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Survival Rations Inspired by History.

One from Native Americans that is super simple. It is just Chia seeds. A handful and some water will swell up in your belly and keep you full for half a day. And they are nutritious and packed with energy.

“The ancient civilizations believed that the chia seed provided supernatural powers. In Mayan, “chia” means “strength.” This probably has to do with the large amounts of energy provided by chia seeds. Ancient warriors attributed their stamina to this tiny seed. This still holds true for certain groups of people today. The Mexican Tarahumara tribe is famous for their runners. These runners drink a mixture of chia seeds, lemon, and water called Iskiate. After drinking this, they are said to be able to run hundreds of miles. Something with that kind of track record deserves our attention.”

https://www.ancientgrains.com/black-chi ... nd-origin/

Made famous by Chris McDougall’s Born to Run, the ultrarunning legends Tarahumara Indians of Mexico credit chia seeds as the fuel behind their epic endurance feats. But what are chia seeds and how do they boost performance?

Nowadays, chia seeds are added to a variety of meals as a way of boosting the nutrient profile. It’s no surprise: chia seeds are nutrient dense and just two tablespoons contain:

140 calories
4 grams protein
11 grams fibre
7 grams unsaturated fat
Minerals potassium, sodium, calcium, zinc and magnesium
More omega-3 than salmon, pound for pound
Potent antioxidants

“Setting out to cover an astonishing 100 miles non-stop, a Tarahumara runner would take little more than chia fresca or ‘iskiate’ – simply water mixed with chia seeds (though sometimes they’d add honey or lime juice) – for stamina and hydration during these long jaunts in hot climes.”

1. Chia seeds provide slow-burn energy.

Chia seeds help the slow-burn of carbs in a very clever way. Being extremely absorbent – the expand up to 10x their original size when left to soak in water or juice for 10-minutes – they turn into a gloopy, gel-like consistency.

This gel lines the stomach and acts as a barrier to slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, stabilizing blood sugar which mean athletes can enjoy more stable and sustained energy levels.

One study - whose aim was to determine if chia seed loading is a viable method of enhancing sports performance in events lasting longer than 90-minutes – concluded it is “a viable option for enhancing performance for endurance events lasting >90 minutes.”

2. Chia seeds hydrate

Due to the high water content of chia seeds (once soaked) they assist hydration and ensure endurance athletes are better able to replace electrolytes lost through sweat. (But they would also just eat a handful of Chia and drink water to swell them in the stomach.)

3. Chia seeds are great for recovery

You wouldn’t think it but chia seeds contain lots of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. They’re also high in antioxidants which combat free radicals – molecules responsible for cell and tissue damage – this helping reduce inflammation and improve recovery.

https://www.33fuel.com/blogs/default-bl ... chia-seeds