Top 5 Health Benefits of Maca, the Ancient Incan Superfood

Many people are now incorporating nutrient-dense foods known as “superfoods” into their diets to help boost energy, beauty, and overall health. Among the list of top superfoods is maca, a root grown in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Maca is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and phytonutrients, making this ancient Incan food a nutritional powerhouse.

Maca has been consumed for thousands of years for its energy-enhancing and mood-stabilizing capabilities. Peruvian maca root is an adaptogen, a substance that increases the body’s resistance to the damaging effects of stress and disease—a main reason why it can help fight symptoms of chronic fatigue and contribute to overall wellbeing. Traditionally, maca has also been used to regulate, support, and balance hormonal systems for both men and women, and much more!

So, how else can this superfood help you achieve ultimate wellness? Here’s a list of the top 5 health benefits of maca: 

1. Energy: Within just a few minutes of consuming maca, people have reported to feel their mood and energy levels lift almost instantly. Try adding a teaspoon of maca to your smoothie to increase energy, stamina, and endurance.
2. Mood balance: Maca may help to alleviate the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression by balancing hormones with its unique set of nutrients that fuel the endocrine system.
3. Sexual health: Known as a libido booster, maca is widely used to promote sexual function for both men and women as well as improve fertility and stamina.
4. Women’s health: Maca has been used for generations to help relieve menstrual issues such as cramps, hot flashes, and mood swings. If you’re pregnant or nursing, it’s recommended to avoid consuming maca.
5. Healthy skin: Maca root helps to nourish the skin and improve collagen synthesis resulting in firmer, softer, more radiant skin.

Most people consume maca in a powdered form by adding it to smoothies, yogurt, drinks, salads and more. It is said to taste similar to roasted chickory, which can taste a bit like coffee. If this taste is displeasing to you, then you can experience the benefits by taking maca tablets.

Do you consume maca? How does it make you feel?

5 Yoga Poses I Use to Start My Day

I have a long family history of joint disease, arthritis and inflammation. So every morning when I get out of bed I take a minute to stretch my body, get the blood flowing and remind my muscles that I'm in charge!

Here are the 5 Yoga poses that I do every morning to get my body moving! Remember to take full deep breaths, filling your entire diaphragm and abdomen, then slowly push the air out of your lungs, tucking your belly button toward your spine.  Allow your body to stretch and elongate. Remember, stretching should NEVER by painful.  And now the legal suits want me to remind you to "consult a physician or healthcare provider before starting any type of physical activity." :)

1. Standing Back Bend and Side Stretches

2. Forward Fold

3. Tree Pose

4. Cat-Cow

5. Down Dog

Living a Life of Simplicity

As humans, we are naturally complex. Evolution, technology, and communication have all contributed to a way of thinking that is intricate, enthralling, and remarkably complicated.  So is it any wonder that slowing down and keeping things simple can sometimes be a challenge?

"It is always the simple that produces the marvelous." – Amelia Barr

As an idea, simplicity is not as easy as it sounds. We have to work hard at eliminating distractions and whittling down our words to convey true meaning. While having ease is something that we all want to achieve, it can seem an elusive – even archaic – concept to incorporate into the whirlwind of everyday life.

"It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper place, than to expand both indiscriminately." – John Ruskin

With increasing reactions to modern living such as lack of fulfillment in our careers, stress-related diseases, anxiety, and divorce, a daily dose of simplicity could go a long way in helping us reconnect with the things that truly matter.

"We need to learn how to walk the middle path, to be sensitive to the natural flow of events while not throwing away our own determined idea of where we want to go." – Joshua Rosenthal

Here are 5 ways to de-complicate your life:

Do what you love.
Let your heart guide your actions and don’t waste your precious time doing things that deplete your happiness. This might require some planning, but once you liberate yourself of the burden of incongruity, life will flow much more smoothly.

Don’t try so hard.
There is a big difference between putting energy into things that are important to you, and creating unnecessary pressure for the mere attainment of the next goal. If you’re working yourself into a tizzy for reasons that don’t boil down to health, happiness, or love then stop, take a deep breath, and reevaluate.

Simplify.
Be mindful of signs that you’re over-complicating something trivial. Whether you’re a busy executive planning your next big promotion in the company or a working parent trying to balance the needs of those around you, remember to check in with yourself and consider whether your efforts could be streamlined.

Detoxify your mind.
Are you stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts? Do you spread yourself too thin in an effort to accomplish several goals simultaneously? Are you fearful of the future because of all the expectations you’ve built up in your mind? Let it go, as much as you can. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself and enjoying the company of your loved ones. Trust that the rest will fall into place.

Play.
Most people take life too seriously and make little time for good ol’ fashioned fun. Don’t live a fun-free life!  Play hookie once in a while, scrap the to-do list, and let loose!

What’s one way you can simplify your life today?