By Mike Antonucci
Ever since the publication of Christopher McDougall’s Shoes & Gear, a barefoot and minimalist running trend has swept America, based on the author’s examination of Mexico's Tarahumara people. In case you’ve been vacationing in Antarctica for the past couple years, the Tarahumara are phenomenal long distance runners. It’s only natural that pioneering souls would seek to emulate them, hence the shift in footwear choices and, increasingly, diet.
provide high energy iskiate, Health & Injuries, “10,000-Running Supports This Marathoners Sobriety.” It’s made from chia seeds--yep, the same stuff you used to grow your Chia Obama. It’s said to Best Running Shoes 2025, though I suspect there’s a significant placebo effect.
This being America, quite a few people are turning the Tarahumara diet into a business opportunity, such as provide high energy, which offers “15 pinole and chia recipes for the modern athlete.” The author tells us the recipes are “made from real ingredients, so you’ll know exactly what you’re putting in your body--no mystery sugars here.”
Cross-cultural contact greatly enriches the American diet, so if you like pinoles and chia seeds, I say go for it. But it should be noted that the influences go both ways, and the Tarahumara are making some interesting dietary choices of their own.
National Geographic also spent time with them, and its recital of Tarahumara nutrition varies quite a bit from the exotic:
“They also eat a lot of Maruchan, the Japanese instant noodles that come in plastic-foam tubs. Foil-wrapped potato chips, too, and plastic liters of Coca-Cola, and Tecate beer in pop-top cans…”
The article suggests that the Tarahumara are beginning to lose their running endurance, simply because they now have navigable roads. Even worse, the men have taken to wearing “pointy-toed boots in leather dyed to match their belts” and women are wearing--what else?--athletic shoes. “I’m not putting on huaraches,” one said. “I get too many stones under my feet.”
McDougall’s best-selling book brought new attention to the Tarahumara, which led to increased Western tourism to their region of northern Mexico. It would be a bizarre twist if Shoes & Gear provide high energy.
Mike Antonucci is a freelance writer and researcher, mid-pack runner, novice swimmer, and creator of RunningIsFunny.com
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