Hemp Seeds continued ...

hemp as a rotational crop because the hemp plant actually gives back nutrients to the soil. Today, the United States is the only industrialized nation where the cultivation of hemp is illegal. Hemp is a necessity for any vegetarian diet. Please visit http://www.VoteHemp.com to find out more and how to get involved.

The Origins:

Hemp was cultivated in China more than 6,000 years ago, from a wild plant that grew in central Asia. The Chinese recognized hemp's amazing nutritional value, and used it as a food source long before soy foods. About a thousand years ago, hemp traveled to Europe, where peasants used the plant in several ways, one of the most popular being the making of hemp butter by grinding the tasty seeds.

A Nutritional Powerhouse:

Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein is comprised of 66 percent high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Hemp also contains three times the vitamin E contained in flax. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn't contain the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.

What are EFAs?

Because the human body produces no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it is important that EFAs be consumed on a regular basis. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of Americans take in too little of one of the most important EFAs--omega-3--which is found in flax, walnuts, deep-water fish, and hempseeds. EFAs are the "good fats" that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The quality of omega-3 is vital, and can be diminished by oxygen, heat, and light. Thus consume the freshest seeds possible and store them in a dark, cold environment such as a refrigerator. We obtain our seeds exclusively from Canada. Great nutrition never tasted so good.

Hemp nutrition facts:

Legal status of Hemp foods:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2002

Breaking News! Ninth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - U.S. COURT of APPEALS for the NINTH CIRCUIT : Late yesterday the Court granted the hemp industry's Motion to Stay the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) "interpretive" rule, which was issued October 9, 2001 without public notice or opportunity for comment and would have banned the sale of nutritious hemp foods containing harmless trace amounts of naturally-occurring THC under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. Just this week the industry had learned that the Ninth Circuit's Motions panel had referred the industry's Motion to stay to the Merits panel, who had in turn scheduled expedited oral argument for April 8. Due to this turn of events, the industry had not expected that a ruling would be forthcoming on their Motion to stay and was happily surprised to learn that the motion had been granted.

The Motion to Stay was brought jointly by the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and several major hemp food companies in the U.S. and Canada. The court is currently hearing a substantive challenge to the interpretive rule, and in light of today's ruling, the hemp industry is optimistic that the Court will ultimately invalidate DEA's rule, as one of the prime criteria in granting the Stay was whether the hemp industry is likely to ultimately prevail on the merits of the case. Because trace infinitesimal THC in hemp seed is non-psychoactive and insignificant, the U.S. Congress exempted non-viable hemp seed and oil from control under the CSA, just as Congress exempted poppy seeds from the CSA, although they contain trace opiates otherwise subject to control. The hemp industry is assuring retailers and consumers that hemp food products should continue to be stocked, sold and consumed. Joe Sandler, counsel for the HIA, stated: "The Court's order effectively prevents DEA from enforcing its Interpretive Rule until a final ruling by the Court on the validity of DEA's action. With this stay in effect, all those who sell, import, manufacture, distribute and retail edible hemp oil and seed, and oil and seed products, can continue those activities secure in the knowledge that such products remain perfectly lawful."

Hemp seed has well-balanced protein content and the highest content of essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any oil in nature: EFAs are the "good fats" that, like vitamins, the body does not produce and requires for good health. Dr. Udo Erasmus, an internationally recognized nutritional authority on fats and oils, writes in Fats that Heal "Fats that Kill: Hemp seed oil may be nature's most perfectly balanced oil." Not surprisingly, shelled hemp seed and oil are increasingly used in natural food products, such as corn chips, nutrition bars, hummus, nondairy milks, breads and cereals. In the last few years, the hemp foods industry has grown from less than $1 million a year to over $5 million in retail sales.

The court ruling allows the hemp foods industry segment to continue its phenomenal expansion. Popular hemp foods include pretzels, tortilla chips, energy bars, waffles, bread, salad dressing, and cereal, cooking oil, ice cream and even non-dairy milk. Unlike the U.S., other Western countries (Canada, Germany Australia) have adopted rational THC limits for foods, similar to those voluntarily observed by North American hemp food companies which protect consumers with a wide margin of safety from any psychoactive effects or workplace drug-testing interference (see hemp industry standards regarding trace THC at http://www.testpledge.com). The 10-year-old global hemp market is a thriving commercial success. Unfortunately, because DEA's drug-war paranoia has confused non-psychoactive industrial hemp varieties of cannabis with psychoactive "marijuana" varieties, the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing and processing of industrial hemp.

