fueling Archives - Words To Run By

Ever since reading It Starts With Food and being diagnosed as gluten-intolerant and joining Weight Watchers, I have been trying to take an active role in getting healthy, losing weight and taking care of my body. After losing my mother unexpectedly about two years ago and then almost losing my own life last year, I have developed a heightened sense of awareness of how fragile and provisional life really is. It is absolutely striking to me that one person dies of a pulmonary embolism every six minutes in the United States alone (http://clotconnect.org). That could have been me.

One of the things I have really started to pay attention to is the amount of highly processed, highly sugared, highly unhealthy substances we are putting in our bodies. Nutrition is important – more than I ever imagined – and I believe the foods we eat (or don’t eat) are playing a major role in undermining our health around the globe, contributing to sometimes preventable diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart attack and stroke. The amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates we put in our bodies are contributing to such systemic inflammation that I do believe it is killing us.

Less is more when it comes to food – and maintaining our nutrition while exerting high levels of energy is also important to keep us sustained during our workouts. While I almost exclusively drink Gatorade and eat GU while running longer distances, it has really bothered me that these commercial energy supplements – while they work – are filled with sugar and a bunch of things I can’t pronounce. What is all of that stuff? And it is helping our health? I doubt it.

I am always on the hunt for natural, yet convenient and handy ways to hydrate and fuel on my runs so I was really excited when I was given the chance to try and review Hüma Chia Energy Gel.

Hüma Chia Energy Gels are all natural, gluten free and made in the USA. And guess what? When you read the ingredients list you won’t be unsettled that it takes up the fingers on both of your hands and you will be able to pronounce each and every last ingredient. In the Apples and Cinnamon Gel there is Apple Puree, Evaporated Cane Juice, Filtered Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Ground Chia Seeds, Sea Salt, Citric Acid and Cinnamon. That’s it. Nothing else. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. I know what each of these things are and in terms of a long run when I need sustainable energy quickly, I am comfortable putting all 100 calories of them in my body.

Hüma (pronounced “Hoo-mah”) is based on the name of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, otherwise known as “The Running People” because they participate in 50-100 mile races, making them the premier ultra-marathoners. They thrive on chia seeds, which have a long history as an endurance fuel. Ancient Aztec tradition held that an ounce of chia seeds could sustain a warrior for 24 hours. Today, chia is considered a super food for the following reasons (http://www.humagel.com/why-huma/all-natural):

I found the FAQ section of the Hüma website very helpful in answering my questions about Hüma, including why is the package larger than a typical energy gel (Hüma gels have a higher water content than other gels, which makes then easier to swallow and digest, but that also means less calories per ounce, so there is more in the package). I tried the Strawberry (I am not a cinnamon fan, unfortunately) and found the consistency to be very similar to Apple Butter.

The taste was surprising to me as I could taste strawberry, but it was somewhat bitter, not like the processed packets I am used to. I did not particularly like the flavor, although the coarser texture was refreshing to me because I felt like I was eating something. I ran two miles in the heat on the day I tried Hüma and felt good using them as fuel in the conditions at hand. While I did not like the taste, my husband took the Apples and Cinnamon on a three day canoe trip with him and he liked the flavor. He said they were perfect snacks while canoeing because he didn’t have to stop and unpack his gear or build a fire when he was feeling like he needed energy. He just opened a Hüma gel and kept right on paddling. I think the flavor is all personal, and something I could get used to, because many other athletes reviewed Hüma and also enjoyed the flavor.

Connect with Hüma Chia Energy Gel on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find them on Pinterest (search Hüma Energy Gels) and Instagram!

Overall, it is worth it to me to sacrifice a little bit of flavor for real ingredients, whole fruit taste and all-natural energy, especially in light of how unhealthy I think traditional sports drinks and gels are and I would definitely rather fuel with Hüma Chia Energy Gels than my standard energy gels and sugary sports drinks.

You can order Hüma Chia Energy Gel online or check the store locator for a resale shop near you.

What about you? Have you tried Hüma Chia Energy Gels? Did you like them? Did they help during your run? Do you use a natural gel or sports drink? Why or why not?

Until the next mile marker,