Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon maca
- Water and meat of a Thai young coconut
- ⅓ cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup ice
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Nutmeg, if desired
Instructions
Blend all together in Vita-Mix and enjoy.
About this recipe
WHAT IS MACA?
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is an annual plant, which produces a radish-like root. The root of maca is typically dried and stored, and will easily keep for seven years. The plant is cultivated in the Junin plateau of Peru’s Central Highlands, and was highly revered by the Inca tribe.
During the height of the Incan empire, legend has it that Incan warriors would consume maca before entering into battle. This would make them fiercely strong. But after conquering a city, the Incan soldiers were prohibited from using maca, in order to protect the conquered women from their powerful sexual impulses. Thus as far back as 500 years ago, maca’s reputation for enhancing strength, libido and fertility was already well established in Peru.
When it comes to nutrition, the maca root is touted as a “super-food” due to its many reported benefits. It is most often used to promote sexual and reproductive health, but proponents also say it can increase endurance and energy levels. In addition, it can help treat diseases, ranging from depression to cancer.
Menopause: The maca root is often used instead of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopausal women, as it affects the pituitary gland. While HRT stimulates hormone production and can cause ovaries to atrophy, the maca root simply helps to balance it without damaging a woman’s body.
“Whenever possible, I prefer to use maca therapy rather than hormone replacement therapy because HRT actually ages the body, diminishing the hormone producing capability of the glands,” says Dr. Rebbe Gabriel Cousens, a diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. “Maca has proven to be very effective with menopausal patients in eliminating hot flashes and depression and in increasing energy levels.”
Infertility: Many women use maca-root supplements to help combat infertility, as well. While there are few statistics available on the effectiveness of the treatment, the Australian magazine, Good Medicine, reports that laboratory studies of rats have found that they had improved fertility after eating maca.
