Tips & Advice

Get Tips and Advice from the guides at Mountain Trek. Nutrition, Hiking, Sleep, Detox and Fitness are just some of the topics we cover.

Travel Tips To Ensure a Healthy Spring Break

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Every Spring hordes of North Americans escape the cold, wet weather and flock to sunny destinations to relax by a beach or a pool. In most cases, they get too much sun, eat and drink a little too much and come home feeling more tired and unhealthy than when they left. By now many of the staff at Mountain Trek are experts at Spring Break travel given the fact that this time of year we’re always guiding an adventure trek somewhere in the world.  Aside from the list we compiled called  14 Travel Hacks to Ensure the Best Trek Experience Ever we also wanted to share with you five ways to ensure you enjoy a healthy Spring Break vacation and return from your trip more relaxed and fit than when you left!

1. Keep Moving

Staying-Active-on-Spring-Break

For many, a vacation can involve a lot of lounging by the pool or on a beach. But as with your regular day-to-day life, it’s important to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to ensure your muscles don’t begin to atrophy. Something like this is easy when you’re walking around the historic sites of Europe or hiking in a national park but for more sedentary-style trips, be sure to go for a walk along the beach or stroll in the woods. This also applies to your plane journey to your destination: if you have a long flight, be sure to periodically raise and lower your heels while seated and walk up and down the aisle occasionally.

2. Sleep Soundly

towel-elephants-on-a-bed

You may be looking forward to some good-quality shut-eye after you’re stressful day-to-day regimen but it’s important to acclimatize to the time zone you find yourself in first. At the outset of your trip avoid alcohol as that will disrupt your sleep patterns even further. Nor should you fall asleep in your hotel room or condo right after you’ve checked in (unless you arrive at night of course). Try your best to get on local time but if you do feel like you need a nap, keep it under 45 minutes.

3. Drink Water

woman-on-the-beach-drinking-water-in-a-white-robe

No matter what we’re discussing, whether it’s detoxing, nutrition or travelling, we always stress how important it is to drink water. It’s just so imperative to help your body function better, especially when travelling. Eight eight-ounce glasses a day is a rough guide for most people but a better indicator to ensure you’re drinking enough water is to gauge the colour of your urine: it should be clear with a small tinge of colour to it. If it’s too yellow you’re not drinking enough and if it’s crystal clear, you’re drinking too much. Consuming water can be tricky in some countries where bacteria such as giardia is a concern. In those cases drink bottled water or carry a water filter with you: Steripen makes different models that are just a little larger than a magic marker and use ultraviolet light to make water safe to drink.

4. Eat Like a Local

eat-like-a-local

One of the best parts of travelling is enjoying the amazing array of food each country specializes in. This doesn’t mean you have to eat out at restaurants for every meal, though. Eat like the locals and buy fresh produce at colourful local markets. (If water-born bacteria is a concern where you are, only buy produce that have peels.) Snack often and remember to stick to the habit of eating two-thirds of your daily food within nine hours of waking up. When you are at a restaurant, remember they’re there to serve you: ask that your meal be prepared to your specifications, order sauces and dressings on the side, and in the evenings, request a “to-go” box for half your meal. Oh, and if you’re going to drink, make sure it’s with food and you have some water in between glasses.

5. Relax

Couple-relaxing-on-the-beach

Vacations are all about getting away from our stressful daily lives, but it can be nerve-racking travelling to a foreign place. To avoid undue drama and stress, be sure to research where it is you’re going first and plan out the itinerary of your first few days including where it is you’re going to stay. Once you’ve acclimatized, then you can fully explore your surroundings. Alternatively, let others take care of all the details for you. When you join Mountain Trek at our beautiful lodge in British Columbia, for example, the price is all-inclusive meaning we take care of absolutely everything. All you need to do is ensure you show up!

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 and featuring daily sunrise yoga and night-time restorative yoga, will help you unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress, anxiety, 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:

10+ Tips to Keep Well and Active as the Cold Weather Approaches

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Autumn Hiking at Mountain Trek

When winter sets in, the days get shorter, the thermometer drops, and our bodies enter into what was, traditionally, a time of dormancy. Before the industrial revolution, we humans would spend the winter months in a state of quiescence – there was very little farming, hunting, or gathering to be done so we’d slow down and conserve our fat stores. These days, our bodies are still programmed to a certain amount of inaction during the colder months but, unlike the past, we now have plenty of fatty and processed foods to snack on during that time.

