Forest BB

Sometimes we all need extra energy and guarana and maca are heaps better for us than caffeine, are smoother, cleaner and with better dispersal and no adverse affects - only bonuses ( maca powder).

Nice and preferable if we can access our energy without additives granted. But, I would love somethings containing these two to be available in the cafe. Macas shakes or lovely in chai or another suitable tea. It is yummy. Guarana could be in those nibble balls for example - I needed these daily to get me through the last music festival. Or whatever form it is in, the sweets or drops or powder...very mixable.

If these were avail at the cafe, I feel there would be much less incentive / need felt for speed derivitives of one kind or another later.

Maca powder enables you to just do whatever you needed the energy for, without even noticing, I just find I'm doing it.:

"Native peruvian's have used Maca for both nutritional & medicinal props. Enhances fertility in humans and animals and this has been known for centuries. Increases energy, stamina & endurance, and is used as an alternative to anabolic steroids. The root is used to treat male impotence, erectile dysfunction, menopausal symptoms & general fatigue. Maca is indicated in cases when energy and nutrients are needed both in children & adults such as pregnancy, lactation, growing etc. Use half teaspoon pr serve. Add honey & mix into a paste, add hot water. Can also be added to juice or smoothies. Adds a creaminess when added to your favourite herb tea."

Guarana comes from usage by rainforest tribes in Brazil for it's energy stimulant properties and for chronic diarrhoea. However, overuse can lead to similar effects as with coffee ie anxiety/nervousness/insomnia. "A little goes a long way and a level teaspoon is a serve" Why it would be great in guarana balls that can be nibbled on as needed - yummy again.

What do you think? It would be so good to be able to take this opportunity to educate young people of these alternatives and that the Forest cares about their health.

Oopsadaisy. NOT TO SAY I/we at the Forest condone/assist/promote the use of any drugs!! I just overheard some kids talking once in the street.

How great it would be to get these kids to take something good for them instead. To let them know that there are energy stimulant alternatives until they get themselves honouring their own equlibrium.

Maca could go on trial so people can experience the energy gain themselves and I can post you a small quantity til a closer supplier is found. A 200g organic supply in an eco-pouch is only $19.95 here in my local pharmacy and then there's the Happy High Herb shop and the frenchman there would be happy to sell more to me.

Maca-botanical name Lepidium meyenii or L.peruvianum. Also called The Incan Superfood.

Or available now from Fairtrade.
www.powersuperfoods.com

I am a big advocate of getting people to acknowledge that they are responsible for their own health and anything that tells you otherwise is only after $$$. Taking someone's chemicals/unnatural drugs, created without knowledge or care of ourselves in a wholistic sense, alter our energy, heat our blood and we vibrate at the wrong rate for our attunment/functioning. Aside from the commonly known adverse effects...

However, we are how we feel and sometimes it is better for us to take something so that we feel able to do something, that will then make us feel better, than sitting around like we are already dead.

Whadya reckon?

love it. Was thinkin of making guarana and fruit energy balls for forest.... x

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up and at it.

lets just get some Crack!

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It's like God's vagina!

Maca is also a suspect beige powder, that, if divided into teensy portions, in say, some foil, could also be stashed under the counter for only those who ask, and are prepared to pay a lot more...

I mean, c'mon, we're saving these kids...-)

Have you got recipes Blue?
Here they tend to call them Bliss balls.
Praps half could be guarana-ed, and the others just plain ie fruit/ nuts/seeds so not plain at all. Some fruit wouldn't go with guarana- I 'm thinking dried apricot for some reason, but dates...yum. It would be obvious to volunteers as the Guarana balls would be the brown ones.

What works brilliantly is Maca in Rooibos tea!

It is so nice I always want to have another one immediately. What I do now is have only a level teaspoon maca, but then two cups of tea. Later in the day, if I need energy again, I repeat this.

It is a beautiful combination. Nicer together than on their own.

Rooibos is that amazing herb tea derived from the South African Rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis) that is strong and kinda black but with no caffeine, but you are prob familiar with it. With maca it becomes quite heavenly as the creamy maca goes with the exotic different tasting 'black' tea. Then I put a spoonful of honey and a bit of ricemilk.

With stacks to do here, I have not had any caffeine for a while now and I was needing coffee just to stand for a while there!

I hope you want to enjoy it and it's benefits.

what's the go then? Some support for the guarana but no comment on the Maca (macka or Mac A if you want to add a celtic twist).

I got 226 g for $9.93 last time from my food coop.

As I am sending a book by post for the Forest Library, I am going to enclose 5 or so
Roobos teabags and a few teaspoons of Maca in alittle placcy bag in an envelope marked "cafe Trial pack". Have a teabag with half a teaspoon - 1 teaspoon Maca and with honey is nice. Whatever kind of milk you want. Notice that without noticing you just start to do stuff. Why not have some when you are at a meeting anyway preferably earlier in the day than later - helps for approx 4 hours. You may need a whole teaspoon due to the presence of other toxins in your system. I will see what I can put in without it adding to any bulk.

A healer friend described caffeine intake as "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" whereas Maca is good all round. Sorry if the erectal information about it was more than you wanted to know!

I came across Guarana with Damiana in it and Yerma mate all together in some drops called 'Bliss Extra Liquid" that may interest you. 3-5ml serve in juice/water or straight.