Please visit http://VoteHemp.com to read scientific studies of hemp foods and see court documents.

For more information or to arrange interviews with representatives of the hemp industry, please call Adam Eidinger at 202-986-6186 or 202-744-2671 (cell).

If you would like to make donations to support Vote Hemp's continuing efforts, please visit the following website http://www.VoteHemp.com/contribute.php.

Organic Green Tea continued ...

many medical reports and studies by accredited institutions concluding that Green Tea does contain many healthful and healing properties. Drinking Green Tea has been shown to provide the human body with numerous health enhancing components. Green Tea contains a very high value of Catechin Polyphenols that have antioxidant properties that are known to fight against cancer. In addition, Green Tea provides Polysaccharides, Flavonoids, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C (there's more vitamin "C" in one cup of green tea than in an orange), Vitamin E, R-Amino Butyric Acid and Fluoride in it's natural state.

Green tea has higher values of medicinal properties than other teas, because of the special way in which it is dried. Our Green Tea is organically grown and the traditional drying technique used with Green Tea prevents the tea from the negative effects of fermentation. The widely recognized health benefits of Green Tea have been mentioned in many newspapers and journals including CNN, USA Today, New York Times, Chinese Daily News, Journal of National Cancer Institute, numerous US Universities and Research Centers. Some of the findings that have been established are:

Green Tea can help reduce the risks of esophageal, (the tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach) skin and many other forms of Cancer, mainly by its highly significant antioxidant properties. (National Cancer Institute 1-800-4-Cancer).

Green Tea can help to lower cholesterol and cuts the risk of stroke in men. (American Medical Association).

Green Tea can help suppress and reverse aging, and refreshes the body with it's high Vitamin B content that helps the human body better deal with stress, and release more energy.

Green Tea can help restrain the growth of various bacteria that cause disease.

Green tea can help stop cavities because of it's rich Fluoride content present in it's natural form, and can help prevent bad breath (Dr. Tao Song).

Green Tea helps eliminate constipation (Dr. Tao Song).

Green Tea Benefits - Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. The followings are some of the components with closer look to its benefits:

Polyphenols - Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention. The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to polyphenols.

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds, bound with starches, and often so amorphous that they are classified as tannins simply because at some point in degradation they are astringent and contain variations on gallic acid. Produced by plants, tannins are generally protective substances found in the outer and inner tissues. All of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation, and either decrease the ability of animals to easily consume the living plant, or, as in deciduous trees, cause shed parts of the plant to decay so slowly that there is little likelihood of infection to the living tree from rotting dead material around its base. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids are plant pigments, and are the brightly colored chemical constituents found in most fresh fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are part of a large class of chemicals that occur naturally in plants. A simple definition describes flavonoids as "any group of substances found in fruits and vegetables essential for processing vitamin C and needed to maintain capillary walls. They may aid in protecting against infection. Deficiency can result in a tendency to bruise easily.

Theanine - An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves of green tea. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed. Through the natural production of polyphenols, the tea plant converts theanine into catechins. This means that tea leaves harvested during one part of the growing season may be high in catechins (good for antioxidant benefits), while leaves harvested during another time of year may be higher in theanine (good for anti-stress and cortisol-controlling effects). Three to four cups of green tea are expected to contain 100-200 mg of theanine.

Green Tea Components and Healthy Effects

(1996 Green Tea Industry Handbook)

The Mountains of Angels Green Tea Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: one full spoon

Catechins: 14.37%
Flavonoids: 19.23%
Caffeine: 2.48%
Vitamins: 0.82%
Theanine: 3.38%
Polysaccharides: 5.29%
Tannins: 44.85%

Brewing Instructions:

Brewing Mountain of Angels organic green tea using a ceramic tea cup. Place a few leaves (10-12), in the cup and pour hot water (not boiling), cover the cup for two to three minutes and then sip your brewed green tea slowly and enjoy the taste, the aroma and the golden-greenish color. If the color is brownish, it means that you used more than you should have of the green tea leaves. You can use the same leaves two to three times.

