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.

Captain Ainsworth’s Classic Fall Soup

/in /by

Captain Ainsworth’s Classic Fall Soup

This soup is named for the founder of our rural area, Ainsworth Hot Springs. We imagine a hot pot of earthy soup like this would have fed the miners toiling away on the nearby mountains a century ago. We’ve innovated with a little coconut milk to build a creamy base and added protein. Our Captain Ainsworth’s Classic Fall Soup serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 4 oz chicken breasts
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 1/2 cup finely chopped Swiss chard
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 2 minced cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 1 cup onions, diced
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cup veggie or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup yam, diced

PREPARATION

  1. Cube the chicken breasts, lightly sauté or bake, and set aside.
  2. Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and jalapenos in a soup pot with the oil until just translucent then set aside.
  3. Combine the stock, allspice, squash, yam, and celery in another pot and lightly boil until cooked through and tender.
  4. Puree the soup stock until smooth.
  5. Add the onion-celery mix as well as the chard, the chicken, and the coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Season with salt to taste.

The Rise of “Forest Bathing” — And How Forests Reset Your Hormones

/in /by

mountain and forest scenery in Kokanee glacier park

Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health And Happiness by Dr. Qing Li invites you to the world and art of Japanese “Shinrin-Yoku,” or “forest bath.” Dr. Li is one of the world’s leading experts on how time spent in deep nature improves health and lives. In his book, he writes beautifully and persuasively about the stress of our modern, digital, electric existences, and how spending time in a forest is the answer.

The book takes you on a gorgeous journey through Japan’s forests, where between 2.5 and 5 million people walk these forest trails each year. Japan is home to 62 certified forest therapy bases! 

Dr. Li illustrates a core concept of what many ancient cultures instinctively knew: people are meant to be outside, breathe fresh air, and commune with nature. It’s not just about feeling balanced and de-stressed. 

Forest bathing has been scientifically proven that time spent in nature:

  • increases immune function
  • helps you sleep deeper
  • balances your hormones
  • decreases stress

One study found that after a three-day, two-night forest trip, people’s white blood cell count went up by 53%!

It’s exciting to see one of Mountain Trek’s core tenets of health and wellness gain attention in the public consciousness. The cornerstone of our program is balancing hormones to help your body function optimally — only then can you achieve natural health and functional fitness.

Make Time For Nature – For Your Health’s Sake

Digital detox and time spent in deep nature work together to meaningfully realign and reset your body, mind, and spirit. In deep nature, you find a wealth of negative ions, healing essential oils, and a sorely needed respite from digital devices. Outside, the forest engages all of your senses. The complex, delightful scents of the forest don’t just relax us and put us in a better mood — it’s proven to lower cortisol.

Prioritizing time spent outdoors should no longer be considered just a leisure activity. Dr. Li’s book adds to the growing scientific community calling for more time spent in the forest for your health’s sake. Whether you plan a walk or hike in a local park, or even just step outside during your lunch break, you’ll be reducing stress and supporting your own vitality.

Need a reset? Join us for a week at Mountain Trek, where you’ll be immersed in the forest for more than three hours every day, eat organic spa cuisine, and rebalance your hormones for a more optimal life. Don’t miss August when we hike high into the alpine and get some of the most gorgeous, rewarding views of the season. If you’re an autumn lover, you can’t miss September and October — with cooler temperatures and stunning fall foliage, it’s some of our favorite hiking of the year. Check out our rates and dates page for more information. Go ahead — you deserve it.

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:

Mountain Trek Retreat & Health Spa

/in /by

MOUNTAIN TREK BRITISH COLUMBIA

Sunset at the Mountain Trek Lodge & Spa

What To Expect:

Imagine an all-inclusive luxurious health and wellness retreat that not only takes care of your every need but also ensures you lose weight and improve your fitness. At Mountain Trek’s health retreat in Canada it’s easy to reverse the effects of aging and feel vitality again. You’re going to relax fully and deeply, reduce your stress, reset your metabolism, and overcome your health hurdle.

