[Charlie_girl]

Honestly if you were wanting to do that with another herb, it really really depends on which one. Any herb dose should be gradually built up from the start of taking them (don't just jump into full dose, give your body a little time to somewhat adjust to the new herb before going full dose). And you should also take a break with any herb. The breaks are to not only give your liver a break/cleanse, they are to help the herb potency because your body will get used to the herb and your growth results will slow or even halt. Many people agree that 1 month on, then 1 week break works well. Or even one week on, and take a break over the weekends.

I'm taking a higher dose of maca than what is recommended on the bottle. That does NOT mean that doing that is safe to do with any herb! And that doesn't mean that anyone can do it with maca either, everyone responds to herbs differently. And as always, if you start experiencing unwanted side effects, lower your dose. Some people had adverse reactions at doses lower than mine, some people had awesome results at doses lower and at doses higher than mine.

Dosages are very different for each herb! 1,000mg of this doesn't mean you can take 1,000mg of that. Keep that in mind. What herb(s) are you taking?

[ruch]

I just got some maca today! Can't wait to try it! Gonna start with 1 tsp and go up from there. I bought some raw maca in powder form, to add to smoothies and food.

Can I ask about people having their thighs/hips/butt increase in size, is it fat that ends up getting deposited there? Not sure I want too much of that since I already like those parts of my body (though I wouldn't mind a bit more in my hips). Also, how does the maca induced fat look/get impacted if you work out regularly (which i do)? I like a big butt, but not a fatty one (I like it round from muscles rather than too much fat), and you can get this from exercise. Basically, I don't want a fat squishy ass.. lol.

[ruch]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

[EllaC]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

I was ok on raw but start low. The gelatinized actually really bothered me. You could put it in a smoothie
I might try maca again over xmas break when i have time to get used to the extra energy

[ruch]

Does anyone know stretches or anything to help the lower back arch or dip in more? Like this Victoria Secret model pictured here in this blog: http://www.tonyskansascity.com/2010/10/c...c.html?m=1

My trainer suggested that I do the yoga cobra pose several times a day and start walking down the wall (with pillows below me) to eventually be able to do a backbend & once I can do one, hold the pose for a few min, or as long as i can. I'm going to ask my chiropractor about it as well, I'm sure he knows other ways to make that sway more prominent.

Just curious if any of y'all have heard of, or tried anything for this, since a more dramatic inward arch in your lower back makes your butt look SOOO much better! (See the model in the link above? If you look JUST at her butt cheeks, they're not that big or great. Ok, still bigger and better than mine right now, but still. If her arch in her back wasn't so prominent, her butt wouldn't look as fantastic), now look at her whole back & butt. That butt looks pretty amazing. Why? The arch in her lower back. My trainer opened my eyes to this. My lower back used to barely dip in. It's getting better, but veeeeery slowly.

Charlie_girl, I think that is just her pose/posture for the photo. You don't want that because then your posture would be terrible. One thing you can do is strengthen you lat muscles as that would be larger and your waist would therefore look smaller from the back.

[EllaC]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

Oh btw u might have tummy cramps after the first dose but day 2 it should be ok. My friend who sells raw maca which is all u can buy over here said alot of women have indigestion after their first dose or two but then its ok

[ruch]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

I was ok on raw but start low. The gelatinized actually really bothered me. You could put it in a smoothie
I might try maca again over xmas break when i have time to get used to the extra energy

Thanks, Ella! I'll try 1/2 tsp to start then..

Charlie_girl: from the link you posted about the maca colours, wouldn't yellow maca be better for boob growth? It says that yellow maca helps with female fertility, and so would that be the same hormones?

[Charlie_girl]

Can I ask about people having their thighs/hips/butt increase in size, is it fat that ends up getting deposited there? Not sure I want too much of that since I already like those parts of my body (though I wouldn't mind a bit more in my hips). Also, how does the maca induced fat look/get impacted if you work out regularly (which i do)? I like a big butt, but not a fatty one (I like it round from muscles rather than too much fat), and you can get this from exercise. Basically, I don't want a fat squishy ass.. lol.

The increase I've had so far is mostly muscle with a little fat. But I'm trying to increase both. But I will say that I've increased my healthy fat intake (oils, nuts, avocados, ect), as well as rub avacado oil and flaxseed oil on my butt, hips and boobs. So those added fats internally and externally may really be the only reason I've gained a little fat. And by little, I mean LITTLE. Maca itself won't make you fat, unless I guess if you took a rediculously high dose, ate a bunch of donuts everyday and never worked out.

