Iskiate

Another product the Tarahumara use to sustain themselves on their routine long distance runs is a drink called iskiate.  In Born to Run, author Christopher McDougall wrote highly of the simple drink that propelled him up and out of the Copper Canyon as he was about to bonk.  I found a recipe on the web and then found the chia seeds at Sprouts, a farmer's market style grocery store.  The drink is quite tasty and much better for you than most sports drinks on the market.  Chia seeds have numerous attributes including antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber.  The seeds are also hydrophilic meaning that they absorb water and combined with their fiber content the drink, iskiate, becomes slushy after a few minutes.  This is a good thing though.  It keeps you full longer and actually helps endurance.  Look up chia seeds and you can read much more about their medicinal purposes but if you haven't read Born to Run yet I highly recommend it.

Iskiate (or Chia Fresca)

2 teaspoons of chia seeds
2 teaspoons of agave nectar
juice of half a lime
10 oz of water

Stir and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Can be made in larger quantities and kept in the refrigerator for a week.  I read on-line that when making a larger batch to whisk the ingredients together and let sit for 10 minutes then whisk again  before refrigerating to prevent the chia seeds from clumping.