When I started writing about sports science two decades ago, fueling advice for endurance athletes was simple. The goal was to take in roughly 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, in order to preserve the limited supply of carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. More would theoretically be better, but studies had found that it simply wasn鈥檛 possible to absorb more than that from the stomach into the intestine.

The science has evolved since then, mainly with the realization that (like glucose and fructose) in specific ratios enables higher absorption rates. top out at 90 grams per hour, but recent studies have suggested that it鈥檚 possible to take in 120 grams per hour鈥攁nd top athletes in cycling, ultra running, and other sports are reportedly going even higher than that.

In contrast to all this, a new study gave its subjects just 10 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and argues that this is all you need. This is a surprising and contrarian take, and I鈥檓 not suggesting you should swallow it whole. But it鈥檚 a good opportunity to pause the carb mania for a moment and take a closer look at the evidence and assumptions underlying the 鈥渕ore is better鈥� view.

The new study is published (and ) in the American Journal of Physiology 鈥� Cell Physiology by a group of researchers at several universities led by Philip Prins and Andrew Koutnik. Its main purpose is to compare endurance performance in ten well-trained triathletes following either standard carb-heavy diets or low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets. That鈥檚 a complex and long-running debate (which I wrote about most recently in 2020) that I鈥檓 not going to get into here, other than to note that they didn鈥檛 see any significant differences either way in an endurance test lasting about 90 minutes following six weeks on either diet.

What鈥檚 more interesting here is their test of in-race carbohydrate supplementation. All the subjects did two rounds of endurance tests on each diet: one with a carb drink every 20 minutes totaling 10 grams of carbs per hour, the other with a placebo drink with no carbs. On average, the athletes lasted 22 percent longer with the carb drink, regardless of which diet they were on. That鈥檚 a big improvement. Time-to-exhaustion tests, where you hang on as long as possible at a predetermined pace, are different than races, but an improvement like that likely corresponds to going one to two percent faster in a race.

The reason they chose such a small dose of carbohydrates is that one of the study authors, South African scientist Tim Noakes, that we鈥檝e badly misunderstood the role of in-race carbohydrates. The traditional view is that we drink carbs to prevent our muscles from running out of glycogen, the form in which muscles store carbs. Noakes鈥檚 view is that glycogen doesn鈥檛 matter, and that the real benefit is preventing a blood sugar crash. This is a brain-centered view of endurance: keeping blood sugar high convinces the brain that everything is OK, so the muscles鈥攚hich were never truly in danger of running out of carbs鈥攌eep on pumping.

If blood sugar is what matters, then we don鈥檛 need to choke down such large quantities of carbohydrate after all: at any given moment, there鈥檚 only about a teaspoon of glucose circulating in your bloodstream. What鈥檚 missing from Prins and Koutnik鈥檚 study is an explicit test of higher carb doses. We see that 10 grams per hour helps, whether by maintaining blood sugar or simply by tricking the brain into thinking that fuel is coming (as has been demonstrated with studies of ). But we don鈥檛 know whether, say, 30 grams per hour would have been better or worse.

On the other hand, you might imagine that the conventional view of carbohydrate needs鈥攖he more the better鈥攊s backed by plenty of evidence. And you鈥檇 be right. But Noakes argues that in all the studies showing that the depletion of muscle glycogen corresponds to a drop-off in performance, the subjects also had low blood sugar. We鈥檝e been watching the wrong variable, in his view, and drawn the wrong conclusions. This argument echoes Noakes鈥檚 critique of hydration research, which was that studies didn鈥檛 distinguish between being dehydrated and feeling thirsty. In his view, being dehydrated only matters if you feel thirsty, since it鈥檚 your brain that decides when to slow down.

The debate gets pretty complicated at this point, with dueling interpretations of the minute details of decades of research. Rather than getting lost in the physiology, though, I think the simplest test is to ask about the outcome we really care about: Does taking higher loads of carbohydrate lead to better performance? When you dig into this dose-response literature, the findings aren鈥檛 as clear as I might have expected.

Here鈥檚 a graph from one of the key papers, from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (who, I鈥檓 sure I don鈥檛 need to point out, like the idea that more carbs are better). Fifty-one cyclists and triathletes completed a series of tests consisting of two hours of moderately hard cycling followed by a 20-kilometer all-out time trial, while consuming anywhere from 0 to 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour, in 10-gram increments. The results:

The paper describes this relationship as a 鈥渃urvilinear dose-response relationship鈥�: more carbs are better initially, but at the highest doses more carbs hurt performance. The sweet spot where performance is optimized, in this data, is 78 grams of carbohydrate per hour, consistent with the idea that 60 to 90 grams is the right range.

