Hemp, The Hero Plant

Celebrate the third annual Hemp History Week, June 4th - 10th, with a plethora of products that are good for you and for our planet. Eco-friendly hemp isn't only a nutritious food, it's also one of the best examples of sustainable agriculture (to learn more, check out hemphistoryweek.com).

Raise Your Glass
One of the best milk alternatives out there, Tempt Hempmilk, is a gluten-free, non-dairy vegan drink that contains zero known allergens and is chock full of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and all 10 of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). It’s easily digestible and comes in five flavors, including vanilla and chocolate (two of which are unsweetened). We tried the original flavor instead of our usual soy milk in our morning banana and blueberry smoothie and were pleasantly surprised by its creaminess and slightly nutty flavor. ($3.99, livingharvest.com)

Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Nature’s Path makes it easy to eat breakfast with three hemp-rich products: Organic Instant Hot Oatmeal Hemp Plus, Organic Hemp Plus Granola, and our quick-and-easy favorite, the Sunny Hemp Chewy Granola Bar. ($3.99 to $42.88, naturespath.com)

The Ideal Oil
Delicious and delicate in flavor, Organic Hemp Oil from Nutiva is cold-pressed and perfect in salads and smoothies. In addition to being a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, hemp—unlike flax—contains so-called “super” omega-3 (SDA) and omega-6 (GLA). What you see is what you get: There’s nothing in this bottle but raw, organic, unrefined hempseed oil. The company donates 1 percent of sales to sustainable agriculture groups and also makes a great Organic Hemp Protein Powder.
(Oil priced from $8.99 to $19.99; protein powder priced from $1.69 to $22.99, nutiva.com)

Shake It Up
If you’re the active type and are looking to fuel your lifestyle in a healthy way, Vega One Nutritional Shake may fill the bill. Developed by Brendan Brazier, a best-selling author on performance nutrition and a professional Ironman triathlete, this shake (sweetened only with stevia extract) is dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free and contains 15 grams of plant-based protein, derived from hemp seed, pea, SaviSeed, and sprouted whole-grain brown rice proteins. It’s full of good-for-you antioxidants, greens, probiotics, maca, and chlorella. It also provides 50 percent of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals. ($69.99, myvega.com)

Help for Hands
Keep your hands nicely moisturized with Jason’s Hydrating Hemp Hand & Body Lotion. Sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, and vitamin E add extra oomph. ($9.49, jason-natural.com)

A Natural Fit
Stewart + Brown, leaders in the eco-fashion world, use hemp jersey in many of their designs. “It has an elegant and flattering drape that holds color extremely well,” notes co-founder Howard Brown. Bonus: It’s easy to wear, easy to care for, and is derived from a 100 percent sustainable, natural resource. Shown here from the spring line is the Karmen High-Low dress, a pretty and playful “trans-formal” style in a warm neutral tone that easily goes from daywear to evening wear and is ideal for travel. ($188, stewartbrown.com)

Lather, Rinse, Repeat
The same essential fatty acids found in hemp seed oil that are good to eat also work wonders in your beauty routines. Hemp shampoo and conditioner from Nature’s Gate help smooth dry hair and nourish hair and scalp. Also included in the mix are jojoba oil, soy proteins, milk thistle, elderflower, and allspice. ($7.29 each, natures-gate.com)

Make a Case
One of our favorite eco-accessories companies, Apple & Bee, crafts all kinds of beautiful cosmetic and toiletry cases from organic and natural materials. This pencil case may be used as that or as a cosmetic bag—either way, you’ll never tire of its cheerful print. Shown here in Japan Red, the case is crafted from organic printed cotton on the outside and hemp lining on the inside. ($24.95, appleandbee.com)

Light a Candle
Nicole Streeter, owner of Herbology Organics and Vintage Finds, hand pours each of the Organic Hemp Healing Massage candles in her line. Crafted from 100 percent certified organic soy protein, hemp oil, and essential oils, the candles come in an attractive recycled glass apothecary-style jar with a hemp wick. They burn nice and slowly, and the warm "wax" may be used as a natural massage lotion, as well as applied to insect bites. Available in a variety of aromatic formulas, we were particularly drawn to the Coconut Hibiscus aroma. Also of note from this Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company: Certified Organic Healing Hemp Massage Oil in a travel-friendly 2-ounce bottle. (herbologyorganics.com)