Using Teapot:

Place very small amount of green tea leaves in the pot, and fill it with hot water. Cover the teapot for a few minutes and you will have a beautiful golden The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea with its delicate aroma and taste.

Using Tea Ball:

Do not fill the tea ball with green tea leaves, just use a few leaves. Immerse the tea ball in a cup full of hot water and stir it till the color become gold, not brownish. You can use the same leaves two to three times.

a. Please remember that you can mix the brewed leaves with your salad, cooked vegetables, soup or just chew them.

b. Please remember that the less time you brew your tea the better it is and it will maintain more of its medical benefits.

2. Brewing Ice The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea:

Place two to three tablespoons of The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea in a one gallon bottle full of drinking water and place it in the icebox for one to two hours, or until the water turns to gold color and the ice green tea is ready to drink. If the color becomes dark brownish, it is an indication that you have used too much green tea leaves.

When you have used two thirds of the brewed green tea, you may refill the bottle with water WITHOUT REPLACING THE LEAVES. You may repeat the same twice, three times until the color, the aroma or the taste is not more to your liking.

Bonus:

As an added bonus, it is perfectly ok to eat your green tea leaves after they are brewed. They can be used in salads or mixed with other vegetables.

Organic Jasmine Green Tea continued ...

China for its medicinal properties useful in the maintenance of good health. It has been said in China "it is better to drink Green Tea than to take medicine". Green Tea has been receiving much attention lately. As a result, we now have many medical reports and studies by accredited institutions concluding that Green Tea does contain many healthful and healing properties. Drinking Green Tea has been shown to provide the human body with numerous health enhancing components. Green Tea contains a very high value of Catechin Polyphenols that have antioxidant properties that are known to fight against cancer. In addition, Green Tea provides Polysaccharides, Flavonoids, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C (there's more vitamin "C" in one cup of green tea than in an orange), Vitamin E, R-Amino Butyric Acid and Fluoride in it's natural state.

Green tea has higher values of medicinal properties than other teas, because of the special way in which it is dried. Our Green Tea is organically grown and the traditional drying technique used with Green Tea prevents the tea from the negative effects of fermentation. The widely recognized health benefits of Green Tea have been mentioned in many newspapers and journals including CNN, USA Today, New York Times, Chinese Daily News, Journal of National Cancer Institute, numerous US Universities and Research Centers. Some of the findings that have been established are:

Green Tea can help reduce the risks of esophageal, (the tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach) skin and many other forms of Cancer, mainly by its highly significant antioxidant properties. (National Cancer Institute 1-800-4-Cancer).

Green Tea can help to lower cholesterol and cuts the risk of stroke in men. (American Medical Association).

Green Tea can help suppress and reverse aging, and refreshes the body with it's high Vitamin B content that helps the human body better deal with stress, and release more energy.

Green Tea can help restrain the growth of various bacteria that cause disease.

Green tea can help stop cavities because of it's rich Fluoride content present in it's natural form, and can help prevent bad breath (Dr. Tao Song).

Green Tea helps eliminate constipation (Dr. Tao Song).

Green Tea Benefits - Green tea contains antioxidants, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. The followings are some of the components with closer look to its benefits:

Polyphenols - Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention. The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to polyphenols.

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins – with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds, bound with starches, and often so amorphous that they are classified as tannins simply because at some point in degradation they are astringent and contain variations on gallic acid. Produced by plants, tannins are generally protective substances found in the outer and inner tissues. All of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation, and either decrease the ability of animals to easily consume the living plant, or, as in deciduous trees, cause shed parts of the plant to decay so slowly that there is little likelihood of infection to the living tree from rotting dead material around its base. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids are plant pigments, and are the brightly colored chemical constituents found in most fresh fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are part of a large class of chemicals that occur naturally in plants. A simple definition describes flavonoids as "any group of substances found in fruits and vegetables essential for processing vitamin C and needed to maintain capillary walls. They may aid in protecting against infection. Deficiency can result in a tendency to bruise easily.

