About 3 or 4 years ago, goji berries became all. the. rage. I remember being reluctant to try them at first, but was hooked as soon as I did! (and found a cheaper brand online!) Then, I discovered dried mulberries before they became all. the. rage.      again. Again, so good I had to find a cheaper brand online!
Recently, a few new more exotic superfoods are making a name for themselves. Goldenberries, maca, maqui, etc, etc. Maca caught my attention for 2 reasons: it helps with muscles, hormones, memory, energy, depression, strength & stamina, and more; and its price. Of all things, this was the one I wanted to try! But, I wanted to wait and see if, a) I could find a better price (vs. what I saw at WF, the few spots I saw it online), and b) research more to see what it supported and if it was good for me.

I remember reading a while ago, I believe on Navita Natural’s site, that they sell Gelatinized Maca because it was the best & most nutritious. I read around more to find out what it actually meant, and what the different kinds of Maca are.

Red, Black, and Yellow Maca, are the 3 varieties sold. Yellow Maca is the most common/popular. It is also available as a mix of the 3.

Raw Maca: as in the name, the Maca is raw, it is just sun dried, then dried at low temps, preserving maximum nutrient concentration

Gelatinized Maca: is heated to destroy the starch present in maca, which can be upsetting to people with sensitive stomachs. It also concentrates the nutrients. However, the heat does destroy most enzymes, limiting the absorption of the full benefits, and alters some hormone balancing nutrients.

After a lot of searching over the summer, I ended up deciding to buy from The Maca Team. Their Maca is from Peru, where is has been traditionally grown and harvested for years. Chinese Maca, on the other hand, may not be as pure. Their site is SUPER helpful, explaining the pros and cons of each variety of maca they sell with full transparency! They also have an awesome Maca comparison chart that I used to help decide!

I was really in between buying the Gelatinized vs. Raw, because I wanted the benefits of raw, but I didn’t know how my stomach would handle it. After much (literally months!) of debate, I decided on the small Red & Black Gelatinized Maca.

Their website is super easy to use and they have great customer support, emailing & asking me how I liked it 2 weeks after I got it. However, I got it just as I got to school, and had yet to try it. Now that I have? I. AM. HOOKED!!

Maca has become part of my daily breakfast! I’m glad I look forward to it soo much, it keeps my snacking down at night so I’m hungry in the morning for it For some reason, I’ve been on a blackstrap molasses kick! I brought it with me to make my pumpkin bread (a variation of this recipe). I was reading an article on iron and remembered it, it’s so good in yogurt! Here’s the basic recipe I have each morning:

Yogurt & Maca Breakfast

Ingredients:
1-2 containers plain Greek or Siggi’s yogurt
2 tsp maca*
a few TBSP soymilk, water, cold tea/coffee (some liquid) to thin
sprinkle of cinnamon
blackstrap molasses (optional)

Instructions:
in the corner of your yogurt container or bowl, add your maca, add a splash of liquid of choice and stir with 1/2 the yogurt until the powder in completely mixed in (you don’t want chunks). swirl in with rest of the yogurt, top with cinnamon & a swirl of molasses. enjoy!

Notes:
– start of with 1 tsp maca when you’re new to using it, to let your body adjust.

I’ve also added oats and/or zucchini, and usually have it with some fruit on the side! Maca has a natural sweetness and nuttiness to it that I surprisingly love! I thought it was going to be chalky, but it’s not at all! Actually, that’s why I started with the molasses, but found that it doesn’t need it. I sometimes also mix in Vega!

I know it’s a bit of a new & strange ingredient, but it’s what I make and eat every Wednesday and every other day, and it’s delicious! I haven’t noticed a huge difference taking it, but I guess I feel slightly more energized? Nothing negative, but nothing outstanding that’s positive either!

~Masala Girl
Have you tried Maca yet?