“As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language.” – Thomas Moore
The season is changing quickly. Plants are beginning to wither; the process to go dormant to survive the coming months of cold is in ramping up now. The lack of abundant life will bring with it a palpable drop of energy, so now is the time to foster and sustain life. Plant something new to remember the spring and summer days, and keep it close!
One of my favorite plants is Rosemary. Last summer I worked in a garden center, and everyday I’d brush my hands over the plants, greeting them and whispering encouragement to them in exchange for the gift of their resinous scent. I brought one home, and assumed I knew how to take care of it. Through trial and error, I very nearly killed that plant, but it survives today and has provided several clippings to give life to new plants.
I dream of having a handful of large, healthy Rosemary bushes at each entryway. I see them blessing a household with their pleasing scent and beneficial presence, at home in great big hand thrown and artisan glazed pots. I’ve got dreams of being surrounded by an abundance of plants, but I hold Rosemary dear in these plans.
I hope you can be convinced to add this charming plant to your home!
Plant Facts
Rosmarinus officinalis is a woody evergreen native to the Mediterranean. While it’s needle like leaves are reminiscent of pine-type evergreens, rosemary is not quite in the same family. It is a bit more closely related to the mint family (like catnip!). It grows well in rocky, sandy, and loamy soil conditions where drainage is simple. It tolerates heavy sun, heavy salt spray and likes humid, breezy conditions (think on the coast of a warm country….) Rosmarinus literally translates as “dew of the sea”
In optimal conditions, this camphorous plant may grow into a 5ft tall bush. There are a number of ‘trailing’ Rosemary variations, which grow low to the ground; these are often used as a ground cover. Rosemary tolerates trimming very well, and may be cut to preferred size. Its small, attractive flowers are usually a pollinator’s dream in light blue, but range from purple, to pink, and white as well.
Rosemary, and all of its variants, grow in warmer climates. Rosemary will die in climates that dip below about 20 degrees. In colder climates, it may be grown in a pot with well-draining soil, and brought inside where it can receive plenty of direct sunlight throughout the winter.
Folklore and History
Rosemary is historically significant; it has an extremely long and storied past. It would seem that every culture touched by its presence developed story or superstition around its power and influence.
Rosemary was a sacred plant to the early Romans and Greeks. It was used ritually to honor their respective Gods, and is often associated in particular with Aphrodite. In the Christian religion, Rosemary is said to have developed its blue flowers after the virgin Mary washed her blue shawl and placed it on a Rosemary bush to dry.
Rosemary has been used as a token of protection to travelers, in order to deliver them in safe passage. It has been used to ward off disease, and was used for this purpose during the middle ages and time of plague. The French burned an incense of Rosemary and Juniper berries to cleanse hospital rooms.
Other than use as an incense, it was also often used as symbols of luck in weddings, and respect during funerals. It is known as a woman’s plant, and is said to thrive in a household where a woman rules.
Placing Rosemary near a doorway is said to stave off evil spirits and and bring luck to the household.
What is Rosemary Good for?
Glad you asked! You can use Rosemary, in many forms, for so many things! This plant is incredible, delightful, magical.
Rosemary is a gorgeous plant, but other than beautifying an area and repelling a number of pests, growing it can bring you some very real benefits. It has long been known as the plant of remembrance, but several studies such as this one have proven that the scent of Rosemary does in fact have a positive effect on cognitive function and working memory in humans. Sniff away! Try studying with a sprig of rosemary for a boost on your next test.
Using fresh or dried leaves for culinary use adds a boost to the nutritional value, as well as lends a distinct and pleasant flavor to your dishes. Dried leaves make a lovely and bright addition to tea mixes. Unsurprisingly, it pairs well with Mediterranean type foods like this hearty Quinoa Bowl, or this goat cheese Red Lentil Penne.
Steeping rosemary and using the tea that this creates, especially when mixed with other herbs and teas, can make for a beneficial hair wash or skin-loving addition to a bath. It has long been used for these purposes, but may aggravate the skin of some.
It may be used for decoration or crafts around the house, such as in wreath making or in the formulation of gifts. Making spices mixes, infused oils, body scrubs, bath teas, or propagating live plants for seasonal gifting is a phenomenal idea with a homey touch that is sure to be appreciated.
Growing Rosemary
Rosemary, first and foremost, needs full sun and well-draining soil. It prefers humid conditions and good air movement. Water this plant from the top down, as it absorbs water through its leaves and prefers a slightly drier root system. Trimming is highly recommended. Snip branches at the bottom of new growth, just above a set of leaves. The plant will respond by growing two shoots on either side of this trim. Fertilize lightly.
Rosemary can be propagated from these trimmings, or through a layering method.
Trimmings should be from greenwood. The lowest few leaves are stripped, and cuttings are kept in fresh water for several weeks until viable roots have developed. Ask a friend who has a healthy plant for some cuttings!
Layering involves either pinning a branch of young growth into the soil to develop roots while the branch remains attached to the parent plant, or creating a root ball directly on the branch by attaching a device containing soil to it. Once a viable root system has developed, the plant may be cut from its “umbilical cord” and transplanted.
If you live in a climate that doesn’t drop below 20 degrees in the winter, you’re in luck with this plant. Drop one into the ground where the soil is loose and well-drained, and let this sucker grow.
For those of us that live in colder areas, your rosemary will have to live in a pot. Once again, make sure its soil drains readily. Let it live outside in full sun for as long as possible.
When you bring it in, place it near a window where it can receive an ample amount of direct sunlight. Use a spritzer bottle to mist the leaves of the plant on a regular basis. If you can, set up a fan nearby for movement and air flow. Water the root ball as necessary (usually once every week or less)
Rosemary is fairly resistant to pests and other problems, but it is known to develop powdery mildew. Watering from the top down and good airflow usually keeps this from ever developing.
So, have I convinced you?
Will you grow your own plant? What do you think you’ll use it for? Let me know in the comments below, or connect with us on any of the following social platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“Are you ready for it?” I look up from examining the fall themed decorations on the break-room table, a co-worker has addressed me and been greeted with my expressively critical face, “pumpkin everything is coming – it’s already here.” My expression softens, and I laugh, “Yeah actually, I put pumpkin in everything, literally; like soups and chili and spaghetti sauce, so I’m excited for it to be abundant and on sale.” It’s her face now that scrunches up. She tilts her head, “Spaghetti sauce?”
Yeah. Spaghetti Sauce.
So there it is. That right there is one of the best tricks I ever learned in my quest to feed myself right. I was looking for ways to thicken soup that were friendly to a near-paleo diet. Nothing I ever found recommended online was suitable. Arrowroot powder and other methods added unnecessary empty carbs and starch. I wanted something that wasn’t a compromise. I wanted something that would increase the nutritional quality of whatever I was cooking, and achieved the denser consistency I was seeking.
Enter pumpkin puree. I can’t exactlyremember what first sparked the idea, but it seemed so obvious once I started. I added it to everything. Every soup, sauce, every apple dip, everything. I’m sure I owe credit to somebody’s Pinterest idea. Whatever inspired it, I’m never looking back. Not only does pumpkin improve the nutritional and textural quality of many recipes, it improves the flavor.
Everything is just deeper. Things taste homey. Nostalgic, almost – pumpkin adds an earthy rustic touch that is so satisfying. This lovely winter squash compliments both savory and sweet.
It made perfect sense to add it to spaghetti sauces.
When noodles went off the list (not anymore!!!) I began making chunkier, more vegetable laden and dense spaghetti sauces, and ate it much like a stew; or used a pasta replacement like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash (which I highly recommend.) Adding pumpkin puree takes an already hearty and healthy recipe and makes it really stick to your ribs.
This Bolognese sauce is very tasty, absolutely packed full of nutrition from an abundance of produce. I challenge you to find a healthier and more satisfying Bolognese.
I’m going to be using this sauce in a lot of future recipes here on the blog, so make sure you make this big batch and freeze portions for future use!
So, before we get to the recipe, let’s take a look at some of the key nutritional information of our ingredients
Ground Meat
Feel free to leave the meat out of this recipe if you are opposed, but meat is full of nutrition like bioavailable proteins, amino acids, and B vitamins .in forms that are much more readily digestible to us than from most plant sources. We are omnivores! Not only that, but it’s not really Bolognese without meat.
Any ground meat works great in this recipe. For a more hearty taste, go with ground beef, bison, venison, or lamb. For a lighter flavor profile, try ground turkey or chicken.
Red Onion
Onions are serious business when it comes to nutrition, Red Onions in particular due to their higher concentration of antioxidants in comparison to white onions!
Part of the same family as garlic, onions provide an ample amount of health benefits when eaten on a regular basis. Onions are known to improve cardiovascular health and promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Onions are one of the greatest natural sources of quercetin (an important anti-inflammatory antioxidant.) The contain good amounts of biotin, vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium, folate, copper, vitamins B 1 and 6, and manganese.
Peel as little skin as necessary, nutrition is more heavily concentrated in the outer layers.
Garlic
Using fresh garlic is part of a heart -healthy diet. Eating it every day can help improve your cholesterol levels, and helps to regulate blood sugar and pressure.
Crushing fresh garlic and letting it sit for about twenty minutes previous to cooking allows the allicin to reach more optimum levels.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms may seem unassuming, but they are actually antioxidant powers houses. They are beneficial to the immune system, help support brain and heart health, and decrease inflammation, among many other benefits.
Set mushroom caps out in the sun for 20 minutes. I previously mentioned how mushrooms can soak up sunlight and convert it into vitamin D just like we can. This process also helps to dry them a bit, making it easier to brush off dirt.
Anaheim Peppers
Anaheim peppers contain quite a bit of vitamin C, vitamin A carotenoids (antioxidants) and more vitamins and minerals than I can even reasonably list here. Check out this nutritional analysis of my favorite pepper of all time!
Carrot
I will never forget when I first set out to lose nearly half of my body weight, that a ‘weight loss’ company I went to seek help from told me that I couldn’t eat carrots because they had too much sugar, but that I should eat toast. I left immediately.
Carrots are great for you. Using them in Bolognese instead of sugar is a super idea.
This evidence based article goes a bit more in depth, but I can tell you here that carrots are rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin K, potassium, fiber, and a wide array of antioxidants. Eating them frequently is known to help improve eye and skin health, lower cholesterol levels and help protect against cancer.
Zucchini
Zucchini are one of many delightful squash variety. They are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin, C, and B complex. They contain folates, and a reasonable amount of antioxidants I won’t list here. Read more about Zucchini here!
Pumpkin Puree
Now I’m super excited about this recipe, because it’s one of the first I bring to you where I use pumpkin puree. This has been one of my single greatest secrets in improving my health. Adding pumpkin to an incredible amount of my recipes as a thickener not only increases its flavor profile in an earthy, rustic way, but adds stellar nutrition and a whole lot of fiber. It adds so much to this Bolognese
Other than contributing a whole lot of fiber, pumpkin provides ample amounts of Vitamin A, K, C, E, etc. The popular squash also contains notable amounts of minerals; Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese. Read a full nutritional analysis here!
Tomatoes: Diced, Puree, and Paste
Fresh, ripe tomatoes are so good for you! Tomatoes contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; they are an incredible source of lycopene, and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, beta carotene, vitamin K, chlorogenic acid, and more. Eating tomatoes is known to reduce the risk of certain cancers, like prostate, lung and stomach. Tomatoes are particularly heart healthy, and may also improve skin health!
Red wine
Red wine is pretty essential when making this Bolognese. It adds such great flavor! While it is just added empty carbs, red wine does contain some pretty solid nutritional benefits.
Red wine has notable antioxidant content; it is rich in resveratrol, proanthocyanidins, catechin, epicatechin. Benefits from these may include improving heart health, and reducing oxidative damage within. Curious about Red Wine? Read more here
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices add incredible hidden nutrition, flavor, and depth. Explore with your nose and play around, I guarantee when you do this frequently you will become a better cook!
Herbs I used included a pretty hefty amount of basil, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, lavender, salt, and pepper
If you have an Italian herb mix or something that you would like to use, go for it!
Enjoy this hearty Bolognese!
Rustic Red: Loaded Vegetable Bolognese
Hearty, rustic Bolognese. Rich in flavor and nutrition, this will surely be your go-to red meat sauce
In a stock pot, add; Ground Meat, diced Onions, minced Garlic, cubed Mushrooms, and diced Anaheims. Sprinkle in half of your freshly ground herbs and spices. Hash with a spatula until the meat has broken up to reach your desired level of “chunk”.
Add bay leaves. Add shredded carrot and zucchini, stir and cook until these have ‘wilted’, and meat has cooked through. Add your remaining herbs and spices.
Add your diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, tomato puree, tomato paste, half of your red wine, and stir.
Simmer low and slow for a minimum of three hours. Stir occasionally; add the rest of your wine thirty minutes prior to serving
Serve alone as a ‘stew’, with spaghetti squash, zoodles, or a pasta alternative of your choice!
Notes
Herbs used include basil, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, lavender, salt, and pepper, to taste. Explore with your palate and adjust to your taste!
