Just Dough It!

Hello, all! Today I am going to tell you about sugar and sugar alternatives in baking. Sugar is an incredibly integral part of baking. It flavors your product, and when a large amount of heat is applied to sugar, it caramelizes, which colors your product. When making products like cookies, it also contributes to the spread of your product. Sugar is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water molecules and holds them. This makes your product moist and tender, because the sugar keeps some of the water in the product instead of allowing it to evaporate and become steam.

However, ingesting excess amounts of sugar is very unhealthy for humans. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to complications such as increased weight gain, Type II Diabetes, and even heart disease. If a person eats large amounts of sugar, the extra sugar that isn’t needed by their body is turned into fat and stored in their body. High sugar intake can also lead to your body decreasing or even stopping its insulin production, which is how a person gets Type II Diabetes. Any substance that increases the amount of stored fat in your body also contributes to your risk of cardiovascular disease, because it inhibits blood flow from your heart to your body and back again to your heart.

There is hope though! There are many natural sweeteners that you can use as an alternative to the regular granulated sugar that you normally use. When doing research for this post, I looked at quite a few websites to get ideas, and almost every single one had raw honey in the number one spot for alternative sweeteners. Honey is still high in sugar, but it has many health benefits. When used in baking, honey works fairly well. However, I would recommend utilizing a mix of honey and sugar in your baked goods. This will cut out some of the sugar content and give you the natural health benefits of the honey, but your product won’t have the overwhelming honey flavor and the decreased rise that it would have if you only used honey.

Stevia is also a great alternative to sugar. It doesn’t affect blood sugar levels and is calorie-free. I have not personally used stevia in baking, but from what I have learned, it seems that the best way to incorporate it into baking is to substitute a much smaller amount of stevia for the amount of sugar that is called for then use a liquid filler to make up the volume difference. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, so you will have to use much less stevia than sugar. To make up the volume difference, applesauce, yogurt, fruit juice, egg whites or water will all work as fillers.

Other great sugar alternatives that you can use are date sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and molasses. I have never used date or coconut sugar, so I do not have first-hand knowledge of baking with them. However, I have used maple syrup and molasses. Both have very strong, distinct flavors that are hard to cover up. When used in moderation, they work very well as sugar alternatives.

http://bodyunburdened.com/6-healthy-sweeteners-all-natural-sugar-substitutes/

 Food is always on a thru hiker’s mind and for good reason. Walking 25 miles, eight hours a day, burning around 5000 calories, day after day, requires a lot of energy! It is known that thru hikers need additional calories but more importantly is the type of calories.

Our bodies use carbohydrates and fats to fuel our muscles and protein to rebuild our muscles. This means the ideal hiker’s diet would consist of high carbohydrate, high protein, and high fat foods, considering the amount of energy expended each day. Fruits and vegetables are important but not the main concern here. Fuel is a hiker’s priority.

Glucose from carbohydrates is stored in our bodies as glycogen and is our primary source of energy when it comes to our body overall (i.e. our brain can only use glucose). Thankfully, our muscles prefer to burn fat during moderate exercise such as thru hiking, conserving our muscle glycogen.

That being said, it is crucial to intake about 45-55% of calories from carbohydrates, 35-40% of calories from fat, and 12-15% of calories from protein, according to the successful thru hiker and nutritionist, Brenda Braaten. To break this down, carbs are most important on the days you are summiting mountains and walking through waist-deep snow. During high intensity, anaerobic exercise, glucose from carbs is what your body is going to burn first since it is the quickest energy source. Fats are what you need to maintain stamina throughout longs days of moderate terrain when you are not getting your heart rate up too much. Compared to fats and carbs we need less protein, although that doesn’t mean it isn’t as important. Protein repairs and rebuilds muscle tissue increasing your recovery rate.

When you eat is just as important as what you eat while on trail. The most important meal of the day is the final meal of the day before crawling into your sleeping bag. Sleeping is your body’s time to replenish those depleted glycogen stores, pack on fat, and repair those worn down muscles, therefore protein, fats, and carbohydrates should all be incorporated this meal. Coming from my experience on the trail, yes, I agree whatever I ate before bed did make a difference in my performance although, I was just as concerned about breakfast, lunch and snacks. I was always hungry. I could eat constantly all day long and never be full.

Considering carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are essential for thru hiking energy and muscle maintenance, junk food really does make for a “high quality” snack.  Snickers bars, peanut m&m’s, salted nut rolls, Oreos, potato chips, oil roasted trail mix, and donuts are all great snack options that are going to refuel what you are expending. While on the trail snacks made all the difference in the world.

