This summer we've taken a few trips over to Mount Mitchell State Park. It's one of our favorite places to explore and take guests visiting us in Asheville.

Here's a look at a couple of trips out to this awesome area!

Happy Hiking!

Read and See More Here

Now that there's a bit of the fall chill in the air, I've been craving a pumpkin spice latte.  Every morning.  And every time that Facebook shows me another add for one.  How do they know my weakness??  Get out of my head, fb.

The thing is, I gave up caffeine and coffee/espresso is just not in my world right now.  I've been on the herbal tea express train.  So, I was downing loose Rooibos Chai Tea a few times a day.  It was close, but not quite hitting the spot. 

I decided to try a carton of the pre-made chai tea concentrate from the store, with almond milk.  It was delicious.  But unfortunately, not kind to my wallet.  So, I went ahead and made my own.  And to make it extra fall-like, I added some pumpkin spice to the mix. 

The result is satisfying and delicious.  I made a big batch and stored it in the fridge.  I just mix 1 part tea concentrate with 1 part unsweetened almond milk, then heat it up.  Here's what you'll need.

Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 8 bags of chai tea (I used rooibos, but you could use any kind)
• 6-8 teaspoons pumpkin spice (you could use fresh spices and ingredients, but I just used the dried spices)
• 3/4 cup maple syrup (or another sweetener)

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil
2. Remove from the heat and add in the tea bags & spices, cover and let steep for 10 minutes
3. Remove the tea bags or strain through cheesecloth if using loose tea
4. Stir in maple syrup
5. Let cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the refridgerator

Curl up with a book and a puppy and enjoy this delicious fall treat!!  Or maybe that's just what I do :-)

I couldn't be happier to be at the 2 week mark, since starting this juice cleanse.  Week one was tough, and I'm happy to say that week two was easier.  And more importantly, I feel so much better.  I can't say my health stuff is 100% cleaned up, but it's incredible how much it's improved in just two weeks.

So my plan of attack for week two was to continue on the same routine as week one, with some minor adjustments.  For instance, I added kelp or mung bean noodles into my broth at lunch.  It made a huge difference in making me feel satisfied.  I also had smaller juices all throughout the day, instead of big juices spaced out every few hours.  Then, in the last 3 days of this week, I added in some raw veggies and hummus.  Not much, just a little snack at the end of the day, which proved to be the time of day when I was most hungry and wanting to eat half a pizza while simultaneously crying myself to sleep.

When it's all said and done, I'm really glad that I stuck with this initial phase for a full two weeks.  It really helped give my body time to adjust.  Here's the rundown of things I've noticed in the past two weeks, and the reasons I am so happy that I did this.

• My pH level is damn near perfect - I test my pH levels once or twice a day, since this was one of the factors I was actively trying to improve with this cleanse.  Two weeks ago I was averaging a level of 5.75-6.0, which is very acidic.  Now I average a 7.5 to 8.0 which is alkaline and ideal.  I use test strips by pH Ion and it's a quick test strip.  You can learn more by googling 'healthy pH level' or checking out this article. 
• I've lost weight.  12-14 pounds, depending on the time of day.  Most people assume that a juice cleanse means heavily restricted calories, but that's not how I approached it.  My calorie count was pretty consistent with what I was eating before the cleanse, but the difference was that each calorie had a nutritional benefit.  If it didn't help my body, I didn't drink/eat it.  So I lost weight simply by what I was eating, NOT how much I was eating.  It's not water weight and it won't come back immediately when I reduce my juicing, if I continue to make smart choices.
  
• I've kicked caffeine.  For now.  ;-)  I love coffee so I doubt that I'll never have it again, but my dependency on it is gone.  I can wake up and start work without a cup of tea or coffee.  No headache, no irritability.  That, my friends, is a first for me.  I do still drink herbal tea and occasionally yerba mate, but I don't need it.  That's important to me. 
  
• My energy level is higher.  This didn't happen until the end of the two weeks.  In fact, for most of the cleanse, I was super tired even after a full night of sleep.  But then, something just changed and I felt great.  I still do. 
  

So what's next?  I'm going to stick with my juice for breakfast and my broth and juice for lunch.  I like this combo, it makes me feel satisfied and focused.  I don't know how long I'll continue with it, but at least this next week. 

For dinner, I'd like to start incorporating some raw food meals.  I miss being in the kitchen and I miss biting into food.  But I don't think I'm ready to go back to regular meals, even our healthy vegan ones.  Raw food just seems like the logical next step. 

For snacks, I'm going to stick with raw fruits and veggies, with hummus and nut butter sparingly.  I also love blending frozen banana into something that resembles ice cream.  I'm going to hold off on adding in regular desserts, so this will be my dessert type treat.

Thanks for those who sent in supportive and encouraging words - I appreciate you all!  This has been a challenging and awesome cleanse and I'm ready to take it into the next stage.  I'm already dreaming of a raw peanut sauce/kelp noodle type dish for dinner tonight....

