Summer Survival Series

SAFETY: 1. A FIREARM: You never know what animals you may encounter. Here in Idaho, we have mountain lions that like to eat humans. 2. SUNSCREEN: Try to get a travel size that will easily fit into your pack. 3. Bug Spray: This is a lifesaver on any hike and your friends will be glad you packed it. 4. MINI FIRST AID KIT: Even if you just grab a snack-sized bag and fill it with band-aids, alcohol wipes, and ibuprofen, that will suffice. 5. DILL PICKLE JUICE AND SALT PACKS: Salt is the first electrolyte you lose when you sweat. Pickle juice relieves cramps. They can be found at running stores and online. We had a friend that was in severe pain and was cramping from dehydration and low potassium levels, which resulted in a severe muscle cramp. The cramp caused tearing of the muscle fibers which allowed for bleeding to continue into the muscle. Please note, my friend is an experienced hiker and in great shape so this could happen to anyone! We wish we would have had these things on our last hike to help him. 6. WATER: I would recommend a Camel Back or an off-brand model for any hike 5 miles or longer. Make sure it holds at least 2 liters of water. The recommended dosage for adults: 2 cups (about 1/2) a liter of water for every 1 hour of hiking. Children: 1-2 cups of water for every hour of hiking.

If you are wondering what milage to start out with for your hikes, here is a quick guide. Rate what level best suits you. Start small and slowly build from there. Difficulty scale: Easy: 1-5 miles with up to 1500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Moderate: 5-8 miles with more than 1500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Hard: 8-12 miles with more than 3,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Very hard: 12-15 miles with more than 4,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Extremely hard: More than 15 miles with more than 6,000 feet of elevation gain or loss.

Whether you are a beginner hiker or an avid hiker, all of the above tips can help you stay comfortable and safe during your hike. I think that having a good experience is really what matters. I see families with dogs all the time and no one has the right shoes and generally not a drop of water or food on them. I tend to warn people when I see them that they may want to rethink the distance that they travel if they are carrying no supplies.

MY TOP 5 HIKING FOODS: My list was hard to narrow down, but I considered things that traveled well with zero to little ice and that are common things you may have stocked in your kitchen. I try to keep my hiking foods clean, and definitely like to take advantage of being able to have a few more carbs and calories on hike day.

Coach Mel’s twin sister Melanie McCreery

1. FRUIT: I like apple slices sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning. Oranges and bananas travel well too. 2. JERKY: This has skyrocketed in price post-Covid, so a good alternative if you can toss a small ice pack in your bag, is turkey slices. I like Kirkland oven-roasted turkey or Jenni-O turkey is the next best choice. I love just grabbing a rotisserie chicken and shredding that to munch on as well. 3. TRAIL MIX: Start with a few nuts such as pecans, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Add a few dried fruits such as unsweetened cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, coconut, apricots, peaches, dates, golden raisins, pineapple, and apple slices. If you have a cooler, add dairy-free/sugar-free chocolate chips; if not, omit them as they will be a melted mess. Mix well and portion into snack-size baggies. Dried fruit really brings your blood sugar back up fast, especially dates. I used to keep these on my desk at my brick-andmortar studio for clients that were experiencing low blood sugar. 4. VEGGIES/NUT PACKS: I love that most stores are carrying individual nut butter. I love sunflower, almond, cashew, and macadamia nut butter. These are great to drizzle on carrot sticks, celery, and also on apples. Kids love these. If you have raisins in the trail mix your kids can make ants on a log. In my opinion, this is like a little mini charcuterie box without all the dairy and gluten. Lots of fun things here to choose from.

AFTER PARTY!!! The after-party is my favorite part. We usually bring chairs and wait for everyone to come off the trail. Here are a few things I like to pack for afterward. 1. Baby wipes and flip-flops; I hate it when my feet are dusty, swollen, and hot. I can’t wait to get back to the car and get my Hokas off! If you are going somewhere afterward, which we sometimes do, I like to at least wipe the dust off my feet and legs. 2. A cooler stocked with extra water, kombucha, sparkling water, beer for the guys, and seltzers for the girls if you drink. 3. Camp chairs; this is the best thing after you have hiked straight up the side of a mountain. It feels so good to just sit and chill! 4. After a bite just in case you get bit!

I hope you guys enjoyed reading about my hiking tips. I do find that the more you are prepared the better your experience is, especially if you are hiking with kids and dogs. Make sure you bring plenty of water and food for the furry friends as they need to stay hydrated and fed as well. I hope you all experience some amazing hikes this Summer and please tag me if you used any of my tips and want to share where you went. We are making Scotchman’s Peak in Clark Fork Idaho a tradition on Labor Day weekend, followed by The Brew Fest at Sandpoint afterward. If anyone is interested please reach out to me. We have been going for a few years now and can help navigate and answer any questions. The google map directions are horrible and you will get lost. Let us save you the trouble and lead the way. This is an intermediate/advanced hike and is approximately 9 miles with an elevation gain of 3,700 feet. This will come up on the All Trails app. March-October is the best time to visit. Cheer to an amazing Summer of accident-free hikes for you and your family!

MelFit Trail Mix

Serving size: 1/2 cup (not overflowing) Total servings: 10

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 1 cup Julian Bakery ProGranola (I like vanilla cinnamon cluster) 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup pecans Or 1.5 cups of your favorite nuts 1 cup dried fruit (no sugar added) dates, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, figs, and dates. You can chop or leave it whole. 5 tbs. dark choc chips (dairy-free if possible) 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and divide 1/2 cup portions into baggies.

