Hiking: A Healthy Alernative

While going to the gym is a great form of exercise, some people like myself grow tired of the same fitness routine week in and week out. I am constantly trying to find ways to exercise and have fun at the same way. That way my fitness efforts feel more like playing rather than a chore. Hiking has been a fitness outlet that I have found to be extremely satisfying.

I prefer to go in the morning but some of my other hiking friends go all hours of the day. I like to hike in the canyons near my house. They are close, convenient, and gorgeous! The park is Santiago Oaks Regional Park. Parking is $3.00 Monday-Friday and $5.00 on the weekends. I never mind paying the fees because the money helps maintain the park. There are so many trails to explore it could take all day. I usually hike for about 2 hours. The distance I cover ranges from 4 to 6 miles. Those 2 hours fly by in comparison to spending 2 hours in the gym.

While my hiking friends and I are on the trails, we like to stop in a shady spot along the water of the lake and snack on some healthy food. Naturally, trail mix is a big contender when it comes to selecting a snack. I like to take it one step further and make my own trail mix. That way I know exactly what is in it. I can avoid added oils, preservatives and sugars. I buy all the ingredients in bulk from a health food store. I just choose whichever items sound good to me that day. Here is the recipe for the latest batch I made up:

Emily's Trail Mix

• 1 cup Raw Almonds


• 
  
  1 cup Raw Hazelnuts (filberts)


• 
  
  1 cup Raw Cashews


• 
  
  1/4 cup Unsweetened Coconut


• 
  
  1/4 cup Raisins


• 
  
  1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and coconut in an even layer on a sheet tray that is lined with parchment paper. Roast for 8-12 minutes until the nuts and coconut are light golden brown. Let cool on rack and then toss together with the raisins and cranberries. Add salt according to your preference.

And that is it! Sometimes if I want it a little sweeter I will add some semi-sweet chocolate chips but the raisins really make it sweet enough generally.

So while I am enjoying the beautiful trails, getting my exercise, and snacking on my homemade healthy trail mix I can honestly say that I do not miss the gym for 1 second.