Maca, Adaptogens + Oatmeal

Hey friends! Popping in to chat about a NEW oatmeal add in that I've been trying - maca root! Here's what it looks like in root form:

A little weird, right? I found it at TJs in powder form - packaging looks much better! (If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you I think this brand on Amazon looks good - start small to see if you like it!)

You can read more about the benefits of maca here and here but I highlighted my favorite takeaways below.

+ Improve your mood! Yay!

+ Help balance hormones

+ Boost energy? I always need that

+ Increased libido (ha! okay we'll see)

+ Lots of nutritional benefits, including 20 amino acids, lots of vitamins + minerals, including iron.

+ Is an adaptogen (Just learned about these. Google says they are considered "natural substances that help the body to adapt to stress and exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes.")

{Side note on adaptogens - I've been seeing a lot of people trying REBBL drinks recently that have these. I haven't tried them but seems good! You can read more about specific adaptogens and ways to take them here. I was looking at Be Well for supplements which Iooks interesting, and I also know that one of my favorite brands, Purely Elizabeth, is coming out with some granola bars that will have them!! I did an early on taste test when they were sampling and they were pretty good :)}

I wanted to try maca because of all these reasons, and finally found it for a fairly affordable price at TJ's! Woot. I was worried about the taste / texture, but have liked it so far in my oats. It seems to add a nutty almost chocolate-y flavor once cooked. I'm not sure I love the smell of it...but I just ignored that because it tasted pretty good. I think this has to do with using raw powder, as well. The flavor seems to mellow once cooked so I suspect it would be good in brownies or other chocolate-y baked goods. I haven't tried the gelantinized version but that may also have a softer flavor.

Here are two oatmeal combinations that I've used so far. First up, almond milk // maca // collagen cooked together, topped with freeze-dried raspberries, hemp seeds, chia seeds and our hand picked (then frozen) blueberries and blackberries.

Next up was almond milk // maca // collagen // cinamon cooked together, topped with frozen blueberries // goji berries // walnuts // almond drizzle

If you've had any experience with adaptogens recently, or found any other delicious maca recipes, I'm be interested to hear more!!