Simmer low and slow for as long as possible. All ingredients after step two may be added to a crock-pot for worry free cooking!
With Spaghetti Squash, alone, or some other way? Let me know, and tell me how you liked it in the comments below!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“Yoga practice can make us more and more sensitive to subtler and subtler sensations in the body. Paying attention to and staying with finer and finer sensations within the body is one of the surest ways to steady the wandering mind. ”
― Ravi Ravindra
In searching for greater and greater health, nothing is quite so beneficial as developing greater self-awareness, both physically and mentally. Nothing physically seems quite so valuable as constantly improving strength and flexibility. Today, we peel back the surface and look at some of the incredible benefits of practicing yoga and Pilates.
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Around the time I lost one hundred pounds, I began to experience massively painful instability in my spine. I was confounded; I simply could not understand how it could have been that while I was drastically improving my health, it seemed to be rapidly declining. I would wake up and suddenly be bent and cramped into some debilitating position that made everyday actions impossible; breathing was often limited and difficult. Mid back, upper back, and neck problems were literally constantly disrupting and disturbing my life. Pain and discomfort became the constant.
So the search for relief began.
I was going to a chain chiropractor weekly. I was taking pain pills. I was gifted massages for Christmas to help with pain management (which ended up changing my life, actually) I began focusing much more heavily on strength and flexibility vs strictly weight lifting.
I got into it. I never watched a yoga video. I never took a class. But I began stretching in new ways, testing new angles, pushing myself past pain thresholds. I dived deeper and deeper into myself, finding new limits and pushing past them. Every night I reached a new limit for my body, and I slowly began to realize I was finding new limits in my mind.
Finding greater peace of mind came as I pushed myself out of chronic pain. Finding and understanding myself in new ways is a direct result. I couldn’t make it through this year without the incredible stress (and pain) relief that has come from finding yoga and Pilates. Every night, this self-care brings me greater self-awareness. I have had emotional break throughs, mental break throughs, physical break throughs, epiphanies, you name it. I have had nothing short of religious experiences with myself.
The benefits of pushing myself into yoga and Pilates have been both numerous and incredible.
Let me give you my personal testament – besides changing my diet to real, nutritious foods, yoga has been the second most influential component I’ve taken to change my life for the better. I feel happier. I manage (incredible amounts of) stress in a much more peaceful manner. I perform better physically.
And, very importantly, I am no longer in constant pain.
Maybe it’s all mental. I’ll take it. It works, and it’s not an opioid. I still have not taken a class. I still have not followed along with a video. I’m not sure if the structure will work for me, it is such a personal thing – but I am so excited to keep pushing my limits. I am so excited to keep learning more about myself, and hitting new goals. I highly recommend a strength and flexibility regimen for literally everyone.
How does Yoga and Pilates Help Manage Pain?
According to this lovely article (Go read it!!!!) by Christopher Bergland of Psychology Today, yoga can be more effective than pharmaceutical treatments in regards to chronic pain. He references the research of Catherine Bushnell, PhD, stating,
“Yoga appears to bulk up gray matter through neurogenesis and strengthen white matter connectivity through neuroplasticity. After assessing the impact of brain anatomy on pain reduction, Bushnell believes that gray matter changes in the insula or internal structures of the cerebral cortex are the most significant players involved in chronic pain.”
The Harvard School of Health has indeed also touched on the matter. Their brief article on yoga for pain relief is short and sweet, and states that,
“A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that among 313 people with chronic low back pain, a weekly yoga class increased mobility more than standard medical care for the condition.”
This is not news.
We know that water is a necessity. We know that poor nutrition leads to poor health. We know that we will die without oxygen. We know that we are healthier with physical activity.
Try it. Really. Dive into yourself, pain or no pain, and see where it takes you.
The Myofascial Theory
Fascia is the connective tissue that covers every muscle spindle in your body. It attaches your skin to your body, your muscles to your muscles, everything to everything really. This is not to say that all connective tissue is considered fascia; take for example ligaments, tendons, skin itself, even blood is considered a connective tissue.
The concept here is that fascia and fascial binding cause enormous amounts of pressure and strain on the muscles, bones, and other structures of the body. It is thought that this may often be the cause of muscular pain and structural problems.
Theoretically, releasing these bindings through pressure and heat, facilitated by proper hydration, may resolve the tension and pull that causes pain associated with bound muscles and stresses on boney structures.
Myofascial Yoga is implementing this practice manually on the self through prolonged stretching. The science behind this is weak – properly studying these theories is incredibly difficult on a living person.
From my experience, both through yoga and Neuromuscular Therapy, I am a believer. I, however, will not state that this is a problem I have fixed within myself, because there is no way to prove it.
You will have to decide for yourself.
How to Get Started
However the finer details hash out, yoga and Pilates are going to help you improve your life. There are several ways you can begin to implement these practices into your life. The internet contains an incredible wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and how to’s. If you belong to a gym, it is likely that they host beginner’s classes. If you can remain accountable to yourself, simply feeling yourself out and pushing yourself into new stretches will get the ball rolling.
Search Pinterest for pose inspiration to help you set some goals.
Follow along with me to help you keep going!
Where I’m Going with it
I mentioned earlier how I haven’t ever taken a class or followed along with a video. That’s about to change.
I’ve been in contact with a friend and yoga teacher, the lovely Elle of Deaf Mountain Yoga.
Elle is an incredible woman, an absolute ray of sunshine. We have agreed to partner up to help each other learn more about each other’s fields of expertise so that we may help to push each other further into knowledge and health.
Where do you think you will start? Has Yoga or Pilates improved your life?
Start a conversation in the comments below! Let me know your thoughts, and of course I’d love to hear from you on any of the following social platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“When you are thru hiking you don’t think about life off the trail much. You don’t think about your email. You don’t think about your car or house. You don’t think about your bank account much. You eventually forget about social media. And you definitely don’t think about your job. This is your life now.” – Michelle Snowden
When I set my sights on getting healthy and fit for the Colorado Trail, I never realized how that trail could change my life before I even got there. I’ve been dreaming and planning for years now, preparing for a successful solo hike in many ways. I’ve been following groups and individuals who are hiking or have hiked the trail. It’s very inspirational to hear the stories of others, and how their lives have been changed by setting out to walk five hundred miles through the incredible beauty of Colorado.
I reached out to a handful of folks who were interested in sharing their stories, and I’m very excited to bring to you all the first of several personal tales of adventure, told from unique points of view. Today I’m happy to introduce to you Michelle Snowden, a first time through-hiker from Alaska who traveled to Colorado to complete the trail with very little experience and a whole lot of determination. The following is a recount in her own words of her journey of triumph. All photos and script are credited to Michelle, I hope you enjoy!
The first day on the trail
You consider a lot how much your pack weighs; surely the scale is reading ten pounds heavier. It certainly reads that much heavier when you get your pre-hike body weight, and your pack feels that much heavier when you heft it onto your back. You spend time wondering if you packed the right things. Is my first aid kit equipped well enough? Are my shoes the right ones? Will these pants chafe in between my thunder thighs? Are two pairs of underwear really enough? You spend time staring at other hiker’s belongings. What backpack is that? I wonder how much their pack weighs. How many pairs of underwear do they have? The first day you might spend just as much time on your phone as usual. You take a picture every fifth step. You tap on the Facebook app out of habit, and embarrassingly remember airplane mode is turned on. You check the hiker’s app to make sure you are on the trail even though you just passed a confidence marker.
The first night
You spend ten long minutes setting up your tent just so, staking and re-staking the corners and guy wires. You lay out and organize, then reorganize your belongings. You spend time looking at the data book, analyzing. How far did you go? How far should you go tomorrow? Where will you camp the next five nights? You get relatively comfortable on your thin sleeping pad, then realize you forgot to put your toothpaste and a granola bar in the food bag which is safely hung on a tree away from you and the possibility of bears.
In the morning, your alarm clock goes off unheard and you wake an hour and a half after your planned “start hiking” time. You spend more time looking at the data book again to readjust your ill-fated plans from the evening before. You realize your phone battery is already at 60% and you’re only 16.6 miles in.
On the second night
At mile 33.4 it dawns on you that you have never traveled this far under your own power. You realize you have in fact, not really, ever backpacked before. Now that you think about it, all this gear you’re carrying was never tested out. You’re breaking all the rules to a successful thru hike.
As the first week goes by your thought processes begin to change without you noticing. Yes, you still plan each night how far your legs will take you the next day, and you still take out your phone for every view. But you’ve quickly adjusted to your new life. You haven’t accidently checked Facebook in a record breaking three days and it only took four throws to get the rock over the correct branch to hang your food. You are still convinced your scale read ten pounds heavier.
On your first resupply
At mile 71.7 you are thrilled to have made it this far. You hiked 71.7 miles in five days! You must let Facebook know! But first, you must learn how to hitch hike. Just put out your arm with a thumb up and a ride will magically appear? Eventually you find yourself in the back of a pickup, hair whipping around your face as you fly down the highway. I’ll just tell my mom, “I found a ride into town,” you think, as you consider the gruesome scene if this pickup crashed. Running errands in town takes significantly longer than you thought it would. And the logistics! Want to do laundry? First you need cash, to make into quarters. Hope the laundromat sells laundry soap. It cost this much?! Can I dry my long underwear? Where to eat dinner? The choices seem endless! But really, all you want to do is get back on the trail.
Back on the trail your thought process resumes to the first day. How heavy is my pack? It feels heavy. Shit, I forgot to fill my water bottle. How far until the next stream? Any weight I lost, I gained back at the Thai restaurant. Eventually though, you get back into the groove of things. You find water. You drink when you are thirsty. You eat when you are hungry. You rest when you are tired, or the view consumes you. You stop and sleep when you are finished hiking for the day. You still plan ahead from the data book; guess that habit isn’t going away. You count your mosquito bites and stop when you reach 1oo. And you sleep well. Really, really well.
As the days pass
You become comfortable with your gear. The pack really isn’t too heavy to carry and you don’t have unnecessary items but are glad you don’t have more things to carry. Your clothing is comfortable and holding up to the constant daily wear and tear. You embrace the hiker’s stench and proudly dub it “Wilderness Perfume.” Though you didn’t think it was possible, the views get better and better. Many times, as you are hiking, you remember to look up and are stopped flat in your tracks, looking at a scene so beautiful all you can do is stare. Your body is now carrying you over 17 miles a day without issue and your camo printed Crocs are the most rewarding end to the day. The next morning, you wake, get dressed, break down your tent, eat some granola, pack up your backpack and hike. You don’t think twice about it, you just enjoy it.
The days turn into weeks, and 71.7 miles turns into 299.8. Almost 300 miles! And you realize you are more than half way complete. Looking back, you think about the miles you’ve hiked, the pack you’ve carried, the mountain passes you’ve climbed, the views you’ve seen, the storms you’ve hiked through, the people you’ve met, the few tears you’ve shed, the countless smiles you’ve worn, and the truly happy feeling you’ve had the entire time. The half way point has come and gone which makes you a bit sad, but also excited for the days to come.
Stepping past 300 miles
You are confident in your hike. You know how far your body can go each day. You know you are capable of making it up those grueling hills at high elevation. You can easily set your tent up in under two minutes. You haven’t thought about what you weigh, it’s not important. You feel strong. You feel beautiful. Your Wilderness Perfume smells fantastic!
On your 23rd night of camping you sleep at mile 400.1. Less than 100 miles to go. At this thought, you stop and take an extra breath. How could that be? It’s ending so quickly. You tell yourself to treasure these last miles, though that thought is ridiculous because you’ve treasured every mile since mile 1.
Every single day
You are ecstatic to be out here, hiking in the wilderness. There are absolutely moments of struggle. There are times when your fingers are so cold you keep dropping your trekking poles and will have to warm up somehow so you will be able to set up your tent. There are times when you are tired of sitting in the bushes to try and protect yourself from the daily hail storms. There are times when you are shaking from fright because that lightning strike was way too close for comfort. There is a daily moment every single morning where you groan because you hate putting wet, nasty socks on your feet which go into wet, nasty shoes. There are moments when you are loudly cussing out the never-ending amount of blood sucking bugs.
But, you’ve never been tired of hiking.
Your spirits are high every single day. Taking an extra look around, you make that next step towards the finish. At this point, your camera comes out a little bit less. You are not jaded to the beauty, but instead, you decide that some places are not meant to be photographed. Some scenes are simply too beautiful, a picture would degrade it in your memory. Some places are meant for your memory only.
In the last mile, you can’t quite make sense of your emotions. You are thrilled to be accomplishing this. You are sad that your last night of camping has come and gone. You feel a pang of jealousy seeing north bound hikers starting their journey. Coming around the corner to the finish, you have a huge grin on your face and liquid filling in your eyes.
You have now finished a thru hike.
You have hiked 484.6 miles. You have come from sea level and hiked in the high elevation Rocky Mountains. You have carried yourself and the things you need from Denver to Durango. You have hiked the Colorado Trail.
