soy protein production which is also used in gasoline production. Battling government backlash against the use of their product over the past 7 years, Nutiva has won every court case brought against them regarding the use of hemp in their products. While they are still being scrutinized by the government despite several rulings that have shielded them from remaining in business, they are finally being recognized for providing products that are helping people live healthier lives. Fast Company magazine honored Nutiva in their March 2005 issue as one of the Milestones Honorable Mentions in their Fast 50 list last year and sales have been very strong for this upstart company. Since 2003, they have seen their sales over the previous year DOUBLE annually. This phenomenal growth is expected to continue in 2006 as more than two million pounds of organic hempseed will be used to supply products to over 3,000 stores around the world. But hempseed isn't the only thing that Nutiva does well. Just wait until you try their unbelievably delicious coconut oil, too! WOW! This healthy oil smells and tastes divine and is cold-pressed within 2 hours of being chopped. This nutritious superfood is cholesterol- free and trans-fat-free as well. However, coconut oil has not been without controversy either! Ever since the low-fat lie has hit the United States decades ago, this health food has been unfairly labeled as "unhealthy," allegedly causing clogged arteries because of its high fat content. Yet the coconut oil produced by Nutiva is grown in the Phillipines and is a raw extra-virgin unrefined expeller-pressed organic coconut oil which nutritionists say you should eat up to three tablespoons a day. Unlike other coconut oils that are refined, bleached, and use week- old coconut that causes the oil to be nearly odorless, bland tasting, and off white in color, you'll notice that Nutiva coconut oil is different. I used it instead of butter in a low-carb chocolate chip pecan cookie recipe over the weekend and oh my goodness, those cookies were incredible! The light coconut flavor brought out the best in the cookies and complemented the ingredients so well. Unlike hydrogenated and hexane-processed oils which are very high in trans-fats, Nutiva coconut oil is the healthy way to sweeten and flavor your favorite recipes with the goodness that nature intended. To find out more about Nutiva and their healthy line of products, visit their web site at Nutiva.com. Or you can click here to find a store that carries Nutiva near you. ND Department of Agriculture Press Release State to Seek Okay to Grow Industrial Hemp BISMARCK - North Dakota and three other states made their case Friday with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to allow the cultivation of industrial hemp. "The DEA people were very cordial, but they told us that the process of legalizing the production of industrial hemp will be extremely complicated under existing federal law," said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. "DEA has never responded to our earlier inquiries, but today, we were able to present our case and learn from them what may be required in terms of regulations and safeguards." Johnson and the agriculture commissioners from Massachusetts, West Virginia and Wisconsin met with DEA officials, including Joseph Rannazzisi, deputy assistant administrator; Robert C. Gleason, deputy chief counsel, and Eric Akres, chief of congressional affairs. Johnson said the North Dakota Department of Agriculture is in the process of drafting new rules to control the production of industrial hemp, and that he wanted to solicit input from DEA. The new rules would implement state laws, passed by the Legislature in 1999 through 2005. "We were told by DEA that growers, processors and importers of hemp seed would each have to be separately licensed, and that DEA would need to establish quotas for the production and processing of industrial hemp," he said. Johnson noted that the United States is alone among industrialized countries in banning cultivation of industrial hemp. "The Canadians lifted their ban in 1998 and are now moving forward with large-scale cultivation of industrial hemp," he said. "It is obviously a crop that could do very well in North Dakota and provide our producers with another income source, as well as a valuable rotational crop." Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) is widely grown around the world and is used in the manufacture of textiles, papers and rope. Its seed is also used for food and feed. Oil derived from the plant is used in cosmetics, paints and medicinal compounds. The industrial form of hemp contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive drug delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana, although DEA does not currently recognize industrial hemp apart from marijuana. URGENT! Stop the Rollback of State Food Safety and Labeling Laws! A bill is pending in the United States House of Representatives that would eliminate dozens of food safety and labeling laws. The bill, H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act, does this by stripping away the power of states to regulate food safety. Shichimi Togarashi (Seven Spice Mixture) Ingredients: shelled hemp seed, toasted Method: You will enjoy using this traditional Japanese condiment which is often sprinkled over fish, soups and noodle dishes. It is usually purchased pre-made in varying strengths in specialty markets. Start with equal parts of each of the ingredients above and please feel free to vary the proportions to your taste. Store in a sealed shaker in a dry place. Body, Mind, and Soul: Nourishing the Spirit When we seek the perfect diet, what is it we are really seeking? At the soul level, beyond appearances and the everyday concerns of the outer self, the longing for absolute physical health reflects deeply held convictions about transcending earthly limitations, about going beyond sickness and disease to a state of perfection. We must remember, however, that immortality and perfection do not