Did you know all of these ingredients are in Shakeology?
Maca Root Powder
Maca has been used in the Andes of South America for centuries, allegedly eaten by Inca imperial warriors for the great strength it imparted upon them. Now, the people at Team BeachBody are using its nutritional power in their shakes, and you can gain its benefits as well. Maca contains a unique set of nutrients to help naturally boost your endocrine system, the system which regulates hormones, the chemicals which regulate a wide variety of bodily functions.
Maca contains vitamin C and trace elements of zinc, which aid the immune system function of the thymus gland. Part of maca’s adaptogenic value may be its ability to enhance the thymus’ cell mediated immunity. It also has an alkaloid property which activates calcitonine hormones from the thyroid and parathyroid glands, which in turn regulate the metabolism of calcium and phosphorous into the blood, acting on the intestines, bones, and kidneys to increase calcium levels in the blood, as well as aiding wounds through blood clotting.
Maca also contains selenium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, helping to elevate its level as a super food, but maca isn’t all that is in Shakeology, this is only the first ingredient on the list of seventy!
Camu-Camu Powder
The camu-camu fruit grows in the Amazon rainforest and has been receiving acclaim as a superfruit, largely due to the immense amounts of vitamin C contained in it, the highest naturally-occuring concentration of the immunity-boosting vitamin, in fact, exceeding the content of an orange by a factor of 30! It also contains amino acids, terpines, fiber, beta-carotene, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and other beneficial substances.
Camu camu is also considered by some authorities to be the top herb for the treatment of asthma. In fact, tests were performed to compare hundreds of botanicals and camu-camu was ranked number one in effectiveness for asthma, atherosclerosis, cataracts, colds, gingivitis, glaucoma, hepatitis, infertility, migraines, osteoarthritis, pain, and Parkinson’s. Camu was also ranked number two for depression, number four as an antioxidant, and number six as an antiviral.
If this isn’t enough, camu camu has been shown to be helpful for athletes, with some reporting significantly faster recovery from shin splints and more stamina from taking extracts of the fruit, so it’ll help you beat those intense workouts, and blow straight through lesser ones!
Acerola Powder
Acerola, also known as the wild crapemyrtle or the Barbados cherry, can be found in the southernmost parts of the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America as far south as Peru and Brazil.
This little cherry is a powerhouse of vitamin C, much like the previous entrants on the list, but that’s not all, it also contains massive amounts of antioxidants. In comparison to other antioxidant fruits, acerola is in the top percentages, due to its high content of polyphenols, some of which are completely unique to this small fruit. The bright red coloration of the fruit comes from its high concentration of anthocyanin, which gives the acai berry and the blueberry their major antioxidant kicks that elevated them to the level of superfruits. These antioxidants protect against free radical formation, which can be the precursor to a variety of diseases, including cancer.
Chia Seed Meal
To answer what you’re wondering right off the bat: yes, this is the same chia that they make Chia Pets with. Now, I’m sure you have heard plenty about Chia Pets, but did you ever hear of eating the seeds of the plant?
Chia seeds contain soluble fiber, which forms a gel as it is digested, slowing down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, thus aiding in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar means you keep a more consistent energy level and have fewer food cravings. This gel also has other benefits, such as helping maintain the proper levels of hydration and electrolytes in your stomach, which in turn helps your stomach optimally absorb other nutrients. Chia is also high in insoluble fiber, which helps clean out the intestinal tract, and soluble fiber acts as a prebiotic, feeding the good bacteria in your digestive system.
Chia is also high in essential fatty acids, which helps skin, nails, and hair develop healthily.
Lycium (Goji) Powder
The goji berry has been used for thousands of years in China to improve many health condition and cure numberous ailments. These bright red berries are said to contain more vitamin C than an orange, more beta-carotene than carrots, and more iron than steak. It is a common practice in Chinese medicine to prescribe it to treat liver, kidney, or eye diseases, along with other herbs medicine. Many Chinese people consume goji berries in their day-to-day lives because they believe that red colored berry can keep them healthy, young, and energetic.
Goji stimulates the secretion of human growth hormone (hGH or the “youth” hormone) by the pituitary gland. The benefits of higher levels of hGH in the body are numerous, including reduction of body fat, better sleep, improved memory, accelerated healing, restored libido, and a more youthful appearance.
Goji also has the ability to cause the death of tumor cells by inducing apoptosis, a process in which cancer cells are broken down and recycled. In a study, patients taking a cancer drug together with goji have recovery rates of up to 250 percent better than those taking the drug alone. These advanced-cancer patient experienced amazing regressions of malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and malignant hydrothorax. Remission of cancers in patient treated with goji lasted significantly longer than those treated without goji.
Cordyceps
While certainly not the item on this list which is most appealing to the eye, cordyceps are nonetheless a very important ingredient which adds quite a bit to our shake. This fungus hails from Nepal, China, Korea, and Thailand, and is used in Traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicines as a medicinal mushroom. In ancient times, only the imperial family and the extremely wealthy had access to this item, and therefore cordyceps carried an air of prestige and value.
Researchers have found that cordryceps has a very remarkable anti-stress effect. It has been observed that consumption of the plant helps attenuate the normal physiology that occurs in the adrenal gland, thymus, and thyroid. The also found that cordyceps prevents the increase in cholesterol levels in times of stress. In addition to this, cordyceps exhibits potent anti-tumor activity, as well as a strong immune boost.
