World’s Greatest Trail Mix!
Who doesn’t like a nice handful of trail mix from time to time? I know I do, especially when I’m doing a very long hike. That was the case on a recent trip to Havasupai Falls with my significant other, Jen.
And truth be told, I often forgo the handful at home and use a tablespoon as a shovel to stuff my face with trail mix when Jen’s not looking. Please don’t tell her I said that though if you see her on the streets because she’ll think I was raised by wolves.
But I have to admit, I find it a lot easier to just scoop a tablespoon into a bag to collect the yummy gems then it is to reach in there with my entire hand. Plus, that seems a lot more sanitary. Or maybe that’s just me…
The interesting part of this story is, we are both heavily entrenched with fasting. Oftentimes, we do one of my famous Six-pack Challenge or Kettlebell Incinerator workouts, then a hot yoga class and then a hike ALL in a fasted state! Then we will finally have one significant meal and that will be it for the day.
We know the keys to successful aging, and fasting is definitely part of that equation. If you’re into biohacking, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Be as that may, we also know the importance of proper nutrition and we DO love to eat. We actually have lots of fun together in the kitchen, prepping meals and inventing new concoctions that will enable us to add years to our lives and maximize our active lifestyles.
Remember, life wouldn’t be that fun without a happy balance. Deprivation is a good thing, but it can also be bad if you take it too far. Fasting is good and eating is good, but you do not want to take either one to the extreme or you can develop a serious problem. I know that firsthand, but more on that another day.
One thing we do NOT like is bunk ingredients in our food. Enter the World’s Greatest Trail Mix.
It may seem like a very random topic, but I bet if I raided your kitchen, I would find some form of trail mix or its related cousin, granola, in your pantry or overhead cupboard. You might even have a private stash somewhere that you don’t want the rest of your family sticking their fingers into.
Hey, to each their own. I don’t judge. I’ve got plenty of food rituals that I abide by as well. For example, I tend to be pretty territorial with my meals. I haven’t actually ever stabbed anyone in the hand with a fork who tried to take food off my plate, but I’m not going to lie. I have been close a few times. You best commit that to memory in case we ever share a meal together.
On that note, let’s take a deeper dive into the formula that will not only tickle your taste buds, but also leave you feeling alive, vibrant and satisfied.
Healthy Diet
Allow me to set the stage. As you are probably aware, I am a Health Coach, Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer. I take healthy eating to a whole other level than the average cat. I want to make sure my food is not only as clean as possible, but as functional as possible. Let’s first address clean.
When I say “clean,” I mean I don’t want anything artificial in my food. This includes produce, meats, fish, dairy, fruits, vegetables, supplements AND trail mix. I don’t like artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, hormones, antibiotics or any other bunk nonsense that doesn’t resemble real ingredients.
You should follow my lead and only consume foods and beverages that are as close to Mother Nature as possible. Your organs will love you for it! A good example of how you can put this into action is refer to a standard ingredient label for dried apricots. I bring them up because they are dear to my heart and they also make an appearance later when we flesh out the recipe.
First of all, if they look nucler orange, there is no need to even spin the package around for further investigation. Just leave them on the shelf and let the thieves have their way with them. I promise you, if they are glowing and have a bright hue, they have a toxic substance called sulfur dioxide in them and most likely any number of artificial colors..
In this case, or whenever you are in doubt, simply scan the ingredient list and seek out numbers, colors, acronyms, and words you can barely pronounce, such as Red Lake #4, Blue Lake #5, BHT, BHA, Ace-K, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
These are just a few things to take into consideration. Steering clear of the obvious high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and trans fats (labeled as partially or fully hydrogenated oil) should be a no-brainer too. And lastly, watch out for simple sugar and all variations of it.
Overall, one of the main reasons the World’s Greatest Trail Mix IS the world’s greatest trail mix is because it’s absent of all these unnatural substances. THAT is what I mean by “clean.” Always focus on keeping your food, mind, body and emotions as clean as possible.
Functional Foods
I want the food I eat to bring actual meaningful benefits to my body. Can it reduce cholesterol levels, can it lower blood pressure, can it boost immunity, can it improve brain function, can it boost skin health, can it naturally raise testosterone levels?
That is the essence behind functional foods. They have a specific meaning and purpose that brings a high benefit to the body.
