Superfood Spotlight: Maca

We're shining some light on the recently popular Maca powder. Maybe you've heard of Maca but you're not quite sure what it is or what it does, or perhaps you have no idea what it is but you've been eyeing those "adaptogenic" lattes that sound like they're going to give you your own superpowers (spoiler alert: they basically do!) Keep reading to learn all about Maca and how you could benefit from adding it to your diet!

NAME: Lepidium Meyenii

AKA: Maca

ORGANIC REMEDY: Adaptogen, Antioxidant

PLANT FAMILY: Cruciferae aka The Crucifers/ Mustards/ Cabbage

NATIVE TO: The Andes of Peru

TYPE: Vegetable Root

SIMILAR TO: Ginseng

APPEARANCE:

~ Similar in size and shape to radishes/ turnips
~ White/ Yellow
~ Pink/ Purple
~ Grey/ Black

NUTRITION:

~ Notable amount of protein
~ Relatively high in dietary fiber
~ Rich in Vitamin C
~ High in Copper & Iron

BENEFITS:

~ Antioxidant rich
~ Energy & mood enhancer
~ Improved memory
~ Hormone balancing
~ May boost male fertility

SUPPLEMENT FORMS: Powder, Capsule, Liquid, Extract, Gelatinized, non-Gelatinized

Gelatinized VS Non-Gelatinized (Raw):

Pros vs Cons of Gelatinized Maca Powder:

White/ Yellow vs. Pin/ Purple vs. Grey/ Black Maca:

DOSAGE: Begin with as little as ½ tsp and work your way up to as much as 2 tbsp

BEST SERVED: Raw/ Cold*

* Heating maca has the potential to diminish/ kill some of the most beneficial nutrients. It is recommended that maca is not mixed into high/ rolling boil heat. Instead try blending maca into your smoothies or used as a topping to a number of your dishes.

BEST USES: Try adding as little as ¼ tsp to your morning coffee, matcha or tea and move up from there! With maca, a little goes a long way. Adding maca to your morning smoothie is also a great way to ensure you’re giving yourself a steady stream of energy all day long. Some people find the taste of maca most closely resembles a bitter butterscotch, however most of the time you’ll find it absorbs quite well with whatever you decide to enjoy it with, which is why we call it a secret superpower.  If you’re feeling adventurous you could also try making our Macaccino Truffles, a delicious treat that’ll be sure to get you hooked on this amazing adaptogen.  

STORAGE: Away from heat, light & moisture

WHAT SETS OUR SUPERFOOD APART?

Organic Traditions offers a number of different organic maca products. Each of them offer the benefits of traditional maca powders, however we also offer maca that caters to your individual preference and need. Here at Organic Traditions, we carry 5 different products that contain maca!

Organic Maca X-6 Black and Red-Purple:

Our Organic Maca X-6 Black and Red-Purple is gelatinized, increasing its digestibility and is a mixture of yellow, black and red-purple maca. Unlike most other maca powders which offer ground yellow maca, our Maca X-6 offers a concentration of 80% black maca, 15% red-purple maca and only 5% yellow maca. This means that you receive a higher concentration of higher quality maca as well as a higher concentration of phytonutrients thanks to the gelatinization process.

Organic Maca for Men with Probiotics:

Our Maca for Men with Probiotics is a unique maca blend that we have formulated specifically for men. Maca grows in a variety of colors, each offering unique benefits and phytonutrients. Black and red-purple maca are the most elite of the three varieties. Our Maca for Men is a blend of black and red-purple maca, with a 2 to 1 ratio of black to red-purple. This organic blend formulated for men is gelatinized through a proprietary process in order to remove the starch from the tuber, leaving you with a higher concentration of unique phytonutrients catered to men. Our Maca for Men is also enhanced with probiotics and contains NO fillers, additives, preservatives, colors or cane sugar!

Organic Maca for Women with Probiotics:

Like the Maca for Men, our Organic Maca for Women with Probiotics is a unique maca blend that we have formulated specifically for women. Women and men are different, and therefore have unique needs when it comes to balancing hormones and handling stress inside of the body. Our Maca for Women is also a blend of the more elite varieties of Maca, black and red-purple, however the Maca for Women contains a 2 to 1 ratio of red-purple to black maca. Our Maca for Women has also undergone a proprietary gelatinization process in order to remove the starch from the tuber, leaving you with a greater concentration of unique phytonutrients that are easier for your body to absorb and digest. Our Maca for women is also enhanced with 1 billion beneficial probiotics and contains NO fillers, additives, preservatives, colors or cane sugar!

Organic Macaccino Drink Mix:

Caffeine can be a tough habit to kick to the curb. That’s why we’ve created our Macaccino Drink Mix! Our instant Macaccino Drink Mix was created using a blend of 4 incredible [for you] superfoods including Maca! The drink mix is made with 100% organic cacao powder, maca powder, coconut palm sugar and vanilla powder. It can be enjoyed hot as well as cold and can also be added to a number of different recipes! Check out how we used it to create our Macaccino Truffles!

Organic Probiotic Smoothie Mix, Luscious Lucuma Baobab:

Maca doesn’t have to be the star of your dish, instead try using it like a secret superpower! That’s what we’ve done with our Organic Luscious Lucuma Baobab Probiotic Smoothie Mix. The mixture is a combination of cold milled chia and flax seeds, hemp hearts, lucuma, baobab, acacia, ginger powder and monk fruit extract but we’ve enhanced it even further by adding 1 billion probiotics per serving AND our proprietary gelatinized maca!