My answers: We use it all the time. I love to give packages of it [...]]]> In our house, Maca finds its way into smoothies and raw soups many other combination dishes, on a regular basis. We just purchased ten pounds and when the package arrived, I thought … "Why did we purchase so much?"

My answers: We use it all the time. I love to give packages of it to friends. Maca stores well for years. So those are my reasons.

Fruit or Vegetable or Herb?

Maca grows as a root on slopes of the Peruvian Andes. Although it is a root (it grows mostly underground), it is more often considered a fruit because part of it is exposed to the air and sun. However, there are also those who consider it is an herb.

I consider it is a true superfood.

It is collected and stored in a dark and dry location for about 45 days, and sold in powdered form. It’s an amazing superfood with a range of health benefits. It particular, it is well-known as an energizer, hormone balancer, fertility enhancer, immune builder, and natural anti-depressant. Red maca is for men only.

Maca is part of the cruciferous plant family. The chemical constituents are alkaloids, tannins, glucosides, sterols, phyto-sterols, and polysaccharides. It is rich in Vitamins, such as the B family (B1, B2, B12), C & E and Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and Iodine. It is also rich in amino acids, and so it is a reliable source of plant protein.

Quality Maca

I only purchase from sources that I trust. And that’s what I recommend you do. On the left navigation bar are banners to three credible, dependable sources. And here are the direct links as well: The Raw Food World, Sunfood, and Natural Zing. (And yes, each of those is an affiliate link, so we get paid a small commission if you purchase after clicking the link).

I only purchase the powder in bulk. I know that it is available in capsules, but I haven’t even looked at the labels. If you purchase capsules, be certain to read the label! Make sure there are no fillers.

How Much Maca is Enough?

One of the most common questions regarding maca is how much to take daily. As with all food, the answer is not exactly the same quantity for everyone. You want to take enough to get the greatest benefit.

I only use certified raw and organic maca powder, which is much more potent than other products. I take about 1 tablespoon of maca each time I take it. Most people find that starting with a smaller quantity and working up to a tablespoon or more is a good approach.

Once you start taking maca, you need to be regular with it — for example, daily — to get the best effect if you are using it therapeutically to build muscle, have a baby, boost your energy, or increase your hormones. When your body has assimilated enough, you are likely to notice less immediate effects. At that time, it is generally recommended that you take a break, or at least take it a little less regularly.

Some people recommend skipping a week each month, and that’s what my husband does. Another family member goes off it one day a week and then two days a month. A friend goes off maca about one week every two months. Recently I have been experimenting with a schedule of three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So, that’s every other day, and a two day break.

Generally, it is good to take a break from any nutrient that you take fairly regularly, as the body strengthens itself to compensate for not having the substance. It is a wise to have a wide variety of nutrients and alternate when you take them. Several years ago, I stopped taking maca for several weeks. I began to feel less vibrant and a little cranky. I restarted it and really felt the positive effects immediately.

Here are some general guidelines for quantity. If you’re new to maca, experiment with 1 teaspoon daily for about a week. If you feel good with that, increase it to two teaspoons daily for a week, and then to 3 teaspoons, which is 1 tablespoon. That’s a reasonable amount, but more or less may suit you better. Once you understand its effects on you, you can certainly take two tablespoons for extra energy occasionally.

How to Eat Maca

Maca is a food which combines well with other food. It has a somewhat pleasant taste, but I think few people consumed it on its own. You can add it to essentially any food, although you do not want to cook it. You can consume very small amounts through the day, if you wish.

In our family, the most common pattern is that we eat it once a day in a smoothie with other raw fruits or vegetables. Or we put it in an elixir with raw cacao, stevia, and water, swirled in a blender.

So now, maybe you understand better why we purchase so much at a time.

Quoting from David Wolf’s SunFood.com web site, "Lucuma is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals -- [...]]]> I love the taste of caramel. From Peru, comes a powder made from Lucuma, a delicious fruit that adds nutrition to any food combination, which tastes a little like caramel.