Michelle is a first-time thru hiker who planned very little and broke all the “rules to a successful thru hike.” Her pack was far from ultralight. She hiked every day with a smile on her face, even while creating a long string of cuss words for the mosquitoes. Somehow, she hiked all 484.6 miles of the CT and finished without acquiring a trail name. The only injury she received was bruises from scratching the mosquito bites in her sleep. As she heads back to her home in South East Alaska, she learns what it means to miss the trail ferociously. “Where to next,” she asks herself. You can follow Michelle on Instagram under m4snowden.
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SaNow, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
Are ya’ll ready for me to tell you that a rich, creamy pasta dish is healthy? Because I’m about to. I’ve been looking forward to a post like this for a while, for two reasons. Goat Cheese, and pasta. But this is no ordinary pasta. This is pasta made without the inflammatory ingredients you normally find in nutritionally poor noodles. This is Red lentil penne. Noodles are about to make a comeback.
Pasta, traditionally, is one of the biggest wastes of calories. High in sugars, fast carbs, and over-processed, inflammatory ingredients, I had cut it out as an extremely inefficient food source that was counter-productive to my goals. I’m not a marathon runner; my body welcomes pasta to stay in the form of bulky fat deposits, shortness of breath and uncomfortable quickness of pulse.
But damnit I love pasta.
It’s super simple, super versatile, and super tasty. A classic comfort food, pasta has been dearly missed, but like all wheat products, I simply can’t justify its consumption in my life anymore. Not when there are nutrient dense carbohydrate alternatives out there like sweet potatoes, quinoa, and beans and pulses.
You can imagine my (extreme) excitement when I found out that pastas made of these healthy ingredients exist. You may even be able to picture the twist and dance I did when I received a box of such products from the lovely folks over at Explore Cuisine to test and develop some recipes around. I’m very excited to have the chance to share these recipes with you as I develop them. I’m also very excited to have my favorite vehicle for cheese back in my life. I’m just excited. Pasta!
I cracked that box open and took a good look at the four different pastas inside (get ready for more recipes!), wheels turning as a multitude of flavor options shot through my mind. The Red Lentil Penne grabbed my attention and suddenly the thought of creamy goat cheese, savory herbs, and fresh marinated tomatoes had me just about drooling.
I tested this one out twice to be sure that such a limited ingredient recipe was actually as delicious and satisfying as I experienced it the first time, and it definitely is. This meal comes together with four main ingredients – Red Lentil Penne, Marinated tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and herbs and spices. The whole herbs and spices category is where a lengthier list comes in to play, but in the long run this recipe is incredibly simple – big payoff for very little work.
This meal feels super indulgent, but packs some really great nutrition. High in vitamin A, C, Calcium, iron, and other important nutrients, it also has a good carb to protein ratio. Though this recipe is meatless (would probably go great with steak…) it packs approximately 23g protein (11g from the penne, 12g from goat cheese) next to 37 or so grams of carbs from high quality sources, all for under 500 calories – feel free to increase your serving size to match your activity level and goals!
So, without further ado, let’s run over these easy ingredients before getting to the recipe!
Red Lentil Penne
I’ve always been skeptical of penne pasta. It has historically been one of my least favorite pasta’s for its inferior ability to hold sauce in comparison to rotelle or fussili types. This penne has changed my bias – though perhaps because it cooks in a thicker sauce in this recipe. Either way, I’m sold – I love the texture and flavor. It even feels and tastes nutritious.
Explore Cuisine’s Red Lentil Penne boasts 1g fat, 35g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, and 11g of protein for 190 calories in a standard 2oz dry measurement. This pasta has two ingredients – yes really only two; it is composed of 73 percent Organic red lentil flour, and in turn 27 percent organic brown rice flour. While I would prefer it be only red lentil flour, I understand that a formula must be just so to adhere to a standard of functionality.
For those who must eat a gluten free diet, this is for you. This pasta is gluten free, as well as organic, non-GMO certified, and vegan. You really can’t go wrong here.
This recipe can be made with any pasta of your choosing, but I really do recommend a product like this for a more efficient way to fuel your body than traditional pasta.
2oz dry is the serving size, that is going to be right around 3/4 cup
Marinated Tomatoes
Marinated tomatoes are magical – they are just as good here as they are in this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl. This is not the first recipe I’ve written for ya’ll with them; it surely won’t be the last. Their bright, fresh, savory and sweet flavor adds a lovely complexity.
Fresh, ripe tomatoes are so good for you! Tomatoes contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; they are an incredible source of lycopene, and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, beta carotene, vitamin K, chlorogenic acid, and more. Eating tomatoes is known to reduce the risk of certain cancers, like prostate, lung and stomach. Tomatoes are particularly heart healthy, and may also improve skin health!
What does marinated mean in this case?
After dicing my tomatoes, I fresh cracked black pepper (to taste), added a sprinkle of salt, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled fresh ground herbs and crushed garlic (from the herbs and spices list below) over the top. Mix and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe, as adding these is the final step.
As this is a per-serving recipe, please feel free to use as many tomatoes as you like. I used three Campari tomatoes, these little cuties ended up measuring to about ¾ cup once diced.
Chevre
I’ve said before that I can’t give up cheese. You can eat cheese and still hit weight and fitness goals, so come at me with this whole “cheese is bad for you” nonsense. High calorie doesn’t mean bad, it just means caution, k? Besides, chevre (goat cheese) is widely considered to be one of the healthiest cheeses out there. Which is great, because I love it. A lot. . . so much. . .maybe too much.
According to this handy-dandy and very informative ranking of the healthiest cheeses by Organic Authority, a one ounce serving of Chevre contains 102 calories, 6 grams saturated fat, 6 grams protein, 8% DV vitamin A, 11% DV vitamin B2, 83 mg calcium and is a good source of iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B12 and D.
Goat’s milk products are easier for humans to digest than traditional cow’s milk dairy. The fermentation of cheese also makes nutrients more bioavailable than some other forms of dairy. Don’t feel bad about eating this creamy, decadent, delicious, simultaneously sharp and smooth, amazing….ahem…sorry – Don’t feel bad about eating goat cheese. Don’t even feel bad that this recipe calls for twice a regular serving size…
I use 2oz Chevre here. That adds up to about 12 grams of protein within about 204 calories.
Herbs and Spices
Here we go with another schpiel about using more herbs and spices – Do it! Herbs and spices add incredible hidden nutrition, flavor, and depth. Explore with your nose and play around, I guarantee when you do this frequently you will become a better cook!
For this recipe I used fresh garlic and a myriad of dried herbs. Using fresh garlic is part of a heart -healthy diet. Eating is everyday can help improve your cholesterol levels, and helps to regulate blood sugar and pressure.
Crushing fresh garlic and letting it sit for about twenty minutes previous to cooking allows the allicin to reach more optimum levels.
Herbs I used included a pretty hefty amount of basil, followed by rosemary, tarragon, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, and a touch of dill and lavender.
I really recommend this mix; don’t forego the basil and rosemary, but if you have an Italian herb mix or something that you would like to use, go for it!
I personally used five cloves of garlic. That very well may be too strong, adjust this to your taste. I wrote in three cloves for the recipe. I used about two teaspoon’s worth of my dry herbs, and crushed them in my mortar and pestle prior to use to better release their flavors.
About half of the garlic and crushed herbs should be mixed in with your tomatoes while they marinate. The other half will be re-hydrated in your hot pasta water before mixing your goat cheese in.
Marinated Tomato and Chevre Red Lentil Penne
Delicious and nutritious Red Lentil Penne with herbed chevre and marinated tomatoes
Crush your garlic and set it aside. Set water to boil (approx. three cups depending on the dimension of your pot). Dice your tomatoes; add balsamic vinegar, half of your garlic, and half of your freshly crushed herbs. Mix and set aside.
Add dry red lentil penne to boiling water, cook to ‘al dente’ texture (approx. 8 min)
Save 1/2 cup ‘pasta water’ before straining your noodles. Add ¼ cup pasta water and remaining herbs and garlic to pot and let simmer before mixing in your Chevre. Strain any excess liquid from the marinated tomatoes into your sauce mixture. Once your Chevre has incorporated without lumps, add your noodles and cook to desired sauce consistency (add remaining pasta water if necessary).
Pull your pot from the heat and stir in the marinated tomatoes
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
Manyare the struggles of this life. You don’t need me to tell you that. I can’t even begin to fathom the worst of it all. But I do understand adversity and the perpetuity of its nature. I understand the necessity to overcome, to rise above. I understand how difficult it can be to keep trucking when it’s like you’ve walked through one storm right into another. Sometimes all life is is a struggle. It’s easy to forget that growth and strength and joy develop through these times. These ten quotes are hand-picked to help you see through the squall; to help you persevere through the hard times and the difficult climbs.
Give these ten powerful quotes a ponder, and let me know how you feel afterwards. Strike up a conversation in the comments below with some of your personal favorite quotes and how they keep your fire lit!
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ― Earl Nightingale
Neverhas something so obvious and so simple helped to spur me on to keep fighting for my goals. This is common sense; of course the time will pass, but we often need reminding. You can’t just let your very limited time pass away while you sit idle. Your life will walk right away from you, no remorse, if you let it. Do. Not. Let. It.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ― Winston S. Churchill
Never let meeting a goal satisfy you. Never let the struggle towards a new goal discourage you. The grind stone can sharpen or dull, depending on how you angle the blade. Eyes forward, chin up, lift with your legs and march on. Illegitimi non carborundum.
The only constant is change – Heraclitus
Coping with change can be incredibly difficult, particularly when it is unplanned. As Mary Shelley quite aptly states in one of my favorite books, Frankenstein, “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” While this rings true, facing the reality of it head on is incredibly soothing. Acknowledging that change is inevitable, for better or worse (and often for both), is one of the simplest ways I know of to get through the acute difficulty we experience at the hands of disruption. Adapt. Overcome.
“For all the compasses in the world, there is only one direction, and time is its only measure” – Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
You have a purpose. Scratch that, you have many purposes. Some you choose. Some seem to be destined for you. You can pursue these callings and flesh out the stories of a life well lived and dreams well sought; or you can deny and ignore them for the ease and comfort of a caged existence. This is your choice, but you will come to your death one day, perhaps sooner than later. Do not live in vain, you will not die in vain.
“The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” – J.R.R Tolkein
This is the other part following the ever popular “not all those who wander are lost,” quote. I’m always amazed that this side of it is left out. This is a call to action as I see it. Send your roots down further, strengthen them always. Twist and lock them in through the deep recesses of your mind – you never know how strong or biting the next storm. You never know what or who will need to lean on you next.
“A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
I don’t even know if I need to add commentary here. I understand the searing pain of facing something you desperately wish wasn’t; but stand strong and face the things that make you uncomfortable. Otherwise you will still face them, but it will not be on your own terms, and you may be defeated. Stand and you will rise. Flee, and you may be knocked down from behind, or tripped from in front.
7. “True education is a kind of never ending story — a matter of continual beginnings, of habitual fresh starts, of persistent newness.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
Look at everything as a learning experience. Seriously. You can learn from literally every interaction you have with every single thing – human, plant, animal, inanimate object, you name it. A great matter of this learning happens below the conscious level (or perhaps above) but you can still seek mindfulness every day to deepen your understanding an awareness of both yourself and all that surrounds you. Always seek out new experiences, always seek to grow your mind. Never let your brain stagnate. Learn something new as often as possible, and you will always be making positive progress.
“For you do not yet know the strengths of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet on the road.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
I can’t tell you to stop thinking that you just simply can’t make it through this; or that you would not be able to live through that happening, etc. I can simply tell you; yes, yes you can – and you will. Your struggle may be immediate and fresh, but it will fade and you will adapt. You will strengthen. You will overcome, and you will face different struggles, both greater and lesser. You will experience greater joys than you can imagine and come to unveil unexpected opportunities. Someday you will look back and scoff at yourself for ever doubting.
Though here at journey’s end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien
Sometimes it’s like you’re laying, trapped in the rubble of a crumbled dream, and it’s like the destruction of your life is all around you pinning you down. You may lay here and contemplate for a while; assess what went wrong, but plan how you will peel your limbs from underneath the debris and free yourself. You may lay here and breathe to collect yourself, but you have work to do. You have something to rebuild. This time, you can lay the bricks in a new pattern, something stronger than it was before.
“We may stand, if only on one leg, or at least be left still upon our knees.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
I’ve been told that my pride will be the death of me. This may be so, but you’ll never catch me prostrate – I will not admit defeat. Maybe you have been laid low and defeated by your struggle. Maybe you really can’t walk it off. Crawl. While your legs are too weak to carry you down your trail, take this opportunity to build strength in your arms, and drag along until such time as you may stand again.
What are you favorite quotes that inspire you to action!?!