Theanine - An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves of green tea. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed. Through the natural production of polyphenols, the tea plant converts theanine into catechins. This means that tea leaves harvested during one part of the growing season may be high in catechins (good for antioxidant benefits), while leaves harvested during another time of year may be higher in theanine (good for anti-stress and cortisol-controlling effects). Three to four cups of green tea are expected to contain 100-200 mg of theanine.

Green Tea Components and Healthy Effects

(1996 Green Tea Industry Handbook)

Serving Size: one full spoon

Catechins: 14.37%
Flavonoids: 19.23%
Caffeine: 2.48%
Vitamins: 0.82%
Theanine: 3.38%
Polysaccharides: 5.29%
Tannins: 44.85%

Brewing Instructions:

Brewing Mountain of Angels organic green tea using a ceramic tea cup. Place a few leaves (10-12), in the cup and pour hot water (not boiling), cover the cup for two to three minutes and then sip your brewed green tea slowly and enjoy the taste, the aroma and the golden-greenish color. If the color is brownish, it means that you used more than you should have of the green tea leaves. You can use the same leaves two to three times.

Using Teapot:

Place very small amount of green tea leaves in the pot, and fill it with hot water. Cover the teapot for a few minutes and you will have a beautiful golden The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea with its delicate aroma and taste.

Using Tea Ball:

Do not fill the tea ball with green tea leaves, just use a few leaves. Immerse the tea ball in a cup full of hot water and stir it till the color become gold, not brownish. You can use the same leaves two to three times.

a. Please remember that you can mix the brewed leaves with your salad, cooked vegetables, soup or just chew them.

b. Please remember that the less time you brew your tea the better it is and it will maintain more of its medical benefits.

2. Brewing Ice The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea:

Place two to three tablespoons of The Mountain of Angels Organic Green Tea in a one gallon bottle full of drinking water and place it in the icebox for one to two hours, or until the water turns to gold color and the ice green tea is ready to drink. If the color becomes dark brownish, it is an indication that you have used too much green tea leaves.

When you have used two thirds of the brewed green tea, you may refill the bottle with water WITHOUT REPLACING THE LEAVES. You may repeat the same twice, three times until the color, the aroma or the taste is not more to your liking.

Bonus:

As an added bonus, it is perfectly ok to eat your green tea leaves after they are brewed. They can be used in salads or mixed with other vegetables.

Styrian Domaine Pumpkin Seeds continued ...

linspiring more and more connoisseurs. KarmicDelights guarantees the quality and taste, as well as place of origin of the seeds where they are milled by locals.

KarmicDelights is a direct importer of the seeds and oil. For whole sale, please e-mail us.

The Health Value of the Styrian Pumpkin Seeds:

The Styrian pumpkin itself is not used as a food item. It was- if at all - considered suitable for animals only. The vegetable aspect of its fruit was never a contender against other pumpkin varieties that produce more and better fruit pulp than the Styrian pumpkin. However, the seeds of pumpkins have been used for ages as "snack-food" especially in the Mediterranean area with the known “side-effect" of easing and preventing bladder and prostate problems. This effect makes the Styrian pumpkin seeds so valuable today, since the amount of this beneficial ingredient is significantly higher than in any other variety. This amount of medicinal substance is so extraordinary that this Styrian variety is today grown for the seed's ingredients alone, hence only the seeds are harvested and the pumpkin pulp is discarded as "fertilizer" and left on the field. The absence of a hard shell around the seeds makes them even more desirable.

Medicinal Properties:

The specific components are known to prevent bladder and prostate problems, even to shrink enlarged prostate glands in early stages. Minimal amounts of this drug are needed. Pharmaceutical capsules contain only miniscule amounts (e.g. 5000 mg = 5g) of pumpkin seed oil. Chewing a handful of the seeds every other day can easily give a similarly sufficient preventive supply. Also using the oil as salad dressing not only gives the food a pleasant nutty flavor, but contains the wanted ingredients in more than sufficient quantities. But this substance is only present in the cold pressed oil since heating destroys the drug component. Therefore cooking with this oil is not recommended since it removes most of the beneficial property. The process to obtain this oil is complicated and delicate, making the oil a higher priced item, but it is worth its price provided the quality and the purity of the oil is guaranteed.

