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4.5
I have become a smoothie junkie. It really wasnt by choice as I developed a lot of food intolerances after getting my gall bladder removed. The following year after that surgery was a tough one. I basically had to learn to eat all over again. Foods I once had no problem with were suddenly giving me problems and I couldn't eat large portions of food without getting bloated and getting pretty serious stomach and abdominal pains. I basically need to eat smaller portions spaced throughout the day and it was while researching and testing new diets that I got really serious about juicing. I already had a Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite, which is just a fantastic rotary styled juicer (just don't juice lemons!!), Its perfect for regular fruits and vegtables, but I wanted to take it a step further and start juicing greens like wheat grass and the Breville just doesn't do a great job with those kinds of foods. So I purchased a masticating juicer to go along with my Breville, the Omega J8006 Masticating Dual-stage Juicer. In regards to the quality of the juicers, its pretty close. Both are built extremely well, very easy to use and very easy to clean up The lower speed of the Omega masticating juicer protects and maintains healthy enzymes, prevents oxidation and allows juice to be stored up to 72 hours without degradation. That last one is a HUGE plus in my book as it allows you to buy empty glass bottles and to do batches of juice as opposed to juicing single drinks. I purchased a 6 pack of empty bottles and worked out my recipies so that I could fill all 6 bottles in a single juicing session. That allows me to get 3 days (2 bottles a day) worth of juice from a single juicing session. That is definitely one of the biggest advantages to the Omega juicer.Anyways, I purchased 4 books on juicing and juicing recipies as I really wanted to become as knowledgable as possible regarding soothing and the various ingredients you can use in juicing recipies. In that regard, Kiva is without question one of the best companies out there for various juicing powders. Just to name a few you have Kiva Organic Acai Berry Powder, Kiva Organic Camu Camu Powder, Kiva Organic Maqui Berry Powder, Kiva Raw Organic Cacao Powder, Kiva's Organic Maca Powder, which is Raw,, Non-GMO, Vegan, Raw and Fair trade certified.If your unfamiliar with Maca root, it has long been a health food favorite because of its ability to provide the body with a natural increase in energy, stamina, and mental clarity. Maca has also been used to boost libido, combat stress, and assist in balancing the body's various systems. Packed with vitamins and plant sterols, this mineral-rich powder also contains essential fatty and amino acids.Kiva's maca roots are hand-selected and harvested from the high elevations of the Andes Mountains of Peru. They are low temperature and minimally processed to protect the natural nutrients and flavor.Bottom line, Kiva's Organic Maca Powder is just a fantastic addition to smooties. It has an earthy nutty flavor and the benfits include an increase in energy, improved balance, it helps combat stress, and boost's libido. Nutritionally speaking is has a lot of vitamins, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, and plant sterols. Ultimatey this is just a perfect addition to the various ingredients one can use to make really healhy smoothies and I highly recommend looking at Kiva's other products as well.5 Stars!!!zip closer is hard to open for a senior.This is the first maca powder and first Kiva product I have tried. The packaging is sturdy, the labelling thorough and non-intrusive. I am a big fan of the muted tone. We know what's in it (we bought it) and don't need to be blasted with colorful slogans and logos. It's a non-mainstream food additive and I doubt lots of consumers buy it on a whim.The maca itself appears to be very pure and well ground. The smell and texture inspires one with confidence that there really is nothing but ground maca powder in there! Seriously that feeling is subtle and hard to describe but it's for real. You never feel bad about spooning some into whatever you're making.The flavor is exactly what I was led to expect from maca. A little chalky/nutty/malty and non-intrusive. It does well in hot water, forming a nice porridgey texture much reminiscent of fine-ground cream-of-wheat / farina / grits whatever you call it. I like to put it in oatmeal. It also does well in cakes and cookies! Probably bread too but I haven't tried that yet.A girl I was seeing told me it would help my libido but we stopped seeing each other shortly afterward so I'm not sure... I'm under a lot of stress right now and also possibly overtraining for a half marathon too. I doubt some root powder is enough to burn through all that but I figured I'd give it a shot.Turns out it's a nice new flavor that is welcome regardless and with this price I'll probably buy more when I'm out!I bought two similarly sized and priced bags of different brands to compare with this one that I will review when I get through them, after this one is goneEDIT:I purchased three one-pound bags of non-gelatinized raw Maca Powder from different manufacturers at the same time, all similarly priced, and went through them all before reviewing.The three brands reviewed were Terrasoul Superfoods, The Raw Food World, and KivaIf I had to choose a winner I would choose the Terrasoul, it just had an earthier, deeper flavor and scent that was apparent immediately upon opening the bag. It was the last one I reviewed so maybe I was just more discerning at that point, I'm not sure. Not a scientific review process I know.Honestly for the most part, they were all pretty much the same, so buy whichever is cheapest per ounce (including shipping) for you. I would go for the others if they were a few dollars cheaper, but given similar pricing I would choose the Terrasoul. This brand is great too though!In Peru people cook this root because like in my country, the Caribbean, if it comes from the ground we cook it. Do your research as I did , many doctors recommend, to use it as is. I use it in my protein shakes in the morning and sometimes in coffee. No stomach pains or blotting. This particular product tastes great and the price its right. I can not say if its working with my hot flashes because I just started taking it and I still have the effect of the liquid Maca I was taking (very expensive) After taking the product for over a week I am sad to inform that it has done nothing for my hot flashes, I have not seen any other benefits as stamina and focus because I do not have those problems, I will NOT be buying this product again. One star for flavorYou guys might say that this is a fair trade product, not so, this is supposed to have 454 g. Well, not even 400, an measuring with the bag! Not Fair.It contains sugar, and 4g of it. I was expecting an earthy flavour but all I can taste is the sugar. I'm not sure if it's only this product but I would recommend reading the label before purchasing. Will not be ordering this brand again.J'utilisais un produit d'un autre fabricant, 454g , $8 plus cher que celui ci avec le bon nombre de grammes, la qualité semble identique.Ce serait apprécié d'aviser le fabricant que le contenu n'a pas les 454 Grammes annoncés !Le sac que j'ai reçu avait 398 grammes emballage inclus, j'ai pesé le sac avant de l'ouvrir, j'avais lu les commentaires de plusieurs personnes sur ce sujet.Bon produit je le recommandeJacquesDaily:1 tea spoon moringa powder1 table spoon maca root1 tea spoon of chia seeds (grew in water for 30 mins)½ tea spoon turmeric powder1 tea spoon apple cider vinegar (or replace it limonade)1 table spoon raw organic honey5 time a week ?Taste is very challenging but the benefits a waaay beyond imagination!!So far I've added it to my smoothies and coffee. Haven't felt any benefits yet( hoping it regulates my menstrual cycle) but the taste isn't bad. Barely noticeable and it doesn't ruin those drinks I mentioned, that's for sure. I do drink my coffee with hazelnut Creamer though....so good. Can't wait to keep using it and feel better.No idea what sheerness means in terms of this review...lol
