Ever since the publication of Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, a barefoot and minimalist running trend has swept America, based on the author’s examination of Mexico’s Tarahumara people.
He also talks of the benefits of eating two other “superfoods” for athletes.
Pinole
Pinole seems to describe any of a variety of forms of parched or roasted corn, ground into a flour and combined with water and some spices or sugar. It can be made into a drink, an oatmeal-like paste, or baked to form a more-portable “cake.” Here’s a recipe I made using regular cornmeal; you can change the proportions and spices to suit your taste. If you don’t want to toast your own corn, you can get pinole at Amazon.com. (Note: Masa harina is probably more authentic than cornmeal, since that corn has been treated with lime, the way the Tarahumara maize is.)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup masa harina (harina preparada which is hominy finely ground for tortilla preparation, also makes a good batch)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar
Toast the harina in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns light brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, mix in cinnamon, and sweetener or other spices, and desired amount of water. If you add just a few tablespoons of water instead and mix, you get a porridge consistency.
Some advise that, alternatively, you can bake the paste at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until it has the texture of a brownie. This more portable form is better for carrying on a long run, and a good alternative to sugary energy gels. However, it is crumbly and not my favorite preparation.
Chia fresca recipe
Chia seeds have enjoyed a surge in popularity recently among health-foodies. Chia seeds have the interesting property that when they’re left in water for a few minutes, the water begins to gel. Supposedly this is helpful in digestion. Here’s a a recipe for chia fresca (also called iskiate), a popular drink made with chia seeds, water, and lemon or lime.
Ingredients:
about 6 oz of water
1 Tbsp dry chia seeds
a few teaspoons lemon or lime juice
honey or agave nectar, to taste (optional)
Stir the chia seeds into the water; let them sit for about five minutes. Stir again, and let sit for as long as you like. The more it sits, the more gel-like the seeds and water become. Add citrus juice and sweetener to taste.
