Every year I love a challenge, to fill my bucket list and to be inspired so as I can inspire…..

Over the past 5 years I have put an extended hike on my list of challenges and the focus has been the distance I can obtain.
I love to push myself, this is why I train throughout the year, so I like to put all of this into perspective and to help challenge others as well.
As a coach/trainer I like to inspire them, and by completing these hikes, or whatever other challenges I do it gives me life experiences to be able to help my clients even more.

Life experiences are the best way to work with other people, you can empathize and you know how it’s going to feel for them when they come to their challenges or hikes.

This hike in the Hinterlands was to cover a 54 km track (main Great walk track),which overlooked the coastline of the Gold Coast.

The track was damaged 18 months ago from cyclone Debbie, which had forced some of the tracks to close.


The experiences I’ve had in the past with treks are to cover big ground day one, and day two to be that bit less to get through, and really you want to miss having to walk day three because your shoulders and legs have had enough, plus this is where mind games can come into play.

As the original plan I had to walk most of the track day one, and short sharper track day two wasn’t to be I had to be inspired and challenge myself in some other way.

After researching and listening to many interviews about extended fasts going back to our ancestral days where they didn’t eat for a day yet covered a big distance by foot; I found myself a challenge – I planned to fast from the Thursday midday to the Saturday night, approx 56 hrs of very limited food.

So I was back in the game…

Next was to decide on the small amount of food I would take.

1. Macadamia nuts were a great option, they contain the highest protein and lowest carb content of any nut.
Raw macadamia nuts also contain high amounts of vitamin B1, magnesium, and manganese.
About 80% of the fats in macadamia nuts are monounsaturated, and most of those fats are the omega-9 fat, oleic acid, which were sure to help my joints, and my brain (cognitive power come at me – no mind games for me).

If your mind goes, your body will follow and I didn’t need to play mind games on this hike, I needed the energy in my legs more than using it up in my mind.

Next I had to think about more protein to feed my muscles, to not let them give out on me.

2. Beef Jerky
Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed.
It has good protein again with perfect amount of fats and low carbohydrates (I need the energy, but not the high insulin spikes, that create a drop which tires you out more than needed).

When you digest protein, it breaks down into amino acids. Amino acids help to build and repair, keeps you fuller for longer, gives you energy, lowers blood pressure, powers immune system and create adrenalin.

You can’t store amino acids in your body, so you must get them daily from protein in the FOOD you eat.

With this source of nutrition (if needed) and majority fasting, please note that:-

“Rather than burning muscle during fasting, we start conserving muscle.  Much of the amino acids that are broken down during regular turnover of cells are reabsorbed into new proteins.” – Dr Jason Fung.

This means my body would keep producing protein over again as a new protein to help serve my muscles needs.

So these were the two foods I decided would be the most beneficial to my mind and body during this hike.

I also made sure I had minerals with me:

1. Himalayan salt to put in my water bottle for electrolytes (I wasn’t going commercial products with added sugars)

2. Magnesium to help support my nervous system, to keep on top of the stress on my body (and mind), to help recovery of a night and give me optimal sleep ready for the next days travels.

3. Vitamin B to help give me the boost, and also to support my central nervous system.

4. Vitamin C to sustain the immune system, and more so to help absorb the magnesium to it’s best ability.


My pack for the hike

My water intake was a priority as the temperature was higher than what I had been used to down in cold Victoria, even though I had been training and walking everyday, I was at a disadvantage by having a few degrees warmer before I began to walk.
I started to add salt more regularly to my water a week before to ensure my hydration was going to be in good condition.

So nutrition wise, I was set, and my mindset was ready.

Just before this hike I felt like I had some gut issues so whilst I was at the acupuncturist (Paul McLeod) having some work done on my gut, I explained to him how I was planning on fasting for this hike.
Interestingly enough Paul explained to me that in Eastern Medicine walking helps to heal the gut, and especially with no food in the stomach to overwork it, you can heal it more effectively.

Fasting alone has so many therapeutic advantages.

“Fasting is not so much a treatment for illness but a treatment for wellness.  The regular application of fasting helps protect people from illness and keeps them feeling well.”
– Dr Jason Fung

Just like the Early Adopters

– The ancient Greeks believed that medical treatments could be observed from nature, and since humans, like most animals, naturally avoid eating when the become sick, they believed fasting to be a natural remedy for illness.  In fact, fasting can be considered an instinct, since all animals – dogs, cats, cattle, sheep and also humans – avoid food when sick. Think about the last time you had the flu, or even a cold. The last thing you probably wanted to do was eat.  So fasting can be considered a universal human instinct for handling multiple kinds of illnesses. It’s truly ingrained in human heritage, and it’s as old as mankind itself.

 

But back to Paul’s treatment, not only was he informing me about healing the gut, he was keen to proceed with another treatment for my legs known in the Eastern Practise as :

The 3 mile leg.

“Moxibustion has been popular for thousands of years in East Asia. The method is called rice grain moxa and it is used to fortify the legs. Traditionally people would use this before starting out on a long journey (by foot). The point is called “three mile leg’ because it is said that if someone collapses from exhaustion while on a long journey, stimulation of this point would help them walk another three miles before collapsing again. I love it, one of my favorite techniques and one of my favorite points.” – Paul McLeod.


It was fantastic to put his twist on this; Paul targets my stomach channel (from below the knee) with moxibustion which helps to fortify and strengthen the legs for walking long distances.

It also helps to tonify the digestion in preparation for long walks.

It certainly was a double whammy for me.

Those that follow my pages have no doubt they understand how passionate I am about natural remedies and personal challenges that utilise my own strength and determination.

So now onto the trek itself…..

Thursday I had my last meal at 10am, which was bacon, eggs, avo and some spinach. Fueling with a couple of black coffees and I was ready to fast from here on in.


Last meal before the hike.

Arriving to the end of the trail to leave the car, we discovered some other small trails and walked about 10km.
That night I had a peppermint tea with a couple of macadamia nuts and my magnesium with vitamin C.
Drank my salted water and got some sleep.

Friday morning I woke and at about 5.30am I had my daily magnesium/vitamin C dose with my vitamin B, a big drink of salted water and a mushroom coffee which contains Chaga and Cordyceps (my favourites from Four Sigmatic) – to give me spark for the day.

*Chaga mushrooms – are said to contain more antioxidants than any other food in the world.) and *Cordyceps mushrooms -provide a natural energy boost by increasing levels of ATP, a compound used by the body to store and transport energy in cells.

I set off on the trail by 6am and felt great, around 10am (coincidently 24 hrs later) I felt a bit hungry, so I had more water and pushed out a nibble on some macadamias to around 11am.
Maybe an hour later I had a couple of small pieces of jerky and more water.

By 1.50pm I noticed that the end of the track was upon us and should be at the lodge by 2.30pm.
I was looking forward to a black coffee to keep me going.
After the long long black, I headed out to tackle another 5km trail and then called it a day, so with a few side trails and the main Hinterland great walk according to my tracker I had completed 43km for the day.
Again that night it was herbal tea, magnesium/vitamin C duo, and couple of squares of jerky and a few macadamia nuts.
Rehydration with water again was of importance and off to sleep I went.

Not getting a great sleep, however I woke at 5.30am ready for a challenging day two and needed to cover at least 35 km plus for the day.

Again I was on the track by 6am, capturing a magnificent sunrise from one of the lookouts.

Sunrise from Yangahla Lookout

I was pumped for day two, I estimated that it should take me 6 to 7 hours – I tackled this section on my own with  some downloaded podcasts, my water and my last bit of food.

I felt fresh, I ran a bit of the downhills and kept a good pace up the inclines and across the creek crossings.

Stopped to create my balance rocks xo

The terrain was a mixture of rainforests, tree rooted tracks, waterfalls, creek crossings, sharded stones, grass, paddocks, fence hoping, sealed roads, fire tracks, 4WD tracks, steep descents that lead to steep elevations – continual elevations at that, by a mixture of natural trails and man made steps.

The sun was out and the temperature was a bit higher than the previous day.

At 9.30am I arrived at a small town which had a coffee shop located on the main road – so one long black coffee got me perked up ready for the next stage.

Thank goodness as this was where the challenging elevation was approaching.

I kept my hydration up by making sure I added salt to my water each time I refilled.
I felt hungry about 11am, and again had a couple of macadamias and beef jerky every half hour or hour that I needed.

Day two I noticed that bowel movements were not happening obviously due to no food.
My mind was sharp, I didn’t feel exhausted, in fact I felt full of energy. I wasn’t tripping over or in a state of deliriousness – I was feeling amazing!

Coming into the last 7km of the hike, the track was challenging with hundreds of steps down to the creek crossing, then a massive fallen tree over the track, finished by the longest incline track I’ve done in a long time.

I came to the most beautiful waterfall that reflected a rainbow through the middle of it (rainbows always remind me of my brother Wayne in heaven).

This was a popular destination as there were hundreds of people walking down to see it and swim in the waterhole.

I must admit the walk from here to the top seemed to take forever – as it does whenever you come to the end of a walk. Everyone I passed I’d ask how long to the car park and they would always say 15-20 mins, but this went on for over 15 minutes, surely it had to be soon!!!

I reached the car just under the 7 hours I anticipated, so I was totally wrapped. I was out of water and I reached into my stash of nuts and had about 10 left in the palm of my hand.

– CHALLENGE COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY

Post hike – coming out of the fast:

I felt hungry because my mind knew I could eat now – so as soon I as I finished the hike, I grabbed another long black coffee.
When I got back to the caravan park with the family (35 minutes later), I had some cold chicken that was in the fridge, waiting for my boys to get home. When I ate the chicken, it hurt the roof of my mouth (as in it felt raw). This is connected to the gut – obviously I had cleared the stomach well.

When the boys got back, I had a pork sausage and chivapi’s with salad – I had gone past the hungry feeling again, but wanted to have some protein with vegetable carbohydrates and good natural fats to nourish and help for the recovery of my muscles.

Meal on Saturday night after 56 hrs of fasting

I had a reishi tea – reishi is a fungi that helps to relax the body and gets you into a REM sleep quicker and an overall deeper sleep.

Reishi tea and 90% Lindt dark chocolate

As much as my legs felt ok then – I knew they’d be sore the next day, so I wanted to have the most restful sleep I could, and as you may know when your legs feel sore, moving in bed can be quite disturbing to your sleep.
I also made sure I had all my vitamins and minerals as per normal before going to bed.

The next morning:

Yep everything from my waist down was feeling every bit of my 90 km plus walk!
I headed to the ocean with the family to soak my legs in the salt water and rejuvenate them from an amazing hike in a fasted state!


– YEP I SUCCEEDED

This challenge/experiment on myself was to gain experience, to be able to prove to others that we do not need the amount of food we believe we do, based on marketing and old methods (carb loading).

This refueling continually is due to the type of food we chose, as in carbohydrates, sugars etc where you body burns it so quick, you hit an energy slump, only to rely on more food to get you through the next patch.

You see, when you eat high sugar foods and refined carbohydrates that break down into sugar, you rely on these calories/energy to push you through to the next refueling station, so let’s say you refuel on 2500 calories, but you burn through these so quick, you need to refuel again within a couple of hours; whereas if you use your ‘body fat’ for fuel, you have a supply of over 40,000 calories to burn – so therefore it’s easier to skip past the refueling station, keep your blood sugar levels stable and just keep going.

The thing is with this style of fueling (sugary carbs) not only makes your energy levels sky rocket instantly (due to insulin spiking), the downward spiral is damaging – it depletes your concentration, you use MORE energy by trying to stabilize the blood sugar levels, this causes more stress on the body, along with the stress your body endures by trying to process the food you are continually eating, and the stress of the body moving along the track – inflammation is up, this connects to cortisol (stress hormone), that’s connected to insulin levels – hello exhaustion!

The sports ‘Goo’s and energy bars have so many sweeteners in them, these disrupt the gut and causes intestinal problems as well. The load they can have on the kidneys and liver, all add up to health concerns.

One other major factor is the power of Mother Nature – when you are ‘grounding’ (amongst nature) your body connects to its origin, (we evolved from earth – yes woo woo I know, but there is truth to this), so when you walk on grass barefooted, rub your hands on tree leaves, touch moss on trees, breath in the fresh air amongst the rainforest – your body becomes grounded, and when you are in this state – it curbs the hunger in your mind (take note next time you’re at the beach – do you feel like eating when you lie on the sand?) Once you are removed from nature, the hunger comes (like when you get home from the beach, true?)

The hike aside, I really like to teach people about the amount of food we consume – if we eat the right foods that nourish your body – you do not need half the amount of food you think you do.

As soon as you think ‘I can’t fast’ you won’t be able to as the mind is very powerful. Whereas if you think ‘I’ll try it’ then you have more of a chance to be able to successfully achieve it. And the best way to think about fasting is – if you cannot handle it – you simply eat.

Please note that I had completed a few 24-36 hour water fasts (as is NO food at all) before doing this one. Like anything there always need to be practise before the event.

Fasting facts:

Fasting is best done in the Spring and Summer months as Winter is a time your body needs to come within, heal and rest.
By all means this works in Winter by just following a diet that is nourishing but not excessive in food.
Your gut heals when you do not have loads of food in it and the food it does receive has a purpose to help your body heal and repair.
(side note: I fasted on this hike due to warmer temperatures in Queensland, as opposed to the cold Victorian Winter).

The ancient Greeks also believed that fasting improved mental and cognitive abilities, and they recognized that they could solve problems and puzzles better during fasting.  This is easy to understand. Think about the last time you ate a huge Christmas meal. Did you feel more energetic and mentally alert afterwards? Or did you feel sleepy and a little dopey? Most of us feel sleepy.

After a large meal, blood is shunted to your digestive system to cope with the huge influx of food, leaving less blood to go to the brain. The result? A food coma. Maybe a little nap.

Now think about a time when you had not eaten for many hours.  Do you remember being lethargic and mentally sluggish? Not likely. It is more likely you felt mentally sharp and completely attuned to your environment. This is not by accident.

In Paleolithic times, we needed all our mental faculties and keen senses to find food.  When food was scarce, our alertness and mental focus naturally increased. – And this certainly described how I felt by the end of the hike.

At baseline, eating normally, energy comes from a mix of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.  As you start fasting, the body increases carbohydrate oxidation. This is just a fancy way of saying that it is burning sugar, in the form of glycogen, for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after you stop eating, until it runs out of glycogen.  With no more sugar to burn, the body switches to burning fat.

I thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope it has inspired you to change some habits and maybe stirred a fire in your belly to tackle a challenge in the future.
It doesn’t have to be a fasted challenge, it could be all about getting out in nature, or it could be tackling a hike up the You Yangs without any snacks, and let your body heal, take in mother nature and have time for you.

If you are interested in a hike I have some coming up – check out this link to my outdoor experiences.

If you are wanting to change some habits, with support from a coach I have a couple of options:
SPRING RESET (4 week program) or SPRING LEAN (10 week program) that may be of interest to you.

Here’s to your next life experience.

Kerrie
– helping people live healthier for longer