When it comes to meal prep, I ask the above critical questions first, then start the construction process. And since I only eat one to two times a day, the answers to these questions become even more vital. I have no choice but to pack as many nutrients in as possible to ensure I optimize my health and wellness.
Being on a long trail in the middle of 115-degree heat, 16-plus hours fasted indicates that I want the highest quality food possible when it comes time to chow down. I want it to replenish me, give me energy, boost my health and satisfy my macronutrient needs. As is always the case, the goal from a macro perspective is a good balance of protein, carbs and fat.
A “good” balance ideally means you have a portion of complete protein, complex carbs and healthy fat with every meal you eat. Although I often prepare keto baked goods and buy other keto products, I do not prescribe to a plan as restrictive as the keto diet because of the elimination factor.
I only go with these foods because they are high in fiber, they’re mainly made with clean ingredients and they give me the opportunity to satisfy my sweet tooth without blowing my diet to smithereens. I found what works for me and I encourage you to do the same.
I’m not saying that the keto diet is not beneficial. I’ve had a lot of clients use it with great success over the years. It’s just not for me and I’m all about aligning with Mother Nature. She’s all about balance, so my diet follows this same path.
Where a lot of people fail is they do not follow the rules I just laid out. They fall for the quick fix of buying some crappy trail mix at Costco or their nearest grocery store.
Far too often, these concoctions are loaded with simple sugar and have added preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavors that were previously mentioned. All of these versions can promptly go to the Firing Squad!
You will never see the World’s Greatest Trail Mix being exposed on a Firing Squad episode. That’s because it is made with all-natural and mainly organic ingredients. It is also well-balanced, which is not always the case with trail mix, and has a host of nutrients that go beyond a balance of protein, carbs and fat.
Recipe
OK, it’s time for the big reveal. Are you as excited as I am? Depending on how many people you’re prepping for AND how hungry you are, this is a good base for crafting your own batch of the World’s Greatest Trail Mix. It’s really easy to make once you have all the components gathered together.
Tools Needed:
- Measuring cups
- Large bowl
- Plastic bags
Ingredients:
- Walnuts
- Raisins
- Dried edamame
- Pistachios
- Craisins
- Dried cherries
- Dried blueberries
- Dried apricots
- Banana chips
- Dried apple rings
- Dried pineapple chunks
- Sugar-free dark-chocolate chip morsels (Lily’s)
Preparation:
- Get out a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
- Portion out a ½ c serving of each ingredient and add them to a big bowl.
- Stir the ingredients around until they are evenly distributed.
- Scoop mix into snack, sandwich or quart-size plastic bags.
- Remove excess air from bags. Seal tightly and store until you’re ready to go on an adventure.
That’s it! These are great to pack when you go on day trips, long hikes, camping, flying to a destination for work or pleasure and to add to salads while at home.
Health Benefits
Edamame is soy beans, which are complete proteins. By themselves, they satisfy the protein requirement, but you get additional protein from the walnuts and pistachios.
All of the dried fruit adds a good source of carbs for energy. Plus cherries have been known to help with inflammation reduction. That’s the last thing you want when you’re doing something active.
Overall, the entire mix is high in antioxidants to boost immunity, fiber to keep you regular, complete protein to spare your muscle mass, complex carbs for lasting energy, essential fats to optimize your hormones and brain function, and it also contains other key nutrients like vitamin C, potassium and bromelain.
Final Words of Wisdom
Go to your local health food store or look on Amazon to find organic and natural versions of the ingredients. It’s not as hard as you may have been told to find healthy food. You just have to want it. Refer to the ingredient labels and make sure you’re not getting hosed, even if the front of the package tells you otherwise.
I can’t tell you how many times I see foods all marked up on the front of the packages, saying they’re healthy and they have this many grams of whole grains and no artificial colors. But upon further investigation, they have some other awful ingredient that they chose to hide from you. Don’t be fooled!
Do your homework, be a private investigator and make the World”s Greatest Trail Mix with confidence and pride, and your head held high. Here is a link to the video we shot on our preparation to give you a better idea of how it’s done. World’s Greatest Trail Mix.
In the meantime, if you want to deploy my services for Health Coaching or Training, feel free to hit me up! And if you haven’t done so yet, please follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to my YouTube channel where I give an abundance of information on health, fitness, nutrition, motivation and healthy lifestyle.
Until next time,
This is Kevin David Rail signing off.
