Spice Blend and Veggie Selections?

[dudeijuststarted]

I'm wondering if anyone has a magic spice blend that addresses immune system benefits (antifungal?) I'm thinking of ways to put a single spice blend together and adding some pepper to it to raise body heat on a cold night early in this NOBO. I've found some threads throwing preferred spices out there, but nothing specific to a favorite blend. Anything moderately tasty is going to be better than what comes with ramens!

Also, I'm wondering how people are packing greens picked up along the way. Dark greens like kale would be phenomenal to have out there. I tentatively plan on using a green cold bag (holds up to 20lbs) and am wondering how long good, non-dehydrated veggies usually hold up out there.

Anyone pack Green Vibrance?

Thanks!

[grayfox]

Fresh veggies can last about a week in your pack. For instructions on preparing them, go to Amazon and look up Clff Jacobson's book Camping's Top Secrets. It is copyrighted do I can't cut and paste it here but you can read the part on food prep if you 'Look inside' on about page 50 something.

[dudeijuststarted]

Awesome, thanks!

[Blast]

Very helpful suggestions! Thank you!

[Dogwood]

Dudeijuststarted, you asked lots of questions. All of which I have asked and pursued myself, both as I've applied the answers on and off the trail. I'll give it a shot.

"I'm wondering if anyone has a magic spice blend that addresses immune system benefits (antifungal?)"

No, but I often carry a clove of fresh garlic for this very reason. It makes a great addition to trail foods. Here's why: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/garlic.html I also look for fresh reishi, maitake, and ****ake mushrooms to add to foods when hiking and not hiking. My approach is to boost my immune system largely by reviewing my entire lifestyle choices including being ever mindful of what I consume(eat and drink). BE AWARE THOUGH, your immune system is affected NOT just by what one consumes(eats/drinks). Sleep, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, related other medical conditions, mental and emotional well being(laugh alot, it's good medicine), etc can all factor into a healthy well functioning immune system. Here is some info on some of the foods I take to the trail occasionally: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health However, I do take a few supplements(even on the trail), mostly for other reasons though, that do contribute to improving my immune system: 5000 IU Vit E(with tocatrienols), 2000 mg Fish Oil(essential fatty acids), 400 mg COQ10/200 mg ubiquinol, and a few others. Here's a list of some compounds that help improve the immune system: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health

"I'm thinking of ways to put a single spice blend together and adding some pepper to it to raise body heat on a cold night early in this NOBO."

That's a great question and certainly foods/spices/etc having thermogenic properties could particularly be part of an overall staying warm approach during hikes. 4 thermogenic foods that I've looked at are black pepper(although there are other varieties), cayenne peppers(specifically the compound capsaicin), EGCG(epigallocatechin gallate) in green tea, and ginger(I like to carry a small rhizome at times on the trail). There are a few Indian and Ayuervedic herbs/foods/spices that are said by some to have thermogenic properties.

Interestingly enough, there are foods/herbs,/spices that keep one cooler too. Two very well known foods with anti thermogenic properties that I take to the trail/eat during the HOT summer months are cucumbers and radishes. Who hasn't heard the phrase "cool as a cucumber?" That phrase comes directly from compounds in cucumbers that have a cooling sensation when eaten.

"Anything moderately tasty is going to be better than what comes with ramens!"

I assume you mean "better" as in healthier. If so, I agree. I almost always throw away the ramen "spice" packets if I eat Ramen; they're mostly salt with MSG anyhow although there are healthier versions of ramen and ramen spices. I sometimes substitute the questionable ramen "spice" packets with Edwards & Sons Organic Miso Soup w/ wakame seaweed and tofu bits for flavor. Another option is to make a kind of asian sesame noodle dish with the ramen by mixing with tahini(sesame paste) or peanut butter, dried coconut milk, fresh green onion, and rep pepper flakes(add if you like the heat). IMO, you can do an even healthier version by substituting SOBA Buckwheat Noodles for the ramen. Tahini and nut butters can be taken to the trail in GOOB tubes which are squeezable tubes w/ tight closing caps.

"Also, I'm wondering how people are packing greens picked up along the way. Dark greens like kale would be phenomenal to have out there. I tentatively plan on using a green cold bag (holds up to 20lbs) and am wondering how long good, non-dehydrated veggies usually hold up out there."