Note: Homemade trail mix is a treat! Don’t abuse it. Only eat what is portioned out. Use trail mix for traveling, hiking, and on the go! The reason we make it is because it is hard to find a trail mix that doesn’t have dried fruit with “added” sugar in it.

Nutrition: This recipe is logged as Melfit Trail Mix

Calories: 249 Carbs: 17.3 g Fat: 17.6 g Protein: 4.9 g

Please check out the Melfit Podcast for motivation and inspiration! Find the Melfit Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Thanks for tuning in!

HOW TO NAVIGATE SUMMER BBQ’S WITHOUT TOTALLY BLOWING IT!

Written by: Coach Mel

PLAN! PLAN! PLAN!

Everyone that knows me will tell you I bring food to any social function whether you ask me to or not. The reason I do this is first and foremost so there is something at the BBQ that I can eat that is dairyfree, gluten-free, and has no processed sugar. The second reason is that I am a chef and love to cook and share my healthy creations. You will often see my husband driving a jet ski down the river with my giant red salad bowl headed to a friends house for dinner. One time he even carried a Melfit Coconut Cake I made for a friend’s birthday. I was on pins and needles that he would dump all my hard work in the river!

What to bring: BEVERAGES: I always bring my own beverages because

I am picky and don’t want to drink sugar all night long and unravel the weeks hard work and I don’t like beer. Here are a few things I always travel with.

Kombucha (Humm Zero Sugar (Amazon) or Bare Culture (local) Water bottle (32 ounces at least) Tip: For every alcoholic drink consume 1 glass of water. If I feel like drinking I will bring some seltzers that have no malt. If you have ever wondered why some of these fun drinks give you a gut ache, now you know! You are looking for alcohol that is made from fermented cane sugar. The ones that are malt free are: Truly’s Vizzy San Juan Seltzer’s There are a gazillion seltzers on the market now, so simply read the ingredients and search for ones that contain no malt liquor. Malt is derived from barley which contains gluten, and these drinks are not distilled, so the gluten remains in the bottle.

I also like cocktails mixed with vodka. VODKA: My favorite Vodka is Ciroc because it is gluten-free and made from distilled from fine French grapes. A lot of your favorite Vodkas are not gluten-free. They do say that because vodka is distilled that it is gluten-free even when made with wheat and corn, but I don’t like to take the chance. We don’t allow white potatoes and corn on Melfit, so I like that there to be no grey area. Ocean Vodka is also made from fermented cane sugar.

MIXERS: Club soda Sparkling waters with no artificial ingredients or additives. I like Bubly and LaCroix. Stevia or monk fruit Freshly muddled herbs Fresh muddled fruit like strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, and raspberries Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit

LET’S GET TO THE FOOD!!!! Of course, every BBQ needs some great sides right? Well, that’s super easy! You can always bring a healthy salad! If you need any ideas you can download the Melfit App for free recipes for 7 days! Cancel anytime or stay on the app for $1/day! You will love our gluten-free, dairy-free, and no processed sugar recipes. If the protein source is going to be high in fat; ie ribs, burgers, hot dogs (yuck), or steaks, I will opt to bring a salad topped with some sort of protein like chicken or shrimp. Everyone loves my Melfit Mexican Shrimp Salad. It is easy to prepare and is a good source of protein, fats, and carbs.

LEAVING BEFORE THE 10TH HOUR! What does this even mean? Well for me it means that we don’t let a fun BBQ at a friend's house turn into an “all-nighter.” There will be other times to visit friends and the consequences of our actions are not worth it. Tips that work for me. 1. Before we leave the house I discuss with my husband how long we will stay. I don’t want to “overstay” my welcome as I know how much work entertaining is and the last thing the host needs is a bunch of intoxicated friends that won’t go home. The invitation did NOT say SLEEPOVER! I don’t want anyone reading to think we are a bunch of alcoholics, but let’s face it Summer in Idaho brings a lot of gatherings that involve alcohol. From someone who works out every day, eats Whole Foods, and runs a business, this “frat-like” behavior doesn’t cut it for me. I want to wake up the next day with a clear head and accomplish something. I decide if I am going to drink or not before I leave. If non-drinking is the case I pack accordingly. If I decide it will be my free day I will plan how many beverages I will have. I am generally the driver, which I like because that keeps me from overdoing it on the alcohol. 2. Peer pressure! Don’t be peer pressured into staying longer than intended. Be firm about your choices and just leave! Heck, sneak out if you have too, I know I am guilty of that. I usually blame it on my dog or when my bestie’s daughter was younger we just said we had to go pick her up from the babysitter. 3. Try to get the group to engage in a physical activity instead of sitting around for hours. I love the corn hole trend! I think it is great to get everyone up and moving. 4. Offer to help the host clean up. This will ensure you get an invitation back and help you reach your step goal. 5. Skip the dessert! It won’t do you any favors! If you want something sweet bring a healthy dessert that you got off the Melfit App or stick to grazing on fresh fruit. I love watermelon in the Summer. If you are like me and you are a recovered food addict, you don’t have those wicked sugar cravings anymore and you don’t need those to come back.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Summer BBQ survival tips. If you can relate to any of the above feel free to reach out and send me a message. Also, please let me know if you make the recipes on the following pages and how you enjoyed them. Cheers to a happy and healthy BBQ season!