I Love MACA

 

Why do I love Maca? Maca root is a highly nutritious root vegetable, but also a wonderful medicinal adaptogen, also known as “Peruvian ginseng”. In today’s day and age, with all of the stressers in our daily lives, adaptogenic herbs and foods are our friends, the more we eat the better we shall feel and thrive. I believe that Maca and other adaptogens should be part of our daily diet.

Maca grows in the high mountainous areas of South America, and has been cultivated as a vegetable crop for thousands of years.

Maca’s has some wonderful positive effects of the body and the mind; especially the endocrine and reproductive system. It is known for its hormone balancing and regulating effects and seems very good for the reproductive health of both men and women. Maca root is said to increase fertility, improve sexual function, improve hormone balance, and help increase energy and stamina. It may also help improve mental health, especially mood, focus and learning. WOW!

In Peru, maca is cooked and eaten like a vegetable. Here, it is more available as a dried powdered root and is considered quite the superfood.

Raw maca powder does not mix well with liquids so I like to use it in baking, as a replacemnt for ordinary flour. You can still mix the raw powder into a smoothie or a no-baked recipe, but it needs to be blended quite well. I recommend about 1 tablespoon once or twice a day, and because it might help boost your energy, I usually take it in the morning or early afternoon.

Maca has a pleasant flavor, and I think it tastes creamy and delicious. Some describe it as similar to butterscotch, and it comes in a variety of colors, most commonly yellow, black, and red. All colors of maca have similar benefits, although specific maca types/colors are thought to be more beneficial for certain medical conditions.

Rich and yummy Maca Blueberry Cocoa Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1-2 Tsp Maca

2 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder

2 cups coconut milk, full fat in a can

1 Tbsp raw organic honey

OR 1/4 tsp stevia powder extract

Directions:

Put everything in a blender until well combined.

Drink it all yourself or share it with a lucky friend!

Another awesome Maca recipe is Maca Cocoa Coconut Bliss Balls

Ingredients

10 Medjool Dates (about 10-12)
1/3 cup finely chopped Macadamia Nuts
1/3 cup Goji Berries
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
2 tablesspoons Cacao Nibs
1 tablespoon Maca Powder
1 Teaspoon Raw Honey (VEGAN VERSION – 3-4 drops stevia)
1 Teaspoon Cacao Powder
Dash of Vanilla Extract
Finely shredded Coconut (for rolling them in)

Instructions

Combine dates, chia seeds, cocao powder, vanilla extract and honey in a food processor and whiz up until you get a fairly smooth consistency.

Stir in the goji berries, macadamia nuts and cacao nibs. Feel free to add or take out any of the nuts and seeds, play with the ingredients anf find a blend that you love.

With clean washed hands, start forming into little balls or fun shapes and then roll them  in the shredded coconut.

Then simply enjoy !

 

 

Decadent, delicious, divine, to die for, super healthy dessert

If you have been reading my blog you know that I have a strong relationship with chocolate. Actually, I just read that over 5,900,000,000 people also share in my decadent habit (according to yahoo.com). Thankfully I can happily satisfy my craving, with no guilt, thanks to the medical research because dark chocolate has numerous health benefits being so rich in antioxidants;phytosterols and polyphenols. Avocados the next main ingredient in this recipe is also a ‘super food’, rich in monounsaturated fats, it is filled with anti-inflammatory beneficial fats and anti-oxidants as well. So this delicious dessert is a no brainer and easy to make and as the title says purely decadent! 

Anyway, so armed with this little bit of knowledge about the health benefits of chocolate and avocados, I was ready to start experimenting in the kitchen, determined to turn this into the best raw chocolate pudding anyone has ever tried.

Here are a few variations that really work and taste divine. Just remember for optimal palate pleasure serve this chilled, it tastes much better …

with dates and honey….

1 medium avocado (ripe)

1/2 cup dates

2 1/2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder

1/4 cup water + 1/8 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons organic local honey

1/8 teaspoon celtic sea salt (or less)

1. Throw these raw chocolate avocado pudding ingredients into a high-speed blender. Start blending on slow and then up the blending speed to high.

2. Blend until looks consistent with pudding. If you have a good blender (AKA Vitamix or Blendtec) then you should be able to get this super smooth.You may need to add a tiny bit of extra water to facilitate blending

chill, enjoy!

Best for kids; with banana, almond milk, cinnamon…..

• 2 avocados – peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
• 1/2 to 1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar (more to taste if needed.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp almond or cashew butter (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• pinch of salt

The Directions: Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth! Serve chilled.

My favorite way because it has no sugar…stevia:

• 1 ripe organic avocado
• 1/2 cup homemade or store bought almond milk
• 1-1/2 TBSP raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 15 drops liquid stevia
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of chipotle chile powder or cayenne. I like it hot!
• Optional toppings: raw cacao nibs, raw almonds, raspberries, chia seeds, cinnamon currant flackers

Instructions

1. Halve and scoop flesh from avocado.
2. Add almond milk, to Blendtec (or food processor), followed by avocado, raw cacao powder, vanilla, stevia, cinnamon, salt, chipotle powder.
3. Blend or process until smooth and creamy.
4. Taste to adjust sweetness. Raw cacao seems to require plenty of sweetness to round it out. If using stevia, add two or three drops at a time until you’ve achieved your ideal balance.
5. Spoon into serving dishes and top with raw almonds and cacao nibs. Don’t skip adding something crunchy! The contrast of smooth and velvety with crispy is fabulous.

 

Don’t leave home without these…my favorite fabulous travel companions

Just got back from a very exciting trip to NYC, ok beyond exciting, thrilling actually. Yesterday I met with The Bobbi Brown! And she was absolutely fabulous and wonderful and I am so grateful that I could spend time with such a talented superstar who by the by, also adores flackers. ( especially the new ones, cinnamon currants.)

Well I can go on about that but I digress….So what are my favorite travel companions? Well, naturally they are food, aside from a few items of clothing I would guess that at least a third of my baggage is filled with edibles. You never know if you will get stranded, or delayed and so I make sure that in case of an emergency, I will not go hungry, nor will I miss out on my daily nutrition! 

For starters I always travel with flackers to make sure that I am going to get omega-3 fatty acids and of course plenty of fiber. Traveling and sitting on long journeys really can slow down the GI system so many people including myself have to have fiber. The other item I never leave home with is chocolate, dark chocolate to be specific. I add a few sprouted nuts and seeds to my mix so that my sweet tooth is balanced with protein and good fats, and I am god to go!

We know that it is good for you-and thank god for that! They make for the perfect sweet snack that I can enjoy daily without any guilt. I always take my own because I want to make sure that the cocoa content is greater than 65% and I want to make sure that the main ingredient is not sugar. The only way I can do this is to bring my own.

My next favorite must have when traveling is a chocolate green beverage that I adore called ‘amazon chocolate’ and/or ‘amazing grass”, both wonderful. Just add water and voila, I have my rich tasting, healthy low-calorie, superfood beverage. I actually carry a BPA free bottle with me, pour in the powder but no water until I go through security, (yes, it is still code orange alert these days), but then simply add H2O and it is fabulous. Keeping well hydrated is key to successful traveling. It will keep you feeling energized and well lubricated on those dry flights. 

Naturally I have a few more goodies in my travel bag but no matter if I am traveling across the country or just within city limits, these are my favorite saviours that have served me quite well.

http://amazinggrass.com/

www.greensplus.com

www.flackers.com