Tips to avoid unhealthy snacking and remain well and active during winter

1. Avoid Drinking More Coffee

Morning Ginger Tea

With cooler temperatures comes the desire to drink hot drinks and the most prevalent, especially in the Western world, is coffee. However comforting that cup of Joe is on a cool day, however, one must remember the harmful effects of caffeine. There is a proven relationship between caffeine and weight gain. Continuous consumption of it leads to prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, which has a negative effect on metabolism, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Instead of drinking more coffee, consider other hot drink alternatives such as a detoxifying and energizing morning ginger tea.

2. Avoid More Alcohol

Avoid Alcohol

As we enter months where the nights are longer, we as a species are driven to socialize more in the evenings. And in our modern world, that typically means there is more alcohol on offer. We at Mountain Trek are not abolitionists by any stretch but we think it’s important to stress alcohol’s relationship to weight gain. All alcohol has calories (even the ones marketed as being free of carbs) and so by consuming more, you’re adding to your fat stores. In the case of alcohol, this is doubly taxing because it stresses your liver and impairs its ability to flush toxins. Imbibe in the occasional drink but considering capping of the evening with a nightcap of #3.

3. Drink More Water

Drink More Water

Last year we wrote a post about water versus soda pop and one of the most interesting facts about the lack of water was that it is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. As we enter the longer, colder months, our bodies tend to want to slow down and lethargy is more prevalent – drinking a few glasses of water easily rectifies that. Plus it helps you flush toxins and curb hunger pangs.

4. Get a Good Nights Sleep

Get a Good Night's Sleep

As the nights get longer our bodies respond by desiring a bit more shut-eye. Although our bodies require between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, there are many sleep problems that are preventing some of us from getting that. The good news is there are easy things you can do to ensure a good night’s rest. In this post, we list seven tricks but the most important is to make your bedroom a work-free and gadget-free zone. Leave all electronic devices outside the bedroom and enjoy some shut-eye unhampered by bells, lights, and agendas.

5. Go For a Soak

Go for a Soak

This one is easy, especially as the colder months set in: find yourself a bathtub, hot tub or hot spring and just lie there. That’s it. There are many therapeutic benefits to a good soak but the main one is relaxation; the power of de-stressing is not to be underestimated, especially because balanced hormones lead to balanced health.

6. Get Massaged

Massage

As with #5, this one isn’t that difficult either. There are reasons most cultures on earth have offered some form of massage for thousands of years: not only is it relaxing, it’s also good for your health. In fact, an evening massage is one of the best ways to relax after the day’s activities. It will help prepare you for a restful night’s sleep.

7. Enlist the Help of a Friend

Enlist the help of a friend

In another blog post we listed seven reasons why you should work out with a friend and these apply that much more in the cooler months when it’s easy for us to justify sitting in front of the TV under a blanket instead of getting up and moving. A friend will help keep you accountable but will also make fitness that much more fun.

8. Exercise – Even Just a Little

Exercise

It goes without saying that we here at Mountain Trek are big fans of exercise, no matter what time of year it is. We also appreciate, however, that when the cooler weather sets in, it can be harder to get motivated. That’s why we’ve compiled some tips to help beat sedentarism some of which are as easy as doing stretches in your office doorway. Remember, though, that to keep your metabolism up and your weight down, your body has to move for at least 40 minutes a day, even if it’s just a brisk walk around the block.

9. Show Yourself Some Love

Show Yourself Some Love

There are many ways to pamper yourself but the best is to do something you enjoy. It seems like such a simple thing and yet many of us work so hard, by the end of the day we only have energy to sit in front of the TV. Take time in the coming months to do something that recharges your batteries: read a good book by the fire, indulge in a hobby or attend a class. You’ll find you’ll be happier and have more energy to face the cooler weather and shorter days.

10. Book a Stay with Mountain Trek

Book your stay at Mountain Trek

The best way to pamper yourself is to dedicate a vacation to you and your health. Join us in autumn at our gorgeous lodge in British Columbia where you’ll enjoy the pristine mountains and hang out with like-minded friends by the fire, in the natural hot springs, or in our spa.

