Ever since I’ve read Christopher McDougall’s awesome book Born to Run, not only my approach to running and eating has changed but my approach to life in general. Of course the book came at a perfect time when I was ready to make big changes in my life, and I considered the book to be a sign that I was making the right decisions . I would love to do a review of it here but there’s so much good stuff written about it by more ‘qualified’ reviewers that I will skip it. If you haven’t read it yet, if you are in anyway interested in running and what running means for different people, different cultures, it is a must read. I love to read and hear about ways that introduce a new paradigm that is one way or another better than the old. While none of what McDougall writes about is new for some, I think it’s safe to say that it is new for most of us, especially those who are somewhat removed from the ultra running world. I have done marathons, ironmans and have been mostly self trained using mainstream training and nutritional methods. I have been a slave to sports nutritional products, especially if they were endorsed by the likes of Armstrong and Contador. Here I mean the commercially available products, which I assume were legal. Then I came across Born to Run and read about ultra distance runners eating pinoles and beans and normal foods to fuel up before and during their grueling long runs. The author also highlights a superfood that has been used in Central and South America for centuries, the chia seeds.
When I first came across the word chia, the image of a chia pet popped in my head and I had to put the book down for a second to laugh. As I read on it became clear why this funny sounding seed is considered a super food and would be an ideal supplement not just for endurance athletes but anyone striving for a healthier diet.
Chia seeds contain all essential amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants (myrecetin, quercetin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid), and lots of vitamin C. Did I say quercetin? Isn’t that the magic ingredient of Lance Armstrong’s secret supplement? Maybe, but the other ingredients to me are just as important. It seems like this chia pet could be more than just my six year old’s favorite decorative toy. Isn’t it comical that chia was commercialized in the western world as a toy? Talk about paradigm shifts, this world badly needs one!
The most intriguing characteristic of Chia is its time release quality. They can absorb a lot of liquid. If you mix a spoonful of the seeds with a cup of water, in about 30 minutes it turns into gelatin. When eaten, the gelatin coats the stomach and allows for gradual digestion of carbs which prevents insulin spikes. It also releases water along with its own nutrients gradually, keeping you constantly hydrated. That’s why chia works so well for people with hypoglycemia and diabetes. And we all know diabetes is becoming and epidemic all around the world, soon to be the single biggest healthcare cost for our society. But that’s a different topic for a different time. For our purposes all we need to know and understand from the above is that it gives you many of the necessary nutrients for endurance and it gives them to you over time. Those Aztecs a few thousand years ago were onto something when the women gave their brave warriors a handful of chia before they went on an all day march to battle for more arable land for chia plantations. Then the Spanish came and changed things a bit… Hay carramba!
Needless to say, I ran to my local organic nutrition store (a place where I usually get very confused about what to buy and life in general), this time with a sense of purpose, and bought a pack of chia seeds. After I got past my initial fear of growing green grass on my chest, I sprinkled some in my cereal. While chia doesn’t have any particular taste, it actually brings out the taste of the food even more. Another great quality! It just keeps getting better. Now I include chia in my breakfast religiously. It’s been 3 weeks since my first dose of magic, and at this point I’m not sure I am feeling a placebo effect or real changes in my body but I do feel less hungry, more hydrated and overall lighter physically and mentally. Oh, I forgot to mention chia’s effectiveness against depression. For a Hungarian, that is heavenly news! I can finally give up drinking Red Bull!
Another question I wanted to find the answer to was whether this gel like substance can be used during exercise, replacing the ever popular gel-packs stuffed with simple carbs and sugars? I did another search on my pc and noticed chia’s popularity among barefoot runners. Can we call barefoot running a cult? Or is that too harsh? Is community better? It seems a lot of barefooters (but of course not only them) use the seeds regularly before and during runs. Runner’s World has a forum on exactly this topic, check it out . The only complaint I came across was that if you mix them in your water bottle, the gelatin like texture of the water is a little unpleasant while drinking it. Otherwise you’re good to go. No downside. Just eat’m and fugettaboudhit. Say good bye to bonk. Just make sure you take a lot of liquid with it. Chia seeds absorb water up to 10 times their weight!
So is this what’s called a free lunch? (No pun intended.) No risk, just upside? People on Wall Street pay big bucks for free lunches. Sounds weird but they do! That’s net of commissions of course…
Well I hope this little piece was informative and you had some fun with it too. Of course if you wanted to learn more you could find scientific papers (both independent and from suppliers) on all this on the internet, except the Wall Street stuff, a bunch of recipes, videos, and different shapes and forms of chia pets, if that’s what gets you going. I am yet to test chia’s power in a long race, but it’s coming and I will give you and update. For a detailed nutritional breakdown of chia click here.
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