Hi, I'm Amanda! I help active women 40+ create a healthy relationship with food and their body through intuitive eating, mindfulness, and gentle nutrition. Learn to undiet your life with the latest Savor Food and Body Podcast episodes, blog posts, and free downloads at www.alpinenutrition.org
You really want to eat THAT?!
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I made it back, Reader! But I'll be honest. Last week had me reconsidering my life choices. "Jenn's 50th birthday is worth it, right?!?" I think to myself as I heaved my body and 25+ pound backpack up a 3500 foot climb littered with over 200 downed trees. I think I told you about Jenn's epic thru hike in last week's email. The most important question before these adventures is always... How do you pack enough food to be satisfied and well fed on a week-long backpacking adventure? The texts start flying in 36 hours before our departure: ”Are you going to eat that?” ”I’m panic-buying snacks.” “I have food anxiety…me too” Gentle nutrition for midlife is easy when you have access to grocery stores, fresh produce, and a variety of nutrient-dense foods. But what happens when you decide to travel or go on a week-long hike through the most remote parts of the Eagle Cap Wilderness? Fueling outdoor adventures is an adventure in itself. These are the questions that keep me up at night. Can I fit enough food for 6.5 days in my mid-size ursack (a sack that critters can't get in or tear apart)? Will it be enough? What if I need more snacks? Will I run out of food before Mary brings in a resupply? How do I get enough protein and carbs to help my body recover from hiking 15+ miles most days? If I cut food too close, I might bonk (aka low blood sugar), stumble, and get injured! What if my digestion is a train wreck? Regardless of how much physical training you do to prepare for an outdoor adventure, if you don't fuel your body with adequate, satisfying food, it's “game over.” It doesn't matter if it's a walk around the block, your first 5K event, or a very long, steep hike with friends. You need solid nutrition with adequate protein, complex carbs for sustained energy, and glucose for your brain - even if you're concerned about weight changes in perimenopause. A fueled brain has less brain fog and makes better decisions. In some cases, those decisions are the difference between a fun adventure and a risky, injury-induced experience you won't want to remember. Here's the strategy I used for eating well and fueling my brain during Jenn's 50th Birthday thru hike: That's what makes you look forward to the pizza and huge, fresh salad on the way home - even before a shower (that's what lakes are for 😉)! If you're a camper, traveler, or hiker - tell me your favorite travel snacks! I need ideas for another adventure in 2 weeks 😎 Enjoy the weekend savoring food and your body! Amanda PS: Regardless of how much physical training you do to prepare for an outdoor adventure, if you don't fuel your body with adequate, satisfying food, it's “game over.” It doesn't matter if it's a walk around the block, your first 5K event, or a very long, steep hike with friends. You need solid nutrition with adequate protein, complex carbs for sustained energy, and glucose for your brain - even if you're concerned about weight changes in perimenopause. Here's how I stayed well fed on our recent week-long thru hike. Watch the video here! |
Alpine Nutrition
Hi, I'm Amanda! I help active women 40+ create a healthy relationship with food and their body through intuitive eating, mindfulness, and gentle nutrition. Learn to undiet your life with the latest Savor Food and Body Podcast episodes, blog posts, and free downloads at www.alpinenutrition.org
How's your summer so far, Reader? “I thought I was going to have all this time off to eat healthy and work out consistently this summer, but THAT hasn’t happened. Summer is chaotic around here - it’s good chaos, but I need to get back on track. I want some better habits going into the fall when I go back to teaching - a different kind of chaos.” This was Mel’s answer to the question above. Her good kind of chaos involved a family trip to Colorado, with mountain biking, easy rock climbs with...
Hey Reader, The Savor Crew and I are about to finish our brain-health-boosting 90+ mile hike for Jenn's 50th birthday. I can't wait to share all the best moments of the trail with you next week! Until then, let's dive into a question that lurks like an elephant in the room... Can you eat to support brain health without falling into the dumpster fire of diet culture? Yes! Gentle nutrition can support brain health without rigid food rules. Try these 5 strategies: 1. Create your meals and snacks...
What did you do for your 40th or 50th birthday, Reader? Was it memorable? When our friend Jenn said she wanted to do an epic lodge-to-lodge 50th Birthday hike, of course, the Savor Food and Body Crew was all in. We did NOT invite the friends who think... POV 1: hiking is boring… "You just walk along, feet get tired, shoulders ache, to see what? More mountains and lakes?" POV 2: "Walking doesn’t count as REAL exercise unless you wear a weighted vest." Does this look boring? Scrambling up and...