Spend a week or two at our beautiful Nelson, British Columbia lodge and receive the individualized attention you deserve. Nestled in the pristine mountains, Mountain Trek allows you to retreat from your busy urban lifestyle and truly reconnect with yourself and with nature. Our all-inclusive program, which runs from Saturday to Saturday, hosts a maximum of 16 guests, and our experienced, caring staff, ensure you’ll be well taken care of your entire stay. While here, you’ll have nothing to worry about except enjoying your retreat.

Watch our program video above to learn more.

What Our Program Accomplishes:

  • Raising cardiovascular fitness levels by Nordic Fitness Trekking 3-4 hrs daily and participating in a variety of evening fitness classes (for fat-burning opportunities)
  • Raising human growth hormones via strength training classes 3 times per week
  • Lowering the stress hormone Cortisol, by removing caffeine and limiting device use to private bedrooms
  • Raising the sleep hormone melatonin by powering off WiFi between 10pm-6am
  • Supporting the elimination organs by removing inflammatory foods such as sugar, alcohol, starch and processed food
  • Plus: improved fitness, weight loss, stress reduction, improved sleep and toxin elimination

Thousands of guests have realized the benefits of giving their body and mind a break from their day-to-day lifestyle. And they’ve also found their own choices within the program to participate at the level and intensity that supports their unique goals. Please phone us (1-800-661-5161) to see how the Mountain Trek detox retreat and health program can be adjusted to meet your own needs.

Program Features:

Sunrise Release & Mobilize Yoga

Nordic Fitness Trekking

Spa Cuisine

Watch the sun rise over the mountains and lake while you relax, release tension, stretch and mobilize to start your day.

You’ve never seen scenery like this before! Prepare to hike in one of the most lush environments on earth.

Locally farmed organic vegetables, fruit, meat and so much more are on the menu and are expertly prepared by our professional chefs.

Health Lectures

Evening Fitness Classes

Spa & Sauna

Learn why it’s so important to get moving and to immerse yourself in nature through “forest bathing” experiences.

Your body will be so grateful as you sweat out winter’s toxins in our state-of-the-art fitness gym.

Mild days & cool nights – perfect temperatures for an evening soak in our outdoor spa or a soothing massage before bed.

Contact Us to Learn More

Our Favorite Bodyweight Exercises

/in , /by

It’s a difficult task to prioritize time for exercise and maintain fitness. Between work responsibilities, balancing home life, children, and travel, it’s easy to de-prioritize exercise. And when people do think about exercise, it’s often cardio. However, don’t forget stretching and support body strength. Many people are intimidated by free weights at the gym, but exercising needn’t always take place there! Here are some of our favorite exercises that you can complete almost anywhere — at home or on the road.

Plank

illustration of a person executing plank pose exercise

This classic bodyweight exercise strengthens your abdominals and your pelvic floor. Your body’s core is the foundation of a person’s strength: your core muscles support your spine and pelvis and are crucial for balance.

  • Start in on all fours; like for cat-cow, make sure your arms are directly beneath your shoulders. 
  • Step one foot back at a time so that your heels are directly above your ankles. 
  • Maintain a straight line from your head, along your spine, to your ankles. To achieve this: engage your core, draw your belly-button to your spine, and squeeze your glutes. 
  • Look straight down at the ground, and not at your toes to maintain your straight spine. 
  • Hold for as long as you can, then lower your knees for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. 
  • If this hurts your wrists, or you begin to get tired, lower to your elbows and/or your knees.

Traditional Squat

illustration of a person executing squat exercise

Strength training builds the muscles we need to burn calories and also helps counteract osteoporosis and the effects of a catabolic (or decaying) metabolism. The glutes are the largest and most powerful muscle system in the body! The traditional, unweighted squat is an excellent strength challenge for the glutes, quads, and hamstrings — it even strengthens your lower back and abdominals. As such, it’s an incredibly efficient bodyweight workout.

  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your toes facing forward. With, or without holding weights.
  • Relax your shoulders away from your ears and hold your arms by your sides. 
  • Then, lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, almost like you’re sitting down in a chair.
  • Keep your chest high and your weight in your heels, not your toes!
  • Slowly raise yourself to stand by pressing into your heels and engaging your glutes.
  • Make sure your pelvis is tilted forward to keep any strain off your lower back.

Challenging yourself? Try jump squats — squat deep, and on your way back up thrust yourself into the air, pointing your toes.

