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.

Healthy Gift Guide: 6 Gift Ideas to Support a Healthy Lifestyle

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a mug mittens thermos and gift box in the snowIt can sometimes be a challenge to get that special someone just the right gift, never mind a gift that promotes well being! We’ve thrown together a few gift ideas that are easy to incorporate into your healthy lifestyle. These are sure to inspire your loved ones to embrace wellness too.

Gift Ideas For a Healthy Lifestyle

Re-useable Containers

What could have previously been thought of as an unexciting present, is now the catalyst to healthy snacking and meals throughout the day! A Tupperware set will provide lots of little pots, perfect for your cut up veggies, nuts, and dips. We recommend ‘Her Lunch Set’  by  Tupperware. A thermos is also a great idea to bring a low calorie, highly nutritious and warming meal on the go.

Nordic Trekking poles

Nothing says “join me on a hike” like a set of trekking poles. With that added support while hiking, and added calories burned from their use, these are a great gift for any hiker; from seasoned to novice. We recommend poles with shock absorbing springs.

Fitness balls, mats, and bands

Get into the fitness groove with the help of some simple, inexpensive, yet super effective exercise equipment!

Aromatherapy and healing salts

What better way to wind down from the day than a bath with oh-so relaxing lavender oil and Himalayan healing salts? Engaging in these relaxing rituals can help put us in a frame of mind that takes us away from stressors, and ready for a restful night’s sleep. You could even get your giftee an essential oil diffuser, allowing the aroma to better fill their space.

Spa Voucher

Who wouldn’t love a trip to the local spa for a relaxation massage or detoxifying infrared sauna?

Wellness retreat

You could of course go all out, and get that special and deserving someone the gift of a rejuvenating retreat at Mountain Trek! What better gift than getting to feel your absolute best!

Supporting each other on this journey towards vitality and continued wellness is so much easier, and so much more fun when we can be engaged together. Give the gift of facilitating health and wellness this holiday season!

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:

Embracing an Attitude of Gratitude

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thank you written in tiles on a wooden table with a hand holding a heart tile

A steaming hot mug of peppermint tea. Sharing a good laugh with your best friend on the phone. Going for a hike on a crisp, clear, fall day. Thanksgiving; a time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for! But is putting gratitude on the calendar one day a year enough to embrace this attitude?

In a recent study, two groups of people were asked to journal 5 things each day over a two week period: group one, 5 things for which they were grateful, and group two, 5 things that were a hassle. The benefits for those who jotted down their daily appreciation were clear. These grateful people showed more alertness, optimism, enthusiasm, energy, and determination. They showed lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lower blood pressure, and reported less depression, better sleep, and a higher likelihood of achieving personal goals. Not to mention the positive impact on the way they think and feel! In essence: expressing gratitude regularly contributes to overall happiness in a big way.

Seems like recognizing our blessings is a worthwhile activity! But how can we go about feeling and showing our thanks? Here are some simple ideas to get your attitude of gratitude flowing.

How to Make Space for Gratitude

Gratitude Journal

Just like Oprah suggested way back when, get yourself a journal, and as a great addition to your morning or evening ritual, jot down 5 (or more!) things for which you are grateful. This gratitude can be for ANYTHING, big or small! Your loving partner, the particularly delicious apple you ate earlier, existence, the kind smile from the old lady in the line up at the grocery store, anything. If you’re short on time, this needn’t be a hassle – keep a small notebook with you, and in those in between moments when you’re waiting for your dentist appointment or your daughter’s Judo lesson to wrap up, make that time count by writing some notes of thanks.

Gratitude Rock

A gratitude rock is a small keepsake or memento, and the idea is that when you touch it or see it, you take a moment to feel gratitude and say thanks. You can keep it in your pocket, your purse, in the console of your car, the table in your entranceway where you drop your keys when you walk in the door, anywhere that works. And of course, this doesn’t need to be an actual rock! It can be a small figurine, your key chain, anything that works for you to initiate those thankful thoughts.

Consistently acknowledging and appreciating the people who make a difference in our lives

Sometimes we feel gratitude towards someone for doing a special something for us, or just for being who they are. Instead of keeping this feeling within, why not take a moment to express this gratitude, and let them know we appreciate their presence? As William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” This can be in the form of a phone call, a quick email or text, or even taking the time to write a thank you note or card. And by the way, acknowledging the people who make a positive impact in our lives includes appreciating yourself!

It seems as though we could all benefit from counting our blessings and adopting an attitude of gratitude! So, as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, what are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving from 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:

Cathy Grierson, BPhEd

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Cathy has developed a fitness program at Mountain Trek that complements the hiking intensive. Her positive, upbeat manner inspires and motivates our guests; she is a true role model. For 25 years as a certified hiking guide, the outdoors have been her “office” where she has worked as a park ranger, an Outward Bound instructor, an avalanche technician, ski patroller, rappel forest fire fighter and a Wilderness First Aid instructor. On the trail or in the gym, Cathy’s vitality and vigor are contagious.

 

Melanie Robin

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Melanie Robin Guest Services2

The newest member of the Mountain Trek Team is Guest Services Coordinator, Melanie Robin. After receiving her M.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Ottawa, Melanie set out to explore all the world had to offer.

Before deciding to settle down in the Kootenays, she spent three years in New Zealand where she worked in guest services roles for various hotels, as a marine tour guide, and even a sailor.