Lucuma Powder from Fruit

Quoting from David Wolf’s SunFood.com web site, "Lucuma is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals -- including remarkable concentrations of beta-carotene, Vitamin B3 (niacin), and iron. Lucuma has a full-bodied subtly sweet flavor and has long been a culinary favorite of Peruvians and superfood enthusiasts worldwide."

Quoting from the NaturalZing.com web site, "Its unique and fragrant flavor resembles maple syrup. Lucuma is low in acid, low in sugar and contains an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is especially abundant in beta-carotene, niacin and iron with significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus."

Lucuma Ice Cream from Powder

Quoting my daughter, Sarah, "I make some variation on lucuma ice cream every week. It’s easy, delicious, and always ready for unexpected guests."

We make Lucuma Ice Cream so often that we don’t use a recipe. And, yes, it’s a little different each time because we vary the ingredients and experiment. Always, though, we use raw ingredients; and with very few exceptions, we use certified organic ingredients.

However, it’s not fair to you for me to say, add a little of this and a little of that. So, I’ve written the recipe below, using the SunFood.com web site, which is itself a variation on the classic recipe, as a general guide for quantities. Below the written information, I’ve included a video with a different recipe.

Lucuma Ice Cream: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients 1 ½ cups really raw cashews, soaked ½ cup coconut cream, coconut meat, or raw coconut butter ½ cup organic lucuma powder ¼ to ½ cup sweetener* 1 whole vanilla bean 1 ½ Tbs psyllium hulls Approximately ½ cup best water available ¼ cup maca powder Celtic Sea salt to taste (or use any highly mineralized salt)
Directions Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a nice batter. Put in a container that likes to be in the freezer, and freeze until it’s the perfect consistency. An ice cream maker is not required, but you can certainly use one. Be sure to read additional notes below.

Cashews. Start with "really raw" or "raw, cool processed" cashews. They will be hard and dormant. Soak for 4-8 hours in the best available water. This softens them and makes them alive rather than dormant, which means you have the proper enzymes available in the nuts to digest them properly. Drain water and rinse the cashews.

Coconut. We’ve tried the coconut in all forms. If you’re purchasing it in a glass jar, look for raw, organic cream or butter if you want some of the coconut meat in it. If you’re purchasing fresh coconut, I recommend the Thai young coconuts if available; brown coconuts also make a great addition to this ice cream. You can use the liquid inside the whole coconut in place of the water in the recipe.

Lucuma Powder. Lucuma Powder is now more readily available in health food stores. Online, you can get it at SunFood.com and NaturalZing.com. This is, of course, the primary ingredient for which the ice cream is named. There’s really no suggested substitute.

* Sweeteners. Sweeteners are a large controversy in the raw food community and other health-conscious individuals. Sweeteners are yucon syrup, dates, honey, and stevia. I’ve tried all these, noticing that the different choices add flavors or textures to the ice cream. I no longer recommend agave nectar.

Vanilla. For the vanilla, the whole bean is the most wonderful tasting. We finely chop it before adding it to the mixture. Raw vanilla powder works fine, as does organic vanilla extract.

Psyllium husks make the ice cream slightly gelatinous and scoopable.

Water. Everyone has an opinion of the "best available" water. It has to be as you define it. Instead of water, use almond or cashew milk or coconut water.

Maca. A daily substance in our house, maca is also from Peru. Maca is a healthy complex carbohydrate, loaded with minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and fiber. I’ll write an article about this extraordinary superfood in the near future. There are many varieties of maca.

Variations. After you’ve experienced this ice cream following the general guidelines of the recipe, experiment with other ingredients that you like. Be creative. If you stay with the raw, organic ingredients, even the mistakes will be yummy.

Video from Ani Phyo’s Raw Food Kitchen
Lucuma Ice Kream

I thought it might be fun for you to see a video of someone preparing this Ice Cream, so I found the following video. Ani includes the recipe she’s using. You’ll notice by the very loud noise when she adds the cashews to the blender that she has not soaked the cashews. I do strongly recommend that you allow the time for the soaking process.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNRLR7pWo0

Happy Eating. Please let me know any of your experiences and/or variations.