Posted by Jill

So many things have changed as I've gotten older.  Most are great & welcomed  - my perspective on what's important in life, my comfort and confidence in myself, my relationships with friends and family. 

And some are annoying - my inability to lose 5 pounds as effortlessly as I once could, my need for more sleep to be functional, my annoyance with crowded bars.  You know, the normal cranky 30 year old stuff. 

But there was one, this one little change, that really surprised me.  And it took the WNC Mountain State Fair to point it out to me.  A few weeks ago, we had heard about a state fair that was taking place right outside of Asheville so we planned to go one night after work.  We were excited to go on the rides, play some skee ball and eat some ice cream.

Serial had his sights on a giant stuffed animal.  I believe his exact words to me were, "I want to win something so big that you say 'what are we going to do with that?!?'"  He even mocked my nag voice, which always makes me giggle.  In short, we were excited and ready to go.

It had been years since I had been to an amusement part and decades since I had been to a state fair.  But I always loved rides and was excited to TRY THEM ALL!  We even bought the unlimited pass instead of tickets. 

Things started off great.  We went on the ski lift that went over the whole fair so we could scope out what it had to offer and where everything was located.  Serial housed some ice cream and we tried out the swings and the ferris wheel.  The ferris wheel was surprisingly scary for both of us.  Should have been our first clue that things had changed.

We should have head over to the games and started winning some of those pointless stuffed animals.  But instead, I dragged us over to stand in line for that used to be called Ring of Fire when I was a kid.  I think it's called Circle of Puke now.  I could be wrong.

This ride is the one that is just a circle, and you literally just go round and round inside it.  We were strapped in across from two boys that couldn't have been more than 11 or 12.  They were crazy excited and had been on the ride many times.  I mentally told myself not to curse, no matter how nervous I got. 

Let me tell you, the only reason I was able to not throw up on that ride was because of those boys.  I repeated in my head, over and over, "do not throw up in this kids face.  do not say anything inappropriate."  So instead I just focused on one of the rusty bolts near my seat and said "oh my god, why" repeatedly until the ride ended.  

We tried to keep having fun and play some games, but both of us were woosy.  Serial puked when we got back to the car and slept the whole way home.  Both of us seriously considered taking the next day off work.  So sad.

What is happening to us??  We aren't old.  We should be able to ride a basic ride, right?  Sigh.  I'll just add this to the crank 30 year old list I guess.  My body no longer stands for being slung around in a circle. 

My man Phil knows what I'm talking about...

Posted by Jill

I'm smack dab in the middle of a juice cleanse and have figured out what works best for my first juice of the day.  It's basically a little bit of everything.  My goal for my first juice is to get a jump start on the day and pack in as many nutrients as possible.  Later in the day, I make fun things like Beet Lemonade or Cucumber Limeade.  But to get going, I focus on the most bang for my buck.

Here's what goes into my morning juice:

A quick word about the optional ingredients in this recipe.  One of my main focuses for this juice cleanse is to reduce inflammation.  Pretty much all food, even healthy food, was causing me stomach pain so I've been researching various roots and vegetables that can be used to combat inflammation, particularly in the digestive system.  Yucca root, burdock root, ginger root and aloe gel are all known to reduce inflammation and I've been including them in my juices.  I also include liquid Chlorophyll, as it's known to be helpful in detoxification.  I've already seen a huge improvement in my symptoms. 

This recipe produces about 32 ounces of juice, and it varies in color depending on the color beet I use.  It tastes green, but still sweet and fresh because of the melon and apples.  The ginger and lemon give it a kick and wake me up to start the day.  I've really come to love this juice and look forward to it each morning.  I think I will continue this as my breakfast long after the cleanse is complete.

Last week I shared that I started a juice cleanse, in the hopes of healing a few health issues that I've been having.  Yesterday marked one full week and I wanted to share how it's going.  The good news - it's easier than I expected it to be.  I had feared a heavy dose of hanger, but thankfully I haven't been too hungry and my irritability has been minimal. 

But let's back up - I want to talk a minute about what I've been eating (drinking?) this week, before I get into what I felt like.  I stuck to my plan of Juice, Clear Liquids and Tea for the most part.  I did have a few wild berries that Serial brought home from his Parkway Excursion - I just ate them raw and didn't juice them.  I roasted some butternut squash and pureed it, to add to my broth one day.  And I ate two cherry Lara Bars when I was stuck on a conference call for work and my stomach yelled at me to feed it.   

This is what my typical day looked like:

• Hourly - 32 oz of water
• 7am - 32 oz of juice, 1 cup of tea with lemon
• 10am - 16-24 oz of juice, 1 cup of tea with lemon
  
• 1pm - 16-24 oz of juice
• 3pm - 1 cup of tea with lemon
• 5pm - vegan broth
• 7pm - 16 oz of juice (some days I skipped this)
  

If you're thinking that 32 oz of water every hour sounds like a lot, it is.  But honestly, if I didn't drink a ton of water I would get a headache and feel dizzy.  When I drank water, I felt good.  And full.  It's a good thing I work from home because I have to pee 2-3 times an hour.  Not kidding.

