No, mine is not. It is much more like an amusement park filled with cotton candy, deep fried everything and of course cinnamon roasted almonds.
I have found that I enjoy being outside much more when I am in shape and when that shape is not round. Hiking mountains becomes easier when you weigh less and your balance becomes better. I am far from an expert on healthy living but I do have some ideas on the subject.
First is nutrition, I'm not going to go on and on about what you should and shouldn't eat, that would be very hypocritical of me. I will say that when you keep a healthy balanced diet you feel better and have more energy, you can hike farther longer.
One thing I do know a bit about is caffeine. I have been on both sides I have worked crazy hours and depended on it to "survive" and in some ways this was true. When I wasn't able to get even a reasonable amount of sleep I drank it to get me going faster in the morning, and then had more of it to keep me from crashing in the middle of the day, then of course I needed more to keep me going well into the night. Then there was trying to sleep that night. For a long time I told myself I slept just fine, but I didn't. It reached a point where I finally realized I had made myself dependent on caffeine, I became more acclimated to low sleep. Then one day I decided that I needed to take control back. Just like any addiction I took steps to break free of it. I made a plan gave myself a timeline and prepared myself mentally for what I was about to undertake. First I limited my intake to specific amounts at certain times like having soda with meals but not in between, then removed it from my evening all together, then eliminated it completely. What I found was I slept much better. When I woke up I was alert and functioning much quicker than before. Thru the day I didn't run into any midday crash. The only down side was I had developed a serious sleep schedule, when my bed time arrived I became very tired very quickly. Which is only a problem if I wanted to say, stay up late to have fun with friends. This was a couple of years ago and I do drink caffeine again but not nearly as much as I had. I am also not nearly as dependent on it as I was. Even with the crazy schedule I keep now I have gone days without caffeine. Now, I am not condemning your morning coffee or a nice cup after dinner. I bring this up because out hiking in the wild having a dependence like that can ruin your trip. All addictions have physical withdrawals, I know many people addicted to caffeine that get headaches if not consumed daily. Also carrying around all that extra gear, whether it's the coffee maker or a few cans of energy drinks, they start adding up in weight and taking up valuable space. I do enjoy a cup of campfire coffee on a cold morning as much as anyone else, just think about how much it is worth to you.
The second thing I would like to talk about is smoking. Again, something I know about first hand. I am a smoker and yet enjoy physical activity. Many of the same reasons that I brought up about caffeine addiction, I also apply to cigarettes. They take up space and add extra weight not to mention the part where they fill you lungs with tar and chemicals, cutting down your lung capacity and therefore slowing you down. Oh, and there is that bit about lung cancer as well. It is an addiction that I have yet to be able to break free from, but I will keep making new plans and keep fighting to be free of it., i will always give it a look
Last up is exercise. Again I am not an expert, I might barely be informed even. But I do know that when you are not in good physical condition you are limiting the adventures you SHOULD undertake. I am a deep end of the pool kind of person, when there I something I want I dive right in after it. Funny, that very recently I jumped into the deep end of a pool without checking the water in the slightest first. I imagined it migh be a little chilly but it turned out to be quite cold. It happens sometimes. Anyway, I usually start exercise routines in the same way, by picking a moderate to strenuous hike without first preparing my body. This usually ends with me having a few days worth of aches, pains, and very sore muscles. A better way to do things would be to create and maintain a level of exercise that will allow you to do the adventures you want without the drawback of being out of commission for days after.
I always like information and if you have any on any of these subjects that you would like to share please pass is along I will always give it a look.
Here is a blog that belongs to a good friend of mine that knows way more on these topics than i do and i read it often. http://thishealthygirl.blogspot.com/
"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
No comments:
Post a Comment