Ilana Friedman

As a VEGAN NEW MOM, I want to thank Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils for providing me with superior quality and great tasting hemp foods now and at a time in my life when I needed it the most; during my pregnancy.

Hemp became a central part of my diet from the first month of my pregnancy; the time when I chose live foods over dead and became 100% Vegan. Intoxicating myself and even more important, my future child, was no longer an option. I couldn’t ignore the health implications of heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics and many other major concerns regarding meats including fish, which used to be a part of my daily regime. Soy too, after all these years of heart healthy marketing, turns out to be a very controversial plant based source of protein.

Desperately looking for soy free-vegan sources of complete protein & essential fats I discovered hemp. I am so glad! The more I learned about the goodness of hemp, the more amazed I became. It didn’t take long before I started to mix the hemp protein powder in my green drink every morning, sprinkled shelled hemp seed on my lunch salad and topped it off with hemp seed oil. What I love about hemp so much is that it is light, easy to digest and very satisfying. This 9-month vegan journey left me feeling better than ever.

On January 17^th, I gave birth to a beautiful 3.2 kg hemp baby boy. The labour was fairly short and without the use of any sedatives. This pregnancy was a wonderful experience: I didn’t gain excessive weight, didn’t experience heartburn or swelling and didn’t have any stretch marks or problems producing milk (this was my first pregnancy).

I have a little secret to share… the hemp seed oil I loved so much on my salads turned out to be very beneficial on my belly. I used hemp seed oil everyday on my belly! It is the best anti-stretch mark solution out there. 

I strongly encourage everyone and especially future moms to incorporate hemp inside-out! The benefits are enormous.

Once again, thank you Manitoba Harvest for helping people like myself take steps forward towards greater health.

To the best of health!!

Ilana Friedman