Strawberry Maca Milkshake

All you’re going to need for this insanely mouth-watering, healthy milkshake are these 6 ingredients:

Strawberries

Dates

Banana

Coconut milk

Vanilla

Maca powder

To keep things simple you can use organic coconut milk from a tin. I kept this recipe raw by making my own coconut milk. You can do this by blending the meat from 1 fresh young Thai coconut with the water from that coconut (plus however much more filtered water to make 3 cups). Then strain it through a nut milk bag to make it silky smooth.

If you can’t find fresh coconuts you can also make the milk by using 1 cup of dry shredded coconut soaked in 2 cups warm water for 30 minutes. Then add everything to a blender and blend. Strain through a nut milk bag and wa-la! You have coconut milk.

This recipe has a delicious malt flavour from the superfood; maca. But it doesn’t just lend a unique twist to this milkshake, lets see what else this special ingredient brings…

Health benefits of maca

Maca has been cultivated and grown high in the Peruvian Andes of South America for approximately 2600 years. Beth M. Ley, PhD writes in her book Maca: Adaptogen and Hormonal Regulator that during the height of the Incan empire, Incan warriors would consume maca before entering into battle to make them fiercely strong. After conquering a city the Incan soldier were prohibited from using maca, to protect the women from the excessive sexual desires of the men.

Maca is a member of the cruciferous family and is the highest-altitude crop in the world growing at 9000-10000 feet above sea level. The characteristics of maca have been developed by the extreme conditions under which it grows (daily temperature fluctuations between 18 degrees to -10 degrees.

The following conditions have known to become improved with the consumption of maca:

– anaemia

– chronic fatigue

– depression

– infertility

– malnutrition

– lack of libido

– menopausal symptoms

– menstrual discomfort

– poor memory

– stomach cancer

– stress and tension

– tuberculosis

Maca is a powerful adaptogen which means it has the ability to balance and stabilise the body’s glandular-hormonal system, nervous and cardiovascular system. It helps to increase energy, endurance, oxygen to the blood, physical strength and supports a healthy hormone production.

This drink may seem like an indulgent treat… but that’s what happens when you eat a whole food plant based diet, you can have these delicious foods whenever you like — because they are so damn healthy for you. Yay!!!

REFERENCE: Superfoods by David Wolfe