For meals we made a lot of pasta, potatoes and rice, making sure to add a lot of oil or butter.

We bought tuna packaged in oil rather than water and bagels instead of bread due to density and shelf life. A thru hikers diet is pretty much the opposite of what society deems “healthy”. The goal is to keep fat in!

Below are a few of the instant foods we ate regularly while on the trail.

Nuts

Cheese

Salami

Sausage/Jerky

Cookies

Cliff bars

Peanut butter on everything

Bagels

Potato flakes

Chips

Candy

heres a couple of morels I found!

Hello all!

For our final gluten free post we will be diving into a fairly comprehensive guide to starting a gluten free lifestyle after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. We know that we have already addressed some of the things mentioned below, but bear with us. And if you have already been rockin the G-Free diet, these tips are a great reminder of things to do to make sure there are no issues you may not have previously been aware of!

WHAT EXACTLY IS CELIAC?

- Celiac is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to essentially wage war on itself. If you have been diagnosed with CD, encourage your family to get checked as well as the disease is genetic and one side of your family may have been living with CD and would have never known if it wasn’t for you! When someone with CD eats something with gluten their body sees it as an ‘enemy,’ and sends its defense system to destroy the threat. This occurs in the villi of your small intestine (tiny fibers designed to absorb nutrients). If CD goes un-diagnosed the villi can be shredded, leading to malnutrition, attention deficit disorders, other allergies, osteoporosis, some forms of cancer, and other long term effects. Being gluten free keeps the villi from being destroyed and allows people with CD to live a healthy and well nourished life!

COMMON FOODS THAT MUST BE AVOIDED - This means no cheating!

Wheat

Barley

Rye

Oats (unless specifically gluten free)

Dextrins

Modified Food Starch (unless stated made from corn)

Caramel color

Dark Sodas

Flour Tortillas

Hydrolized Wheat Protein

Seitan (found in vegetarian foods)

Soy Sauce (gluten free soy sauce is called Tamari)

Teriyaki Sauce

Triticale

Brewer’s Yeast

Soba

Oyster Sauce

A good rule of thumb in regards to finding GF food is that if it can’t be pronounced or the list of ingredients is more than 7-10, look up the item or don’t worry about eating it.

AVOIDING GLUTEN IN THINGS OTHER THAN FOOD:

This is a tricky one. Not only is cross contamination a problem but quite a few soaps, shampoos, makeups, and lotions have gluten in them. Here are some tips to deal with setting up a gluten free lifestyle and for products to buy that are gluten free.

Kitchen - Soap and water is all that is needed to wash surfaces (bleach doesn’t do anything to remove the gluten)

Gluten free toaster

Run all major cooking dishes through the dishwasher a few times

Wooden spoons? Buy new ones - the scratches in the wood will hold gluten particles indefinitely

Crock pot - a thorough wash should do the trick

Cutting boards - get new ones. Any cuts or grooves in the surface will hold onto gluten just like the wooden spoons

All shelves need to be ashed. If there are gluten eaters in the house, confine either their space or separate a space for yourself and your foods/dishes.

Grill - usually burning off the grill will do the trick. Make sure to follow with a good scrubbing. For cooking GF and non-GF at the same time simply lay tinfoil down for the GF meat and cook the non-GF meat straight on the grill.

Bathroom/Makeup/Toiletries - The greatest issue with soaps, lotions, and cosmetics is that even though they are not being eaten directly, there are still very high levels of cross contamination that occur between using hands that have glutened makeup/soap or inhaling powders that have gluten in them. 

Makeup options:

Afterglow Cosmetics

Bare Minerals (a personal favorite)

Red Apple Lipstick (a personal favorite)

Zuzu Luxe

Lotions/Soaps:

Dove (make sure to check for “contains gluten” label)

NOW Shea Butter

Green Beaver Lotion

Dessert Essence

Burt’s Bees (I use these - make sure to check for “contains gluten” label)

Mrs. Meyers Products

Ingredients to watch out for in lotions and soaps:

Tocopherols, Mixed Tocopherols, Fermented Grain Extract, Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten, Starch, PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Amino Acids Hydroxypropyltrimonium,  Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Triticum Vulgare, Bran Extract, PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Triticum Lipids, Germamidopropyldimonium Hydroxypropyl,  Cyclodextrin,  Dextrin Palmitate, and Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl.Ingredients derived from Wheat Germ Oil:  Wheat Germ Glycerides, Disodium Wheat Germamido PEG-2 Sulfosuccinat Vitamin E, Germ Oil, Triticum Vulgare, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Wheat Germ Glycerides, Wheat Germ Extract.Ingredients derived from Oats that are likely cross-contaminated:  Avena Sativa, Bran, Protein, or Extracts.Ingredients derived from Barley:  Barley Extract, Samino Peptide Complex, Hordeum Vulgare Phytosphingosine extract, Lipids.

