When you think of superfoods, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think of vitamins? Minerals? Antioxidants? Fruits and vegetables? Exotic, hard to find produce that is only grown in remote areas of the world?

Superfoods are something we learned about in school as dietitians. They are foods that have more nutrients comparatively than other foods of their kind. Foods such as fruits and vegetables are considered superfoods. Common ones would be blueberries, acai, and sweet potatoes for example. However, there are so many more out there! I went to a conference a few months back for work and heard a talk by a dietitian on Peruvian superfoods. He talked about superfoods like camu-camu-camu berries, maca root, and blue corn. My friends and I immediately started to google where we could find these obscure foods since we wanted their superfood benefits! However, one of my best friends did some research and found that these superfoods are in our beloved drink, Shakeology! We had already begun drinking Shakeology at this point for about one month, so we were both thrilled that this whole time, we were getting the benefits from these superfoods, specifically maca root and camu-camu berries.

My aim with this post is to give you all a better understanding of WHY I think Shakeology is so crucial to everyone's health, especially because it includes these amazing and healthy whole food superfoods. I know I talk about the benefits of healthy, whole food eating all the time, but once we are equipped with the knowledge necessary to understand the science behind these claims, nutrition falls into place, and we can make informed decisions about what goes in our bodies! Shakeology contains so much more than these two superfoods, and I hope to do a whole superfoods series on the different ingredients in Shakeology. But for now...introducing Maca root and Camu-camu berries!

Maca Root

Maca is a root vegetable that has been found to have a ton of health benefits. It is most known for helping things in the L-O-V-E department, but I won't go into that. Instead, I'll talk about its effects on our energy levels!

Maca provides stamina and energy; many athletes use it as a natural way to boost energy levels before athletic events. It has even been used to fight chronic fatigue syndrome. Maca is also known to help fight depression and increase moods. In Peru, it is mixed into tea to help with anxiety and stress levels. Overall, Maca is a superfood that provides us with energy and stamina throughout the day. Maca is specifically beneficial for women in the following areas: hormone balance, thyroid health, improving skin tone, enhancing libido, and preventing osteoporosis.

As you can see, Maca root has a variety of very potent and important health benefits! It is a powerful superfood and can really make a positive impact on your health!

Camu-Camu Berries

These berries are chock-full of immune-boosting properties. Actually, the vitamin C content of camu-camu berries is the highest of any food source! It also has a wide antioxidant profile, which means it protects the body against dangerous intruders or reactions that can cause problem such as inflammation, disease, and cancer. It has also been linked to preventing against the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Camu-camu also has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is one of the root causes of many health problems nowadays, such as heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune conditions, and many others. In some cases, inflammation is necessary to fight off infection, but it can often go into overdrive by poor lifestyle choices such as the Standard American Diet (SAD) and not enough exercise. Camu-camu is a great component of an anti-inflammatory diet to prevent the serious diseases caused by too much inflammation. Other benefits of these berries include helping regulate moods, protecting against bacteria in the body, and helping with fertility.

As you can see, these superfoods have such an enormous and positive effect on our health. Nutritionally, the superfoods added to Shakeology are from WHOLE FOOD sources. You are not getting these benefits from chemicals, pills, and synthetic stimulants. The energy and increased health felt when drinking Shakeology is because of the God-created, whole foods that go into this nutrient-dense drink.

Stay tuned for more posts about the other components of Shakeology, because there are a TON! As a dietitian and nutrition nerd, I am so looking forward to doing this blog series. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at TveenRD@gmail.com, or fill out the "contact me" page!

Have a great evening everyone, and stay healthy!

Sources:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/camu-camu.html

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-maca.html