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From:	mariano (99.41.71.107)
Subject:	80-10-10 Indian Ultrarunners Diet (short excerpt)
Date:	April 29, 2012 at 12:33 pm PST

i thought this was an interesting except from an article i was reading about the
Tarahumara indians diet and lifestyle...i know it doesnt imply raw, but it was
fascinating, empowering and reassuring about the notion of 80-10-10 itself...

The statement that, "The Tarahumara may be the finest natural distance runners
in the world", made by University of Arizona archeologist Michael Jenk inson,
offers some insight into just how good the indians are at running (Lutz 21). The
Tarahumara routinely run distances only covered by only the most advanced
ultramarathon runners today. To these indians, running is more than sport,
running is literally life. The Tarahumara live in very rugged land and travel by
wagon or horses is usually impractical. Because of this, foot travel is more often
than not the best option for getting from one place to another and it is usually
the quickest. While on foot, the Tarahumara do not stroll from one place to their
destination, running is used to perform everyday tasks. It is not uncommon for a
Tarahumara to travel between FIFTY and EIGHTY miles everyday at a "race" like
pace.

Tarahumara running is based on endurance not speed. This fact is exemplified
by their hunting practices. In order to catch such wild animals as deer, wild
turkeys, and rabbits, the Tarahumara simply chase after the animal until the
animal drops from exhaustion. Their hunting practices are widely known in
Mexico and ranchers have been known to hire the indians to chase down wild
horses . It is also said that a Tarahumara once ran six hundred miles in five days
to deliver a very important message. Their endurance and conditioning has
become k nown worldwide. Says Dale Groom, M.D., "Probably not since the days
of the ancient Spartans has a people achieved such a high state of physical
conditioning." (Lutz 21) This phenomenon has led to the inevitable question of,
"Are the Tarahumara genetically special when it comes to running?" After many
scientific tests, doctors have come to the conclusion that the Tarahumara's
endurance is based more on conditioning than on heredity. Experts believe that
there are two main causes for the Tarahumara's amazing endurance; physical
conditioning and cultural importance. Diet also seems to play an important role
in their running. The Tarahumara diet is practically meatless and consists mostly
of complex carbohydrates. They eat approximately 10 percent proteins, 10
percent fat, and 80 percent complex carbohydrate.(Lutz 30) Balanced diet is
believed to be one factor behind the Tarahumara's resiliency.

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