Start a conversation in the comments below! Share your favorite quotes, and what they mean to you! I’d love to hear from you, don’t forget to connect with us on any of the following social media platforms below!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“These are edible too,” I say, moving forward and touching the feathery leaf of a paprika colored flower, “It’s called Yarrow – I’ve heard of people using the petals like a natural type of confetti in birthday cake and such. It’s a really impressive plant, actually, it can be dried and grou-,” the woman I’m walking around cuts me off, “How do you know all of this stuff about all of these random plants?” I smile, “It’s all very interesting to me. This one can stop bleeding!” She shifts her head, “Seems hokey.” My lips tighten, “Hokey, maybe, but having an understanding about how to use plants is how humans have survived this long. Believe it or not, use of this plant for soldier’s injuries was documented in the civil war. It’s as real as pills,” I point across the table to the tall, beautiful foxglove flowers, “That one was used to develop medication for heart failure. To know about plants, is to know about humans. They are an integral part of our history.”
At minimum, cursory knowledge of useful plant life is necessary. Whether you are a day hiker, or you subscribe to the paranoia (reasonable or not) of SHTF prep, being able to identify a few plants one can use for food or medicine will probably come in handy someday – it could even save your life.
Call preppers crazy, but being prepared for the worst possible scenario is pretty damn smart, I envy those with the drive to be completely prepared. Maybe I’ll get there someday. But I don’t really want that kind of paranoia to run my life. There needs to be a balance in this arena, and that is what I’m striving for.
With an increasingly unstable political environment, I’ve been a bit more mindful of what I would need to know and do to protect myself and those I am responsible for in any event that might leave law lawless and society in a dangerous scramble.
Obviously that kind of preparation includes accumulating a ton of gear, food, and knowledge. The least expensive and simplest to acquire, and the most important of the three, is knowledge. This is the one I encourage everyone to develop. So what if you never need to use what you’ve learned? You’ve still done yourself (and your brain) a service! Accumulating knowledge is what I do best, and now I’m here to share it.
Today, I’m going to touch on one of the most useful plants I know of. With a myriad of applications, Achillea (better known as Yarrow) is a real badass.
Achillea
As far as I’ m concerned, Achillea is a more appealing name than Yarrow, but Yarrow is the known moniker, and is the name I’ll be using throughout this article. Yarrow was first used as the common name for Achillea Millefolium, but tends to be a catchall name for all Achillea plants. Achillea is a genus within the wide-spread Astarcea family that contains other flowering plants such as daisies and sunflowers.
These plants have charming foliage; its leaves frilly and fern like. They can grow to about three feet tall, with broad flat clusters of tiny flowers that come most often in white and yellow, but can range orange, red, pink and purple. These plants are great for pollinators, and are home or food source to a vast number of beneficial insects.
Yarrow is incredibly hardy and very, very drought tolerant. It is native here in north America, as well as Europe and certain areas in Asia. It can be found up to 11,500 ft, it really is all over the place if you look. I really recommend adding it to your garden or landscape for any one of the following reasons!
What is Yarrow good for?
Yarrow plays a good many roles. It has practical ‘medicinal’ uses, edible uses, and is a super hero helper in the garden. Growing it has a great cost to benefit ratio, so if you have any land to shepherd, I really recommend planting it to reap these rewards.
The Healer
Yarrow is one of the most incredible plants for use in healing. The foliage, roots and flowers may be dried and crushed to make a styptic powder – that’s right; this plant can help stop bleeding from a wound. Its antiseptic properties make it an incredible option to pack cuts with. The plant (Achillea) is actually named for Achilles himself, whose soldiers were said to treat their wounds with yarrow. Fresh leaves may even be crushed and used for this purpose.
A poultice may be made with the foliage to treat all kinds of injuries – bruises, scrapes, rashes, burns, stings and bug bites etc. It is an anodyne, meaning literally ‘without pain’, and is known to decrease pain associated with these wounds. It is commonly used for nosebleeds. Packing a wound with any substance with color may cause permanent discoloration in the resulting scar – but I’ll take a green scar any day over a persistently bleeding wound!
Making a tea of the flowers and leaves (both of which are edible, as well as the roots) can also stem internal bleeding. This plant regulates blood flow like you wouldn’t believe, and will promote and regulate proper circulation, and even regulate digestion. Anybody have ulcers? Try some Yarrow tea.
Drinking the tea is also good when ill. It is a diaphoretic (promotes sweating) very effectively, and can help push through the fever process. It is also a known diuretic, and can ease rough menstruation, or help with urinary tract and bladder infections. For these reasons it is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Use caution when breastfeeding. Very persistent use of yarrow tea for sweating has been reported to cause temporary light sensitivity.
The Cultivator
The deep roots of Yarrow are busy, productive things. They mine nutrients and minerals from deep in the ground and store them within. They pull up all manner of things. Phosphorous, copper, and potassium are easily stored in the plant, meaning chopped yarrow make a great addition to your compost pile. Alternatively, one may dry the pieces and use it as a mulch!
When cover crops are needed to protect soil and retain moisture, yarrow is a winner. The plant can tolerate fairly aggressive mowing to prevent flowering stalks from forming, leaving behind the feathery foliage to spread its protective fingers over sensitive soil or young plants and trees that need babysitters.
Yarrow attracts pollinators and beneficial insects to your garden. This helps to maintain a naturally pest-free growing area, giving your others plants a protective boost. The benefit to our precious honeybees is a huge plus!
The Remediator
Yarrow pulls poisons from the soil just as readily as it does beneficial nutrients. It is well known for its ability to pull lead out of contaminated soil. As we know, humans tend to leave a whole lot of heavy metals and detrimental waste literally everywhere. Lead based paint saw widespread use, and as it degrades with age and weathering, it leaches into the soil.
Planting yarrow for environmental remediation is a fairly common practice. If soil is tested to have high levels of lead, one may plant yarrow and allow it to clean the soil. At the end of the season, the plants must be pulled up and discarded. This may be repeated until the soil is clean. Like I said before guys, plants are magic.
Take away
Yarrow, or Achillea, is an ancient edible plant with an incredible range of uses. It can stop bleeding, treat fever and infection, enrich soil, and fight for the environment. It is a hardy, drought tolerant flower that is easy to care for and provides huge benefits to insect and human life alike. Knowing this herb and its uses comes in handy during everyday life, and could easily be used in emergency and survival situations. It can be foraged in most areas, even at high altitudes.
There are a great number of herbs and plant life to know!
I’m always excited to learn more! Comment below and let me know if you have any experience with Yarrow, or if you’d like to learn about another magical plant in the future!
I’d love for you to join us on any of the following social media platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
Nutritional information is ever ready, waiting for you to type the right questions – maybe even constantly in your face. That’s why I’m so surprised when I still hear people talking about skipping breakfast like it’s some kind of miracle cure for their health. Stop skipping breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. What you ingest after you wake up is incredibly important! It is what your body ‘resets’ on daily after a ‘fast’ of upwards of eight hours. Rouse your metabolism with food, and good food at that! Need to be inspired by an ass-kicking recipe to carry you on a tide of nutrition throughout your busy day? I’ve got you!
It is a rare occasion that I want or can handle a large, full scale breakfast. Waking up early means my stomach only has so much capacity. My breakfast every morning tends to be a large apple and about two teaspoons of nut butter; that holds me well until second breakfast (or whatever you want to call the second round of food for the day, I’m usually snacking every two hours or so…) But on those few and far between days when I get to sleep in and have some extra time, I’ll throw together something nutrient dense and filling, and chow down!
One of my favorite things is a breakfast skillet. Loaded with various vegetables and carb and protein sources, I know that despite the comfort-food value, I’m getting plenty of nutrition and fuel for a busy day and night. This recipe is rocket fuel. Sweet potatoes for vitamin and antioxidant packed slow carbs to power through a workout, turkey sausage for salty deliciousness and eggs for protein to help build your body, peppers for vitamin C to boost your immune system, garlic and onions to promote heart health, and sun soaked mushrooms to give your bones and mood a blast of vitamin D.
First, we’re going to take a closer look at the nutritional benefits of our ingredient list before we hop into the ‘how to’ below. This recipe is designed to feed about five with the measurements I’ve included. Adjust it as you need to your best judgements (I swear, my vague tips are to help you independently refine your cooking skills, not laziness…XD) I hope you enjoy this powerful breakfast guys! Use it to dominate a long day!
Turkey Sausage
Breakfast sausage is obviously not the healthiest source of protein out there. It is high in fat and sodium, but it does still provide bioavailable protein, amino acids, and vitamin B-12. More important to this equation, it provides stellar flavor. Sometimes you have to indulge. Use turkey sausage for a slightly healthier option.
I’m using about 12 oz. of uncooked turkey sausage for this recipe
Eggs
Eggs are an incredibly cheap source of high quality nutrition. They are a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, one of very few food sources of vitamin D, and are considered an excellent source of selenium and choline. Eggs also notably contain vitamin b-12, riboflavin, and phosphorous.
Insert eggcellent pun here. Contrary to popular belief, egg yolks aren’t bad for you. They contain most of the nutrition of an egg (not to mention most of the flavor.) When serving this dish, I usually cook one egg per serving.
For more information about the benefits of eating eggs, I recommend this website http://www.eggnutritioncenter.org/
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes for a number of reasons. Though white potatoes are still full of valuable nutrients (specifically, their skin) they are still fast carbs with fewer nutrients than the slow carb sweet potato. Per equal measurement, you’re generally looking at the same calorie count; so opting for the more nutrient dense, slower and more efficiently metabolizing, and higher fiber sweet potato is a solid choice to fuel your day.
I’m using both red and purple sweet potatoes today. All sweet potatoes are rich on vitamin A, vitamin C, B1, 2, and 6 as well as niacin, potassium, manganese, pantothenic acid, copper, and phosphorous. Purple sweet potatoes are particularly high in the antioxidant anthocyanin, causing their deep eggplant color
I’m using about three cups cubed purple and red sweet potatoes. DON’T PEEL YOUR VEGETABLE SKINS. Eat them.
Red Onion
Onions are power houses, Red Onions in particular due to their higher concentration of antioxidants in comparison to white onions! Part of the same family as garlic, onions provide an ample amount of health benefits when eaten on a regular basis. Onions are known to improve cardiovascular health and promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Onions are one of the greatest natural sources of quercetin (an important anti-inflammatory antioxidant.) The contain good amounts of biotin, vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium, folate, copper, vitamins B 1 and 6, and manganese.
Peel as little skin as necessary, nutrition is more heavily concentrated in the outer layers. For this recipe I use one medium red onion.
Red and green peppers
I chose red and green bell for this recipe. I would choose this mix again if I didn’t have Anaheim’s on hand (which I don’t sadly) Feel free to use whatever peppers you prefer!
Red and Green bell contains quite a bit of vitamin C, carotenoids (antioxidants) and more vitamins and minerals than I can even reasonably list here (including a surprisingly hefty serving of vitamin E!). All peppers are nutritious and beneficial to your health. Bottom line is, eat more peppers. Seriously.
I used one large Red and one medium Green bell for this recipe.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms may seem unassuming, but they are actually antioxidant powers houses. They are beneficial to the immune system, help support brain and heart health, and decrease inflammation, among many other benefits.
Set mushroom caps out in the sun for 20 minutes. I previously mentioned how mushrooms can soak up sunlight and convert it into vitamin D just like we can. This process also helps to dry them a bit, making it easier to brush off dirt.
Garlic
Garlic is part of a heart -healthy diet. Eating is everyday can help improve your cholesterol levels, and helps to regulate blood sugar and pressure.
Crushing fresh garlic and letting it sit for about twenty minutes previous to cooking allows the allicin to reach more optimum levels.
Judge for yourself how much garlic you want to use here, I’m a HUGE fan of garlic, and tend to be a bad judge of how much others can handle.
Get Cooking!
Set your mushrooms out to sunbathe!
Cube your sweet potatoes and peppers; dice your onion and garlic.
Set your sausage to cook on mid heat, hash it as finely as you please and add sweet potatoes. Cover and let cook until potatoes are soft. Crank the heat up to high and add the peppers. Cube your mushrooms and add them. Cook uncovered until mushrooms have shrunk to half their size, add onion and garlic and continue cooking to brown and carmelize the whole party.
In a separate pan, prepare your eggs as you like them. Sometimes scrambled is best, sometimes sunnyside up! Make it yours!
Bowl it up as you please! Season to your preference. I like to use high mineral salt and fresh cracked black pepper, crushed rosemary and some chipotle pepper for this already flavor dense meal.
Power up and fuel the rest of your day!
Let me know how you like it,
or what you used this recipe to fuel yourself for in the comments below!
I’d love to connect with you on any of the following social media platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”– Albert Einstein
“You’re so tiny!” she exclaims. “I know, look at how small,” he says, “You are so skinny!” I cringe, forcing an obligatory smile and a, “Yeah thanks,” before leaving the room. I look down at my arms and flex them, I place my hands over my quads and bounce the muscle to reassure myself that I am indeed not wasting away like they’ve been saying. It’s a compliment, or so they think. Women want to be petite, delicate, skinny, and slim. Or so they think. It sends me into a spiral; I’ve been fighting with body dysmorphia almost daily now. I don’t know what I look like. Every corner I turn, my brain receives different input. I feel weak and small. I turn, and I feel athletic, toned and fit. I turn again; I feel overweight, someone taking up too much space, and too much oxygen trying to maintain a struggling circulatory and respiratory system. I close my eyes, and re-focus, just trying to comprehend the truth.