Related Article: Beating the Winter Blues

Where Do I get my Vitamin D?

When UV rays from sunlight touch the skin, this triggers Vitamin D synthesis. But when sun exposure is at a minimum during the winter months, we can turn to diet to help with our vitamin D intake. Unfortunately, very few foods are high in Vitamin D naturally, and so it is not possible to get all the Vitamin D you need from diet alone. In conjunction with a high-quality multi-vitamin, here are some of the best food sources of Vitamin D:

  • Fatty fish: So very nutritious for you for so many reasons, fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines, and even seafood such as oysters, contain some of the highest concentrations of Vitamin D in food.
  • Eggs: Not only high in protein and so many other nutrients (Vitamin B12), the sunshine yellow of egg yolks do contain a hearty helping of Vitamin D.
  • Beef liver: Not everyone’s favorite, but when mom said ‘eat up!’ to those liver and onions, she knew what she was talking about as far as Vitamin D’s concerned.
  • Mushrooms: Certain varieties of mushrooms, like white button, can provide Vitamin D among other nutrients (Vitamin B5) when lightly cooked.

Many foods are fortified with Vitamin D for the simple reason that we don’t get enough in our diet, or in general. Almost all milk (and baby formula) in the U.S. and Canada is fortified with Vitamin D as are some orange juices, soy products, and cereals. But please use caution and check labels, as many of these products can contain refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, and other undesirables.

What About Sunny Vacations?

Sunny Vacations

Who doesn’t enjoy a relaxing trip to a more sunny clime during the cooler fall and winter months? It’s important, though, to moderate your solar intake while on vacation. So many of us rush to the beach and neglect proper sun care in the quest for the perfect tan. This is definitely more harmful than not having any sun at all. Instead, stay out of the sun when it’s at its peak or cover up with loose-fitting, SPF-rated clothing, hat, and sunglasses.

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:

Avoiding Diet Scams

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Dieting, weigh scaleKnown and loved by so many, daytime TV celebrity Dr. Oz was recently scolded at a hearing by several US senators about his endorsement of different kinds of dieting pills. Whether you believe that Dr. Oz is indeed supporting these diet pill fads, or whether he himself is a victim with his image being used to market various weight-loss products, you can be certain that quick-fix diet pills don’t work.

For long-term weight loss success, we must include all aspects of health:

Dr. Oz makes some great recommendations about health; but when it comes to weight loss, he (or his image) promotes too many “miracle” ingredients that often turn into huge profit for companies offering “pure” ingredients with negative side effects and no proven or guaranteed results. Here we will discuss the alleged function of a few supplements promoted by Dr. Oz that we do not recommend them here at Mountain Trek.

Raspberry Ketone

Raspberry Ketones

These ketones allow the body to produce a protein (adiponectin), that is said to have positive effects on liver function, insulin levels and metabolism

 

 

green coffee bean

Green Coffee Bean Extract

This extract contains chlorogenic acid, which is said to slow the absorption of glucose, thereby allowing the body to burn excess fat, sugar, and ensures fat does not form.

 

Cambogia Garcinia

Cambogia Garcinia

The active ingredient in Cambogia Garcinia, HCA (hydroxycitric acid) may block the fat forming enzymes from being able to even form fat, so that fat stores are used up. It also may increase the feel-good hormone serotonin, which makes you feel happier, gives a boost of energy, and suppresses appetite.

 

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s ‘7 point check’, we too would encourage wariness about any product, like those with the ingredients above, that claim to:

  • cause substantial weight loss regardless of what you eat or if you exercise
  • cause substantial and continued weight loss even after you’ve stopped taking the supplement
  • safely allow the user to lose more than 3 pounds/week for more than 4 weeks
  • allow anyone to lose weight

There is simply no supplement substitution for nutritious food, regular exercise, and general healthy life habits like getting enough sleep, de-stressing, and getting outdoors for some fresh air!

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning hiking-based 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:

Kirkland and Cathy’s Summer Playlists

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Summer PlaylistsThere is nothing like the right tunes to get you motivated and in the zone for your best work out, and nothing like a fresh playlist to get you excited about your next fitness session. So what do the motivators listen to to motivate themselves? Here are Program director Kirkland’s, and Lead Guide Cathy’s, playlists of choice for a most motivated workout session ever!

This summer, feel the gentle groove of Kirkland’s driving tracks or get your body moving with Cathy’s get up and go workout mix.

Kirkland’s Drive Playlist:

Cathy’s Workout Playlist:

Kirkland’s Summer Reading List

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Summer Reading ListAs the joys of summer are just around the corner, so too may be your search for the perfect summer read. And if you have ever had the chance to come to Mountain Trek or to hear lead guide and manager, Kirkland Shave speak, most would agree that he is quite inspirational. But where does Kirk get his inspiration? We sat down with Kirk and found out: what’s on the top of his reading list?

 

 

Counter Clockwise- My Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-AgingCounter Clockwise: My Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-Aging

– By Lauren Kessler

Written by a Mountain Trek alumni! Lauren’s third book is delightfully funny and insightful about the anti-aging industry. She looks at how obsessed people can become in trying to remove wrinkles and make themselves look younger, rather than go for long term lifestyle and vitality practices as they age. As an ex-mountain trekker, she certainly understands the success of lifestyle changes over physical changes or invasive medical practices. The difference between feeling younger and looking younger.

 

Your Brain On Nature- The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness and VitalityYour Brain On Nature: The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality

– By Eva M. Selhub, MD, and Alan C. Logan, MD

Kirk’s favorite health book, “Your Brain on Nature,” looks at how we’re neurologically wired to release the feel good hormones oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, through natural living, and finding ways to get these hormones without relying on the trifecta of fat, carbs, and salt. Activities like gardening, petting an animal, being in nature, being touched or massaged, doing something creative, are all scientifically proven to lower the stress hormone cortisol and raise the feel good hormones, which all aids to contract the vigilance of life’s constant stressors.

 

Small Move, Big Change- Using Microresolutions to Transform Your Life PermanentlySmall Move, Big Change: Using Microresolutions to Transform Your Life Permanently

– By Caroline L. Arnold

This book stands on the shoulders of previous books in the will power theme. Caroline takes the idea of using will power to create lifestyle habits and gives practical ways of making this happen – by creating micro-resolutions that stick to habits we already have, rather than making giant sweeping lifestyle changes that never stick. Kirk’s example in his everyday habits inspired by the book: he always brushes his teeth before bed, and now in conjunction with this, does yoga for 15 mins before bed, stretching out those hiking muscles. It is now all autopilot, as this lifestyle habit of doing bedtime yoga is anchored to the already in place habit of brushing his teeth.

 

Grain Brain- The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar - Your Brain’s Silent KillersGrain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers

– By David Perlmutter, MD, with Kristin Loberg

Highly scientific, the research in “Grain Brain” is one more book of many that has lead us to the decision of being gluten free this year of Mountain Trek. This book explores the impact of gluten on people’s health; from simple bowel irritation to very serious conditions like alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

 

 

 

The Paleo Manifesto- Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health

– By John Durant

Kirk wanted to explore the whole paleo movement from diet to exercise programs. What was the foundation over the movement over the last few years? Why is it so popular? “The Paleo Manifesto” gives good insight from an anthropological perspective and the epochs of lifestyle that we’ve had as a civilization, from gathering and hunting, to farming and herding, to industrial factory work, to urban office work, and the implications of these lifestyles on our health. The research points to a return of the gathering and hunting epoch as being the healthiest, but this doesn’t mean this lifestyle is right for everybody. We could all adopt and benefit from slivers of the hunter-gatherer way of living, but this doesn’t imply we all have to strip down to a loin cloth and head out into the bush with a spear. Ultimately, walking as much as possible and eating as much of a variety of plants as possible is how we can marry our urban, office life with our roots from the Paleo era.

Please be sure to let us know how you liked these books, as well as if you have any recommendations. Happy summer, and happy reading!

7 Reasons to Come to Mountain Trek

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1. Beat the heat

-It’s not yet too hot! Spring offers some of the best weather for hitting the trail, since we’ve warmed up from winter, and are still cool before summer. Some of the most comfortable hiking temperatures available.

