I can’t pass a product like this on the shelf without giving it a shot. The local Georgetown Market had a wonderful display of natural energy gels made with chia seeds. An energy gel made out of chia seeds sounded exciting and scary at the same time. The chia seed has earned a claim to fame in the very popular running book “Born to Run”, by Christopher McDougall, with mention of its use in fueling the Tarahumara tribe. I very much appreciate the nutritional quality of the chia seed, but can’t say I truly embrace the sometimes slimy, gel-like texture and digging them from my teeth in their whole form.

When I saw this product on the shelf I wondered what the consistency would be like and what the nutritional makeup was in fueling performance.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the consistency fantastic. One would never guess that chia seeds are present in this gel. The apple puree, cane juice, and brown rice syrup make this a yummy tasting quick-to-absorb fuel source to support endurance performance.

In looking at the label in greater detail, I really like that this gel serves as a decent source of sodium. It’s something I know I pay much greater attention to during long events when sweat loss and fluid consumption can be high. An added bonus with this gel is that it contains 895 mg of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids per gel.

Such a gel with natural fruit and health supporting fatty acids can offer less of a guilty conscience when tackling a long race or training session when one consumes a handful or two of typical gels. I think I’m going to save the apple cinnamon flavor to test out tolerance on my next long run

The power of incorporating sufficient vitamin D in the diet is often underestimated. Vitamin D supports bone health, muscle strength, improved immunity, and has even been linked to lowering the risk of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, and diabetes. Most often we associate obtaining vitamin D through sun exposure and milk ingestion, but have you ever thought of mushrooms?

Yes, mushrooms can serve as a source of vitamin D too. Mushrooms contain the precursor to vitamin D2, ergosterol. When mushrooms are exposed to UV light for about 15-20 seconds the amount of vitamin D2 they contain is much higher. This new processing method significantly increases the amount of vitamin D2 in UV-light treated mushrooms. For example, an untreated portabella mushroom contains about 10 IU/100g compared to a treated portabella mushroom that contains 446 IU/100g.

Recent research from Boston University School of Medicine has discovered that eating mushrooms rich in vitamin D2 is as effective at increasing and supporting healthy vitamin D levels as taking a supplement. I’d say that’s well worth topping a salad with mushrooms; include them in a pasta or omelet; even stuff them into a sandwich.

What a wonderful way to boost our daily vitamin D!