Maca: The Ancient Incan Superfood

If I were given the task of choosing one food that I believed every fitness-minded person must eat, my choice would be maca root, hands down. I honestly can't say enough great things about this superfood, so I'll talk about what I think is the best of what it delivers. Maca root is equally beneficial to both women and men, whether they're fitness minded, health conscious, or just want to feel better overall.

Maca is a vegetable that is grown in the mountains of Peru, it belongs to the radish family. Years ago I was reading about male hormones and how it is important for us monitor them, especially if we are going to be training for strength. Because an imbalance in our hormones can have drastic effects on our performance, progress, and ability to recover.

Then the writer mentioned maca root. He said that eating this natural food would help avoid or correct hormonal imbalances, and that maca was especially beneficial to male bodybuilders because it has the ability to raise free testosterone levels. After reading this, I just had to try it. I went from one vitamin and supplement store to another in search of maca, but none of them had it, in fact, they hadn't even heard of it.

For years I yearned to try this superfood. Then one day during a chat with a co-worker, he mentioned having been born in Peru. We talked about maca, which of course he was very aware of. To make a long story short, when he returned from vacation that year, he surprised me with a pound of powdered maca, from Peru! I grabbed a juice from the refrigerator, added some maca to it and downed it.

Photo courtesy of Theluxuryspotdotcom

The next time I thought about maca was on the walk to my car that next morning (I was working 3rd shift) I noticed how much energy I still had, zero fatigue. I mean I had just run around a bakery for hours, but I felt like I'd just awaken from a full night of bed rest. It was true, maca really did provide energy, but what about the other claims?

Consuming maca root over several years has also helped improve my strength, which has enabled me to build muscle. Maca is said to increases your metabolism as well, but I can't say that it has helped me in that area. Maca also improves sexual health, this is a proven fact that even doctors support.

Maca can be purchased in pill or powder form. But buy it in powder form; it's cheaper, fresher, and more potent. You can sprinkle maca onto just about any food, or mix it into any drink, even water. I sprinkle about 400 milligrams onto my oatmeal each day. You can add maca to protein shakes to help recover from a strenuous workout, and even use it to replace coffee.

As a matter of fact, you can even buy maca coffee or tea. The list of ways that you can use maca are almost endless. There are no side effects to eating maca because it is a food, but do use it in moderation. Maca is typically used in doses of 500 milligram per day, every other day, or only when you need a boost. Try maca and see for yourself, then spread the word.