The Truth
I don’t know what I look like. What I see in the mirror that I am familiar with is different from what I see when I pass my reflection in a mirror that I’ve never passed before. What I see in a picture I take of myself is different from what I see in a picture of myself that someone else took. Recently, I sat on the couch and opened birthday presents while my mom took pictures. She sent them to me, and all I could do was sit, with furrowed brow, and look at the figure there with my face, holding up a bag of matcha powder, (great birthday present though, thanks Mah!) and say, “What?” I look foreign to myself. My brain is forced to see my body in these instances without its muddled filter. It has drawn its own conclusions, based on past experiences and future expectations – and feeds me back these illustrations in spite of reality.
So sometimes I can see clearly the thick muscular definition I’ve worked my ass off for. Sometimes I think I weigh much more than I do. Recently I’ve been bombarded with ‘compliments’ about my size that make me feel unsure – small and inconsequential. But I know I am not that. I know that I am not skinny – I never will be and I never want to be. I understand maybe that people are feeding me the bullshit they think I want to hear, or that they are saying that I am tiny in comparison to what I once was. I guess that is true. But no, I’m not small. Don’t further confuse me. Don’t throw wrenches in the cogs of my already debris ridden brain.
Give it to me Straight
I’ve worked my ass off to have legs strong enough to crush the souls of men. I’ve worked my ass off to have intimidating arms and impressive shoulders. I’ve sweat and cursed to build definition in my back. Don’t comment on my size, it lends nothing to my brain or my confidence. Tell me I look terrifying. Tell me I look like I could pull the intention out of a tornado. Tell me I look like I could go rounds with the devil and come out even more fierce. Tell me I look capable. Tell me this, or nothing at all. I distinctly don’t need your comments if you think I did this much work to be cute.
Without extraneous input from well meaning strangers, I would have enough to deal with trying to get through the strange sensation of floating outside of reality. I am one of many. Body Dysmorphia is a fairly common thing, I’d be willing to bet that most people experience it in their lives – whether they know it or not. It is particularly common amongst those whom have experienced significant weight fluctuations.
What is Body Dysmorphia?
Body Dysmorphia, as I experience it, is a disconnect between the way you perceive your physical self, and the way your physical self actually exists and appears in reality (that is, the collective reality that society as a whole experiences.) The way the brain perceives things is often skewed. Your brain has the power to distort your experiences in real-time. In my case, I currently perceive myself as larger than I am. Conversely, when I weighed 272 lbs., I perceived myself as much smaller than I was. To be exact, it is very hard to dislodge myself from seeing myself in the weight range of 180-220. Because I existed for such a significant amount of time at 220, that is the image that is set in my mind. At 272, I thought I looked 230. Now, at 150, I feel like I look 170. Over the months my mental number has decreased, and seems to slowly be ‘catching up’.
Essentially, my brain is much slower to change than my body has been. The misperception is made all the more difficult because I had formed a very certain image in my brain of what 150 lbs. would look like on me – without taking into account the poor elasticity of skin that has been over stretched for well past fifteen years. I don’t actually know what the body underneath a realistic 5-10 lbs. of less-than taught skin looks like.
And for Others?
In short, it is a discrepancy between how one thinks their body, or a part of their body looks, and how it actually looks. Women often see themselves larger than they are; men often see themselves as smaller than they are. There is some confusion between the difference of dysmorphia and dysphoria. Dysmorphia is in reference to body dysmorphia, as described above. Dysphoria is in reference to gender dysphoria, and has to do with feeling or believing that your biological gender is not congruent with your mental gender. They are distinctly separate, though can be experienced simultaneously by a single individual.
Dysmorphia is not an eating disorder, though often may be accompanied by one. When body dysmorphia is severe and negatively impacts a person’s daily functioning, it may be diagnosed as Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I’m not doctor, but I don’t believe my case is severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of BDD. Thankfully.
What is BDD?
BDD, or Body Dysmorphic Disorder, is the clinical diagnosis of Body Dysmorphia. When an individual is experiencing severe enough symptoms that fit the criterion, and they seek out the help of a professional qualified to make such a diagnosis, one may be made. If you are experiencing symptoms and habits that are affecting your quality of life, seriously, please seek help. BDD is a mental illness that can be addressed by qualified professionals.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is very commonly used to help treat this disorder. Sometimes patients may be prescribed anti-depressants. For more information, check out this website
What I’m Doing to Close the Gap
Working on a gap in reality that you are experiencing can be dicey. I’m no doctor. I’m no psychologist. None of it. Again, if you need professional assistance, seek it. And again, my case isn’t bad enough to be a diagnosable condition. As time passes, I notice more and more the gap closing. Taking care of myself, and openly acknowledging and thanking myself for those acts has in and of itself improved my state of mental health as it relates to my relationship with myself. Acceptance is a huge part of this. Accepting that my body doesn’t look like I hoped it would, accepting my skin, accepting my failures and pushing myself to make better choices is something I have to consciously do on a daily basis.
Taking time to analyze, and believe my eyes, when I see pictures taken of me has really helped. I realized that at my heaviest, I really and truly believed I was at least 40 lbs. lighter than I was. If I had had the power to circumvent the protective barriers my mind had set up against the fact, and been able to really look at pictures of myself, and accept the truth, things might have turned around faster. But that is in the past. Trust viewpoints other than your own, they aren’t put through the rose-colored glasses of denial, nor the muddy covering of self-hate.
Running through facts is a grounding technique that can reassure you when things get particularly confusing or unbelievable. This can help keep you in the here and now until you can get reassurance from an outside source if need be.
On another note – Don’t fuck with your brain. Love it. Treat it well. Fuel it well. Work it well. Accept its flaws and always strive to improve its health. Sometimes it can be a real dick; you don’t need to give it anymore reason to mess with you.
Do you have any experience with Dysmorphia?
What is your story? What have you done to cope and improve your state of being? Let me know below in the comments, or connect with us on any of the following social media platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“What we find in a soulmate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with.” – Robert Brault
I believe that soulmates come in all forms, and that no one person is limited to one. I believe in souls that are meant to cross paths, or care for each other, or teach each other. I believe that my handsome dan is one of the most prolific soulmates in my life. I’ve been promising to tell the story of Charlie for a while now, but it is constantly developing and I’ve had trouble coming to terms with some basic facts about him and our future. But there is no time like the present, or so they say, and it is Charlie’s time to shine.
The Beginning
Charlie and his litter were the result of an accidental breeding between a small German shepherd female and an unknown mixed breed male. His owner was an elderly woman who lived on a small homestead tucked away in the mountains in La Veta, Colorado. I was looking to adopt a mutt for my mother – some kind of working breed mix that would be well suited to active work and being around farm and ranch animals. I was in contact with the woman about one of the females, preferably a lighter colored, short haired one to better tolerate the heat.
We met at a park in Pueblo. The litter was large, but I only distinctly remember five of the seven. There were two short haired sandy colored females, a short haired black male, and two plush coated male chunks – one the color of soot and the other carmel. The three short haired pups had zero interest in me; the larger darker floof cared only to hide as best he could. But the carmel puff ball sought to cope with his anxiety by tucking himself tightly against my leg and laying there, accepting loves and ignoring his siblings.
And so it was. He really was supposed to be for my mom. I took him home and surprised her with him in my arms. She named him, and for the first few weeks he slept in a kennel in her room. But some things aren’t meant to be how you plan them. Charlie quickly became my bumbling little shadow. And so it was.
Growing Up
Charlie was a learning curve for me. He continues to be. He grew up under my strict health-nazi eye as my will against him coming to an end like his big brother Jack did grew stronger every day. Being a typical shepherd, he is highly anxious, highly driven, and highly intelligent. High maintenance is definitely a fair way to describe my boy. The amount of research I did was massive. Yet life throws kinks your way, and no matter how well prepared you are, there will be upsets along the way.
We began dealing with progressively worse fear aggression. His anxiety has always been incredibly high – and it was very hard to mediate the line between the level of offish protectiveness that I wanted from him, and the overly aggressive fear response that he was presenting on others. After a significant amount of very patient work, and over a large amount of time, that behavior seems to have passed. His behavior towards other humans is now appropriate, though he does still sport fear based anxiety towards very young children who haven’t gotten the hang of moving fluidly.
A Pivotal Problem
Around the time he turned a year old, I began to notice something strange going on in his front feet. They seemed to splay outwards, and knowing that his skeletal structure would very soon be solidified, I began to worry. His left front was particularly crooked, and one day he came to me with a gimp. We went to his vet to discuss the problem, and it was agreed that something was abnormal. I sent my bud in for X-rays of both fronts, and, because it is often a concern in large breed dogs, his hips.
On the plus side, he has beautiful hips that likely will never be a problem.
His front legs are indeed a different story. The x-ray’s revealed that the growth plates of his radius’ and ulnas’ had closed out of turn, one outgrowing the other and causing the goofy toe splay. This is an angular limb deformity, known as a ‘Valgus deformity’, and is very commonly seen in breeds like dachsunds.
His left front was of particular concern, and we were sent to a canine orthopedic surgeon to discuss if he would need an incredibly expensive and difficult to recover from surgery; one that may or may not help much at all. There we learned that the growth deformity presented itself in the feet, but actually affects the elbow. We discussed his level of activity and were told that fetch (the second most important aspect of Charlie’s life) is one of the worst games to play with a young dog, due to the amount of stress it puts on delicate growing joints.
It was, thankfully, decided that Charlie’s defect did not require surgery at that time. It may never, though odds are that something will have to be done. We were instructed to cut down drastically on fetch and high impact activities. I asked if I could, with extreme mindfulness and preparation, take Charlie with me on the Colorado Trail. I was greeted with a, “Yes, he should be able to do it at his own moderated pace.” I cried, thankful that dream hadn’t been crushed. Thankful that my best friend wouldn’t have to undergo such a rough procedure and recovery.
What the Future May Hold
Time has passed and we have trained nearly every day for the 500 mile trail. We’ve taken extra precautions and implemented special lessons to cater to a worst possible scenario. But as things have progressed, I have decided that it would indeed be the wrong decision to take him. He doesn’t outwardly show problems in his feet, but when exhaustion sets in he begins to favor his left. I know now that before his time comes, we will have to do a surgery – but not the corrective one.
It is simply the truth that he would experience better results, less pain, and a faster recovery from an amputation and a good prosthetic. The other option is a surgery that cuts out part of the bone, involves an external to internal splint, minimum 8 weeks zero activity time, with limitedresults. I will do right by my boy, even if it looks more drastic and devastating.
I will do everything in my power to keep him as healthy, happy, and active as possible for as long as possible. I am absolutely heartbroken knowing that one day it is very likely that I will send him off with a stranger in scrubs, and that he will wake up in pain and missing a limb. It tears me to pieces. But if it eases pain, and, in the long run, grants him greater mobility, I will absolutely shoulder that burden. I won’t put him down in the middle of his life when there is another option.
No Time like the Present
For now, we don’t have to deal with that. He is incredibly athletic and only rarely shows signs of a problem. He gets along without pain and lives an active and adventurous life. My goober is my shadow and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He will always be taken care of to the absolute best of my abilities – because he is dependent on me, he comes before me.
He is an essential component to my mental health. I don’t know what I’d do without the sweet bud and his sister Morgan to greet me at the door when I get home from school or work. Their rambunctious celebration every time I put my hiking shoes on always makes me laugh. His eagerness for bedtime (alone time with momma) is absolutely endearing.
Charlie is the most courteous dog I’ve ever met. He’s very concerned about offending someone in their home, every time we go to someone’s house he has to find something to bring to them. He is strangely considerate, and hates to be a bad boy – or even think he is for that matter.
Fetch is life, though we have had to change the game up a bit. Other than fetch, hiking with me is his absolute favorite thing to do. He spends a lot of time on the trail reprimanding his sister for being wayward and giving him anxiety
He is my best boy, and always comes running to momma to check in if he’s been injured. His quirks are endless. He’s earned a million nicknames, often set to different tunes (usually la cucaracha); Charles Darwin, Charles Xavier, Chuckles, so on and so forth.
I credit adventure dog with helping me to get healthy, without him I’m not sure if I would have had the motivation to lose so much weight. He has taught me so much about life and love, for others and for myself.
Lessons Learned
I’d like to take this opportunity to help educate about factors that can contribute to health problems in dogs, particularly larger breed dogs.
Watch what they Eat
High protein sounds good, but quality protein is more important. Especially for puppies, high protein is something to look out for. Commercials may advertise to you wolf like diets for your dogs, but the reality is that your dog is not a wolf. Your dog has been selectively bred for generations. This is, in effect, assisted evolution – and humans don’t often get this kind of thing right. High protein and high energy foods can lead to growth problems. Growing puppies need more carbs and less protein than their adult counterparts. Just like human children put fast carbs to use far better than grownups do – The brain consumes and builds off of glucose. Don’t be misled.
