I have been asked more than once how I fuel up for these long hikes and what I do for hydration as well as recovery. The hydration part is easy – water. I don’t get too fancy with water supplements or gel packs for long walks – long runs are a very different story. However for solid mid-hike fuel as well as recovery I performed a test for the first two weeks.
During week one I followed the recipe a friend had given me for homemade energy bars. I made one large batch of about two dozen bars and went through them by the end of week one. Not having time to make more, I replaced these with apples, store bought energy bars and bananas. The homemade energy bars won hands down. My energy level both during and after each hike dropped by twenty-five percent when I replaced my homemade energy bars with fruit and store bought bars. I am not a nutritionist, I just know what works for me, and these worked!
For the record, I am not a sales person or distributor for the key ingredient, Mila, a proprietary blend of chia seeds. A friend gave me a bag along with the energy bar recipe and recommended I try it. I am glad I took her up on the offer and grateful that she was kind enough to give me a bag and share her recipe. Also, she did not ask that I promote her product. I am sharing this because it works for me, not because of any outside pressure or endorsement.
This recipe is very easy and, once you have all the ingredients, it will take about five minutes to make.
FUELED BY MILA ENERGY BAR BITES
•1 cup Chocolate Flavored Whey, Hemp or Soy Protein Powder (I used Vanilla falvored)
•1 cup Oats
•1/3 cup Mila or more
•¼ cup Peanut Butter (I used Almond butter, ground fresh at Whole Foods)
•¼ cup Crushed Nuts
•1/3 cup Dried Goji Berries, Golden Berries, Cranberries or other dried fruit
•¼ cup cacao nibs or 70% chocolate nibs
•¼ cup Honey
•¼ cup Soy or Almond Milk
•¼ cup Apple Sauce
•Dash of Cinnamon
•Dash of Cayenne Powder or 1TBS minced fresh or candied ginger
Mix all dry ingredients. However mix the Mila with the wet ingredients. Mix soft/liquid ingredients together until well blended, fold in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Form into a 8×10 dish covered with wax paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Cut into desired size bites.
For more information or to purchase Mila contact Kim Cheadle at kcheadle@iamfueledbymila.com or 415-990-4750
http://www.kcheadle.fueledbymila.net
The San Francisco Bay Trail: It's Closer Than You Think! 