The pressure to win and be the best in amateur and professional sports drives many athletes, at times with the urging of their coaches, to turn to dangerous, illegal steroids and other physical enhancing drugs. At the other end, the associations who control these athletes look for more ways to detect the use of these drugs and punish the athlete for using them.
There is another way of getting similar results without endangering your health or breaking the law. In nature there are strength and endurance enhancing foods that can get the same results. Here is a partial list of natural enhancing foods; Bee Pollen, Codonopsis, Ginger, Hawthorne Berry, Schisandra Berry, Siberian Ginseng, Tribulus and Wild Yam are a few of many. These foods are totally legal because they are foods and there is nothing dangerous about them physically or mentally.
But, if they are foods can they enhance athletic performance on the field? Can they deliver more strength, endurance and overall performance for the athlete? One of these foods was tested by the British Sports Council who recorded increases in strength as high as 40 to 50 percent in those taking this food regularly. What is the food that could cause such positive changes in strength? The Finnish track team that swept the Olympics in 1972, revealed, “Most of their athletes had used this food that year as a supplement with no negative results reported.”
Here is another astounding physical feat that we hear little about involving bee pollen and the running powers of the American Indians. American Indian runners of the South West wore pouches containing bee pollen and chia seed around their necks to eat on long running journeys to sustain a high energy level. Sometimes they ran from 200 to 240 miles without stop as they carried news between San Gabriel, Mexico, Tucson, and San Diego. In the late spring of 1680 the Pueblo and Zuni Indians under the leadership of a Pueblo Indian religious leader named Po’way; defeated the Spanish. Indian runners were instrumental in the overthrow of this abusive Spanish Franciscan monk rule. Spanish control of the Indians was crippled forever. The church and the kiva have coexisted to this day. The revolt remains a victory though few Americans know that it even happened (see my blog “Native American Thompsonian Herbalism” about the debt Naturopaths and modern medicine owe the American Indian People).
The food that could cause such astounding results is bee pollen. Here is what the renowned German naturalist Francis Huber, who was a great proponent of this miraculous food from the hive, called bee pollen, “the greatest body builder on Earth.” Read the results below to see for yourself why this food product has had such a positive effect on athletes and could benefit anyone who just wants to gain an edge and feel better.
Noel Johnson, a marathon runner in his nineties has written two autobiographies. One is called “A Dud at 70 – A Stud at 80” and the other “The Living Proof”. He says, “I derive special nutrients from bee pollen. It gives me the energy I need to engage in marathons… and other physical activities!”
Historical Background of Bee Pollen
All through history bee pollen has been referred to as a complete food and tonic by all the great societies fitness including the Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, European, Inca, and North American Indians. Hypocrites and Pythagoras both prescribed bee pollen for its powerful healing and rejuvenating properties. In these ancient cultures, bee pollen was surrounded by mystique; offering long life, improved sexual prowess and prolonged wellness. Scientists have studied pollen in modern times and have confirmed that it is a perfect food containing all 22 elements that our body needs and will confirm its many benefits when taken regularly.
The Human consumption of bee products is praised in the Bible. Where Honey is frequently mentioned; it was referred to as a wholesome food, a helpful medicine, an ingredient of delicious drinks. Psalms 81:16 “He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey.”
What Makes Bee Pollen the Perfect Food?
Chemical analysis from research labs all over the world show that bee pollen is the most complete and perfect food on Earth. Bee pollen contains the following nutrients [the location and source of bee pollen can cause variability in the vitamin and mineral content of bee pollen]
All essential amino acids, minerals, including phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, iron and zinc, some trace minerals, all B vitamins, including B-12 [one of the few vegetarian sources of B-12], Folic Acid, Panthothenic Acid, Rutin, Lecithin, RNA, DNA and enzymes. It also contains anti-oxidants, including flavonoids, beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E, and Lycopene.
Research has shown that bee pollen contains a substance which inhibits the development of numerous harmful bacteria, including E. coli. Clinical studies have shown that bee pollen has a regulatory effect on intestinal function, relieving even the most stubborn constipation.
Studies also show that bee pollen is high in enzymes and co-enzymes. Enzymes are necessary in the body for digestive and immune functions. The enzymes present in bee pollen are especially important for a balanced chemical metabolism. This balancing or regulating function may be the key factor in bee pollen’s ability to assist in weight regulation.