Here is my completely unofficial list of mountain biking super foods. To qualify as one for my list it had to be something I actually eat and use on a consistent basis and since I don’t eat a ton of broccoli and cauliflower you won’t find them or their kind. I also needed for it to be something that I didn’t need to go out of my way to find, so most of it you can find at any health food market.

Here are my first 5, I’ll post the other half in a day or so. Let me know what you think should be included, I’d be interested to see what other people think compared to what I have planned to post.

1-Blueberries – In case you did not know it blueberries are great for all sorts of things, including brain function. I don’t know about you but I’ll take all the help I can get in that area! I get most of my blueberries from the frozen ones I throw in Super Shakes or from the fresh ones my wife buys when they are in season.

2-Bananas –This is one that most people will think of but not for the reason I am including it. While bananas have been staples of mountain biker’s diets for many years based on the belief that the potassium in them would help prevent cramps, I use them in my Super Shakes. They provide a great “base” ingredient for the Super Shakes, which are invaluable in getting enough quality feedings in each day, so having them handy makes throwing a quick shake together much easier.

3-Whey protein –While whey protein can obviously be used in protein shakes, you can also use it to “balance out” a carb heavy feeding. One of the keys to sound performance nutrition is to eat some lean protein with each feeding. By throwing some whey protein on some Kashi cereal or drinking a serving of it with a serving of whole grain pasta you can turn carb heavy meals into more nutritionally balanced feedings.

4-Kefir –This superfood is kind of like yogurt on steroids. Kefir has more of all of the things that make yogurt great. The 10 active cultures in it are great for the digestive system and it tastes great as well. You can find kefir in most health food stores and it is showing up in more supermarkets as well.

5-Fish Oil – I am not sure that this is an actual food but this is my list so I get to add it anyways. If I was a good boy I would eat more salmon but I don’t, making it necessary. You need at least 6 grams of fish oil per day for optimal function. Your body uses the essential fatty acids in fish oil to maintain hormones, the nervous system, hair, skin, joints and much more. If you don’t eat fish each day then you need to supplement. I use the lemon flavored fish oil and pour it in a super shake since I don’t want to take 6 fish oil pills each day.

-James Wilson-