represent the human experience in the physical realm. To be alive is to be in flux. The current of life moves in a continual flow. To be alive is to always face the possibility of death. The addictions and fears that plague us serve as wonderful distractions from our ultimate destinations as physical beings. No distraction, however wonderful, can change the fact that these bodies are but temporary housing for our souls. It doesn't matter how clean our diet is, it will not alter the fact that we are not going to inhabit these bodies indefinitely. An attempt to find the purest diet is essentially an attempt to align with Spirit and find the path to immortality. Once we recognize the motive behind the attempt to control what we eat, we are suddenly awakened to great compassion for the self. Rather than berating ourselves for setting up dietary guidelines that we continually fail to uphold, we can begin to see that we are trying to be as good as we can be. In truth, only a slight shift in perspective can bring about a tremendous sense of relief. What we may neglect to see is that the drive to extend the years of our lives negates the beauty of the present moment. Of course, no diet comes with a guarantee that we will increase either the length or the quality of our lives. Often such attempts at longevity and attaining perfect health are based on fear. We fear the unknown and, in an attempt to gain mastery over our lives, we impose rules and restrictions to frame our existence. What if, instead of seeking the perfect physical nutrients, we embrace love as a primary form of nourishment? Then we can move beyond fear as we recognize and accept that we are immortal souls encased in earthly bodies. Each day, we can care for these bodies by tapping into a richer, deeper source of well-being. Through our love, children thrive in a nurturing environment, and through love our bodies respond to tender care. We can begin by trusting that the body's innate intelligence will restore us to a state of harmony and balance. We have attached moral values to the foods we eat before we even take our first bite. When we shift our focus to the quality of the mental and emotional energy that we are ingesting from moment to moment, the physical body reaps tremendous benefits. Let's stop feeding ourselves plates full of anguish. When it comes to the endless sensory and sensual delights associated with the food we eat, we tend to think we are supposed to deprive ourselves. We feel virtuous when we restrict our pleasures to a minimum. Somehow we have come to believe that if it tastes wonderful, it must not be wholesome. Perhaps we ought to consider that we are taking this dietary stuff a bit too seriously. Staying in touch with what brings us joy is vital to the Spirit, and anything that nourishes the Spirit nourishes us at all levels of being. By paying attention to the body's innate wisdom, we learn to intuit what is best for us in each moment. To receive the most complete nourishment from the foods we eat, we would benefit from integrating a sense of joy and appreciation into every bite. This counts far more than calories and nutrients in bringing us closer to the experience of total well-being. Clearly, love is the way to the perfection we seek. Love and appreciate the wisdom of your body, and your body will guide you to the very foods it needs. Paula Sirois is a holistic practitioner, holistic counselor for nutrition, and a professional scientific writer and editor. © Copyright Paula Sirois 2008 Patricia Aburdene, co-auther of Megatrends 2000, has now come out with Megatrends 2010. In the new book, Patricia reviews seven new Megatrends: 1. The Power of Spirituality 2. The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism 3. Leading from the Middle 4. Spirituality in Business 5. The Values-Driven Consumer 6. The Wave of Conscious Solutions 7. The Socially Responsible Investment Boom The following are excerpts from Megatrends 2010: "Megatrends 2010 explores the quest for morals and meaning in business within the legal confines of modern capitalism, a world where public firms are bound by law to maximize shareholder return. What is both remarkable and largely unheralded, however, is that corporate morality often correlates with superior performance. In other words, plenty of `good guys' are trouncing the Standard & Poors (S&P) 500!" (p. xxiii) "Business does not possess the power to prevent people from transforming. Mainstream business is under siege, from activists and regulators, as expected, but even from investors. And all the barricades in the world cannot prevent it. Because the most dangerous adversary of all a transformed individual lies within and we are IT. Whether spiritual CEO, activist middle manager or visionary entrepreneur, we've opened our minds and expanded our hearts and there is no shutting either of them down." (p. 3) "What business leaders need more than anything else is exactly what Spirit offers: the power of self-mastery. Self-knowledge and personal mastery, the fruits of spiritual practice, are also key to the worldly pursuits of leadership, high performance, power. Yet self-mastery is sorely missing in business (not to mention politics). The failure of self-mastery is often the downfall of leadership. And the most reliable route to self-mastery is personal spiritual discipline -- reflection, journaling, meditation -- the sort of activity designed to force busy, stressed-out, Type A people to sit still and simply be." (p. 131) Patricia Aburdene is a speaker, a best-selling author, a passionate advocate of corporate transformation, and the coauthor of four previous Megatrends books. Her 25-year career in business journalism began at Forbes magazine. She resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Telluride, Colorado. Her website is: http://www.megatrends2010.com • Corporate-Dominated Lobby Group Attacks Organic Watchdog • Nutiva sends letter to respond to Georgia State bill that seeks to
ban hemp bars • New Suspicions about GMO
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