FLOURISHING FRIDAY: Maca power!

All hail MACA!

I love Maca. It adds a little kick to my smoothie bowls and if you follow me on instagram, you know how much I love a good ol' smoothie bowl for breakfast.

Source: http://meghantelpnerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Maca.jpg

Touted as a magical medicinal herb, Maca (a.k.a Lepidium meyenii) is a root plant native to Peru that has been traditionally consumed for its medicinal and energy-boosting properties. It has also been used to improve sexual performance and fertility despite limited scientific evidence. Oh baby. Apparently the old Inca Warriors used to fuel up on maca during their battles but wouldn't take it afterwards due to the strong desire to get funky. I'm still laughing.

Maca is high in dietary fibre. You'll find lots of calcium, selenium and magnesium in it too. Check out the full nutritional analysis here.

This site claims all these goodies result from all those lovely nutrients:

quick supply of body energy

increase of endurance

alleviation of chronic fatigue

increase of fertility

relieve of menstrual symptoms

reduce of hormonal disorders during menopause

regulation of hormonal balance in the body

improvement of the overall health

reduce of stress

treatment of anemia

help with wound healing

improvement of memory, mental and academic abilities

providing the skin a youthful look

contributing to healthy bones and teeth

acting as an antioxidant and anticancerogenic, thus reducing the risk of cancer tissues and the development of cardiovascular disease (similar to Vitamin B17)

a positive effect on increasing muscle mass, and by many athletes as an alternative to synthetic steroids that are known that can have many side effects

I must admit though, I would like to see more research backing these claims. There are a few blogs out there that question just how super this superfood is, with Renegade Health providing a great article. Like all foods, experiment and try it yourself. I don't get that 'weird' feeling when I have maca but I do get energized from it so no maca in the evenings for me. I don't go overboard with it either. Every now and then is enough for me, and only a teaspoon at a time normally.


Give it a go - it might just be an amazing superfood for you!

You can find it in most health foods or organic stores, or check out Loving Earth online.

Minty-Banana Superfood Smoothie Bowl

A minty banana superfood bowl topped with buckwheat and bee pollen. One of my best concoctions! 

2 Frozen Bananas
1 tsp Maca
1 tsp Loving Earth Rainbow blend
Handful of fresh mint
1 capsule of probiotic powder
1 tsp spirulina
1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 cup homemade almond mylk (more or less depending on how thick you want it!)
Some macadamia nuts (optional)
1/4 avocado (optional, will make it creamier)

Blend all in blender. Pour into bowl and top with:
Buckwheat kernals
Bee pollen
Chia seeds (optional)

Enjoy!