Maca Smoothie

It is now officially summer in NY the temperatures are mostly in the 80s so I no longer yearn for toasted bread piled high with something filling.  Thankfully the warm weather chips away at my appetite and I can please my body with freshly made juices, smoothies and fresh fruit, no need to gobble bulky foods to ward off the cold.  So today I made myself a maca smoothie with banana and peanut butter.

As a woman of a certain age, I have noticed a general lack of energy. Gone are the days, when I could work hard and play hard. These days, when I work hard, I require a very restful weekend and if I play hard, it cannot be for as long as it used to be. So I decided to see if adding some maca powder to my morning smoothies would help build my stamina levels. Have you tried maca powder? Be sure to read up on its side effects as well as its benefits, I believe it is not advisable for pregnant women, also it may interfere with certain medications, so do your research and consult your doctor, if need be, if you are thinking of giving maca a whirl.

Maca  is a superfood that is purported to provide energy and stamina, help with anemia, which I need, and can even balance your moods. Many women suffering with hot flashes or mood swings have seen great benefits in adding some maca powder to their diet.

Maca has a malty, sort of nutty taste to it, so I decided that almond milk and banana would be a good base for my maca smoothies. 

My almond milk is homemade, made by my niece’s fair hands, Jannine, PR Manager at AllSaints in London. Jannine is my nut milk guru who has shown me the errors of my ways in buying store bought almond milk. If you have the time and the equipment, the homemade stuff is much nicer, richer and without additives of any kind. If you don’t have the time and equipment then make sure to read the labels don’t get sucked into buying sugary flavored almond milk if you are looking for a lower calorie alternative to milk.

Making almond milk is easy if you have a masticating juicer that provides juice via a cold press action. Simply soak the almonds in water overnight in a container with a cover and make sure the water covers the almonds completely.  When you are ready to make your almond milk, using a cup measure feed soaked almonds into your juicer and then follow with the same amount of water, continue to do this until all of the almonds have been juiced. To get the most out of your almonds run the extracted almond matter through the juicer once more following with water as you did before. Finally, if needed, strain for a smooth consistency.

You can also make almond milk with a high speed blender, just pour your soaked almonds into the blender and top with the same quantity of water so that your two ingredients are at a 1:1 ratio and blend. Once blended to the smoothest consistency possible, strain almond milk through a nut milk bag. This process is a little messy, I would be inclined to just buy from the store if I didn’t have my wonderful Huron juicer, but if you have more resolve than I do, you will be pleased if you persevere.

Maca is also meant to provide great benefit to the libido, not something I need right now as I am single and not in the mood to mingle, let’s see if maca changes my mind!