Reishi
Another mushroom in my shake? How very odd, you may think, but not after you hear the health benefits from this one as well (also, this one is far more attractive than our last fungus entry.) In Japan, the reishi is known as the phantom mushroom because of how difficult it is to find. Although over 99 percent of all wild reishi mushrooms are found growing on old Japanese plum trees, fewer than ten mushrooms will be found on 100,000 trees.
Reishi has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for at least two thousand years and is regarded as an “elixir of life.” It still is considered one of the best Chinese tonics, reported to boost energy, help the body resist disease and stress, and promote longevity.
Contemporary Western herbalists regard reishi as an adaptogen and recommend it as an immune stimulant that activates several different phases of immune defense. It is used to treat allergies, altitude sickness, asthma (it is especially helpful for calming coughs in people with asthma who have colds), and mushroom poisoning, and it is effective against leukemia. It has also shown an ability to fight age-related intellectual decline.
There is also evidence that reishi can lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Scientists have found that compounds in the mushroom reduce the flow of nerve impulses through the sympathetic nervous system, which is the portion of the nervous system activated by emotional stress.
Schizandra Powder
Found primarily in China, the schizandra berry is yet another item on this list used in traditional Chinese medicine (makes you think that TCM might certainly be on to something, eh? But that’s a topic for another lens). Schizandra is described as being an adaptogenic herb - meaning that no matter what may be giving you trouble, whether being drowsy in the morning, or far too energetic at night, this berry will help set your body on the right path.
Around two thousand years ago, Chinese practitioner first referred to schizandra as a valuable adaptogenic tonic. Since then, it has remained extremely popular in China, where it is used to strengthen the sex organs, beautify the skin, and promote mental function. Other uses of the berries include increasing mental and physical exercise capacities, as well as improving adaptability to darkness and other environmental stresses. Unlike caffeine, schizandra stimulates the central nervous system without creating an excitatory effect. Schizandra provides a mental boost without the jitteriness caused by caffeine.
Recent studies also show that certain substances extracted from the schizandra may help treat liver disorders. Other studies have shown that extracts may have cortisone-like effects on the immune system. More research is constantly being done on these little wonder berries, and more amazing properties are almost certain to be discovered in the future.
Spinach Powder
Your mom always told you to eat your spinach. You watched the Popeye cartoons and know that spinach helps you grow strong (and apparently have unnaturally gigantic forearms…) What more could you want to know about spinach? It’s one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Well, I set out to describe all of the benefits of the foods in Shakeology, and that’s what I intend to do… so let’s explore just a few facets of this leafy green.
The health benefits in spinach are mainly because of how ridiculously rich in nutrients in it. Spinach contains potassium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, iron and calcium, and that’s just the list of minerals in it. It also holds a good supply of folate, niacin, vitamin A, B6, C and traces of rest of the vitamins, as well as things like beta carotene, lutein, xanthene, and chlorophyllin.
A component of spinach, factor C0-Q10, which is an anti-oxidant, plays important role in strengthening muscles especially heart muscle which continuously pumps blood to all parts of the body. Lutein and zeaxanthin present in spinach act as strong antioxidants thus preventing the eyes from harsh effects of UV rays that lead to cataract.
Spinach is a rich source of beta carotene, lutein and xanthene, all of which are beneficial for eyesight. Beta carotene is supplied to the eyes by cooked spinach. It can prevent one from vitamin A deficiency disease, itching eyes, eye ulcers and dry eyes. AMD or Retinitis pigmentosa is responsible for causing blindness. It is due to the degeneration of lutein and xanthene which form central part of the retina. According to research conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, consumption of spinach can result in regaining of the two pigments and preventing AMD effectively.
Of course, this is just a small sampling of what spinach does for you, and then combined with the other things in Shakeology, it’s simply amazing!
Kamut Grass
The modern story of kamut is a rather interesting one, though the exact details are a bit questionable, the tale is nonetheless interesting. A small sample of kamut grain was discovered in the pyramids of Egypt, when the ancient seeds were planted, even after so much time, the grass, remarkably, still grew. Later, a young U.S. airman from Montana discovered this grain while stationed in Portugal, where he bought thirty-six grains of the kamut, which he was told came from the pyramids, and took them home to his father’s farm, where after six careful years of tending, those thirty six grains turned into fifteen hundred bushels worth.
Kamut is best known for its sweet and nutty flavor. It has been discovered that kamut has a higher nutritional value than wheat! Kamut contains about 40% more protein than wheat is higher in lipids and has 65% more amino acids; it has more vitamins and minerals as well. Kamut is considered a high-energy grain and has a little more fatty acid than wheat. Kamut has 30%more of vitamin E, and has Riboflavin, Thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, pantothenic acid, copper, and complex carbohydrates.
Astragalus Powder
Astragalus is a root that has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. It is believed to have some excellent health benefits which people are only just truly beginning to realize. It has been used in making stomach ulcers feel better. It is known to make your immune system stronger, and to help in preventing you from catching different types of infections, this can be especially useful in someone who has an already weakened immune system.
Some astragalus health benefits are making your metabolism stronger and aiding in your digestion. It is also believed to make your immune system stronger. It can help in making wounds and injuries heal faster and better. Astragalus will even give you more energy. Some people believe that it helps with stamina. It has been used in treating ulcers. If you have a weakened immune system, this herb can help you to fight off disease. It has been known to fight of infections, both viral and bacteria infections. It has been used in people suffering from cancer, because it keeps the adrenal glands working better.