Side Lunge

illustration of a person executing standing side lunge exercise

So much of our daily movement is on the forward and backward plane of motion, leading to tight hip flexors and hips. This is an excellent exercise to stretch and strengthen your lower body and core. 

  • Begin with your feet hip-width apart, your hips square, and your shoulders over your hips.
  • Take a wide lateral step, and bend into that knee as low as you can without lifting your heels.
  • Engage your core to keep your chest high, and your weight in your heels, not your toes!
  • Feel the stretch along your inner thigh.
  • Slowly raise yourself to stand by pressing into your heels and engaging your glutes.
  • Repeat on each leg 10 times

Standing Hip Stretch

illustration of a person executing standing hip stretch exercise

Flexibility is so important, especially as we age. If we don’t continue to lengthen our muscles, we’ll end up with less range of motion. Stretching should occur right when you wake up, intermittently throughout the day, before and after workouts, and just before bed — even if just for 5 minutes. When stretching, be mindful, focusing on the muscle you’re working. Relax with each exhalation, and don’t push too hard — this risks overextension. Ride the line of challenging yourself without putting yourself in pain.

One of our favorite stretches can be done anywhere. This stretch counteracts the rounding of the back that occurs while sitting at a desk.

  • Find a desk or table that is hip height. Alternatively, you can use a wall. 
  • With hands firmly placed on the desk and your feet hip-width apart, walk your feet back, creating a 90-degree angle in the body. 
  • Extend your sitting bones back, opening the chest and armpits while lengthening the spine.
  • Feel the stretch along the entire backs of your legs, your spine, chest, shoulders, and arms.
  • Take three big, deep breaths, and slowly walk yourself back to a standing position.

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:

Our Secrets For Navigating Restaurant Menus

/in , , , /by

a cafe table set with lunch items

If there’s one challenge to maintaining a well-balanced, nutritious diet, it’s eating out. Whether for work, travel or convenience, restaurant food is incredibly high in calories and can derail even the best of diets. Check out our tips for navigating restaurant menus so you can stay on track.

How to Eat Healthy While Dining Out

Before You Arrive At The Restaurant, Determine Your Simple Carb Priorities

Plan to pick either bread, dessert, or alcohol. Limiting yourself to just one of these simple carb categories will allow you to enjoy yourself and indulge a bit without going overboard.

Skip The Pre-Dinner Drink — But Be Sure To Have A Full Glass Of Water

While enjoying a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine before a meal is customary, alcohol lowers your willpower, and you’ll be much more likely to overindulge after a drink or two. If you’re going to have a drink, plan to have it with your meal.

Additionally, before you even look at the menu, make sure to drink a full glass of water. This allows you to approach the menu feeling a little bit satiated, rather than with a cavernous growling stomach. This limits the “eyes are bigger than the stomach” effect!

Ask The Server Not To Bring Any Bread

Restaurant bread baskets are almost impossible to resist and full of totally empty calories. Avoid the temptation entirely and just as you sit down to the table, kindly ask your server not to bring a bread basket or any pre-meal snacks.

Order All Dressings On The Side

Ordering a salad? Ask for the dressing on the side so that you can better control the portion. Better yet, ask if your salad can be served with a side of oil and vinegar — it’ll cut out extraneous sugars that often lurk in dressings.

Split A Meal With Another Guest (Or Save Half For Lunch Tomorrow!)

Many (but not all) restaurant serving sizes are well beyond recommended portion sizes. Do your research before the meal, and if it seems like a restaurant has larger or oversized portions, consider splitting a meal with another guest — or boxing up half and saving it for the next day!

Keep Your Plate 75% Vegetables, 25% Lean Protein

Just like when you’re cooking for yourself, plan to keep your plate three-quarters veggies and one-quarter protein! At most restaurants (like those with pagers), you’ll still be able to find some nutrient-packed options. Look for lean proteins like fish and poultry, greens and beans.

By preparing yourself with the tips above when you eat out, you’ll maintain a healthy balance and stay on track. Happy menu navigating!

