Our maca project continued with some exciting results this last week! Read about the benefits of maca here, and Maca Diaries: Week One and Week Two.
First, Joel and I were testing Maca Magic products this week and found them very nice. We thought it was great that they had alternative products for maca, not just the raw powder. Maca Magic is also more widely available in the stores.
Back to maca magic in a second, but the other exciting thing that happened this week was that the only tester (my dad) who hadn’t felt any difference on maca finally started feeling more energy from it! The day that we were all switching brands, we got Mountain Rose Herb’s raw maca powder ( they had run out before, so had sent it in capsule form before). I decided to have my dad try that brand, and that very first day he started feeling a difference. Was it because it was fresher? Or the maca source this company has? Or is it possible to just be an accumlative effect that finally showed itself on the first day he tried MRH’s powder? His energy has continued to be good this last week, so it wasn’t just a fluke.
Now, back to Maca Magic. Joel and I have continued to feel the helpful effects of maca while taking Maca Magic. We found their raw powder to be easy to mix into to cold liquids. I also found it fairly mild. I wonder if I am just getting used to the taste, or if theirs really is more mild? We will see when we do the blind taste testing in a few weeks!
They also sent capsule form and an express extract, both of which are very easy to take. The extract has a faint maca taste, but is really, really mild! For those who have a hard time taking the powder, this could be a great possibility.
They also sent a Cocoa Maca Loco, smoothie mix which has raw maca, cocoa beans, lucuma (a sweet dried fruit) and a “nautral mineral rich cane juice”. Joel made this several times, using a base of coconut milk and bananas. He especially enjoyed this product.
I really like the Roasty Chai tea mix, which has roasted maca in it (which I find a bit more mild) and chai spices. I find it a great pick-you-up in the afternoons (I like it with a bit of coconut milk and sweetener).
And finally, the most interesting item they sent me was something called MaCafe, which is a roasted maca, to be used as a coffee substitue. We made a cup and it looked like coffee, and it did have that same type of bitterness that coffee would have. It did taste like maca, and not coffee. *wink*, but we found it delicious in the following recipe. I should also mention that it is very finely ground, which makes it very easy to mix into liquids.
Maca Mocha
1 1/2 cup of coconut milk tonic
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Macafe
1 heaping tablespoon honey (or to taste)
Use a hand blender to blend ingredients together and heat until hot and steaming in a pot on the stove.
I really appreciate how Maca Magic works to control quality and works with native farmers to get this great product. Read here how this takes place. Thanks to Maca Magic for all of the samples to try!
Onward to week four!
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I’ll have to look into Maca some more and am interested in how your final week pans out.
Making the Pumpkin Ice Cream for company tonight…I just couldn’t wait any longer to try it out 🙂
I’ll let you know how it turns out (I actually have two weeks left!).
I hope you enjoy the ice cream (you are so brave to try it out on guests!) LOL.
I love this series you are doing on Maca! I had never heard of it before you mentioned it and I am quite intrigued. I’ve only done a bit of my own research since you began and I intend to ask my naturopath about it. I was just wondering if you had come across any more info on whether or not you can use it while breastfeeding.
I, too, am hoping to make your pumpkin pie ice cream this weekend! I don’t even like pumpkin pie and I have been way too cold to want ice cream lately, but it’s just too intriguing not to try and I think my husband would love it!
Kathy,
I am so glad that this series has been helpful for you. I am curious to hear what your naturopath thinks of maca powder. While gathering info, I have gotten the impression that some have never heard of it, some have a vague distrust of it (though with no real reasons too), and others give it to half their patients, practically!
As far as it’s safety with breastfeeding, the common advice is to not use it, since it’s effects are not known. Any herb or supplement (even a whole food supplement like this) rarely gets “approved” for pregnancy or breastfeeding because of liability reasons and the risk of doing a study on different things with unknown effect.
All to say, it’s usually good to ask a knowledgeable naturopath. Both of the ones that I have gone too have given me herbs and other supplements that say not to take while pregnant or nursing, but which they said was just fine. But you do have to be careful, obviously, because some really are problematic! It’s frustrating trying to get real solid information, isn’t it!
Kathy,
Oh! And you are the brave one, not even liking pumpkin pie or wanting ice cream, but trying it anyways! Brave women! I hope you like it (and if not, I hope your husband does!). *wink*