Limit High Impact Activity in the First Year
Puppies’ joints are forming. A dog’s skeletal system begins to settle at around the one year mark, and most aren’t considered fully grown until age two. All kinds of activities are higher stress than you may think. We thought that fetch was perfectly harmless – but it can do an incredible amount of damage to a young dog. Skip anything that involves landing or stopping hard.
Adopt a Dog!
Don’t spend an assload of money at a breeder. More often than not, purebreds sport a significant amount of health problems. Don’t look down on mutts with some Hitleresque point of view on pure bloodlines. They are usually healthier.
We are affiliates with Ruffwear! Here, we only promote gear that we use and love, from companies we trust and believe in, you can read more about our policies here! Click the banner below to browse quality gear to help you and your adventure dog get out there and experience life!
Spay and Neuter!
Seriously guys, it is highly unlikely that your dog or cat needs to breed. Leaving unnecessary reproductive parts on your friends significantly increases their risk of certain cancers, infections, and unacceptable behaviors.
Charlie says thank you all for the loves
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not a vet, adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
He’s limping. I shake my head as if to dissuade a fly, and crush the panic building in my chest. He’s not limping. I shift my pack on my shoulders and we carry on, my attention acutely focused on his gait. It is hard for me to differentiate his normal goofy stride from something I should be concerned about as my left and right brains fight against each other. He trots on, just happy to be on trail; doing what he loves most with who he loves most. But he is sporting a slight gimp, favoring a problem leg, and as I accept this fact, a crippling onslaught of realizations hit me in the gut and I stop in my tracks. He cannot come with me on this journey that we are training for. He cannot play his part of this great dream that I have built, though he is a weight bearing pillar in its architecture. For his safety, I must leave my darling love behind. For his safety, I must go alone.
This post written in collaboration with Adventure Standard. Click here to read it there. This post may contain affiliate links, all opinions are my own. Read more about my policies here
My name is Danielle and I am afraid.
My name is Danielle and I am a human. At least, I think I am. I’ve spent my life more or less repelled by this fact, always holding other people at an arms distance and taking the hard road every chance I get. The independent road. The true road. I’ve always fancied myself tough, a real go-getter. I’ve always thought I was a loner, and when it comes down to it I guess I am.
I was a hard headed child. I selected my friends carefully, judging the worthiness of their hearts and souls harshly to protect myself as best I could. As a teenager I guarded over those I cared about intensely, never allowing the roles to be switched. My time and energy has always been important to me, entering into romantic relationships was only ever for my own personal strength and development. To me this was independence.
I’ve swung back and forth between cold indifference and intimate loving care for other people. But in the long run I’ve always relied more heavily on my four legged companions. For emotional support, for mental support, for physical security and greater situational awareness. When I set out to lose 122 lbs., it was responsibility toward my Charlie that I relied on to keep me active.
When I developed my dream to pack the two of us up and through-hike the Colorado trail, I didn’t realize how very much that dream revolved around him as my partner. I lost almost half of my body weight with him at my side so that we could go on this grand adventure together.
He has a mild orthopedic deformity that I will write about in detail in the near future. After consultation with several vets, specialists, and canine orthopedic surgeons, it was determined to be safe for him to attempt the nearly 500 mile journey. Recent evaluations of his performance during training have told me otherwise, and my obligation to his health cannot be ignored.
My initial reaction is sadness for him; that he will miss out on so much fun. That he will have to go for so long without me. That he won’t get to experience all the wonder that he could. Of course I intend to have him along for short sections, but on the whole he will be absent. As time has passed since I accepted this, layers of my subconscious defenses are peeling away, and I have become more and more aware that I am afraid to go without him. Hiking solo with your dog is entirely different than hiking solo.
I rely on him for more of my safety than I had ever guessed. He has always been there, silently protecting me as I protect him. His presence alone is a deterrent to a great many evils. His advanced senses have always been there to warn me of danger. At night, the rise and fall of his ribs under my arm is the greatest assurance. It is not just a feeling; I genuinely am much safer with him there. Fears are rising to the surface and I must face the facts.
Charlie on the Colorado trail 2016
My name is Danielle and I am not half as independent as I once thought.
These fears have brought problems to my attention. Problems have solutions. I will continue on, and achieve my goal. Life is about gaining experiences and learning lessons, it is about growing and expanding your mind – and I am excited to continue down that road. I am no less heartbroken to leave my best friend behind, but fear will not hold me back and I know that he would encourage me onward if he could.
Life has slowly taught me that not all humans are bad. I am now more comfortable putting stock in others. I’ve allowed friends to care for me. I’ve fallen in love and willing sunk into it despite my previous ‘decision’ not to. But the reality remains that, on the whole, humans are our greatest threat. I do not fear an angry mother bear half so much as I fear the man who tells me I have pretty hair. I do not fear a surprised rattlesnake half so much as I fear the ambiguity of a stranger’s intentions. I know what to expect from the wild, and why. I do not know what to expect from people, and I will never understand why.
I do not write this to instill fear. I write this to instill awareness. You deserve adventure, and wonder, and love. If you will reach forward and have the courage to seek out your dreams, you deserve to experience great things without fear limiting you and holding you back.
How do you go about that? By being prepared. Knowledge really is power.
The steps I’m taking to further empower and prepare myself for solo hiking will involve practical improvements on basic skills. I’m taking steps to improve my skill sets in all areas that I might need, to include leveling up in backcountry survival skills, first aids skills, and self-defense. Humans may be the greatest danger out there, but realistically the odds are far more likely that I will meet harm from slipping on a rock, or doing something stupid myself. Best to be over prepared in all arenas.
Backcountry Survival
Improving outdoor and backcountry survival skills is something everyone who gets into the wild, accompanied or solo, should do. Even if you feel confident in your knowledge, taking a class before a big trip is highly advisable. Freshening up on your skills increases the likelihood that you will use them successfully and with a clear mind in an emergency situation.
Solo First Aid
Of extreme importance is familiarity with first aid. I don’t mean cleaning a cut and throwing a band-aid on it. If you aren’t prepared to splint your own broken ankle or tie off an extremity as your own blood is pouring out, you aren’t prepared enough to venture out alone. Be ready to address life threatening wounds, or don’t go. Your family deserves the peace of mind that comes with your preparedness for solo adventures. Research the area you will be exploring and develop a functional knowledge of what plant life may come in handy to help pack a wound or draw the swelling out of a bite.
Self Defense
Nothing will give you greater peace of mind when you are solo than the ability to properly handle an attacker, human or otherwise. Know how to handle situations with local wildlife should things get ugly. Knowing how to utilize the equipment you have to make yourself look bigger to a mountain lion, or what to do when you offend a moose, so on and so forth.
Knowing how to defend yourself from human attackers, even if they are much larger than you, will quell an insane amount of fear and uneasiness. First, you must ask yourself, How far am I willing to go to protect myself? You are not just protecting your body. You are protecting your mind, your heart, your soul.
Are you willing to go so far as to end a life that is deliberately after yours?
As far as I’m concerned, those who set out to do harm to others for their own satisfaction have forfeit their lives, and have earned every bit of retaliation that they receive, and often more. You need to be honest with yourself, and prepare for the worst. Again, know how to use what you have as tools. Your fuel canister, your knife, your trekking poles, your bandana, your teeth. Do what you have to get back to those you love safely. I recommend taking courses in Jiu Jitsu or Krav Maga above other modalities.
Again, the likelihood of encountering one of these situations is low. But you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to be as prepared as possible before a solo hike.
Do some research and find classes in these subject areas near you!
Amidst all the seriousness, don’t forget to reap the rewards of feeling like a serious solo badass.
As for me, I can’t wait to greet that trail, “My name is Danielle, and I am not afraid.”
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not an adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
It was June. I was home from the apartment I shared with my then boyfriend and two friends as a cheaper alternative to living in the school dorms. The classroom side of my degree was complete. I had to find and complete an internship before I received my diploma, but now, it was summer break. I believe I had agreed to go out with friends that night, and knowing that I had put on some weight, I decided to try on the super baggy pair of jeans that I had reserved for painting, or as the top layer over several pairs of long johns for cold barn work. I knew those would go on, it was just a question if they would be too baggy to look decent. I bunched the legs up, stuck my feet in, and slid them up, until they caught at mid-thigh and would budge no further. This can’t be right, my mind said in its feeble effort to protect itself. I tried again. No give. None. I kicked free from the jeans as if they were covered in acid, and suddenly it became hard to breathe.
That was my breaking point. I cried, I hyperventilated, I screamed into a pillow. I was seethingwith hatred, for myself, and displaced hatred for the world. I did something I had never done before; I asked for help. I went to my mom and begged her for her help to fix me. (To be clear, being overweight doesn’t make you broken, being miserable does) I certainly needed assistance, especially in the beginning; I couldn’t find the motivation to change these habits and break these addictions with them in my house.
For three days I processed this in the way I needed to – by researching. Night and day I did research; night and day I studied and scoured the internet for motivation and correct information. I collected myself and set a game plan. I wanted to lose 122 lbs., I wanted it gone immediately, but I thought I set a reasonable goal for one year (not reasonable….) I was going to clean up my diet, and build up exercise. I also decided that I was going to go to a company here in town that promised the drastic results I was looking for.
Side note: That company was horse shit. Anybody who tells you that you can’t eat carrots because they have too much sugar, but says you should have toast for breakfast is effin ignorant. Do this the hard way; it’s the only way that sticks.
But before I started anything, I sat at my computer and opened a word document. I let myself loose and put power behind my intent. I typed out every reason I could think of to change my life, entirely, and forever. I wrote out every motivation I could muster that would keep me eating healthy. I wrote out every reason I could think of to work out every day.
And it was what lifted me off the ground. It was the original impetus. That first motivation bomb was monstrous.
Of course I faltered. Of course I failed. Of course motivation doesn’t always last. I had a major setback and gained 30lbs back after losing 70. But I persisted. And I have succeeded. And I never would have if I hadn’t put out there why I HAD to change. Why I HAD to motivate myself.
I had forgotten about the document I had created. Just the other day I was cleaning unnecessary files out of my drive when I stumbled onto one titled “Because I will sleep better”. I clicked on it, curiosity thoroughly peaked. The document opened and I recognized it immediately, the memory launched me back into that well of hideous emotion and panic. But that subsided. I scrolled through and began to smile, because I have accomplished what I set out to do. I have made these reasons (most of them anyways) a reality.
Some of them are petty. All of them driven by a need to become who I thought I was supposed to be. Laced with profanity, they were the hard line truths that fueled me to lose 70 lbs. that first year. I even added to them after I started as a way to maintain that fire.
I want to share the contents of that document today. For anybody that needs a boost of motivation to work out today. For anyone that needs to remember why they don’t need shit food in their life. For anyone that is struggling to believe that they and their health are worth the effort.
For anyone who needs it. I’ve added commentary in parentheses under a to a number of these
Because it Feels great, even if it hurts (case in point)
Because its really something to feel improvement (very encouraging)
Because even though my muscles are tight and stiff and sore, I feel that they are stronger, I hear a cry of victory in every painful movement.
Because I can easily see the path.
Because it makes me feel so much better
Because I’m gonna be fuckin hot
Because when I don’t workout, I feel down and angry and depressed and unproductive
Time to go destroy leg day!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not an adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
My co-worker sits down a table away, announcing to the break room, “Don’t mind if it smells like old fish in here, I’ve got tuna for lunch.” I laugh and chime in, “Same here!” He smirks and nods as he stirs mayonnaise into his bowl. “Do you ever get hiccups from tuna,” he asks me. I scrunch my face and lift an eyebrow, “Hiccups?” He nods, “yeah, hiccups?” I laugh uncertainly, “No, I can’t say that I do,” I reply. He looks down at his food and adds, “Well. I do. No other fish gives me hiccups, but Tuna does.”
Sure enough, halfway through his lunch he develops a case of hiccups. I wonder why he elects to eat tuna despite this. Then I realize that not everyone gets the diaphragm tearing, horrible, awful, painful hiccups I get. I analyze this for a minute. My own hiccups might be enough to deter me from eating certain foods if they were known to induce them. But if tuna did? I’m not sure. It’s so good for you! As a delicious, nutritious and cost effective food, I think that I might just deal with it if it induced hiccups!
This recipe is a flavorful, light, and refreshing alternative to your average tuna salad. It is loaded with healthy vegetables and filling legumes. It’s the perfect lunch or dinner for these hot summer days! With only a handful of ingredients, it is also incredibly simple to make, and one of my go to meals when I don’t know what to prep for the week or make for the family.
This is the second recipe I’ve written. It’s still hard to put things in words; when I cook, I just cook. I’m trying a slightly different format than I did for my Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl. I still want to outline each main ingredient and their most prominent health benefits and nutritional contributions, and I do do that first. Towards the end I have added a summary of the recipe for the sake of the ease of execution.
