Mesquite and Maca Powder

Mesquite and maca powder are two potent superfoods that have been used for centuries by indigenous Americans from both the North and South.

These native plants have been critical to the traditional food supply for Native Americans in the Southwest and the Incas in Peru and Bolivia. Recently these nutrition packed plants have become known and popular as a modern superfood.

Maca Powder for Stamina and Hormone Support

Maca is a white, beet-like root that is used fresh, cooked into porridge or dried into flour by peoples in Peru and Bolivia. It was used by Incan warriors to increase energy and stamina before battles. Rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, maca increases energy, stamina and endurance, supports the immune system and regulates the endocrine system.

It is not available fresh outside of South America, so it is freeze dried raw into maca powder and used as a superfood supplement. It is a great energy replacement when healing from coffee addiction and is part of our herbal coffee recipe.

Maca powder has also been shown to stimulate fertility, enhance libido and regulate hormones. It is a powerful adaptogen that is used to treat menopausal symptoms and is now being prescribed by alternative health practitioners as a safe, effective alternative to synthetic hormone therapies.

Maca is rich in natural sugars, protein, fiber, and important minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous. It also contains numerous trace minerals (including iodine), B vitamins, linoleic and oleic oils (essential fatty acids), and 18 amino acids, including 7 of the 9 essential amino acids.

Use maca as a boosting tonic in green smoothies, chia porridge, energy bars, or mixed in water. You can purchase raw, organic maca powder from Mountain Rose Herbs, Live Superfoods or in our Whole Body Detox Diet Store.

Mesquite Powder for Balanced Blood Sugar

In desert areas of the Americas, mesquite seed pods have long been used as a food source by the indigenous peoples, who traditionally ground them into a powder to be used as a flour or processed into a sweetener, a sweet beverage, or a fermented alcoholic drink. Today, mesquite powder is proving to be a versatile food with a high nutritional and flavor value.

Because mesquite powder is ground from the entire pod, including the seed, it is high in protein also rich in fiber, lysine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. It is also rich in the amino acid Lysine. It is naturally sweet and highly effective in balancing blood sugar.

Because its sugar is in the form of fructose, which does not require insulin for metabolism, mesquite helps maintain a constant blood sugar level for a sustained period of time. With a glycemic index of 25 and a high percentage of dietary fiber, mesquite digests more slowly than many grains, preventing sharp rises and falls in blood sugar. It is supportive for diabetics and helps maintain healthy insulin function in others.

Mesquite powder has great social and ecological benefits as well. The marketing of mesquite products harvested in arid rural areas helps to fight desertification and provides a sustainable economic alternative to cutting down trees for rangeland, charcoal production, or other purposes. These native trees hold the soil in place, are used for live fencing and provide shade for people, plants and animals.

Mesquite powder can be used raw or in baked goods. For baked goods, combine 1 part mesquite flour with two parts other flour. Add it to flax crackers, energy bars, granola, or pie crusts. It can be used as a seasoning in soups, sauces, nut butters or desserts. The powder's molasses-like flavor, with a slight hint of caramel, even goes well in teas, herbal coffee, and green smoothies.

You can purchase organic mesquite powder through Live Superfoods or our Whole Body Detox Diet Store.