Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

world” food. I know I have been better able to adapt to physical stress when supplementing with maca. Maca also works to restore the negative effect that stress has on hormonal health. Even a modest decline—or increase, for that matter—in certain hormone levels will impair the body’s ability to build muscle and recover from stress in general. An out-of-balance hormonal system is a catalyst for numerous ailments. A prolonged hormonal imbalance will also induce signs of premature aging and cause excess body fat to be stored.
     
    Again, balance is the key to adapting to physical stress and, by doing so, become stronger. With maca, I’m able to continue training at a high level while maintaining my body’s hormone balance: It enables me to more easily adapt to increased training times.
     
    Maca possesses the building blocks or precursors for serotonin. As you read in Chapter 1, the body will often try to self-medicate when it’s feeling overwhelmed by stress-induced chemical reactions in the brain. It’s at this time that sugar cravings are prevalent—they’re the brain’s attempt to raise serotonin levels. A diet that includes a daily dose of maca will supply the body with what it needs to curtail stress and construct serotonin, thereby reducing or altogether eliminating sugar cravings and the vicious circle they can initiate.
     
    Sterols are steroid-like compounds found in both plants and animals that promote quick regeneration of fatigued muscle tissue. Maca is a rich source of sterols (see Glossary, page 288). During the off-season, I build my strength and muscle mass in the gym. Strength is important for any athlete, even an endurance athlete, as it improves the efficiency of muscle contractions. I like to start the season with a bit more muscle than I need since it will be whittled down as the year progresses. I’ve recently experienced exceptional strength gains when supplementing with maca. I’ve been able to lift more weight than in previous years and recovered faster. It has enabled me to perform more high-quality workouts. Maca increases energy by means of nourishment, not stimulation.
     
    As I mentioned earlier, including yerba maté in the exercise-specific recipes as part of a pre-exercise or race snack will help you achieve a greater level of performance. However, it’s a strain on the adrenal glands. Adding maca to a smoothie along with other next-level ingredients is an excellent way to nourish the adrenals after consuming yerba maté.
     
    When selecting maca, choose the gelatinized form. The process of gelatinization removes the hard-to-digest starchy component of the maca root. The result is an easily digestible, quickly assimilated, and more concentrated form of maca. Gelatinized maca has a pleasant, slightly butterscotch taste and dissolves more easily than regular maca. The published human clinical studies indicating maca’s effectiveness were all performed using the gelatinized form.
     
    As with chlorella, I suggest at least 1.5 grams (about ½ teaspoon) of maca daily; 2.5 grams (1 teaspoon) is even better. Again, I consume more during times of heavy training—up to 7.5 grams (1 tablespoon) daily—with excellent results. Although it’s not possible to consume too much maca—it won’t accumulate to toxic levels in the body—more is not necessarily better. For most people, 2.5 grams is enough. Exceeding 10 grams a day will not provide any additional benefits.
     

rooibos
     
    Rooibos, sometimes referred to as red tea, is native to South Africa. With a distinct but not overpowering sweet, earthy taste, its mildness is a pleasant flavor addition to many recipes. The leaves of the rooibos plant are commonly used to make a tea-like infusion. Similar to green tea in several nutritional respects, rooibos is most coveted for its high level of antioxidants and alkaline-forming properties. Unlike green tea, rooibos does not contain caffeine. While the leaf is rich in minerals and trace minerals, most of this value does not transfer to the water when the leaves are steeped. For this reason, I use whole ground rooibos leaves in my recipes, to get full nutritional value.
     

white chia
     
    White chia is an ancient plant belonging to the mint family. Its seeds are small and round, similar to poppy seeds. With their crunchy texture and mild, nutty flavor, white chia seeds are gaining popularity in North America. Native to what is now Mexico, white chia has been valued and