Maca For Moms
Feeling sluggish? Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee which will elevate your cortisol levels (your stress hormone), why not turn to maca?
Maca is a little-known but highly effective energy booster that provides essential nutrients for physical and mental performance - something your cup of joe won't do.
You can add it to the smoothie recipe at the bottom of this post.
One core reason many of us busy moms feel run down is that our chronic stress has worn down our adrenal glads.
We're busy, we worry, we have a million things on our minds. We are under chronic stress. Our adrenal glands, walnut-sized organs located above our kidneys, produce several powerful hormones including cortisol and adrenaline in response to this stress.
When we're under the prolonged, constant stress of having too much to do in too little time, our hormones run amok and eventually these small glands bottom out.
Over time, our cortisol receptors become resistant and our adrenal glands fail to produce adequate hormones. The process can be compared to the process of developing diabetes. In the case of diabetes, the organ is the pancreas, the hormone is insulin and the trigger is sugar. In the case of adrenal fatigue, the organ is the adrenal gland, the hormone is cortisol, and the trigger is chronic stress.
Because cortisol has an effect on so many body systems and processes, when our cortisol rhythm is out of whack we feel tired, we gain weight, we get sick, and we just can't muster up the energy to make a meal for the family.
Small things become huge obstacles because of adrenal fatigue.
Unfortunately, coffee does a really good job of elevating cortisol. Darn!
But Maca is here to help.
The secret to maca's ability to increase energy lies in the fact that it supports our body's over-worked adrenal glands. Like ginseng, maca is an adaptogen which means it supports an overworked stress response.
After a short period of maca use, many people notice a noticeably improvement in their cognitive ability in addition to increased energy.
This super food contains significant amounts of Vitamin B2, B3, B6, and C as well as calcium, iodine, zinc and iron which all support a stressed out body. It naturally contains zinc and plant sterols, which are potent immune enhancers to help keep you healthy and energized during cold and flu season. Maca is also loaded with energy-producing, protein-building amino acids that fuel the body.
With its incredible nutrient profile, supplement savvy athletes are even using maca to improve their energy level without over-stimulating their bodies.
I have not found sufficient research to tell us whether maca is safe for children or breastfeeding moms, so proceed with caution there. But for busy moms, it's a great thing to add to your smoothie in the morning or mid afternoon to keep you movin'.
Cocolate-Maca Pick-Me-Up Milkshake
Place the following in the blender and blend until smooth.
- 1-2 medjool dates, pitted and soaked 10 minutes (if your blender isn't powerful enough to pulverize the dates, try date sugar or honey instead)
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 frozen banana, cut in chunks
- 1 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (more or less depending on your taste)
- 1 teaspoon raw maca powder
- 1 handful raw or steamed/cooled greens
- 1 serving protein powder (optional)
