Amazing Superfood – Maca Root

Not to be confused with Matcha tea, Maca root is a South American super-food that is dense in nutrients such as protein and calcium, high in antioxidants, and is well known for its ability to increase energy and endurance, along with balancing the hormones. It has been said that Maca was even eaten by Inca Imperial warriors before battle…

This root is native to the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. In those countries it is common to find whole maca root sold in outdoor markets – it looks and is related to the turnip but is rich in medicinal properties. Maca is a staple food used in many dishes and just as common as quinoa. This is a nutritious food that can be eaten fresh, dried into a powder, or taken in tincture form.

What I love about Maca is that it is an adaptogenic herb. ”Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to “adapt” to the stressful circumstances.” Simply Adaptogens are non-toxic foods/herbs that help to normalize the body when out of balance and won’t force the body to do anything unless it is needed. For example, maca can give the body amazing energy and endurance but only if the body needs it compared to coffee which over-stimulates the body and gives it an unnatural energy regardless of what the body needs. So yes, maca is amazing for long lasting energy, stamina and endurance without giving the jitters and does not affect blood pressure levels.

Maca is also my first choice when it comes to recommending products for hormone balancing; whether for menopause or a woman’s monthly cycle. I have personally used maca for balancing hormones and it is incredible. A few years ago I knew my hormones were out of balance and rather than taking actual estrogen or progesterone and other synthetic creams I took 1-2 Tbsp of maca root powder daily and within a month or two my cycle was regular and my symptoms minimized. Plus, 2 months later I was surprisingly pregnant with my son which leads me to the next topic, fertility…

It is a known fact that it is more difficult to conceive when the body is overly stressed and the hormones are out of balance. Before taking expensive measures to try and become pregnant, I would first recommend not only getting healthy and alkaline but try taking Maca root for a couple of months to see if it can help your body minimize stress and balance your hormones. I know of multiple women it has helped with becoming pregnant without doing anything harmful or unnatural to their body. Plus, it can increase fertility in women and sperm count and resilience in men. Not to mention it increases sex drive which is connected to hormone balancing and stress.

One thing I would add is Maca can be taken by anyone because it is a whole food that is very nutritious – my 2 year old even has it occasionally in raw chocolate truffles or green drinks. Maca is protein-rich, mineral-rich (calcium, iron, magnesium & selenium), high in 19 amino acids, good fatty acids, and the darker maca roots (black, purple and red) is very rich in iodine.

The taste is unique if taking by the powder – kind of like burnt molasses or as someone once told me, burnt hair. It is not quite that bad and does have a slight sweetness to it which is why I recommend adding it to smoothies or coconut milk shakes. Many greens products have maca root added to it such as Amazing Grass’s superfood blends. I like to buy the maca powder and add about 1 tsp to my morning green drink and 1 tsp to my afternoon green drink. One teaspoon is a good amount to start with and not too overwhelming in taste. The other option is of course to buy the tablets or tincture form.

References: Wikipedia.com