Take a trip to your local health foods store, or even a stroll down the health foods aisle of any supermarket, and you’re bound to notice the abundance of hemp products that are gracing the shelves — including oils, hemp hearts, capsules and protein powders.
I trialled Pure Heart Aotearoa’s Organic Hemp Heart Oil, Organic Hemp Hearts and Organic Hemp Hearts Protein Powder for a few weeks to taste and experience the benefits of these products myself.
100% Organic Hemp Heart Oil
One of the factors that makes Pure Heart’s Organic Hemp Heart Oil unique is that it is cold pressed from the HEART of the hemp seed, not the whole seed. Why is this important? Because it’s the inner hemp seed (or hemp heart) within the hard shell that contains all the nutritional benefits. It’s also the inspiration behind their company name, Pure Heart Aotearoa.
Hemp Heart Oil can be used in smoothies, salads and low temperature cooking. Admittedly, I’m not a superstar in the kitchen so my go-to recipes are very basic—mostly easy to assemble salads. If I’m honest, I was a little sceptical about what Hemp Heart Oil would taste like, especially as a dressing on its own—my assumption being that it might taste just a little too earthy and grassy for me. I was pleasantly surprised though by the nutty flavour—reminding me of walnuts or sunflower seeds. It also has a noticeably smoother taste than other hemp seed oils—again because it’s cold-pressed directly from the hemp seeds.
Organic Hemp Hearts
The packet suggests that Pure Heart’s Organic Hemp Hearts can be used in salads, snacks and cereals. With Hemp Heart Oil now being added to my salads, I decided to try their recipe for Hemp Heart Vegan Protein Balls. I’m usually a pretty healthy eater, but am often tripped up by the classic three o’clock craving for a sugar hit so I packed a few of these to get me through the afternoon—and they truly taste like a dessert treat! I was also noticeably sharper working through my afternoon tasks, which figures because the high magnesium content of the Hemp Hearts is shown to assist with brain function. The recipe is super easy to make, just whiz up all the ingredients in a food processor and shape the mixture into balls.
100% Organic Hemp Hearts Protein Powder
The star of the show for me is definitely Pure Heart’s 100% Organic Hemp Hearts Protein Powder. I’m a morning person, so my alarm goes off at 4:30am and I’m usually at the gym by 5:30am. Finding a solid breakfast that’s a) super easy and b) will get me through the whole morning is a constant struggle. The simple addition of Pure Heart’s Hemp Protein Powder to my morning smoothie has been a game changer—finally my breakfast leaves me feeling fuller for longer, allowing me to concentrate and get the most out of my morning. Then there are the benefits for muscle recovery. I’m no professional athlete but I do love a solid workout, and the amino acids in hemp protein powder have been shown to assist with body functions such as repair and maintenance. For those who have had bad experiences with protein powders, rest assured, Pure Heart’s Hemp Protein Powder doesn’t clump, has a mild taste and is easily digestible.
Overall, I can confidently say that I’m sold on the benefits of hemp. Pure Heart Aotearoa has a particularly beautiful story behind the brand too. To find out more and shop their products visit pureheartaotearoa.com
pureheartaotearoa.com
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Words: Ashlee Lala