Speaking of how I felt, here's the truth of it:

• Days 1 and 2 - I felt invincible and awesome.  I was excited to get started and hopefully start feeling better.  My energy was good and my focus was solid.  
• Days 3 and 4 - My energy was still good, but the initial feelings of excitement had worn off a little and I was feeling doubtful that I'd be able to do this for a full week, let alone two.  These days were a mental battle, more than a physical one.
  
• Day 5 - I felt mostly good and my determination/positivity had returned, but I would get headaches and felt dizzy from time to time.  Usually if I wasn't keeping up with my water.  At first I thought that my dizziness was lack of food, but water was what truly made me feel better. 
  
• Days 6 and 7 - I was used to the diet and mentally I was ready to do this for another week.  The main challenge I had was that I needed more sleep than I'm used to.  I think my body is going through a detox, because I do feel different and better, but my body is trying to heal and needs sleep to do so.  So be it.  Thankfully these days fell on the weekend and I'm able to give in to my sleepiness. 
  

I've decided to continue with a juice diet for another week, but I will be making a few small changes because I don't know if I can mentally handle another week of the exact same thing.  Physically, sure.  Mentally, I fear for those around me ;-)

I'm going to add in raw kelp noodles to my broth.  I'm going to have raw kale salad, if I am craving something of substance.  I'm going to blend frozen bananas into an ice cream like treat, on the days that I'm missing sweets.  I considered adding in a raw food dinner, and doing juice the rest of the day, but now I'm thinking that will be my approach for week 3, I'll see how it goes.  My goal is just to feel better, so I'll listen to my body and take it one day at a time.

So that's the truth of it - anyone else out there doing any kind of cleanse?  How's it going?

Having a random day off, I decided to drive north on the Blue Ridge Parkway in search of some adventure. The pup and I got an early start and headed out before the sun could burn off all the clouds in the high elevations. We ended up at Green Knob Fire Tower first (the cab is now locked!), then up near Mount Mitchell and finally on some random trail off the BRP.

It was a nice day of exploring, hiking and berry picking. I shoulda got a picture of all the red raspberries, blueberries and blackberries I was eating. Suffice to say, I ate until my stomach starting hurting, then put some in a container to bring home for Jill. Which I'm sure were a nice variance from the juice fast she's on.

Overall, it was a great day to be out. I love driving the parkway looking for different areas to explore. When I don't have anything in particular that I want to see on adventure days, my simple safety net is pilling in the car, grabbing a Starbucks and just driving.

Happy exploring!

It's been awhile since I have posted on this blog.  Serial has been hiking, posting and doing his thing so A Trail Life has been surviving, but I needed a small break.  I love this blog, but life got hectic for a minute and unfortunately there were things that simply ranked higher in importance than creating posts.  Things like a new job, a few health challenges and exploring our new city. 

I don't talk a ton about these things online and it's a conscious choice.  And it's always a fine line for me.  What to share and what not to share.  It feels good to share some things and scary to share others. 

I do want to share my latest goal though - completing a healing juice cleanse.  I want to document it and to let it get me back in the groove of blogging.  I know juicing is a trendy thing and all the major health food stores sell pre-made juice cleanses, but I've given this a lot of thought and done my research.  This is not a trendy cleanse and it's not to lose weight. 

I'm having some health issues that I won't get into here, but I firmly believe that my body needs a break.  Juicing gives your digestive system a hand and let's your body rest while still providing the nutrition it needs to survive.  Basically, the food will be broken down into its basic components and will be easily digestible when I drink it, leaving only minimal effort for my body to contribute. 

Here's my current plan.  I also have appointments scheduled with a doctor.  I'm really trying to cover my bases and think through everything, because I want this to be the start of a long-term health plan, even though the juice cleanse is short-term.

Weeks 1-2: Juice, Clear Liquids & Tea Only / Yoga
Week 3: Juice, Tea & Raw Foods Only / Yoga and Weights
Weeks 4+: 80-85% Raw Food / Yoga, Weights and Running

I may do the first stage for more or less time, it really just depends on how I'm feeling.  And if I do, I'll just push the other stages back.  I'll share the juice recipes that I grow to love and the raw food recipes that I use to transition back.  I also want to share the juicer that we bought and the process we used to pick it.  But for now, I'm just sharing the goal.

Have you ever done a juice cleanse? 

At approximately 60 feet, Looking Glass Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in North Carolina. Located just south of the Blue Ridge Parkway off of Hwy 276, it's a popular spot for both tourists and swimming hole enthusiasts.  Expect to see plenty of cars parked along the road (and sometimes in the road!).

A real "must see" for those traveling along the Parkway, enjoying the beauty of Pisgah National Forest.