So, there are all of things we cannot eat and the soaps/lotions we can use! Below is a list of common gluten free ingredients and some helpful resources to utilize when going gluten free!

Common GF Ingredients

Amaranth

Arrowroot

Citric Acid

Corn

Guar Gum

Herbs

Lecithin

Maltodextrin

Millet

Quinoa

Potatoes

Rice

Seasonings

Teff

Vinegar

WHey

Xanthan Gum

All fruits

All veggies

Cheerios!

Meat (as long as not marinated in gluten containing sauce)

Resources to Use for Going Gluten Free

http://celiac.org

http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free

http://www.glutenfreeliving.com

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530

http://www.glutenfreeliving.com/nutrition/the-basic-diet/

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

http://livingglutenandgrainfree.com/2011/02/14/gluten-free-personal-care-products-2/

https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-makeup-brands-562443

Find Me Gluten Free App

Is That Gluten Free? App

America’s Test Kitchen

Living with CD is a completely manageable thing to do! The hardest part is getting the routine switched over and ensuring our environments are conducive to a gluten free lifestyle. After a couple of weeks it will feel much easier and after a few months it will be no big deal whatsoever! Good luck! May the gluten free gods be ever in your favor!

According to a new U.S. Geological Survey study, scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in nearly 300 streams across the United States.

More than a quarter of these fish were found to contain mercury at levels exceeding the criterion for the protection of people who consume average amounts of fish, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More than two-thirds of the fish exceeded the U.S. EPA level of concern for fish-eating mammals. 

Exposure to mercury can damage your brain, kidney and lungs. Symptoms of mercury poisoning typically include sensory impairment, disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination.

For the most part mercury in the fish and the environment is related to the fact that the majority of electricity is generated from burning coals which releases the mercury into the air and then into the waterways once it rains. There certainly are other industrial sources in some areas but this is the primary source.

Mercury is released from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants, cement kilns and certain types of mining activities. Once in the air, the toxic mercury rains down into bodies of water. From there it is converted by bacteria into a particularly dangerous form called methylmercury, where it finds its way into fish, accumulating especially in fish that are higher up the food chain.

The larger the fish, the likelier they are to have high levels of this toxin. The National Resources Defense Council points out, for instance, that predatory fish such as large tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that are 10,000 times higher than those of their surrounding environment!

In a perfect world, fish would be a near-perfect food – high in protein and full of essential nutrients and fats. But our world is not perfect, and, sadly, neither is our fish supply. Therefore, I do not recommend eating any fish – whether farm-raised or from an ocean, lake, river or stream – unless you have lab results in your hand that can attest to its purity. 

Over 10 million hectares of arable land are “lost” every year due to agricultural use and food production. We are reaching the point where the amount of arable land left is scarce and alternative growing methods must be used. Growing plants without soil, known as hydroponics, is increasingly becoming a popular method to grow plants. It is sustainable in the sense that no soil is being used, meaning less land is being used to produce food. The land that would’ve been used to grow the crops can be used in other ways, including leaving the ecosystem undisturbed by man or building a park. Hydroponics has many advantages over growing crops in soil. The growth rate of plants in hydroponic systems has been found to be 30 to 50% higher than plants grown in soil. Not only this, but the yield of a hydroponic plant is typically greater than the yield of a plant grown in soil and more plants can be grown in a smaller area, using only about ⅕ of the space required to grow in a soil system. Hydroponic systems also use up to ⅔ ‘s less water to produce a crop yield than soil systems require. 

