Trek Dirty to Me: 55 days until it is up the first mountain on the AT, and I have my nutrition plan!
A process that began in October has finally come to an end. I have figured out the secret sauce of nutrition to help carry me through the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail. As I wrote in a previous post, I do not intend to succumb to the processed empty carbs and refined sugars that are commonplace on the trail within the thru-hiking community.
More ‘professional’ thru-hikers are trading in the ramen bombs (ramen and powdered mash potatoes) for healthier alternatives and are encouraging others to follow suit. Post-thru-hike depression (a real thing that happens regularly) could very well be worsened by withdrawals from the junk food diets hikers eat on trail for 4-6 months. If not the withdrawals, then the yo-yo weight gain when these same hikers have difficulty adapting to off-trail lifestyles and appropriate diets.
My goal is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021 and the Continental Divide Trail in 2022, along with some shorter thru-hikes sprinkled in between. My health and nutrition are of chief importance in this endeavor as I transition my self from the chef life to the athlete life.
Dr. Mom and I began looking at what would go into a primarily liquid on-trail diet in October, and today I am happy to share with you the results. So, without further adieu, my on-trail dining/nutrition plan for one day.
Daily food:
B/D Seeking Health Optimal Multivitamin = 8 tabs = 1/30 bottle
(vitamin and mineral insurance)
B/D Seeking Health Homocystex Plus = 2 tabs = 1/30 bottle
(additional help with B vitamins)
B/D Integrative Therapeutics Theracurmin HP = 2 tabs = 1/60 bottle
(fight inflammation)
B/L/D Huel = 3 shakes (6sc/each) = 3500kc/270gP/414gC = 1/2 bag
(fuel)
B Athletic Greens = 2 packs = 80kc/8gP/10gC = 1/15 bag
(veggie insurance)
B Jade Leaf Matcha Green Tea Powder = 1 pack = 1/30 box
(a little kick in my smoothie)
B Bub’s Naturals MCT Oil Powder = 1 pack = 1/14 box
(best potential energy to burn)
D Bub’s Naturals Collagen Protein Powder = 1 pack = 20gP = 1/20 box
(repair joints at day’s end)
First liter of water Humann BeetElite = 2tsp = 1/20 tub
(energy, endurance and digestive health)
Marukome Miso Soup = 1 pack = 1/12 box
(Fucking love miso, and will use it as flavor for my unflavored Huel)
Other seasoning for dinner (unflavored Huel TBD)
As needed:
(keep things interesting and pumped with electrolytes)
(additional fuel and chewing)
(additional fuel, chewing, crickets (!), and fiber)
(I love cake and this is a birthday cake flavored bit of fuel as a chewable treat)
(additional chewable fuel and fat)
(additional fuel and fat)
And that’s a wrap on that.
-AJ
Science!
-AJ
My first Father’s Day.