2. Our new spa

is just waiting for you to come try it out. We’ve been very busy over the winter and are proud to present our brand new, state of the art spa facility including an expanded infrared sauna, a deep, 8 person hot tub and cold plunge pool. Did we mention it overlooks stunning views of Kootenay Lake and the Purcell mountains? After a day of hiking, there’s no better way to totally and completely relax then to soak in the heat, and that view.

3. Freshest and greenest landscapes

that our alpine environment has to offer. Creeks and rivers are running their wildest, providing more uplifting negative ions than any other time of year. Nature is revitalized with spring and is literally bubbling over with vitality – and the same will be true for you!

4. Lose weight for bathing suit season

With summer just around the corner, look and feel your best to hit the beach. Not only are you guaranteed to lose weight while with us, but take home valuable strategies for life-long healthy nutritional and fitness habits.

5. Feel your absolute best

According to Scientific American, 75% of all Americans are deficient in the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D. There are also numerous studies that demonstrate the health benefits that being out in nature brings. Up your relaxation quotient and vitamin D with a week hiking in some of nature’s most spectacular landscapes!

6. We’re selling out – weeks are filling up fast!

With recent publicity in the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and Muscle & Fitness, among others,  Mountain Trek is on everyone lips, and minds. Don’t delay if you have a particular week or two that you’d love to come out. We’d love to have you, but with maximum guest numbers of only 16 per week, spots are filling up as we speak!

7. Save your airfare

Last but not least, the savings! This week only, we are offering our congratulations to all the grads out there, and to the loved ones who supported them on their academic journey, with a graduation week promotion of a $500 discount! This essentially means your airfare is on us. Take advantage of this rare promotion, and book for the week of June 7 today!

Your retreat is waiting for you! Call 1-800-661-5161 for more information, or to book now!

Health and Vitality as We Age: How to make the most of your Encore Career Years

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Health and Vitality as We AgeIn years past, it was not uncommon to retire after a hard, lifelong career, only to kick up your feet, relax, retire perhaps to a warmer climate, and maybe get in a couple of games of weekly golf. Yet these days, with advancements in modern medicine and a swing towards healthier life habits, not only are we living longer, we’re therefore working longer. And although this ‘retire and relax’ practice is still very much par for the course for some, we are seeing a major shift in the trend for retirees: today, boomers are younger and more active, and later in their professional life are willing and wanting to take careers that matter more to them instead of making them the big bucks or raising them higher up the corporate totem pole.

This shift in society’s working demographic has been coined as the ‘Encore Career’

While a definition is still under debate, it is typically being called ‘a substitute for retirement’, aiming to grant the individual with some form of personal satisfaction, usually through meaningful work in the not-for-profit sector, education, etc. Combining social impact, personal satisfaction, and fulfillment, along with a continued income, is a path many are finding appealing. Studies done in 2011 showed significant trends towards said Encore Careers: surveying Americans ages 44 – 70 revealed that as many as 9 million people would currently qualify themselves as being in their encore career, while another 31 million admitted to wanting an encore career, and were making moves towards it. We are seeing more and more high profile, successful, corporate professionals doing just this; Bill Gates’ switch from Microsoft to working full time for his foundation being one example of many. It appears as though finding your second act in more fun, meaningful work is becoming the norm increasingly so.

We are working longer, and changing lanes into more meaningful work.

This switch in life purpose and fun work means that now more than ever, we want to live longer, to be able to enjoy these fulfilling activities and pursuits. Living longer, means living healthier, and we are seeing huge interest into how to be healthy and full of life, well into retirement and beyond. As we age, our bodily systems slow, cell regeneration slows, our metabolism slows, and so it is important more so than ever to focus on our health. So whether your future holds retirement in the form of an encore career or relaxation, or if you are in the midst of switching over to that encore career now, or maybe you are in the midst of your well-earned retirement, here are some tips that we’ve found here at Mountain Trek about how to live long, and live well:

Quality Sleep

Sleep helps the body and mind to rest and regenerate, and is absolutely imperative to our health, nevermind that feeling rested helps tremendously in our quality of everyday life! Getting enough sleep reduces the chances of disease and aids in our productivity. Deep sleep is specifically needed in order for the body to release the human growth hormone (HGH), known as one of the anti-aging hormones. Benefits of this hormone include increasing lean muscle mass, balancing weight, and feeling good. (Exercise also helps with HGH release, as taught in our Program).

