THE ANDALE! (nearly) PERFECT MIX STORY

We have said it before, and it’s a fact.  There is no such thing as the perfect endurance athlete fuel.  There are just too many variables for too many folks.  What works for many, may not work for others; that’s just the way it is.  With that said, we darn sure think our Andale! mix comes real close to the ideal fueling source for athletes prior to, and during, activity.

There are a few reasons why we think so.  First, of course, is the Pinole and Chia.  Pinole, we feel, is the key.  Pinole is made from Maize (Corn).  But don’t think of it as the corn down at your local grocery store — all plump and juicy with sweet soft kernels.  The corn from Chihuahua farms and the Canyon hasn’t had the “benefit” of being worked over and modified to produce the sugary starch we typically regard as corn.  The corn of the lands of the Sierra’s and Barrancas still resembles the corn of their (and our) ancestors.  Along with the good carbs and beneficial starch, this heirloom corn is more nutrient dense and contains a far less sugary starch.  Heck, there are some popular athlete fuels out there now calling themselves “Superstarches” that are nothing but corn starches with some fancy processing.  Well, when you take Chihuahua farmed maize and you turn it into Heritage style Pinole with a slow roast and a perfect grind—maybe we should call our Andale! a “Super—Superstarch”.  :)

Our Raramuri friends, when fueling up in the morning for an active day in the field, a long run, or even a game of Rarajipari or Ariweta, may just add some warm water to the Pinole with a little Piloncillo (a raw brown style sugar), and maybe a little orange zest and cinnamon for a change of pace-- to make a porridge.  And during an endurance race event, they simply take the Pinole, add a little sweetener and water, and it’s all the fuel that they need.  We could have made Andale! just like this—Pinole and sugar—called it a day, and it still would have been a really awesome fuel solution. But frankly here outside of the Canyons, because we have access to modern fuel flasks and other “on the go” container solutions, a whole world of what we call ‘Personal Pinole’ has been created.

Andale! contains no added sugars.  It’s a real food, no chemicals, no preservatives, no ‘tose and no ‘fros anything, product.  The “no added sugar” has a couple of awesome benefits.  First, we think Andale! is an awesome ingredient for many at home recipes like pizza crust, porridge, tortillas, soup ingredients, etc. (see our recipe section on the website for a ton of ideas!)  And an added sugar component in those foods may not be required or work so well. Second, we think the ideal additions for taste, and good slow burning lower glycemic calories for Andale! is Agave, Honey, or Maple Syrup.  And/or the flavor additions and natural sugars that come from berries and fruit. If we added any of these to Andale!, it would then diminish the ability to make your own ‘Personal Pinole’. It would also affect what we would have to do with preservatives (which we don’t use), how it’s packaged, and a whole bunch of other less-desirable options.

What we did add to the Pinole aside is all the nutritional and hydration benefits gained from Chia to also help support the nice slow burn energy release of the calories. No gel or shot of soda quick burst and crash going to happen with Andale!.That’s it – the (nearly) perfect real food endurance fuel: Pinole and Chia - high grade, low glycemic, gluten free calories to support the energy release you need to fuel your endurance activity. That’s why we think the Andale! mix is (nearly) perfect - only made better by your personal recipes!

So, how does Andale! stack up against all the sports drinks, gels, blocks, powders, bars and all the like?  I suppose we could throw up numerous science studies that show how ours is better or one thing or another like these guys, but it seems to us that you can pretty much find one that says one thing, and another that says the exact opposite. So, we will just say, we sincerely think each of these has their place.  That said, we are always going to believe that the closer you can stick to whole food ingredients the better, and that’s for sure why we only include real foods, no chemicals, no preservatives, and nothing artificial. So we felt there was a spot for athletic fuel for those of us that felt the same, those of us that appreciate that what they put into their body was sourced from folks who care about the way they farm. A product for endurance athletes that eliminates the sugar high and crash (because we are going longer). A product that is very easy on the stomach (just because we are going longer doesn’t mean we are going easy). And a product that comes from a company that is trying to do it right and the best they can when it comes to supporting the endurance athlete community (our family). ** not only do we source as much as we can from the Sierra, we donate (offer Korima) of 50% of all profits to True Messages the 501c3 nonprofit inspired to carry on the projects and works of our friend and inspiration Messenger Micah True (Caballo Blanco).

So, the net of all this, we think it’s a pretty darn good (nearly perfect :)) option and worthy of giving it a shot and see how this ‘Fuel of the Generations’ works for you. We appreciate it greatly.