Tuna
Tuna is, like most fish, incredible for your health. Known for its plethora of heart healthy benefits, the high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and B vitamins don’t just reduce the risk of Coronary diseases. They also give your entire circulatory system a helping hand with their anti-inflammatory properties by lowering blood pressure and increasing healthy circulation throughout the body. A wide array of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, selenium, manganese, and zinc give your immune system a much needed boost.
Tuna is low calorie, high protein, and contains small amounts of healthy fats. There are about 15 species of Tuna, and they all provide similar ratios of the same nutrition and benefits. As one of the worlds’ most highly demanded fish species, Tuna have become widely farmed. If you are concerned about the quality of the tuna you are buying, read your label! If you want ethically caught, wild sourced tuna, it isn’t too difficult to find, but will cost a bit more.
For this recipe I’m using about 10 ounces of both Albacore and Skipjack tuna (one can each) to one half cup dry kidney beans, this will feed four with a small amount of leftovers.
Kidney Beans
The slow-carbs in Kidney beans are the good kind of carbohydrates (the kind you can eat and still lose weight)! They provide a good amount of protein and fiber as well, making this a worthy component in this satisfying salad.
Kidney beans are a good source of folate, copper, potassium, phosphorous, iron, manganese, and vitamin k.
For this recipe I’m using one half cup uncooked Red Kidney beans. I go into detail here about why you should cook your own beans, especially kidney beans, instead of buying them canned. If you choose to use canned beans, drain and rinse them before use. One regular sized can should be about the same amount used in this recipe.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are not as humble as they may seem. These refreshing ‘vegetables’(technically fruits) are hydrating and packed full of more nutrients and electrolytes than one might think. Cucumbers contain notable amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, zinc….the list goes on!
DO NOT peel your cucumbers. The skin is the most nutrient and fiber dense part of the entire thing. For this recipe I used one large (approx. 12in) cucumber.
Red Onion
Onions are power houses, Red Onions in particular due to their higher concentration of antioxidants in comparison to white onions! Part of the same family as garlic, onions provide an ample amount of health benefits when eaten on a regular basis. Onions are known to improve cardiovascular health and promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Onions are one of the greatest natural sources of quercetin (an important anti-inflammatory antioxidant.) The contain good amounts of biotin, vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium, folate, copper, vitamins B 1 and 6, and manganese.
Peel as little skin as necessary, nutrition is more heavily concentrated in the outer layers. For this recipe I use one medium red onion.
Red Bell Pepper
I chose red bell for this recipe, quite frankly, because it was the only fresh pepper I had on hand. I would choose it again, but if I had an Anaheim I would have chopped that up and thrown it in too! Feel free to use whatever peppers you prefer!
Red bell contains quite a bit of vitamin C, carotenoids (antioxidants) and more vitamins and minerals than I can even reasonably list here (including a surprisingly hefty serving of vitamin E!). All peppers are nutritious and beneficial to your health. Bottom line is, eat more peppers. Seriously.
I used one large Red bell for this recipe.
Vinegar
Vinegar is anti-bacterial, lowers blood sugar and improves insulin response, lowers cholesterol, and helps you to feel full. Apple cider vinegar is touted to be the most beneficial to your health, but different vinegars yield different flavors – and variety is everything.
In this recipe I actually used three different vinegars; a German brand called Salata, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Rice Wine vinegar.
Brown Mustard
Brown mustard and its components make it a very healthy condiment. The mustard seeds themselves are full of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, folate, and vitamin A. It is known for improving skin and respiratory health. The turmeric in mustard is added for a more striking yellow pigment, but is one of the most anti-inflammatory foods you can consume.
This recipe uses about one heaping tablespoon of Brown Mustard.
Herbs and Spices
The use of herbs and spices is an easy small way to improve your health through added nutrition. Using herbs and spices helps you to use less unnecessary salt if you are trying to watch blood pressure.
Get creative and use whatever herbs and spices you think will go great in this! I used a pretty prolific amount of freshly cracked black pepper, garlic and not much else.
Recipe Summary
Tuna – 2 cans
Kidney Beans – 1/2 cup dry
Cucumbers – 1 large chopped into halves or fourths
Red Onion – 1 medium diced
Red Bell Pepper – 1 large diced
Vinegar – approximately 1 ½ cups
Brown Mustard – approximately 1 heaping tablespoon
Wisk together vinegar and mustard. Pour over chopped and diced cucumbers and onions. If the vinegar does not fill to the top of your vegetables, add more. Season as desired and mix. Let marinate for at least one hour.
Flake tuna out of can and mix evenly with beans, diced pepper, and marinated cucumbers and onions. Season to taste!
Super simple, refreshing and delicious! Enjoy!
How do you normally make your Tuna?
Do you prefer a certain species? Let me know what you think of this recipe when you try it out in the comments below!
Connect with us on any of the following social media platforms! I’d love to hear from you! Now, for the disclaimer – I am not an adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
“You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
I’m shocked; she squeezes her nearly nine hundred pound frame through the tight brush without a scratch. I barely made it through, and certainly am scathed. I shout back to the others, “Actually, yeah you can get through this way!” I pat Annie and turn back towards our objective. Christoph said it was just through here, somewhere. I step up out of the vegetation, and for the eighth or so time today am very suddenly in an entirely different world. My face goes lax, mouth open. I am speechless. I am gripped and nearly crushed by a sense of humble wonder. I am quieted by the great voice of these sheer walls. Like a hum in my brain, their presence is known to me, and I to them. I feel I am surrounded; closed in by an ancient secret and the eyes that watch over it. I take in the heights, their great sockets and black tears; and these streaked walls are speaking, “We have always been here. We have always been waiting.” I turn in a circle, and realize she is there directly behind me; a sentinel with great wings and bowed head. Angel Arch. We finally made it.
I’ve been awfully reminiscent lately. I’m more or less stuck here without much room for far out adventures and new discoveries. My current schedule doesn’t allow a single day off, but I’m yearning for something I haven’t seen before. I’m straining against the ropes of my responsibilities to pull free and venture out. I know I must stay the course; doing so will enable me greater and more frequent adventures into the future. At least my mind can wander; at least I can recount the past. . . I have frequently revisited Angel Arch as of late – One of many incredible experiences on internship at Global Endurance Training Center in Moab, Utah. This trip was a planned fun ride that turned into an unplanned gritty adventure.
Preparation
We were geared up for a ride in Canyonlands National Park to celebrate the birthday of Dian. The plan was to trailer the four of us and our respective mounts into the park and take a more or less leisurely four-hour ride on a trail most commonly used by four-wheel vehicles and backpackers. It was known to be marked with cairns up through a maze of canyons, past Peekaboo Point campground, and on to Angel Arch. Christoph obtained the required back-country permits and the code to a locked gate. I tested out their new GoPro and attached it to my helmet for its maiden voyage. The horses were kept off of alfalfa for over 24 hours per the park authorities. I packed up my saddle bags with; emergency supplies, my camera, five hours’ worth of water, and electrolytes to be safe (with an extra bottle in the truck).
The Departure
We loaded up the trailer around dawn, hoping to be out during the coolest part of the day. Laughable almost, it was June in Moab and we knew it would be hot. As soon as we could, we took off for the south entrance to Canyonlands NP. The drive alone was magnificent, as most things seem to be in Moab. I was giddy for another adventure; my daily life here included them regularly. We pulled up to park in a desolate area, unloaded, tacked up, and headed through the locked gate. The map was tucked deeply away into Christoph’s saddle bags, because we knew the area was marked we didn’t think we’d really need it. We stepped out into a dry creek bed and began to follow it.
Immediately we are assaulted. Large pale blue flies locked onto us and the horses, their bite just as offensive yet somehow more persistent than deer flies. We stepped up into a long trot to try and shake them, but only once we exited their general territory were we left in peace. We wind up and down, in and through and out and under and over the creek bed and trees. The first of many black bear prints are spotted as we begin to pass active water flow. The horses have warmed up and begin to get fresh, it is time to frolic.
We have passed through nearly two benign miles before we realize something is wrong. The trail is not marked. In fact, there is no real trail at all. There may have been cairns and a general pathway here last year, but this is early in the season; everything has washed out and there has not yet been enough activity to re-mark. No matter, we will follow the canyon walls and the river bed.
We wind through ever tighter canyon corners, each bend revealing another amazing view. Petroglyphs, and arches, and great sockets in the rock are sprinkled all throughout the way. It is a wonderland. Every turned corner reveals a new pool or collection of water for the horses to stomp and rake; we encourage them to drink but more often than not are greeted with a great splash from mischievous hooves. Occasionally, we have to backtrack because we have wandered off course and are facing the wrong direction. It is easy to tarry left when going right looks incorrect.
A Realization of Deviation
Nearly three hours have passed and we have yet to reach peekaboo point. We realize we are far off schedule and I become decidedly more staunch with my water. I have water treatments in my pack, but those are reserved for emergencies, and in my heart I know that if we are lost here in this canyon back-country, we will certainly need them. We dip our bandanas into a stagnant pool to cool our necks, and move on.
We wind around another wall and spot the Peekaboo Point campground. It is secluded here, in this quiet and peaceful location; I imagine it would be a good place for families to get away. It includes a lavatory structure and picnic table. We stop to take pictures of petroglyphs and to gather our bearings. Angel Arch is less than two miles from here. We depart once more into the maze.
We wind and wind; constantly in awe, constantly pointing out new, splendid geographical features to each other. I distract myself from the ache that is beginning in my knees, and the tightness beneath my skin as dehydration begins to set in. We are going on five hours, my water is low. Continuing down the right path, we scrape between the sheer face of a monolith and the trees that grow directly besides it. I have to drop my stirrups and prop my feet up on Annie’s shoulder blades in order to make passage.
We drop down and hook left to hug another wall; the path is two feet wide and drops heavily off at the shoulder into a dense thicket. Christoph passes without a hitch. Marcie is next and notes that the ground feels unstable. I pass through and the trail crumbles off to the side under Annie’s hind; Dian and Moun must navigate it more carefully than the rest. We safely make it across, but I question if I am alive when I turn back around and realize we have stepped right into the land of the lost.
The Surreal
We are not in a desert anymore. We are in Jurassic park. It is humid and dense. The vegetation is of abnormal proportion. Massive spider webs are able to form under the safety of a canopy. My skin tightens into goosebumps, the sun cannot reach me here and I feel that I am an intruder in this place.
Just like that we step up out of the anomaly back into a desert canyon. I look back in disbelief, but only for a moment. I am quickly distracted once more, this time by the sudden fullness of the river. We wade in, delighted by the cooler air and giant allium type plants sticking up here and there out from the depth. This place is endlessly fascinating.
Following this oasis until the water disappeared underground brought us to a clear path through the tallest reeds I’ve ever seen. The mare I’m on is somewhat small, but they stand at least two feet over my head astride her. We follow this to a dead-end. The entire area is washed out, all ways blocked by downed trees limbs and concentrated branches, or sheer faces and boulders.
Christoph checks the map. We are in the correct area. We should, in fact, be here. Talk of turning around for our safety arises. We simply can’t fit us and the horses through this tangle of tree and rock. But we can’t give up now. It has been a grueling, painful, awful and wonderful six hours. If we are this close, we simply cannot return without meeting our goal. Christoph scouts on foot to the right. I dismount and try to navigate the bramble on the left. I find that I can stay fairly safe if I hug the right and press through. Annie follows, and I scold her for coming through and risking damage to herself and a very expensive saddle. She ignores me.
I’m shocked; she squeezes her nine hundred pound frame through the tight brush without a scratch. I barely made it through, and certainly am scathed. I shout back to the others, “Actually, yeah you can get through this way!” I pat Annie and turn back towards our objective. Christoph said it was just through here, somewhere. I step up out of the vegetation, and for the eighth or so time today am very suddenly in an entirely different world. My face goes lax, mouth open, I am speechless. I am gripped and nearly crushed by a sense of humble wonder.
I am quieted by the great voice of these sheer walls. Like a hum in my brain, their presence is known to me, and I to them. I feel I am surrounded, closed in by an ancient secret and the eyes that watch over it. I take in these heights, their great sockets and black tears, and these streaked walls are speaking, “We have always been here. We have always been waiting.” I turn in a circle, and realize she is there directly behind me; a sentinel with great wings and bowed head. We made it.
Angel Arch
Angel Arch is aptly named. We had all wondered aloud earlier in the day what had prompted its moniker, but the second we lay eyes on it, everything makes sense. She leans back against her arch, iron streaked wings folded but seemingly poised. She has spent an eternity here looking down, watching the slow evolution of man. I continue to turn in circles in awe and wonder of the entire area. I feel so very at home here, in the midst of discovery and a broadened mind.
We rest here and explore the area for a bit. There are a handful of cool features in this little spot alone, and the horses wander about cropping tufts of grass that have been tenacious enough to grow in rivets on the slick rock. I take a moment to thank Annie for putting up with me. I chose her for this trek after I had taken her out for the first time earlier that week on a solo ride to Ken’s lake. It was my first time riding out alone and she put up with me having to figure out a route I had only been told about. We got along very well and I figured after that experience, even though she had been in pasture for several months, she could handle the four hours we had planned.