Nutrition

Eating a balanced diet is imperative to your health, and following the recommended Mountain Trek Program’s food schedule is ideal: eat ⅔ of your calories in the first 9 hours of your day, aim for a breakfast of ⅓ complex carbs, ⅓ vegetables, and fruits, and ⅓ protein, and have lunch and dinner at a ratio of ⅓ protein: ⅔ vegetables (for a continued weight loss formula). Ideally, eat within 30 minutes of rising, and be sure not to skip a meal, otherwise, your metabolism slows way down, and your body goes into calorie-conservation mode.

Hydration

Drinking enough water, 8 – 10 glasses/day, flushes the body, unwanted fat cells, and kidneys, aiding in detoxing thereby allowing our bodies to function more effectively. And as far as hydration goes – there is no substitute for good ol’ clean water! But if you really feel like you need a little something different, try a mug of comforting herbal tea, or a wedge of organic lemon or lime in your next glass of water.

Exercise

Cardio, strength training, flexibility – it’s all so important to our overall health – now, and certainly, as we age. Cardio will keep your heart healthy and aid with weight loss among other benefits, strength training aids in preventing bone loss as you age, boosting metabolism, and of course, staying strong. And stretching exercise, like yoga or Pilates, will keep you flexible and less prone to injury. As a bonus, exercise also releases some fabulous feel-good endorphins, allowing you to feel full of vitality.

Detox

Detoxifying regularly is necessary to maximize our body’s efficiency. Sweating (through exercise and sauna), drinking plenty of water, eating organic where possible, minimizing exposure to environmental toxins and harsh chemicals are all ways to rid our body of these unwanted, and potentially harmful, toxins.

De-stress

When we are stressed, the body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, into the body, which in turn upsets our entire hormonal balance, on which so many bodily functions depend. Engaging in de-stressing activities, such as time in nature, massage, meditation, even just taking a couple of deep breaths while stopped at a traffic light or in line at the grocery store, can all help our overall well-being.

Disease Prevention

Many of the above tips will help with disease prevention. Ensuring we are rid of unwanted bodily toxins, eating healthful foods, engaging in regular exercise, and sounds sleep are some of the best preventative measures out there.

Learn

Keeping the brain sharp may be one of the most important things we can do as we age, and learning is one of the best ways. Introducing new information to ourselves, assimilating it, and then using it, is some of the mind’s best exercises, for example, learning a new language or how to play a musical instrument. An encore career is a perfect way to engage in continued learning, social engagement, and interaction, and overall feelings of fulfillment – all absolutely vital for our health!

Make the most of the many years after your career, by staying fit and healthy with the tips above. Please note that all these tips are some of the key points of the Mountain Trek Program and are only summarized above – for full information, and full benefits, please feel free to come see us for a visit and enjoy the points outlined above, including learning through our educational health lectures! You deserve to enjoy a long, healthy life, and an unbelievably fulfilling, and fun, Encore Career.

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:

3 Ways To Show Yourself Some Love This Valentine’s Day

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Show yourself some love this valentine's day

Romantic candlelit dinners with that special someone, heart shape boxes of chocolates from a secret admirer, mailing red and pink envelopes to loved ones…seems to us that Valentine’s Day is all about showing others we care, but what about ourselves?

We thought it high time that in addition to all the romantic gestures we will do for others this February 14th, that we do some truly loving gestures for ourselves, too!

Here are 3 ways to show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day:

1. Get yourself some flowers

Don’t wait for him or her to do it, when was the last time you bought yourself flowers? Research shows, that beyond the numerous health benefits of being in nature, bringing a little nature into the home has many of the same effects. A study by Kansas State University compared patients in the recovery wing of a hospital; those who had plants or flowers in their rooms, and those who did not. Patients in rooms with plants requested less pain medication, showed lower blood pressure and heart rate, experienced less anxiety, and were released from the hospital sooner. And, since most of us are in the middle of winter, that added vitality and pop of color inside may be just the ticket.