A special process re-uses the seed paste after the first "virgin" pressing to extract the remnants with oil by resoaking the pulp in this "extractor oil". Often even heat is applied to obtain higher yields. Such oils are much cheaper since they contain only a fraction of the original oil's properties. They are - or should be - properly labeled as "cuts" or re-pressed fractions (containing Pumpkin Seed Oil) and have their use in culinary ventures for their still distinctive nutty flavor. However there is no medicinal value in these oils. Our Oil is 100% pure from first press procedure.

Health Aspects - Food Value:

These pumpkin seeds are rich of vegetable protein. Additionally they contain many important minerals (magnesium, calcium, silicic acid, and others) as well as essential vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, C, D, E).Another modern re-discovery of healthy food relates to unsaturated fatty acids, also known as essential fatty acids or EFA for short. These beneficial acids are present in a very high percentage and make the oil a preferred choice of conscious consumers. Many seeds, especially nuts, are high in valuable vegetable protein - the Styrian pumpkin seeds too. They also contain a very high percentage of Vitamin E. The absence of a wooden shell made them the undisputed favorite for all new and old pumpkin seed fans. Some users praise the natural seeds as "brain" food recommendable for most students with learning problems and in Austria the oil has for its energizing quality been nicknamed "Styrian Diesel". When roasted and salted the Styrian pumpkin seeds rival or even distance many other nutty snacks, but the medicinal properties are severely reduced by the roasting process. However, the remaining properties make it a favorite choice for nut-lovers preferring its taste over others.

© 1997 W. & C. Scherer

Organic Raw Cacao Nibs continued ...

establishing the earliest known cocoa plantations in the Yucatan. It has been argued that the Mayans had been familiar with cocoa several centuries prior to this date. They considered it a valuable commodity, used both as a means of payment and as units of calculation.

Mayans and Aztecs took beans from the "cacao" tree and made a drink they called "xocoatl." Aztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cacao tree.

Ancient chronicles report that the Aztecs, believing that the god Quetzalcoatl traveled to earth on a beam of the Morning Star with a cacao tree from Paradise, took his offering to the people. They learned from Quetzalcoatl how to roast and grind the cacao seeds, making a nourishing paste that could be dissolved in water. They added spices and called this drink "chocolate," or bitter-water, and believed it brought universal wisdom and knowledge.

Once utilized as a form of currency in Aztec society, raw Cacao seeds are a true superfood, being high in protein, beneficial fats, vitamins and minerals. Raw Cacao is reported to be the richest natural source for magnesium, an important mineral highly deficient in modern diets. The raw seeds are also surprisingly high in vitamin C and an excellent source of natural sulfur, a mineral associated with healthy skin, nails, hair and proper liver and pancreas function. Raw Cacao is the most medicinal of any chocolate product, containing the highest levels of immune- enhancing antioxidant polyphenols, procyanidins and other flavonoids known to protect against a wide array of ailments, especially heart disease.

Cacao may seem to diminish your appetite, perhaps due to its MAO inhibitors (monoamine oxidase enzyme inhibitors). Cacao's rare MAO inhibitors may allow serotonin and additional neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain. It also may facilitate youthening and rejuvenation.

Recipes:

The taste of raw Cacao seeds is similar to that of unsweetened baking chocolate, slightly bitter and deliciously rich. The dry seeds can be ground in a coffee mill to make raw "cocoa powder".

Raw Chocolate Bars:

Raw cocoa powder with 1/5 -1/3 raw Virgin Oil de Coco-Creme oil and honey to taste, then shaped into squares, placed on waxpaper in the fridge for 10 minutes to solidify, and you have truly phenomenal raw chocolate bars!

Raw "Hot" chocolate:

Soak a handful of Cacao nibs in water for several hours and add to a blender along with your favorite milk (we prefer hemp seed or oat milk), a little vanilla, cinnamon and honey to sweeten and then warming on the stove. This can alternately be frozen for a special treat.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size: 1 ounce (28g)

Calories 160
Fat 11g
Sat. Fat 4g
Sodium 30 mg
Carbohydrate 14g
Fiber 9 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 42 mg (70%DV)

*Note: Daily Value(DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet