How Sunshine Can Shrink Your Waistline

In this episode of the Outside Health and Fitness podcast we’re going to look at 20 Hiking tips for Hiking in the Fall and in the Outside Weightloss Segment we’ll learn how spending a little time in the sun can actually help you lose weight.

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20 Hiking Tips for Hiking in the Fall

Every fall I start thinking about hiking and I look forward to getting up into the white mountains of Maine and New Hampshire to check out the leaves.

We’ve been doing this overnight up on every year in October and over the years we’ve come up with some simple ideas for improving our trip.

Here are some of our ideas and some other tips for making your fall hiking trips your best ever.

Packing Tips:

• Carry your sleeping bag in a nylon zip bag to keep it dry!


• To cut down on weight transfer liquids like bug repellent, sun screen, etc. into smaller containers.


• Shake off your tent and drop cloth to get rid of excess water before packing


• Store your sleeping bag flat


• When stuffing your tent into a stuff sack allow the door to go in last. You’ll be able to push air through the door to reduce the size and maximize room in your pack.

Food:

• PB&J is a great trail lunch for fall. Even if it gets cold...PB&J is good. Store it in a tupperware container so it doesn’t get squished in your pack. It’s light, has carbs and protein you’ll need for energy and it’s wicked tasty!


• Oatmeal packets are great for breakfast, they are light, nutritious, they warm you up on a brisk fall morning and they only require boiled water to enjoy!


• If you’re hiking “out and back” try stashing some of your water on the way up to retrieve on the way down. Water is probably the heaviest thing in your pack so it’s an easy way to “lighten” your load.

Clothes

• While hiking keep a bandana wrapped around one of your front straps where it is immediately available


• Remember cotton kills....cotton tee shirts were not made for hiking. Cotton soaks up sweat and you don’t want to be wearing a soaking wet tee-shirt in the fall wind above tree line. Use polypro or other wicking fabrics.


• Speaking of poly-pro....I always back 2 -3 shirts and a couple pants so that I have dry options when I get to the top. It sure feels could to change into a dry shirt at the end of the day!


• Bring extra socks....I like to pack two for everyday I’ll be out. Changing your socks can give you boost of energy and you’ll want an extra pair in case your feet get wet.


• Hang wet socks on the outside of your pack to dry (only works if it’s not raining!)

Staying warm

• Put on a hat or use a hooded sleeping back for sleeping out in cooler temps. Keeping your head covered helps prevent heat loss.


• Keep your face outside your bag to prevent condensation from developing. Nobody wants to sleep in a wet sleeping bag...yuck!


• Carry wooden matches and some tinder, all in a waterproof container, for starting a fire in an emergency.


• Always bring an emergency blanket, they are cheap, light and they could come in REALLY handy if you need to spend an unexpected night out in the woods.

Injury Prevention

• Using wicking socks to keep your feet dry


• Use vaseline or body glide on your heels or other trouble spots to prevent blisters


• Always bring a basic first aid kit to deal with cuts, scrapes, blisters and insect bites.

Safety

• Keep an eye on the weather and play it safe. Things can change quickly above treeline better to turn around and come back another day than risk a night out or worse. Weather.com offers up to the minute conditions in your area.

Bonus Tips:

• Tell someone your plans, where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Or use a free service like I Never Solo.com to record your trip and ensure you’ve got back up.


• Bring your camera so you can record the trip


• Check out the RIBZ Front pack for a unique way to carry additional gear right up front where it’s easy to access. Here is the review I did of the RIBZ awhile back.

Conclusion:

So if you’re planning a hike this fall try some of these tips to make it your best hiking trip ever!

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Sunshine and Weight Loss

This week's tip in the Outside Weightloss segment is all about getting out in the SUN!

Our bodies produce vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) from sunlight and maintaining proper levels of vitamin D can help you fight the fat!

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that obese participants had 57% lower levels of vitamin D than the other non-obese participants.

Even as a little as 15 minutes of sun exposure a day can provide a host of benefits including a better mood, improved athletic performance, increased energy levels and more..

Men’s Health recently did an article on vitamin D and weight-loss where they highlighted additional studies showing that adequate vitamin D levels positively impact functions in the body that help you lose weight.

1) You'll eat less but feel more satisfied.

Because vitamin D is actually a hormone it’s linked to numerous functions in the body. D helps your body release more leptin which is the hormone that sends the “I’m full” message to your brain that causes you to stop eating.

Liz Applegate, Ph.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of California at Davis says that a vitamin D deficiency is linked to insulin resistance, which leads to hunger and overeating as well.

2) You'll store less fat.

With more D in your bloodstream fat cells have a harder time working to store fat.

D also works to keep other hormones known as PTH low. When PTH levels rise in your body they encourage fat storage...PTH turns your body into a fat storage facility, hoarding FAT away rather than burning it up. In fact, a Norwegian study found that elevated PTH levels increased a man's risk of becoming overweight by 40 percent.

3) You'll burn more fat—especially belly fat.

Because vitamin D make work with Calicum to reduce a stress hormone called cortisol that causes you to store belly fat it’s especially helpful in reducing belly fat. In fact, a studies at the University of Minnesota and at Laval University found the Vitamin D does trigger weight-loss in the belly.

4) You'll lose weight—and help your heart.

A german study found that vitamin D increased the benefits of weight -loss and improved cardiovascular risk markers as well!

If you would like to read more about the relationship between vitamin D and weightloss you can read the full article from Men's Health here.

So How Much D do you need?

According to the Mayo Clinic, new research suggests that we may actually need at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day to maintain a healthy level in our adult bodies and gain the maximum benefits.

It's estimated that we should get over 90% of our vitamin D naturally based on daily exposure to the sun but what does that really mean? How much time would that take?

The National Institutes of Health says that We’re really talking about anywhere from 5 - 30 minutes of sun exposure to your (unprotected) face, arms, legs or back between 10 am and 3pm two to three times a week. In general, that’s enough for your body to produce all the D you need. [source: National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements].

The most efficient way to get vitamin D is for your body to make it’s own based on time in the sun however it is possible to get additional vitamin D through the foods we eat as well.

Some of these foods include dairy products, yogurt, Salmon, and Mushrooms.

There are some nice recipes at the end of the Men's Health article I reference above that provide additional D from these food sources.

So get outside, get some sun and maintain good vitamin D levels. it can help you’re weightloss efforts, give you more energy and keep you feeling great!
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