The Way Back
After pictures and shenanigans, we exit the area and mount up again. The heat was getting to be unbearable. I felt weak, but determined. Christoph took the lead and I rode beta. We got out ahead of the other two, and parked in the tall reeds when we heard them shouting. Here, the heat was drastically amplified. Humidity began to choke me as we waited. Marcy’s mare had gotten antsy about our separation and taken a fumbling jump across the river over slick rock, dumping her at the bank. We caught her and sat in that hellish furnace as she re-mounted.
My helmet concentrates the heat around my skull and I begin to waiver. I could hear them talking about not separating, but it seems like there is cotton in my ears, and my vision begins to tunnel. “Go, go, get out of here, move, go!” Dian pushes us as she notices me reeling in my saddle. We exit the area and I recover enough to stay upright until we reach a larger pool of water. Everyone jumps off and wades in. Helmets are tossed aside as we cup cool water up over our heads. Dian and Marcy are out of potable water, and we warn each other not to drink from this source. After the horses have drunk, we pour water over their necks and squeegee it off before re-mounting.
Dian on Moun
We wind through trees as we re-approach peekaboo point. Ducking and dodging has been a constant game throughout this ride. I tip my head down to avoid a branch, but quickly feel a pressure against my throat. I’m slowly being choked by the throat latch of my helmet. I scramble to understand what is going on, turning to both sides as my head is pulled back. I can no longer look down to find the reins that I have let sit at Annie’s withers, and my fingers grapple for them. The pressure grows quickly, to the point of panic; I cannot speak and I change my focus to unbuckling the helmet as Marcy calls out from behind me to stop. I realize that the mount holding the GoPro to my helmet has pinched a small branch. Just as my fingers find and begin fumbling with the buckle, the pressure snaps and releases. A faint Whhhhhick is all I hear as the GoPro is launched away from us into the trees. No one sees where it lands.
Great. I’ve lost the company’s brand new five hundred dollar action camera. We dismount and scout where we can for what seems like an eternity, but it seems that it is lost to the brush. Finally, Marcy locates it, and we all breathe a sigh of relief. But this has taken precious time and we are all in a state of dehydration. I’m feeling particularly ill. I had lost 70 lbs. by this point, having reached a low of 200 for the first time in my adult life. Though I was much healthier than I had been the year previous, I was still incredibly overweight and unhealthy, and it was beginning to take a large toll on me in the heat.
The Final Stretch
We stop at Peekaboo Point to relieve our bladders, and I make it clear that I am doing very poorly. I have just finished the last drop of my water. I am shaky and deeply nauseous. We discuss our plan of action to get back safely. We decide to keep as quick of a pace as possible back through the maze. Dian suggests we let the horses have it out at a flat gallop once we reach the dry section of river bed that we know leads directly to our trailer. It is over a mile stretch and Christoph is unsure that I am capable of maintaining myself at that clip. I know that it will be a difficult and painful push with the verylast of my energy, but my determination to reach the water bottle I have stashed in the truck far outweighs any trepidation.
We depart and pick up into a sweaty long trot. We are led astray only twice more after allowing the horses to pick the way back. Recognizing that we are off course happens much more quickly on the way back.Finally we hit the sandy bed and Dian checks in before inviting Moun to a competitive pace. I set my reins, commit my mind to my balance point, and let Annie pick her speed. She is small, and was at the time unseasoned, but she kept close behind and never faltered. That tenacious little mare sure made me proud. Christoph held up the rear (a phrase you may never hear again) in order to keep an eye on me. We flat raced for a glorious, painful fifteen minutes until we could see the trailer. Everyone breathed a gigantic sigh of relief as we dropped down to a cool down pace. I don’t believe any of us were confident we would find our way before nightfall. We finally make it after nine hours.
We un-tack and allow the horses to cool as we gulp down our water stores. Electrolytes and snacks are passed around as each of us attempts to recover enough for something as simple as the drive home. My entire body aches; I send a thank you out into the void for my ability to walk and the miraculous lack of a headache. The drive home is a blur, save for stopping for a quick view of the incredible, awe inspiring Newspaper Rock. Exhaustion cannot stop my curiosity.
We reach headquarters at dusk. Unloading, I shake my head in disbelief as Annie trots off the trailer and shakes about as if she hasn’t just been through an exhausting ordeal. The horses all get a veryspecial meal, and are scheduled for several days off. We reminisce around a fire, steaks, and wine about the events of the day. We laugh and cringe and scoff.
And then, finally, we sleep.
Happy Birthday Dian!
Have you ever been to Canyonlands National Park?
Do you have any stories to tell? Strike up a conversation in the comments below! I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to connect with us on any of the following social media platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not an adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
I hate shoes. My whole life I’ve struggled with them, never really finding a pair that fit well. I suppose I owe this to the relative health of my feet. I grew up refusing to wear shoes, something that was hugely beneficial to not just the health of my feet, but my to brain as well. My childhood running around barefoot as often as possible enabled them to grow, and strengthen, and develop as they should; broad toed and flexible with strong arches and stable ankles. Of course once I started to cram them into the standard thin, tapered toed shoes that are standard (for women in particular) I began having problems. But no more; if I wear shoes, I only wear ones that allow for an anatomically correct foot. This, or none at all. Kick off your sneakers, wiggle your toes, and let’s talk about how going barefoot as often as possible is going to revolutionize your health.
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Like so many human concepts, (most) shoes are incredibly flawed. Protecting your feet is a good idea, don’t get me wrong, but we have taken an idea with good intentions and gone and warped it into something destructive. What a surprise. Your standard shoe has a raised heel, a thin body, and a heavily tapered toe box. You squeeze your feet into these things year after year and distort their original, highly functional design; effectively weakening the entire structure and decreasing proper function. You lose flexibility. You lose strength. You lose stability. And your entire body is suffering for it.
You are born with great toe splay and flexibility. If you were allowed to grow barefoot, your overall development would be optimized. As you began to walk and run, your arches would develop sure and strong. Your brain development at a great advantage due to the sensory information you gather from the soles of your feet. Your balance nearly impeccable. Your ability to turn, pivot, take off, and stop impressive. You would have a great sense of kinesthetic (self) awareness or Proprioception; and naturally be more mindful and aware of your surroundings. Compared to your shod peers, you would have greater core strength, better posture, and healthier circulation.
Unfortunately, baby shoes are cute as hell and your parents probably weren’t aware of these benefits. It is likely that you developed in shoes that have hindered you in a number of ways, though you might not know the difference because this is your normal. You can start over! You should start over! Improving the strength, flexibility, and capability of your feet is going to greatly benefit your entire body, including your brain! You literally have nothing to lose in this equation. Treat your body right, and start loving your feet.
Key Benefits of Going Barefoot
Healthier Feet
This one is a given. First of all, you’re allowing your feet to breathe. When they are trapped inside of shoes and socks, heat and moisture are trapped in there with them. Going barefoot helps to stem the growth of fungus and bacteria. A little bit of airing out goes a long way.
Without the restriction of shoes, your feet can stretch out and splay. Dormant muscles that have been deactivated by your shoes begin to wake up and strengthen. Arch supports and lifted heels have made your feet weak and lazy. Your Achilles tendon is shortened and your calves weaker than they would be if they could fully activate.
Previously un-stimulated nerve endings fire and send more information to your brain. A greater volume of fresh, nutrient rich blood is sent to aid the muscles that are now contracting. The connective tissue becomes more flexible and hydrated.
Stronger Legs
Muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue that attach to your feet span considerably past your ankle. Going barefoot causes you to use and tone more muscles, and in different ways, than you would in shoes. Your calves and Achilles stretch to meet the ground, and contract further as your roll up onto the ball of your foot and toe off with every stride. The Tibialis Anterior, the meaty muscle on the outside of the front of your lower leg, makes a greater effort to push your weight forward from your toes.
Walking barefoot will cause your stride to change from heel striking, to a more correct mid foot strike with a slightly bent knee. Muscles all the way up to your hips activate differently, and tone up. Your ankles gain greater stability and strength as the tendons and ligaments reach a healthier status.
Improved Core Strength
Going barefoot strengthens your core by promoting better posture through greater kinesthetic awareness. Your muscles have developed around how you balance inside of your shoes. Removing them from the equation causes a different orientation, and your body must work to right itself according to this new, correct, leveling. This promotes proper spinal alignment as well!
Greater Balance
This goes hand in hand with greater core strength, though increase in balance is seen more heavily. Proprioception (self-awareness) is greatly enhanced for a number of reasons, and greatly benefits your Vestibular (balance) system.
Stimulating the nerves on the bottom of your feet is mainly responsible for this action. New information from your feet builds new neural pathways in your brain. These new webs and maps of information help you to balance without you ever realizing it. Couple that with the improved strength and flexibility, and your balance improves in leaps and bounds.
Enhanced Circulation
Working your muscles forces your body to send more blood to them. It is no different in your feet. As they flex and bend and contract, fresh blood is pulled down to rejuvenate and build. The pressure differences created by muscular and structural activity aid the heart in circulating blood to and from the area. You’ll notice your feet are less prone to reaching uncomfortable temperatures on either side of the scale.
Reduced Inflammation
Walking barefoot has been shown to decrease inflammation throughout the body, as well as decrease blood pressure and anxiety. A number of explanations have popped up for this, namely the concepts of Earthing and Reflexology.
In Reflexology, it is believed that by stimulating various regions of the foot, one stimulates the immune system; consequently reducing inflammation, tension, blood pressure, etc. This would apply to walking barefoot, and particularly over surfaces of varying texture.
Earthing is essentially interchangeable with grounding; just as electrical appliances are grounded. The opposite of this is insulating – preventing electrical currents between you and the ground. The concept of Earthing is this; discharging our positively charged ions by connecting “skin to skin” with the negatively charged earth. This may sound hokey, but more and more research is showing that Earthing does reduce blood pressure, inflammation, and stress.
Really either way it works is alright with me.
How to Go Barefoot
Simple, take off your shoes and do everything without them, right? No, please don’t. Just like you wouldn’t go from sitting on the couch daily to running marathons, you shouldn’t jump full into being barefoot. Ease yourself in and build your strength gradually for success. I recommend starting by changing your shoe choice to something with a wide toe box and no heel, then work up from there. I started with Lone Peaks by Altra Running, after researching gear I would want for my trip through-hiking the Colorado Trail. I really am fond of shoes from this company, I have several different pairs now from one sale or another, and I have yet to be less than impressed. Click the banner below and browse to see if they could be right for you!
Go barefoot at all times at home. This is a great second step. Be mindful about how your feet are performing. Purposefully identify your motions. Notice, do you invert with your step, or roll your foot outwards? Are you using all of your toes? Where do you land on your foot with each stride?
Begin specific foot exercises. Pick small objects up with your toes and place them in a container. Point your toes down away from you, lift them towards you. Draw circles clock wise and counter-clockwise with pointed toes. Scrunch your arches
Move up to doing these exercises with resistance bands. Do barefoot calf raises. Balance on one foot, then the other. Build up your abilities until you can start working out at home barefoot. Start by going barefoot during weight training (or bodyweight training) Work up to taking walks outside barefoot. There is an entire movement of barefoot running!
Foot Care for Barefoot Success
Just like you stretch and rub your other muscles after working out, you should do so with your feet. Helping your feet to recover from building new muscle really feels incredible anyways, so don’t neglect this part
Massage your feet. Or get someone else to massage your feet. Because damn, massage just feels great, and is extremely beneficial. Squeeze your heels and make deep circles in the body of your foot. Trace around the bones at the ball of your foot, and squeeze and rotate each toe. Press down between each long bone (metatarsal) on the top of your foot. Massage over the tendons in your ankle. Use a tennis ball and roll pressure down your foot from toes to heel.
Stretch your feet. Keep that tennis ball around and place pressure down on it with the ball of your foot. Roll side to side and let the spaces between your metatarsals stretch. This is often sore at first, but feels incredible after several seconds. Stretch your toes like you would your fingers, away from each other, backwards, and down. Place a finger between each toe; pulse-squeeze and rotate side to side with your fist.
Soak your feet! Soaking in warm water is a time honored tension reliever. You can add Epsom salt and essential oils or clay for a detoxifying and cleansing experience.
Takeaway
Strengthening your feet by going barefoot is definitely a good idea. Going barefoot will not only improve the strength and flexibility of your feet, ankles, and legs, but it will improve your overall health as well. You will improve your core strength, enhance your balance, and fortify your brain. Ditch your shoes as often as possible, and reap the rewards a solid foundation will give you.
What about you?
Will you go barefoot? Are you already? What kind of shoes do you choose to wear when you do? Strike up a conversation in the comments below, or connect with us on any of the following social media platforms!
Now, for the disclaimer – I am not an adventure guide, personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, or medical authority, this is meant to be only a source of information and inspiration, implementing these techniques into your daily life is something you do of your own free will and at your own risk.
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