Hey hey beautiful people, I hope you’re all doing really well.

Welcome to Vol 3 of my Superfood Spotlight series. I’ve been getting great feedback so far, which makes me excited to keep going, to keep researching, testing and exploring the wonderful world of superfoods.

This weeks’ super superfood is MACA.

What is MACA?

Maca, which is also sometimes referred to as the Peruvian ginseng, is a root vegetable native to Peru. It has long been used for its medicinal properties and it is now being used to treat many ailments in the Western world too.

Often added to smoothies and juices (which is how I often consume it), Maca boasts a very pleasant, naturally mildly sweet flavor and can be added to oatmeal, added to baked goods, beverages like coffees and teas, or even added to soups and other savory dishes too.

Benefits of Maca

Helps balance hormone levels and may be beneficial for the treatment of hormone imbalance, endometriosis, uterine fibrosis, PMS, PCOS and more.

May help improve / increase fertility (in both men and women)

Reduces erectile dysfunction

May increase muscle mass

Improves mood

Boosts energy and endurance

Improves mood

Neutralises free radicals (due to antioxidant content)

Increases libido

Reduces symptoms of menopause

May be used to treat depression

How I use it

Honestly, this past week has been very heavy for me. So I did skip my daily smoothie a couple of times. I did make the super simple strawberry maca smoothie twice this week though and it was fantactic. Really lovely flavor and quick and easy to make. However the choc-banana has to be my fave.

As I mentioned, Maca does have a nice flavor so adding it to a fresh juice is also a great option.

I also enjoy baking with it, here’s the recipe for my Grain Free peanut cookies which contains Maca powder also: Grain Free Choc Chunk Cookies </strong>🍪<strong>

Personal History

I personally have quite a long history with this weeks’ superfood. For many years in my late teens and early twenties especially (but even well after), I suffered with hormone imbalances, endometriosis and ovarian cysts. I was even on medication for a few years which made me miserable. I eventually sought more natural remedies for this because the medication I was on was making me very depressed and made me gain a lot of weight (about 20kg in a few months).

I eventually learned about MACA, which is meant to help regulate hormones. That coupled with a healthier diet and exercise helped me wean off my medications in a few months. My cysts, endometriosis and hormone imbalance are, thankfully, a thing of the past. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence and there may have been several other factors effecting this outcome. However, there is no denying that FOOD IS MEDICINE. These medicinal foods have been used for thousands and thousands of years and there is now scientific evidence to support many of their claims.

That’s it from me for today – I’ll be back with a new blog post Every Single week 🙂

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Thank you for taking the time to be here and read this ❤️

Until next week, be well xXx