Buy yourself flowers

Related Article: 14 Ways To Pamper Yourself This Valentine’s Day

2. Spa treatment

At the day spa or in your own home and bathrobe, give yourself the deluxe treatment. Engage in a full-body dry-brushing. Draw a bath, and using your favorite relaxing essential oils (i.e. lavender, chamomile, rose), have a de-stress soak. Use pure oils to moisturize afterward, leaving yourself dewy and baby soft. Include a detox sauna, if you have access to one. Get or give yourself a facial / face massage. Get a full body massage or give yourself a hand and foot massage (elbows can be helpful here), spending some real-time on every part of your hardworking hand/foot. Besides offering release and relaxation, many spa treatments have numerous health benefits, including improving circulation, immune system function, and sleep quality, stimulating the lymphatic system, reducing depression and anxiety, and the benefits go on.

Enjoy a spa treatment

3. Do something you enjoy

This may seem like a simple one, but really, in the everyday scheme of things, when do we make the time for ourselves to do one of those things we really love that truly recharges our batteries? Schedule an appointment with yourself, and keep it like a real appointment, no interruptions (after all, your time is valuable), and have guilt-free you-time. A time for you to pick up that novel you’ve been dying to sink your teeth into, try that new yoga studio you’ve been meaning to get to, refurbish that beautiful old chair you bought last year, write poetry. Whatever it is you truly enjoy and will leave you feeling relaxed, and fulfilled.

Do something you enjoy

With this inspiration, we hope that you feel the love from everyone around you, including yourself – maybe not just today, but year-round! Happy Valentine’s day, from all of us at Mountain Trek!

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:

8 Tips to Manage Temptations during the Holidays

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christmas holiday decorations

It’s impossible not to indulge, and in many cases, overindulge in all the treats on display around you during the holidays.

Absolutely everywhere you go – from office parties to dinners at your in-laws, there are juicy, buttery, sugary food items tempting you. It can be challenging to stop the parade of plump turkeys, Swiss chocolates, endless eggnogs, mountains of mashed potatoes, and seasonal micro-brew ales from sliding down into your warm, inviting belly. Heck, you’ve worked hard all year; you deserve some downtime and a few treats. After all, food and festivity is the essence of the holidays.

Related Article: How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays

But there is a way to enjoy all the deliciousness that the season has to offer, without gaining 10 pounds of excess weight and guilt along the way.

Here at Mountain Trek, we’ve come up with some simple, effective tips to help you avoid the dreaded overindulgence, while still having fun and enjoying the festive season.

8 Tips to Manage Temptations during the Holidays

1. Keep exercising

You don’t need to maintain the same schedule as you did throughout the rest of the year, but you don’t need to stop exercising altogether as well. Often you’ll find you do have some extra time over the holidays, try snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, jogging or to a yoga class. Ask your relatives to go for a walk with you. That way you’re getting some exercise and so is your favorite uncle.

2. Stick to your regular meal times

Healthy snacking is good but it’s easy to eat full meals at every party you attend. Try eating dinner at one party and then a few hours later, desert at another party. Spreading out your meals will mentally help you to avoid overindulging.

3. Make healthy food choices

With all the delicious treats around you it’s easy to forget about vegetables, salads and fruit. And if you’re the one doing the cooking, try using fresh, lean, organic ingredients. Instead of frying, grill your food. And remember, there is a host of low-fat, vegetarian and vegan dishes (including desserts) that can compliment the usual turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoe dinners.

4. Leave what you don’t want

Despite what our parents may have instilled in us as children, don’t feel obliged to clear your plate. When you’re feeling 80% full, stop eating. Simple as that.

5. Budget your food choices

If you can’t stop yourself from overindulging on turkey and stuffing, then skip the ice-cream and apple pie.

6. Be mindful of your alcohol intake

Remember, drinks have calories too. Alcohol can make you hungry and weaken your ability to say no to overindulging. Alcohol is a depressant and can add to feelings of stress or sadness, thus leading you to make poor food choices. And if you drink too close to bedtime it can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep.

7. Stay strong

Be assertive. Don’t feel as though you have to say yes to everyone that offers you food and drink. If you are not hungry, then politely say so. Do not let yourself be bullied by your auntie or grannie, into eating something that you really don’t want.

8. Don’t over schedule yourself

While this may not necessarily stop you from overindulging, it will help you to focus on what’s most important about the holiday season–spending quality time with loved ones. And remember, everything in moderation.

Happy holidays from everyone at Mountain Trek!

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: