I’m so excited to introduce you to my favorite clean plant-based protein source and the founder of Mikuna, Ricky Echanique. With a mission to change the future of food by nourishing people and the planet, Ricky has deep roots in agriculture and in Latin America. 

He is a fifth generation Ecuadorian farmer and former professional athlete. At the onset of his athletic career, Ricky faced health and digestion issues, which set him on a new path: to find a better form of plant-based nutrition. This journey led him back home to Ecuador where he found Chocho, the “Andean super protein.”

In today's episode, we're talking about Ricky’s journey to bringing chocho to market in the United States, what the chocho bean is, how it stands out against other plant-based proteins, its nutritional profile, how it’s used in farms and tables in Ecuador, and how this very special bean healed Ricky's chronic fatigue and immune issues. 

We also share my struggle to find clean plant-based proteins to recommend clients, and why I love this protein source so much. It's a pleasure to bring my friend Ricky onto the show.

We also cover…

00:01:00 — Ricky’s Self-Healing Journey that Led to an Amazing Discovery

• Ricky’s journey from growing up in Ecuador to college at UC Santa Barbara

• How Ricky discovered the chocho plant while on a mission to heal himself

• The regenerative and protective properties of the chocho plant

• The impact of selling the chocho plant for the local farmers in Ecuador

00:24:00 — Chocho: A Regenerative Crop That’s Good To The Earth & Our Bodies

• The process of growing and harvesting the chocho plant

• How chocho is traditionally eaten by Ecuadorians

• What’s special about chocho compared to other plants

• The debittering process of the chocho seed

00:34:00 — Mikuna’s Stand Out Nutrient Profile & How to Use It in Your Kitchen

• Why I recommend Mikuna protein for vegan/vegetarian clients

• What’s unique about the Mikuna chocho beans as a high quality plant based protein source

• How I use Mikuna and chocho in my kitchen

• The application and use of Mikuna in different recipes

• What’s coming next for Mikuna and the chocho bean

• Hume: humesupernatural.com

Resources:

• Website: mikunafoods.com

• Store Locator: mikunafoods.com/pages/store-locator 

• Instagram: @mikunafoods 

• Ricky’s Instagram: @rickyechanique

• Facebook: facebook.com/mikunafoods

Connect with Kelly:

• kellyleveque.com

• Instagram: @bewellbykelly

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bewellbykelly

Be Well By Kelly is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

BWBK Protein Powder | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com.

AG1 | Get 1 FREE year of Vitamin D immune support along with 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/BEWELL.

Levels | Join Levels and receive an additional 2 free months on your annual membership when you sign up with my link, levels.link/KELLY.