[420 Girl]

Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including building and repairing tissue. Complete proteins are essential to those of us who practice resistance (weight) training and are constantly tearing down our muscle tissue.

Protein is made of components called amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another nine, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food. A complete or “whole” protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. I am on a constant vigil to find new sources of protein for myself and my client's dietary needs. Most of us do not consume enough healthy proteins, especially those that are vegetarian.

All animal proteins are complete, including red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy. Vegetarians will be happy to know that complete proteins can also be obtained through certain plants, such as soy, spirulina, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and hemp seed.

It turns out that hemp — which has many uses including fuel, building supplies, textiles for clothing and housewares — is a complete protein in itself. And no, you won't get the giggles or munchies after ingesting the seeds grown for food.

I went to Grass Roots and spoke to the owner Mike about it. He was kind enough to give me a few samples of Hemp hearts —hulled hemp seeds — that I have been putting in my morning smoothies.

Here is what Rocky Mountain Grain Products of Alberta, Canada, has to say about “nature's power food:” “If you eat the contents of this bag (2 ounces) for breakfast with whole fruit or raw vegetables, you can expect abundant energy and no hunger for many hours, sometimes all day. You can save the cost of hemp hearts many times in reduced grocery bills and supplements, more productivity and less health care.”

Sounds good to me.

Two ounces of hemp hearts contains 314 calories, 25.9 grams of fat (87 percent omega, more than fish), no cholesterol, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein, and 36 percent of your daily need for iron.

You can find hemp oil, butter, milk, oatmeal, granola, protein powder, protein bars, beer, wine, even ice cream.

With hemp's high nutritional value and versatility, I'm sure we'll be noticing more hemp food products available as we progress on our journey for optimum wellness. Speaking of wellness, please join me this Saturday at 8 a.m. at Sierra Athletic Club for intenSati (cardio, strength, balance, affirmations) class. Call or e-mail to reserve your spot at (530) 208-6369 or Rhonda@tahoetrainer.com

Rhonda Beckham is owner of Help Me Rhonda Personal Fitness Training. She is a nationally certified personal trainer operating out of Kahle Community Center and Sierra Athletic Club, and a Pilates instructor at Emerald Bay Physical Therapy. She may be reached at (530) 208-6369, Help Me Rhonda Fitness in Lake Tahoe and rhonda@tahoetrainer.com.

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