In hydroponic systems, plants are grown in a medium, such as clay pebbles, inside a netted pot and nutrients are applied directly to the roots. Clay pebbles have the ability to hold onto water and cations which benefits the plant’s growth tremendously. The nutrients in a hydroponics system don’t have the ability to leach as they can in a soil system. In soil systems, plants expend a lot of energy to grow their roots to find nutrients and water in the soil. In a hydroponic system, the plant isn’t required to do this and can therefore put more of its energy toward new growth and maintaining itself. Hydroponic systems can be set up to recycle water and nutrients, reducing the amount of resources required for growing plants in a soil system. Another major benefit of hydroponic systems is that they are indoors where the climate can be controlled and the growing season never ends. There are never issues with drought or natural disasters that could wipe out an entire crop with hydroponic systems. Hydroponics is just one of the many alternatives to growing crops in a soil system that needs to be utilized for the longevity of the human population. Hydroponics can be done practically anywhere, by anyone. Kits for a small, home set up are available on Amazon and other gardening websites, or you can create your own pretty cheaply. 

“Eating is an agricultural act” as Wendell Berry famously said. If this statement is true, then I believe our nation has a severe eating disorder. Our diet has become so distanced from its origin in the soil that we have no natural connection to it. What we eat puts us in touch with all that we share with the earth and all of the gifts that we are provided with. How can our eating be an agricultural act when the energy used in its production comes more from fossil fuels than from our very own sun that is meant to sustain us?

So much of our eating today is conscious-less and ignorant, it is eating industrially you could say. As America grew, so did its scale of production of food, we thought we were advancing and enhancing our lives, but what is value of a surplus of food if our resources are ruined at its expense? We are hurting ourselves, literally. I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Montana Farm to School Summit at Montana State University where keynote speaker Chef Ann Cooper highlighted some troubling statistics America is facing today. The most shocking one to me was that up to this point in the Iraq war, there have been 1500 amputations of limbs from combat injuries, while at home in America within that same time frame, there have been 150 million amputations due to diabetes. People. We are hurting ourselves. We are also hurting people in poverty when processed foods are much cheaper than unprocessed foods on a calorie by calorie basis. We have been out of touch with the food system for so long that many people today don’t even realize there is a problem.

What we need to realize is that the food pyramid is political. Lobbyists and government officials determine how food is marketed to us. Don’t believe me? NPR just released a study exposing how sugar companies paid off researchers in the 1960’s to skew data and blame heart disease on fats. Please don’t underestimate how much money fear alone can make an organization. A stable culture doesn’t need Dr. Oz or diet books to tell them what to eat, it realizes that what is good for the earth is good for them.  

Michael Pollan put it beautifully: “What we eat determines to a great extent the use we make of this world - and what is to become of it. To eat with a fuller consciousness of all that is at stake might sound like a burden, but in practice few things in life can afford quite as much satisfaction.”

Conscious eating is thinking, and it is intelligent decision making. It uses nature as a measure and strikes a balance between ecology and economy. It is determining what the impacts your food choices have had up to the point of your purchase as well as the impact is will have on your body and mid once consumed. It is eating for true satisfaction and not simply for fuel. Remember, we vote every single day with our wallets. Demand drives supply. The small decisions we make today are going to impact the world we live in tomorrow. Buy responsibly.  

I’ve included some helpful tips to become a more conscious eater:

Be an educated consumer:

Buy Local. Buy Local. Buy Local. As much as you can.

Grow your own food if it is possible!

Talk about it – Get ideas and insights from others and talk to farmers

Eat seasonally - Follow the local lifecycles of food

Buy bulk foods - Cuts down on waste

Buy minimally processed foods

Vote with your wallet - Demand drives markets

While you’re eating:

Eat at the table with family friends – Community is built around eating together

Eat to nourish your body

Give thanks for your food!

Chew slowly and really taste your food

Think about where what you’re eating came from

For more information on this topic:

What to bring and why 

There is nothing better than a fantastic meal after a long days hiking, but too often people buy prepackaged or overpriced options at their local outdoor store. Dried meals like Mountain House or Backpackers Pantry are very easy and quick to cook but are you cutting yourself short? There are cheaper, better tasting, options at your local grocery story that require a little more work than just boiling water, but are so worth it. Down below is a list of possible meals throughout a day of backpacking and then I go into some of the gear I use, and I end with a couple rationing tips.

Breakfast

As simple as it is, one my favorite back country breakfasts Is cereal. Its light weight, super cheap, super quick, and great. Plus, there are so many different types of cereal so you can change it up easy. Powdered milk is not my favorite on its own but with cereal it’s pretty damn good, and you’re getting important calcium! If you can, pick out cereals that are high in fiber and complex carbs but low in sugar because you need the energy, and sugary cereals will not give you long lasting energy.

Lunch

           Quesadillas

                       Tortillas (Corn or flour)

                       Cheese (your choice)

                       Oil (for pan)

                       Hot sauce  

           Directions- heat up pan and… yeah you know how to do this.