Maca increases muscle mostly (not fat) and does add to curves. As far as I know from what I've read. With weight training, it helps speed recovery time and helps your muscles gain size faster. No, you're not going to look like a dude, and you won't look like a female body builder by just adding maca, that takes serious dedication and waaaaaay more weight lifting & more food than even what I'm doing to gain weight. Since you're already working out, you're going to like maca I think. Hell, even girls that don't work out still get more curves with maca. The working out with it just helps add muscle

[Charlie_girl]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

I was ok on raw but start low. The gelatinized actually really bothered me. You could put it in a smoothie
I might try maca again over xmas break when i have time to get used to the extra energy

Ella- didn't you have heart palpitations? That side effect is WAY more prominent with raw maca than with cooked (gelatinized). Or, so says Google. Lol. I had to look that up, I'm not going to lie But hey, some people prefer raw over gelatinized. And a lot of people say that if you aren't getting the desired results from one, to switch to the other.

But Ella is right, start slow. I went from 1/2 the recommended dose and build my way up. But since after, what, 2 weeks I think? I didn't have any adverse reactions, and that's why now I feel comfortable bumping it up like I am. And YES! Actually, you can cook/roast the maca yourself. You can also definitely add it to foods to cook. There's all kinds of Maca recipes. Maca is like a spice, or used a a flour-like substance normally. Peruvians have been cooking and eating this for a very loooong time.

*To roast/cook raw maca powder: Preheat oven to 350, spread out the maca powder onto a cookie or baking sheet and spread into a pretty even later with a spatula. Throw it in the oven and about every 7 minutes, you'll want to pull it out and mix the powder well with the spatula to make sure it's getting evenly cooked. Do this until all of the maca is a darker, rich brown color. Maybe a total of 20 min or so? Here's a video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBTtO6XPfEs

*Maca recipes (If you roast all of your maca, don't double cook it. It seems like that would kill off a lot, if not most, of the goodness it has in it)
http://www.macarecipes.com/
http://superfoodsandsupershakes.com/cate...ca-powder/

I like this one just because they're called "Sexy Balls"
http://www.joyoushealth.ca/blog/2012/02/...ie-recipe/

There's a lot more, you can google "maca recipes"

[EllaC]

Oh damn, just read your discussions about raw maca. I bought t because it was the cheapest of the different available ones they had in the store. Unfortunately, I already opened it so I cannot return it. I'll try it and see how it affects me.

Do you think it would be possible to cook the maca powder by just toasting it in a pan before using it? Another idea could be to throw a tsp into food I am cooking, and so it gets cooked with the food (although I guess that would affect the taste of the food since 1 tsp of any spice/herb is usually a lot of flavour!)

I was ok on raw but start low. The gelatinized actually really bothered me. You could put it in a smoothie
I might try maca again over xmas break when i have time to get used to the extra energy

Ella- didn't you have heart palpitations? That side effect is WAY more prominent with raw maca than with cooked (gelatinized). Or, so says Google. Lol. I had to look that up, I'm not going to lie But hey, some people prefer raw over gelatinized. And a lot of people say that if you aren't getting the desired results from one, to switch to the other.

But Ella is right, start slow. I went from 1/2 the recommended dose and build my way up. But since after, what, 2 weeks I think? I didn't have any adverse reactions, and that's why now I feel comfortable bumping it up like I am. And YES! Actually, you can cook/roast the maca yourself. You can also definitely add it to foods to cook. There's all kinds of Maca recipes. Maca is like a spice, or used a a flour-like substance normally. Peruvians have been cooking and eating this for a very loooong time.

*To roast/cook raw maca powder: Preheat oven to 350, spread out the maca powder onto a cookie or baking sheet and spread into a pretty even later with a spatula. Throw it in the oven and about every 7 minutes, you'll want to pull it out and mix the powder well with the spatula to make sure it's getting evenly cooked. Do this until all of the maca is a darker, rich brown color. Maybe a total of 20 min or so? Here's a video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBTtO6XPfEs

*Maca recipes (If you roast all of your maca, don't double cook it. It seems like that would kill off a lot, if not most, of the goodness it has in it)
http://www.macarecipes.com/
http://superfoodsandsupershakes.com/cate...ca-powder/

I like this one just because they're called "Sexy Balls"
http://www.joyoushealth.ca/blog/2012/02/...ie-recipe/

There's a lot more, you can google "maca recipes"

Hey. I actually had the heart palpitations with the gelatinized
But it was after i upped the dose to 2 pills. Id forgotten about how horrible they were , maybe i wont try it again after all lol
Funny thing was is that when i started off on high dose raw maca i had cramps but no insomnia or heart palps :s but even lose dose gelatinized i had trouble sleeping from day dot..
I guess in my case it wasnt for me gutted!