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
The concert had already started with the opening act - a blues piano player from New Orleans by way of the UK. Hearing the music and the crowd, we hustled along the 4-block walk from the car to the outdoor venue. Jane frantically dug through her purse looking for her phone with your digital tickets on it. ”Damn it! I left it in the car! I’m so tired of forgetting EVERYTHING!” ”No problem, I can relate. I’ll go get it.” I said, speed-walking my Birkenstocks back the 4 blocks. Earlier that...
“I’m so over breakfast, Reader!” I hear this A LOT from clients - same for lunch. But this time it’s me. I’m over the cliché breakfasts for women over 40. Smoothies with protein in all forms, collagen, creatine, fiber. Greek yogurt bowls with fruit, but not too much ‘cause sugar (eye roll). And the classic, coffee with collagen. Sorry, but coffee isn’t a meal no matter what you put in it. I fell for the smoothie fad. It’s easy. And I liked them for a while (months), until the texture got...
We’re only about a mile from where we planned on camping. After a 6-hour drive to the trailhead, we decided to hike in a few miles of our 20-mile adventure to stretch our legs. The rain starts. Slowly at first. Then bigger drops. The drops turn to hail. We frantically dig through our packs for rain gear, trying not to let any rain into our packs at all costs. Thunder rolls. Then CRACK! Lighting. Mary isn't convinced we're still on the dry side of the Pacific Crest. “Did you bring a ground...