Leery of Dairy? Why I Switched to Hemp Milk

I failed miserably as a vegan because I could not give up dairy cheese. But I never completely bought back in to drinking cow's milk.

Until recently, my favorite dairy milk alternative was almond milk, but that was before I discovered hemp milk.

In case you're wondering if you can get high from hemp milk, the answer is no. Commercial hemp milk has no THC, the chemical in marijuana that makes you high, because it is derived from a different variety of the Cannibus sativa plant.

So what is so great about hemp milk? For one, it tastes good. Hemp milk has the nutty flavor of almond milk, with an added bonus -- EFAs. These are the good fats Omega-3 and Omega-6, and in hemp milk they are perfectly balanced 1:3. Since we cannot create EFAs ourselves, we must get them from food -- and most of us do not get enough.

Since I'm all about energy and brain function, not to mention skin health and good digestion, hemp milk is like a dairy-free milk panacea. Fortified hemp milk also contains lots of calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, fiber, phytonutrients, and natural antioxidants like vitamin E.

I like hemp milk with blueberries and whole grain cereal, as well as in smoothies. With so much nutrition packed into a 70 calorie 8-ounce glass, I love the fact that hemp milk not only tastes good, but it's also good for me.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Oz loves hemp milk, too -- especially for its memory boosting properties.  So don't forget to try some hemp milk the next time you go to the store.