Now it is the morning here and as a have a cup o' maca tea, I've reaslised the best trial is to be undertaken by those who need a coffee and to have maca instead, in the morning.

Then, for those same folk to be able to repeat the trial, the next morning, or later in the day. This way they will be more certain, as maca is not something you feel ie no speeding up heart etc., that they are being assisted by it.

I find I just naturally summon my energy for whatever it is I need to do. I vacuumed the entire house and did the chickens just now...

The trial folk should be able to notice they are able to go without caffeine when they may not have thought they could. Going without caffeine for the short trial period would be necessary.

I will send a quantity with this in mind now.

'Cafe trial pack' in post today.

I noticed yesterday that at Apothecary (47 Clerk St, next to Barnardo's bookshop) they sell now Maca powder at the price of £6.5 for 150 gm. In case anyone in Edinburgh is interested.

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Susanita, la amiga tonta de Mafalda

did ya get it? Anyone been able to sample

I don't know if it has come yet, but the postman has an extra spring in his step.

Well it has had time to be there. I paid airmail. It could be held up at customs. I declared it on the package as containing a book & a health food/caffeine alternative.

Maybe they are testing it as they can't figure why anyone would pay that much in postage...love perhaps? And, that it really has to have an enormous street value... I put it in a bag that explains a little of it just in case this occurred.

If it does arrive maybe there won't be enough for a trial. I am concerned about the book mostly...please can someone let me know if it arrives.

hey totally arrived, book is in library, tea bags in kitchen, macca shared in teas with vollies and they loved it!
Thanks you! great stuff!
x

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up and at it.

In case you (or someone you kow) ever need it: there is this substance called 'kratom', from South East Asia, which is very potent (and expensive ) that acts as a muscle+mind relaxant but also gives you a very natural feeling of energy and alertness (you don't feel stoned at all... ). It is, actually, an opioide of some sort. And it is, in fact, illegal in most of the countries were it is produced but not (yet) here (it is not illegal just because there's been so far too little around for the goverment to have passed any ruling on it... although, however, my GP told me they are about to regulate it) (most probably it will be made illegal and at the same time some pharmaceutical company will discover it and will charge lots to the NHS for prescribing it ! C'est la vie )

I have been taking it for the last two years, since I've discovered it, because I suffer from a medical condition, a type of Chronic Fatigue called fibromyalgia. It is most debilitating and crippling to the point that i cannot work. In some other countries people with this condition are given cannabis, but not here, in Britain. Thanks to having discovered it, now I can do, at least, some volunteer work, and I don't have the constant pain, which is, of course, brilliant for me.

The normal price is £10 for a dose (i.e. very expensive, folks) . (I get it for half because it is for medical reasons). I buy it at that shop I said, that started to sell macca, Apothecary, at Clerk St, near the Forest.

As far as I know there's been only one piece of medical research on it: a Japanese team
in the 60s carried out a study and their only 'negative' discovery was that those that take it for a long time sometimes develop brown stains in their face... (I can live with that. It could put some 'colour' in my otherwise hyperpale skin.. If it is bad I can always wear a burka.. )

(If it helps you to know, I have a medical degree, so I suppose I sort of know what I am doing... but hey if you see me acting (even) more strangely than before do let me know. )

mucho love

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Susanita, la amiga tonta de Mafalda

Is this the stuff that looks like a hard sweet, somewhere between a crystal and a resin. And you disolve it in hot water and drink it, and it tastes very bitter. It didn't do much for me, and I had quite a lot. But I suppose that if it is medicinal, then it may only do things to people with a medical condition.

All hail the Apothecary.

No, this are ground leaves, green in colour, and which you can drink as a tea or mix with yogurt, etc. I know the guys a the shop also take it sometimes: it gives you a feeling of well-being and euphoria and they take it to parties because it lets you drink more without getting so drunk and the hangover is much lighter...

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Susanita, la amiga tonta de Mafalda

Interesting. I will see if it is known at my health/herbs places here...

Is it anything like Yerba Mate?

Not really. Yerba Mate poduces Xanthines which are similar to the stimulant substances of coffe and tea. Kratom, on the contrary, is an opiate, i.e., closer to Morphine. I read on wikipedia that it is a 'controlled' substance in Australia, so probably not available there (that is were you live, right?) in herbal shops...

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Susanita, la amiga tonta de Mafalda

What if on special gig nights there is 'energy cake' sold - it could be the same ingredients as a cake going there anyway but with guarana or another energy stimulant added. For bands here the other night there was mud chocky cake and an energy version each slice at $2 along with chilli chai. I think it was an african stimulant a 'Kolasoma' or something.

I think having an energy slice or cake avail some evenings & nights could be a good middle ground or trial concept, if having something on sale anytime is not suitable. What do folk think I still gotta have maca tea each day...

Acually, I've taken to keeping some Maca in a resealable bag and have it with me, so at the bands I just had a bit of maca powder on it's own and i was surprised at how instantly I felt rejuvenated and able to hit the dancefloor in time for the reggae. I had grown used to the flavour of it so was fine, I usually pop it into a tea if I need to when I'm out. Considering I was otherwise yawning and tired, I danced til the end. With NO adverse or any unwanted effects at all. It is all good.