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:

Why You Should Take Your Next Wellness Trip Solo

/in , /by

Photo Jun 13, 12 04 04 PM

Solo wellness travel is growing in popularity. As individuals realize the value of recharging alone, and without all the responsibilities of home to bring with them. This is something we’ve long known and treasured at Mountain Trek: the return to the self while spending time in deep nature. Check out the top three reasons why you should take your next wellness trip in blissful solitude.

Finally, A Real Vacation

We all know that a family vacation doesn’t always feel like a vacation — especially if you’re generally the planner of your crew. Your mind, body, and spirit crave (and deserve) true relaxation and release. With all the worry of getting everyone organized and on time, reservations and excursions, big dinners out, and early mornings with the little ones, even exotic vacations can be overwhelming

You deserve a real vacation, where you can gently let go of all your daily responsibilities and truly recharge. Find peace of mind, mental, digital, and physical detox, and you’ll come back totally renewed.

Restorative Power of Time Spent Alone in Nature

Our busy, urban lives exhaust the body and mind. At home, we’re surrounded by noise, activity, and digital devices. You won’t believe the difference a week away, surrounded by fresh air, gorgeous scenery and lots of good physical activity can do to counteract that stress.

Time spent immersed in nature has been proven to lower blood pressure, blood glucose levels and stress hormones. This life philosophy is a cornerstone of our approach to wellness at Mountain Trek: in the program, we spend at least four hours per day outside (preferably more) in order to reap the maximum benefit of the soothing, restorative power of the outdoors. Most of this time is spent in relative quiet, as we hike around The Kootenays and focus on our personal experiences.

Self-Discovery & Contemplation

Removed from your responsibilities and able to devote a full week to yourself, you’ll find that Mountain Trek is a place for self-discovery and contemplation. Many guests join us specifically at a time in their lives when they need to focus on a next step, or process something that’s recently occurred. At The Lodge, you’ll find like-minded explorers and travelers on similar journeys (80% of our guests are solo travelers); and this invaluable time spent to take a step back often serves as a crucial turning point for people on their own wellness, emotional and spiritual journeys.

For women solo travelers, Mountain Trek can be an empowering, courageous act of self-care. Sometimes what we really need to grow is to experience something alone — something that might intimidate us.

Taking a solo wellness trip is the ultimate act of self-care and will recharge and refresh you in a truly life-changing way. Haven’t traveled solo yet? Make this year the year you add it to your annual self-care regimen and watch how your life unfolds with more clarity and intention. Ready to reinvigorate your 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:

The Key To Self-Care: Deservedness

/in /by

DeathtoStock_DesertSunrise-09

In conversations about wellness, you may have seen “self-care” pop up. We believe self-care is crucial to whole-self wellness and lifelong vitality — but what we don’t talk about when we talk about self-care is the underlying value that makes it possible.

First Things First: What Is Self-Care?

Self-care is anything you do deliberately to feed your own personal mental, emotional and physical well-being. For example, self-care could be anything from a yoga class, a 10-minute meditation, an hour spent reading alone in a cozy spot, a massage, and much, much more. We do so many things for others: working, parenting, and being a good partner, friend and child. Self-care is meant to refuel and replenish your body, mind and spirit. If you don’t take enough care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else.

The Foundation of Self-Care: Deservedness

The concept of deservedness is the underlying principle that powers self-care. In order to take care of yourself, you must first know and believe that you deserve attention from yourself and that you deserve to invest in yourself. It’s the idea that self-care is not something you earn by being productive or successful — it’s something each and every human inherently deserves.

Related Article: Positive Psychology

In terms of self-care, deservedness is a tool that will help you create healthy, sustainable boundaries. Recognizing and respecting your limits will help you be a better person, parent, friend, coworker, manager, decision-maker and much, much more. Burning yourself out or allowing yourself to become overworked doesn’t help anyone — despite the messages about productivity “doing it all” that we’re sent from media and culture.

At Mountain Trek, we believe deservedness is one of the core tenets of lifelong vitality — no health care program or protocol will truly work in the longterm without it. Ready to invest in yourself and unlearn unhealthy habits? Begin your trek to lifelong vitality with a week at Mountain Trek in our gorgeous British Columbia lodge.

