Homemade Energy Gel

Homemade Energy Gel (created by Brandon McDearis, recipe published in Endurance May 2012)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons honey or agave

1 tablespoon brown rice or maple syrup

2-3 tablespoons of salted water with sea salt

¼ teaspoon finely ground coffee

½ teaspoon cocoa

1, 3 oz travel shampoo bottle

Preparation:

1.       Take the 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and mix them with the salted water.  Let them hydrate for a few minutes until they puff up a bit and feel like they could almost be formed into a ball.

2.       Once the seeds are hydrated, mix together the rest of the ingredients. (Note: One of the tablespoons of water can be a tablespoon of already mixed coffee that gets absorbed into the chia seeds.  This adds a more consistent coffee flavor throughout, however, the stronger hints of the ground coffee within the gel are pleasant as well) 

3.       The recipe yields about 3-4 ounces, enough to fill one 3-ounce travel shampoo bottle with a little bit left over.  Use a funnel to transfer mix from bowl to bottle.  Left over gel mix can be stored in 1 – 2 oz. zip lock bags.

4.       Recipe yields 3-4 servings, (1 oz. servings) with 1/3 or ¼ of the bottle being a good shot of energy needed during times of exertion

Nutrition Info: calories: 90, fat: 3g, saturated fat: .5g, carbohydrates: 16g, fiber: 4g, protein 1.5g

 

Chia seeds are rich in calcium, more than milk, contain more omega-3’s than any other plant and they do not have to be ground before consumption, like flaxseeds.  So they are a great source of fiber.

Cocoa and coffee contain antioxidants (helps fight off disease and aging in our cells), and researchers at Cornell University have found cocoa  contains 2x the antioxidant properties of red wine and as much as 3x that of green tea.

Give this recipe a try, I know I will!

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