Melanie brings her sense of adventure, an infectious love of outdoor activity, and a finely tuned sense of warm hospitality to her new role here at Mountain Trek.

In her spare time she can be found hiking the local trails with her partner and two dogs… rain or shine or snow. Because, in Melanie’s words, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!”

JENN KEIRSTEAD, RHN, BA Psych

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You’ll always eat your veggies after you’ve spent some time with Jenn! Her whole hearted approach to food and diet is both passionate and inspiring. Jenn has been practicing and teaching about the healing qualities of whole foods for the last decade. With a background in psychology and nutrition, she delves deep into diet, lifestyle and emotional aspects of food, offering insightful and practical changes that garner huge results.

Although Jenn grew up in a swimming pool, competing all over Canada, she’s most at home experimenting with food from her garden and pursuing backcountry adventures with her dogs.

Anna Topf

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Energetic and passionate about health and fitness, Anna has been working in the field of wellness for over 10 years. Anna has taught yoga for many years and has spent the last seven working as a kinesiologist in exercise therapy. She is a Medical Exercise Specialist, (MES) and a Certified Chek Exercise Coach. The Chek philosophy focuses on finding your body’s potential through core strength and posture, a perfect complement to Mountain Trek’s program of integrated health. Anna spends most days outside hiking, biking and playing in the dirt.

Katya Hayes

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katyaresize

Katya Hayes has been a dedicated yoga teacher for 15 years. She owns her own studio, and teaches classes ranging from gentle yoga for beginners to Power Vinyasa. Katya became the first western woman to receive certification by the International Korean Yoga Association. She has studied the ancient teachings of yoga and Buddhism and the traditions of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Vinyasa flow. For 12 years, Katya has been one of our primary yoga instructors and has produced a DVD entitled “Anywhere Yoga – A Gentle Practice” for everyday living. Katya spends her free time exploring the wonders of the mountains with her three children, husband and small, super dog.

Laurie Hartland

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Laurie’s passion for cooking has spanned over thirty years, and has taken her from the kitchens of Banff, Alberta and the mega volume of Expo’s 86-88, to the remoteness of tree planting camps in the far corners of British Columbia, before she settled in the Kootenays to raise her family.
She is delighted to have the opportunity to express her creativity and pursue her keen interest in alternative foods and nutrition, while nurturing Mountain Trek Retreat guests.
Mountain Trek Retreat’s kitchen team of Laurie Hartland, Bonnie Van Tassel, Deborah Welbourn, Judith Taylor and Sarah Sinclair, share a love of feeding the bodies and souls of those that sign up for the MT experience. As a whole they are able to sustain and educate guests with their healthy cuisine and are all honoured to be an integral element of such an enriching environment.

5 Reasons Why You (and a friend) Should Join Us At Mountain Trek This Year

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Fall Hike at Monica Meadows in BC

Mountain Trek is half-way through its 2013 season and what an incredible one it has been. The majority of our weeks have been sold out, we’ve had unprecedented press coverage (we’ve been featured in everything from the National Post to CNN), our guests have met most of their fitness goals while making life-long friends and the weather has been absolutely stunning: we’ve enjoyed lots of sunshine with clear blue skies and stunning views of the mountains, lakes and rivers in this beautiful area of British Columbia.

Not only is August a chance to look back at the year thus far, but it’s also a month for recreation, relaxation, and retreat. You’ve worked hard all year and now it’s time to consider taking some space for yourself. Start thinking about leaving behind the stresses and worries of your job, your child-rearing, or whatever it is that occupies so much of your time, if even for a little while. Whether you need to do this on your own, or you’re happy to have your spouse, family or friends join you, it’s time to treat yourself to a Mountain Trek experience!

Here are five reasons why you should book a two-week “Lifestyle Renewal” program or a one-week “Metabolism Reboot” program in the late summer and/or autumn months at Mountain Trek.

1. We’re offering more!

As many of you already know, a week or two at Mountain Trek is a life-changing adventure. Nowhere else offers the unique combination of spa, vacation and boot camp that is the Mountain Trek experience. With our luxurious alpine lodge as your comfortable home base, you’ll experience world-class hiking, and nutrition and lifestyle guidance that will boost your metabolism and shift you into a lasting, healthy state of body and mind for the rest of the year, and beyond! And now, in response to some of our guests’ requests, we are offering even more workshops including a cooking class, restorative yoga, and mindfulness class.

2. The kids are away – time to play

As our children head back to school now’s the perfect opportunity to get away from your day-to-day and spend some much-needed time on yourself getting fit during the day and getting pampered at night with our massages, saunas and world-famous hot springs.

3. ‘Tis the season for wildlife

Late summer and autumn is the time when we spot even more animals: the moose, deer and elk are wandering the wilds looking for mates; the marmots, pikas, chipmunks and rabbits are stockpiling; and the osprey, eagles and innumerable songbirds are all in flight, passing south to their winter abodes.

4. Have the outdoors all to yourself

Can you imagine having the mountains all to yourself? Late summer and autumn are the perfect time to visit the south-central region of B.C. because there are fewer tourists on such iconic hikes as Idaho Peak and Fry Creek. It will be just you, your new-found fitness friends and some of the most stunning mountainous views in the world.

5. Get back on track

Summer is typically the time when we set aside some of our healthy routines and indulge in drinks on the patio, french fries at the festivals, and staying up late into the night. Come to Mountain Trek, eat delicious healthy meals, boost your vitality and metabolism, get more active and then take everything you’ve learned back to your daily life again.

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: