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Homemade Gatorade

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When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, which are critical to your muscle function and overall hydration levels. Electrolytes also help your body regulate chemical reactions and conduct electrical charges, which is how your muscles contract, so ensuring proper electrolyte levels is essential to your performance on the trail, court, track, or wherever you find yourself sweating this summer!

Popular sports drinks like Gatorade, replenish electrolytes in the form of salt, but also are packed with unhealthy sugars in an attempt to provide readily available glucose energy.

Instead, try our homemade Gatorade (we’ve dubbed it “Electrolade”), which is made with naturally occurring honey sugars as well as pure sea salt or Himalayan salt.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tbs raw honey
  • 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or pure sea salt

PREPARATION

  1. Pour into blender, pulse to combine, and chill in fridge for 2 hours or more.
  2. Enjoy after sweaty summer hikes and workouts!

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Coconut Apricot Bliss Balls

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These Coconut Apricot Bliss Balls are a healthy, nutrient-dense snack, and a great alternative to store-bought energy bars. There are no hidden sugars or preservatives and perfect to carry in your pack, or in the cupboard for when you need clean, energy-rich fuel for your body and brain. You can also double the recipe, as these freeze and thaw beautifully, and are easily prepared over the weekend to last you the entire week ahead.

Nutritional Powerhouse: Coconut contains large amounts of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), a type of saturated fat that’s very easy for the human body to digest. The MCFAs found in coconut meat also contain antimicrobial properties, helping support the good bacteria in the gut microbiome.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 cup chopped dried apricots
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup hemp seed butter
  • ¼ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
  • ½ tsp powdered ginger
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • Zest of 1 orange, plus juice reserved to moisten mixture
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of sea salt

PREPARATION

  1. Place the nuts and apricots in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Add butters and remaining ingredients and pulse until everything is combined.
  3. Form into 1 fl.oz. balls with a small scoop.
  4. Place in an airtight container lined with parchment paper and refrigerate or freeze.
  5. Enjoy!

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is an award-winning health retreat located in the lush forests of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1991, our health reset program helps 16 guests at a time unplug, recharge, reconnect with nature, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. Our nutrition program uses local, organic ingredients and reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar levels and hormones. To learn more about Mountain Trek, and how we can help reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Recover From New Years’ Resolution Setbacks

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image of dice spelling old habits

How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Still on track, or are you mired in self-defeat? If it’s the latter then we’re here to help. Setbacks are just part of the process when we make big changes. Perhaps you vowed you’d eat breakfast every morning and then fell back into the routine of consuming only three coffees before lunch. Or maybe you said you’d exercise three days a week and have only managed to go once or twice. Not to worry–you are not failing! You’re doing everything right by just deciding to make a positive change in the first place.

Here are six tips to encourage you and help keep your goals on track:

Remember, it can take upwards of three months to create a healthy habit. Continue to stick with your goals and you’ll be increasing your overall vitality in no time!

  1. Firstly, if you’ve suffered a setback the key is don’t beat yourself up over it. Just acknowledge it, try to discern why you slipped, and then immediately get back on track again.
  2. If you find yourself continually encountering setbacks, maybe the change you’re trying to implement is too big? Is it possible to make a smaller change that will lead to a healthier path? For example, if you wanted to hit the gym three times a week but are struggling to make it there even once, then edit your goal. Resolve to go to the gym once a week to start, and work your way up from there. 
  3. If you keep lapsing into a bad habit, such as snacking on potato chips throughout your workday, then swap out the context of the bad habit. Instead of potato chips, snack on baked kale chips instead. 
  4. Get outside! There’s no better tonic than a walk through nature in the fresh air. If you find yourself lapsing into self-judgment and despair, just take a step outside and breath deeply. It seems like such a simple solution but you’ll be shocked at how it clears your mind and puts you in a better mood.
  5. Phone a friend! You are not in this alone. Engage a family member or friend and tell them about where you’re having difficulty. You’ll be amazed at how just talking about it to a good listener will help put you back on track.
  6. Travel! Nothing helps you break a bad habit faster than completely changing your environment. It’s so much easier to reinvent yourself when you’re not surrounded by the same-old, same-old. The trip doesn’t have to be an epic cross-country adventure – you could simply book a room at a local hotel, take a good book, and relax away from the stresses of your regular life. 

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning retreat, immersed in the lush nature of British Columbia, will help you unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. To learn more about the retreat, and how we can help you reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

How To Balance Work And Play

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woman in a business suit without shoes playing in a fountain

About 50 years ago, many of us moved from work that involved standing and moving to desk jobs that require more sitting. Not only that, but work hours have increased since then. For some, two-thirds of our day is spent connected to our job in some capacity. This can make for an incredibly stressful lifestyle.

By spending all of our time either working or sleeping poorly, it damages our mental and physical health. After all, our system is designed to run after gazelles on the African savannah. It doesn’t feel good when we sit in front of a computer for 14 hours a day. 

The good news is there are some easy things that you can do in order to better balance your work and play. In our opinion, the latter doesn’t get emphasized enough in our current work-obsessed society. Having fun is just as important, if not more so, for personal health and happiness.

Inch by inch is a cinch, but yard by yard is hard.

The key to a good balance is not biting off more than you can chew at first. The first thing you want to do is make a list of things that you consider fun and make you happy – even if the list is only one activity long. 

Perhaps you haven’t found the time to get outside as much as you’d like. The key is to start small and set a SMART goal. Don’t expect yourself to go for an hour-long walk every afternoon right off the bat. But you can get outside, even if it’s just walking from your car to your office. For the first few days, park farther away than you normally would, and as you’re striding along, take deep breaths and remember what it was like to run freely through nature. Before entering your office, look up at the sky for 30 seconds and just enjoy the view. 

When you’re at your desk, follow these five steps:

  1. Take 10 minutes out of your workday and relax and just clear your mind. 
  2. Drink lots of water. Not only will it cleanse your system but it will force you to get up and move when you need bathroom breaks. It will also allow you to step out of your work mode for a few moments to give you time to think of other activities.
  3. Occasionally get up from your desk and stretch in a doorway or stare out the window at the sky. While you’re doing that, think about what makes you happy.
  4. The next time you’re perusing Facebook or on some other social media site, stop what you’re doing and instead Google classes, courses, groups, or apps that are related to the activity you love. Bookmark relevant sites. Even if you don’t sign up right then and there, it will be beneficial to have your mind dwell on it.
  5. Mention to a friend or co-worker about your desire for better work/play balance and the activity you would like to get involved in. By putting it out there, you’ll enlist the help of acquaintances and it will become “real” as opposed to a “wish” that only exists in your mind.

Try and do the above things every day and eventually you’ll find yourself setting aside more and more time for the activity you love. Learn more ways you can pamper yourself.

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning retreat, immersed in the lush nature of British Columbia, will help you unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. To learn more about the retreat, and how we can help you reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Detoxifying Kale and Quinoa Salad

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This kale and quinoa salad recipe is gluten-free and packed full of nutrients, omegas, and antioxidants. Quinoa is a complete protein (has all the essential amino acids), high in fiber, a good source of antioxidants, and also has a good omega-3 profile. Kale is a nutrient powerhouse and packed with antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol. Blueberries and lemon juice are both chelators—compounds that bind to heavy metals and support the elimination of them—furthering the detox benefits of this recipe. Put these all together and you have a nutrient-rich, hearty salad that will leave you feeling healthy and clean.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups quinoa – cooked in 3 cups water
  • 4 packed cups kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 2 Haas avocado, chopped
  • 1 cup red onion, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup additional olive oil
  • Topped with toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Fresh blueberries
  • Fresh Spinach to bed the salad

PREPARATION

  1. Cook the quinoa in the water.
  2. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine the kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Get in there with your hands and massage the kale so it’s well coated, and set it aside to wilt for at least 10 minutes.
  3. When the quinoa has cooled, transfer the kale mixture, pomegranate seeds, avocado, onion, and additional olive oil to the bowl with the quinoa, and toss well. You can serve immediately or make this salad a day ahead and refrigerate overnight. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and blueberries.

Heavenly Orbs Recipe

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Heavenly Orbs_16X9

The name says it all. Nut butter anchors the lightness of coconut, orange and apricot in this delicious snack. This Heavenly Orbs recipe is definitely one that belongs in our Hall of Fame. Makes 8 or 9 orbs.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/8 cup hemp seed butter
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/3 cup coconut
  • orange juice to moisten
  • 1/8 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • zest of a small orange

Method

  1. Chop nuts and apricots together finely in a food processor
  2. Add butters and remaining ingredients
  3. Form into balls and refigerate or freeze

To find more Mountain Trek recipes, and to get the shopping list for this recipe, download our Health Guide in Your Pocket App now.

Download App

 

 

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6 Healthy Travel Snacks That Are Pre-Packaged

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a woman on a public walkway eating a healthy snack

Guests at Mountain Trek are pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of the snacks we supply during the hours they spend hiking on the trails. Many expect mass-produced “energy” bars to help fuel their activities but that style of snack is usually full of corn syrup and highly processed ingredients. We recommend people take a small time out of their week to prepare healthy items they can snack on throughout the course of their days.

Related Article: Top 5 On The Go Snacks

However, we’ve since heard from some guests, especially those who travel a lot, that it can be difficult to find the time to whip up some Loki Dip to go with those carrot sticks. So, we asked our nutrition expert Jennifer Keirstead to supply us with another list of snacks that people can enjoy when they’re traveling and don’t have access to their kitchen.

Our Nutritionist’s Picks for Healthy Pre-Packaged Snacks

  1. EPIC bars. These are basically dehydrated meat in power bar form. They’re made from grass-fed meats, high in protein, and taste like jerky!
  2. SuperFood Energy Bar. They’re made from plant-based, high-quality ingredients. No fillers!
  3. Justin’s Almond Butter. These are in squeeze packs and make great traveling companions. Pack a piece of fruit, or two, and spread on some creamy, high-protein almond, for a perfectly balanced snack on the go.
  4. Trail Mix. Try to avoid the prepackaged ones as they contain a lot of sodium. Instead, buy seeds and nuts from the bulk section and make your own. I like to mix unsalted cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried currants, and goji berries.
  5. Prepackaged veggies. Items such as baby carrots or sugar snap peas are easy to find and delicious with a container of hummus.
  6. Starbucks “Protein Box“. If you’re at the airport and grab one of these boxes and enjoy a hard-boiled egg, fresh fruit, cheese, and multigrain muesli bread.

Of course, being even just a little prepared with a snack in your purse, or suitcase can go a long way to help keep you on the right track nutritionally.

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning health retreat, immersed in the lush nature of British Columbia, will help you detox, unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. To learn more about the retreat, and how we can help you reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below:

Loki Dip Recipe

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Loki Dip Recipe

This snack recipe is a guest favourite! Our famous Loki Dip is a perfect snack that is tasty, packed with protein and will curb an afternoon craving. Enjoy with fresh seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 c. olive oil
  • 1 c. nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2 c. hemp hearts
  • 1 Tbs. wheat-free tamari
  • 2 Tbs. Braggs liquid aminos
  • ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. dark balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 c. tomato paste
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ½ tsp. basil
  • ½ tsp. thyme
  • ½ tsp. marjoram
  • 1 tsp. chilli powder
  • 1½ Tbs. agave nectar or honey

Directions

  • Blend well using a Vitamix blender. 
  • Refrigerate until serving. 
  • Enjoy!

To download more Mountain Trek recipes and to get the shopping list for this recipe, download our Habits 2 Health App now. 

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Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe

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As part of the Mountain Trek program we encourage our guests to explore their sensitivities to the “Sour 8,” which are eight types of foods that people commonly have negative reactions to, whether in the form of digestive discomfort or full allergies. The sour eight include wheat, dairy, corn, soy, sugar, eggs and alcohol and you can learn more about them here.

The good news for chocolate lovers and those who plan to enjoy edible treats this Valentine’s Day is the following Chocolate Mousse recipe does not include any of the Sour 8. The natural sweetness comes from the fruit and the base is coconut cream rather than dairy. The even better news about this recipe is that it’s delicious! Be sure to indulge on Valentine’s Day or any other day when you want to give yourself or someone you love a yummy treat.