How to Maca Beverage

In my quest to help others as well as myself, I was super excited to find a product that was not only a coffee alternative BUT also a product that did not contain coffee (most do, sigh..). When I first saw posts about Macaccino it looked so warming and delicious- who wouldn't want to try it?! Macaccino is roasted maca that can be served hot or cold and it's organic, gluten free, vegan and non-GMO. It also comes in three varieties. Reasons why maca is better for you body than coffee? Let's do the list thing, I like lists:

• Boosts energy without caffeine The main reason why most of us drink coffee, right?
• Increases blood flow When your blood flows, your brain works better.
• Increases memory Especially as we age (ugh!).
• Boosts immunity I am all for keeping my body in tip top shape.
• Balances hormones This a win-win for both men and women.
• Brightens your mood This does trump being in a bad mood any day, any time.
• Alkalizes your blood Did you know that your body needs this balance? Yup!
• Enhances libido I don't even need to explain the importance of this one.
• Does not leave you jittery or give you a caffeine crash Nothing is worse, right?!
• Non addictive As I'm sure you know, coffee is addictive, glad this is not.

I admit, I don't have a lot of vices but coffee is definitely one of them. My need to kick the coffee habit? I have learned through trial and error that my body has become hypersensitive to caffeine (among other things) which causes a string of unpleasant events which is also not helpful to live a normal, every day life. Secondly, I have many food allergy consultation clients that are also having trouble finding a coffee alternative but they still need a warm beverage to start their day. Since my job as a food allergy consultant is to find them things that they can use rather than focus on what they cannot use, I wanted to give it a try myself. It is easier to replace foods that we love rather than give them up altogether and although Macaccino is not coffee, I needed to have something for my morning ritual. 

Macaccino comes in a powder form. The preparation is simple enough- just add hot water or mix it into your choice of cold beverage. The dried, unmixed powder smells a bit like mushroom? Burnt toast? ...I do admit that I was like Hmmm, I dunno about this. This was quickly dispelled by the taste and consistency. Macaccino is very similar to coffee, it's smooth and mixes like instant coffee but is thicker, like hot chocolate. The directions call for 1 tablespoon to be mixed with 8-9 ounces of the beverage that you choose (water, dairy free milk, etc.) so this would be ideal for travel as well. My tiny pet peeve (which was not taste-related) was that the packaging is very difficult to read. The shiny foil is a good look for the product but not for the wording that I struggled to see. For a person that reads and rereads labels, this is a biggie. I also recommend that you stir it continuously as it settles on the bottom of the cup.

Now for the part that describes what happened when NutriHubby and I tried it. NutriHubby had a very positive experience- he felt the slight burst of energy, he went to the gym and found it added to his exercise routine and the libido portion...yup. Then there was me; me- the hypersensitive person who has to take baby doses of anything, ever or my body just says NOPE. There I was, more than half a cup of Macaccino in, typing my heart out and bam! I felt like I had drank 8 cups of coffee but with no jitters. Instead, I could not focus, I was anxious, spacey and just overall uncomfortable. Mostly, I was angry at my body for not allowing me to enjoy the benefits of the product. NutriHubby tried it again and nothing- he was absolutely fine. So I reached out to the folks at Macaccino to see if my experience was actually possible or if my body was just trying to make me nervous. This was their response:

"Very rarely do people feel the effects the way you did. It could be the increase of  blood flow that made you dizzy- how long did it take you to recalibrate? Did you feel better afterward? If drunk fast and in high amounts, first time users have experienced similar effects with the Black Reserve. It's almost a "high" but nothing that should disorient you, more like a very invigorating energy that at first might feel like a "high". It sounds like it was too much too quick. I would try again and go slower, maybe less actual Macaccino in the mix as your body rebalances. I also recommend the first few servings to be drank with a meal of some sort. Not on an empty stomach."

So, I tried it again. I tried the Original Maca Blend but this time, I added about half a teaspoon to decaf coffee. I made sure I had a full stomach, I began working to make sure my mind wasn't fixated on what might happen and within ten minutes, I was feeling the same effects but worse. So, no maca for me and no macaccino for me which really makes me mad because I had finally found what I was searching for. I admit, I am envious that my husband gets to finish the rest of it. I mean look at it- could you ask for a more perfect beverage?!! 

I want to thank the patient people at Macaccino for sending me samples to test their products. I also want to thank them for being so quick to respond to my reaction. Does this mean that I don't recommend this product? Absolutely not! I simply caution that as with anything new, start out slowly and keep in mind that less is more. I also encourage you to reach out directly to Macaccino for more information about their products at macaccino.com as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As always, no compensation for product reviews except for the products themselves as my opinions are always honest and my thoughts are my own.