           P.s. Tortillas filled with peanut butter and jelly are great

Snacks

           Clementine’s or oranges  

           Apples

           Carrots

           Pretzels and peanut butter  

           Snickers Bars

           Gardettos

           List can go on forever, but these are some backpack hardy – snacks.

Drinks

Bringing along powdered Gatorade, or any powdered drink of your choice is a great idea. Water gets old on long trips and you should be drinking around 2 quarts of water every day. Also if you ever run into some nasty water, and you have no choice but to drink it, these will be your best friend.

Dinner avocado pesto pizza

           Pizza Crust

                     1 tsp. dry yeast

                     ½ cup warm water

                     ½ tsp. sugar

                     ¼ tsp. salt

                     1 cup flour

                     1 pinch of cornmeal (for pan)

                     Oil (for pan)

                      - Dissolve yeast / sugar / salt in warm water, add flour and mix.

           Pizza Sauce

                      Knorr dry pesto mix

                      1 Avocado

                      -add water till preferred thickness  

           Cheese

                      Semi Dry Mozzarella or Cheddar  

           Died salami Optional

Directions

            - heat up fry bake on stove, add oil, then flatten out your pizza onto the          pan.

           - sprinkle corn meal onto the top of the dough.

           - flip over when bottom is golden brown.

          - add sauce, salami, and cheese to the top. Then poor a touch of water into the pan and put on the lid.

          - let cook for a short time and it will be ready to eat!  

Dessert

           Hot Chocolate, so easy and so great after  a long day.

Gear Needed

          Backcountry stove (MSR Whisperlite)

          Fuel

          Lightweight Pot with lid

          Fry – bake with lid. (optional, needed only for baking)

          Small camping spatula

          Lighter

          Spork

          Pocket knife  

Rationing

I read an enlightening article by Forbes where it talked about the typical student athlete “away from their parents kitchen, two-a-day practices, and time commitments akin to a full-time job”. I feel like they hit the hammer on the head here. I believe that’s a pretty accurate description of most collegiate sports. Maybe not two a day practices like the ones in the summer but two a day where we have lift and practice in the same day. The article goes on to wanting all NCAA sports to feed their athlete daily summarized well by “if good nutrition for student athletes is that important, why is it only and option, not a requirement.”

In my own mind feeding all of the student athletes everyday seems like a rather large job to tackle but I understand it’s importance. Long days in the gym and class room from 6 in the morning to 7 at night often result in a failure to properly burnish oneself. Being a student athlete meal prepping seams to be time conscious and effective in helping that problem. For athletes with early morning lifts or practice over night oats can be an option with so many flavor options and protein content! https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/overnight-oats/

Another great morning option are pre made smoothies! For myself I am a fan of spinach, kale, strawberries and bananas. For one serving I’d use about a handful of spinach and Cale with around a cup of fruit in a blender with ice, water, and protein powder. When meal prepping I fill the entire blender as full as it can get. Once done I place the smoothies pre portioned in the freezer. As simple as that I take a smoothie out of the freezer and place it into the fridge the night before I think I will eat it so it is thawed by morning!

Lunch ideas! I am a simplistic person so would just go with something easy as rice, chicken, and broccoli. Grilling the chicken and making the rice before hand you can Choose between fresh or steamed vegetables! The options are truly limitless, there are even no cook options for those that are not a fan or comfortable cooking yet! http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/no-cook-meal-prep

For dinner I like to have it ready in the fridge. Late practice ending at 7 there is a tendency to just go home and sleep. The peer thought of cooking is exhausting. But with food ready and only needing to be heated it is less likely to skip a meal! For myself I am a fan or taco salad, it is super easy and only takes minutes to assemble! Having the taco meat precooked and In my case I like to use ground turkey, and vegetables already chopped, all that has to happen is heating the meat and the rest gets to be thrown in a bowl concluding to be a pretty timeless job.

Precut and prepackaged fruits and vegetables are key in my mind for snacks throughout the day! Even adding a side of peanut butter for a little something extra if needed. Having healthy snacks so readily available in your gym bag or backpack keeps you filed and less likely to go hungry or turn toward a vending machine.

For myself and others It has been shown that meal prepping is convenient and often times more healthy for people. Along with this it it more times than not more financially responsible and little time consuming. I know for myself when I have food I’ve made and have ready I eat it and don’t think about going out for lunch or snacking on other food, I just eat what I packed for the day. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379714004000

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-chia-breakfast-pudding.html