This is another excellent question. I regularly take kale, mustard, collard, and swiss chard greens to the trail. The kale and collards probably last the longest. I regularly take one or two fresh mini red/yellow/serrano/jalapeno peepers and broccoli crowns to the trail. They all hold up for at least a few days. Many root vegetables also hold up extremely well on the trail: carrots, parsnips, onions, yams, potatos, turmeric(when you can find fresh it's awesomely healthy and fights inflammation), etc. I'm not going to do the research for you but I know at least two raw food thru-hikers that have safely and healthfully completed 4 rather speedy thru-hikes of the Triple Crown trails all on raw food vegetarian diets. I sometimes grow my own sprouts on trail They are super nutritious and it's super easy. http://outdoorherbivore.com/trail-sprouting/

"Anyone pack Green Vibrance?"

YES, used to more but other dried greens manufacturer's varieties taste a bit better to me and perhaps offer a little more nutrition. Green Vibrance is like Wheat Grass juice. Make sure you mix all green drinks up well and don't mix them in until after you have purified drinking water. Here are the green drinks I've been using lately: Macro Life Macro Greens/Miracle Reds(I like the red better), Amazing Grass(Berry variety tastes good), and Greens+(this one is similar to Green Vibrance). What's good about buying them in places like Whole Foods is that you can typically purchase individual packets at a time to try different ones out that might be to your liking.

With a little common sense and some experimenting there's absolutely no reason why you can't bring produce on a hike.

[Sandy of PA]

Once spring gets going there is a never-ending supply of fresh green stinging nettles along the trail thru VA. Bring plastic gloves for harvesting!

[Dogwood]

The turmeric is actually a rhizome like ginger not a root vegetable. Recently, I discovered thin skinned juicy softer white flesh salad turnips. IMO, they aren't as gassy than some other turnip varieties and last a long time on trail as well. All the turnips I was previously accustomed to were the think skinned tough yellowish orange flesh ones that were typically mashed up by Mom during the Holidays. I store produce deep in my backpack in a trail food bag with a fold down top closure that is WP for all practical purposes - Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Nano sacks. I stuff something like a piece of clothing between my back(where it gets warm and is more prone to sweat) and my food stuff sack to keep the food towards the outside of my backpack which I think keeps my produce cooler and lasting longer. Yeah, stinging nettles(delish when prepared right), ramps, dandelion and mustard greens, Brook Lettuce( Saxifraga micranthidifolia), Indian Cucumber, and sassafras/ginseng tea are some of my favorites on the AT.

[dudeijuststarted]

This is a goldmine folks! I think I'll print this thread out and take it for a stroll around the whole foods stores. Still plenty of time to experiment.

[Nyte]

For a good, helpful spice list; garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, red pepper (cayenne), cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamon.

I regularly make a mix of the garlic, onion and black pepper, with the first two powdered. Cinn, clove, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger does amazing things to everything (it's pumpkin pie and apply pie spice mix, just alter the proportions). Turmeric, cardamon, red pepper, onion and garlic makes a passable curry.

Cayenne raises metabolism, so helps stay warm. It also eases pain. Ginger relaxes muscles, eases pain and soothes digestion. Garlic is antifungal, antibacterial, purifies the blood. The list goes on.

[Dogwood]

That's a good blend of spices Nyte offered that have some serious thermogenic properties. It has spices in it that are largely in Chai Tea drinks so if you like Chai Tea you might explore his blend. Chai Tea, besides offering thermogenic benefits because it's mostly drunk hot, also does the same with its ingredients. Chai means tea in Indian.

Good cardamon is $. VERY unique flavor though.

Cinnamon is awesome. So many health benefits to it regardless of the type you buy. Cinnamon as labeled as such actually comes from different plants and has slightly different flavors AND COSTS. Most you will come across in the U.S. comes from the Cassia plant genus. I add cinnamon with some crystallized or dried ginger, dried blueberries, tablespoon of shelled hempseed, some nuts(almond slices, walnuts, etc), and dried milk(I like dried coconut milk) to oatmeal on the trail on cold hikes. DELISH.

Curry powder is another spice blend with some thermogenic and a host of other health benefits I've been working more into my diet both on and off the trail. It has at least four of the spices Nyte mentioned: turmeric (which has curcumin with it's potential significant anti-inflammatory and anti oxidant benefits as well, additionally I take it for its anti-coagulant properties), cardamon, cumin, and coriander.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5470818_curry-powder-health-benefits.html

Glance this through to the bottom and look at the potential health benefits of turmeric which is rich in curcumin! http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/health-benefits-of-curry-powder-8816.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68 (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68)