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:

4 Reasons Why Fad Diets Fail

/in , /by

sliced orange and cucumber with a glass of juice and juicer

At Mountain Trek, we’re used to hearing all about fad diets that people have experimented with — the Keto diet, the Mediterranean diet, paleo diet, military diet— and we don’t recommend any of them. The very definition of the verb “to diet” tells you exactly why this approach to achieve vitality fails: “to restrict oneself to small amounts of special kinds of food in order to lose weight.”

Dieting is often unsustainable, and fails for these 4 reasons:


Fad diets focus on one measure of health — weight.

Weight is an excellent indicator of health but is not the only one! This laser-focus on weight is a product of a culture that largely results in an unhelpful pattern of guilt and shame and isn’t focused on real wellness. Our take? Weight loss is a byproduct of a return to natural health — a lifestyle change featuring whole fruits, vegetables, and nutritious protein sources.

Fad diets erroneously focus on “miracle ingredients” or “Superfoods”.

These are simply marketing gimmicks. Humans were perfectly capable of whole health before diets that heavily feature reishi mushrooms, matcha, ashwagandha, and other trendy ingredients and supplements came on the scene! Rather than focus on one Superfood, focus on creating a “Super plate” that incorporates balance and a wide variety of seasonal ingredients.

Diets are often too restrictive, and unrealistic for long-term adoption.

Anything you can’t keep doing isn’t worth doing. That’s why we recommend a 5:2 system: Five days of a commitment to eating well, and two days to let yourself enjoy in moderation — whether it’s a scoop of your favorite ice cream or a drink (or two) of delicious, indulgent wine.

Diets often mimic famine.

Go too long without food, or with too little food, and the body stores calories because it doesn’t know when the next meal is. Smart snacking is important for the body’s metabolism! Small, nutrient-packed snacks keep your body burning energy.

A Better Approach to Nutrition

Long-term health and wellness are achievable, however, when you take a life-long, sustainable approach. Find a wellness approach you can commit to, if not for life, for the foreseeable future. Learn more about our approach to balanced nutrition.

 

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:

The Real Commitment That Will Turn Your Health Around

/in , , /by

DeathtoStock_Clementine18

As a culture, we’re obsessed with quick fixes: the newest workout class craze, the buzziest new “superfood” ingredient, the shiny new supplements — we’re incredibly seduced by the idea that health and wellness is just one consumer decision away. The truth is, there is no pill for vitality. It’s not easy — as Kirk likes to say, “this is the warrior’s path.”

However, success is not a product of perfection. For the average busy, exhausted, overworked person, the first step to a lifestyle of health and wellness is getting used to prioritizing yourself.

No one “has” time: You have to make time

Our modern lifestyles demand much of us: time and energy are at a premium as we rush from workout to event, home to work and some quick shopping. For many people, the pressure causes them to deprioritize their own wellbeing. In order to maintain a healthful lifestyle that contributes to lifelong vitality, we have to create space for ourselves to exercise and eat nutritious foods, but we can’t do that if we are overextended. That’s why you must make time for yourself — to create and nurture the energy you need to make healthful decisions.

It’s in our nature — but not our own best interest — to put ourselves last

There’s a reason that airlines ask you to secure your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else with theirs: You can’t be useful or helpful to people if you don’t take care of yourself. Unfortunately, when prioritizing, too many people put themselves last. The effects of this can end up hurting your other priorities, however. Part of caring for others is caring for yourself.

Start small: Make plans with yourself — to relax

Get in the habit of rewarding your desire to be kind to yourself. Once per week, even just for 30 minutes, do something that relaxes you and makes you happy. Go for a walk in your favorite neighborhood, go catch a movie solo, treat yourself to a pedicure, cozy up and read a book by the fire — anything that makes you feel like your spoiling yourself.

Embrace deservedness for better health results

You deserve time, care, and energy you devote solely to yourself. Once you’ve allowed yourself this time, and gotten comfortable with the feeling of expending precious time and energy solely on yourself, making healthful decisions will come easier. At Mountain Trek, we delve into why this is, the behavioral science behind habit formation, and how to adjust your framework of time to optimize your health.

We promise that in the end, taking time for yourself will actually make you a better team member, parent, friend, and more. There’s no better way to jumpstart a resolution than commit a full week to yourself: come retrain your mind and nurture your spirit 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:

© Copyright - Mountain Trek Fitness Retreats & Health Spa.