I’m always making a fuss about maca root on here, but I promise it is with good reason. Maca is an ancient herb and root vegetable that provides many benefits to women’s health (and men’s!) Most notably, it may boost libido (improving sexual health) and promote fertility.
NOTE: I am not a doctor or scientist or anything remotely similar. I made the decision to take maca myself based on online research and studies I have read. You should not take this as advice, but inspiration. Visit your own doctor if you are wondering if maca is something you should try.
So, now that you know I am just a blogger sharing my experience (not a doctor), other benefits of maca may include:
- Balances hormones
- Improve mood and depression
- Ease PMS symptoms
- Boosts energy
- Decrease menopause symptoms
- Supports overall brain health
- Promotes bone health
But today, the biggie is fertility. In fact, this is one of the top reasons why I started incorporating maca into my everyday routine. I am not saying maca is what helped get me pregnant – it is pretty impossible to pinpoint. But, I was adding it to my smoothies while we were trying. We got pregnant in our 3rd month (which is – believe it or not – very quickly and early!) Also – balancing hormones? Definitely good.
Scientific evidence showed effects on sexual behavior, fertility, and mood, and you can read all the details of the study here. It’s interesting stuff, and it is a natural remedy that I think is worth giving a shot. If you take a look at the study and decide maca might be something you are interested in, then give one of these smoothies a shot below.
I’ll be honest (and some of you may know already), I was so turned off by the initial smell and taste of maca. It is sorta nutty/malty/caramel-like. It was definitely potent, but over time I have actually started craving and eventually enjoying it. The smoothies below are awesome because I did my very best to mask the flavor and they work well with the combinations. The strawberry shortcake is my favorite (I could hardly taste anything).
So – here are the recipes. Simply add all ingredient to your blender and run until smooth. You can add topping if you’d like (I definitely like to) or add other superfoods, such as chia seed or flaxseed. Add or substitute ingredients to your liking, but this is what worked for me. Oh, and this is the brand of Maca I use.
#1: Chocolate Cherry Bomb
- 1 cup frozen banana
- 1/3 cup frozen cherries (with 2-3 chopped up for topping)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp maca
- 1 tbs cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp chia seeds
- Handful of granola (optional topping)
#2: Strawberry Shortcake
- 1 banana
- 3-4 frozen strawberries
- 1 tbs peanut butter
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 drop vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maca
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
#3: Banana Split
- 1 frozen banana
- 3-4 frozen strawberries
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk (more or less based on preference)
- 1 tbs peanut butter
- 2 tbs cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1 tsp maca root powder
- 1 pinch salt
#4: Chocolate Mousse
- 1 banana
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 tbs cocoa powder
- 1 tsp maca
- 1 tsp vanilla
I hope that you find maca a natural and healthy way to improve fertility and/or other aspects of your life. If you are already taking maca, please share your experiences below. I would love to hear your thoughts. xx bianca