But take another look at that data. Performance is worst at 0 or 10 grams; it鈥檚 a little better at 20 grams. Take those three data points out, and it鈥檚 hard to see any evidence of a dose-response relationship above 30 grams. It鈥檚 certainly not a very strong demonstration that 60 grams is better than 30 grams, let alone that there are benefits from upping to 90 or 120 grams.

The case for 90 grams over 60 grams, using a more modern mix of carbohydrates, is made in from researchers at Leeds Beckett University. Ten subjects tested 0, 60, 75, 90, and 112.5 grams of carbohydrate per hour for two hours of cycling followed by a 30-minute time trial. Here鈥檚 the average power outputs in the time trial:

From this, you might conclude that 90 grams is indeed the best bet. It鈥檚 hardly definitive, though. The placebo option, with no carbs at all, is clearly the worst option, but it鈥檚 not that far from the 75-gram result, and there鈥檚 no data to compare with for lower doses. How would the cyclists have fared with, say, 20 grams an hour鈥攅nough, as Noakes would argue, to keep blood sugar constant but not to conserve muscle glycogen in the legs?

Personally, I find it hard to believe that muscle glycogen doesn鈥檛 matter. Even if we don鈥檛 grind to a halt because our glycogen tanks are empty, there鈥檚 evidence that we begin slowing down when our muscles are partly depleted. It could even be that the brain monitors glycogen levels and dials back performance as fuel levels drop, just as Noakes proposes for blood sugar.

Whether that means big carb doses like 120 grams per hour are a good idea is a different question, though. The scientific data that I posted above doesn鈥檛 seem overwhelmingly convincing. The real-world experiences of elite athletes are much more compelling, and that evidence should be taken seriously. I鈥檇 love to see better dose-response data showing more clearly what happens across the whole range of intakes between 0 and 120 grams per hour. But those are hard studies to do, so in the meantime we鈥檙e stuck with the golden rule of training and sports science: try a few different approaches, and see what works best for you.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

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I like to think of the Iditarod race as a cruise ship vacation. Each checkpoint is a new port of call, and the food might be served buffet style rather than made to order, but it鈥檚 a very good buffet. The offerings are varied enough that the route has some texture. For instance, one evening鈥檚 meal might feature chicken thighs, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, scrambled eggs, a variety of cheeses, and some kind of fatty frozen dessert. In the morning, there might be strips of tender red beef, pork medallions, whole eggs, some kind of crunchy dried snack, and canned fish in oil.

One staple is chicken legs. I pack over 300 raw chicken legs for the Iditarod race. Something about grabbing the bone and tossing it in the snow and watching my teammates wolf it down nearly whole 鈥攚ell, let鈥檚 just say I know well the origin of the term 鈥渨olf it down.鈥�

I pack everything. Sometimes gummy worms, sometimes little pats of butter. When you鈥檙e tired, it鈥檚 hard to get enough calories, so I like to pack fatty foods like bacon, ham, and cheesecake. This year, I went heavy on herring, and I tend to pack a lot of calcium supplements. Probiotics are essential, because travel can do weird things to digestion. I make little sandwiches full of honey. Sometimes I fry bacon; sometimes I serve it raw.

Good old-fashioned Gatorade works wonders for electrolyte balance. I often thaw it in my armpits while driving the sled.

Occasionally I鈥檒l even resort to cat food. Literally. You never know. Packs of ramen noodles. Usually I don鈥檛 bother seasoning or even cooking them. The crunch is satisfying, but easy on the mouth. I also tend to favor peanut butter鈥攁gain, warmed in the armpits or the front pocket of my pants.

But that鈥檚 just what I feed the dogs.

I sent a ton of food up the trail for our dogs to enjoy at every checkpoint. The race is like a great expedition for them, punctuated by fun feasts among lots of new friends, when they happen to camp near other teams. It has all the drama of a Caribbean cruise, but without all the heat. Plenty of HEET, though. We carry bottles of HEET methanol antifreeze for our alcohol cookers, so we can melt snow and heat dog food on the trail.

When I say I sent a ton of dog food up the trail, I do mean a ton, or nearly so. My drop bags weighed 1976 pounds when I weighed them to ship them up-trail. My team鈥檚 food packages weren鈥檛 the heaviest, nor the lightest. But what do I eat?

What I Eat During the Iditarod

A single sled dog needs about 10,000 calories per day while running the Iditarod. Mushers run less, but we鈥檙e bigger, so I鈥檇 guess we burn about the same. We spend 12 to 16 hours a day behind the sled, often jogging, pushing it up hills, or muscling over rough terrain. Even when the dogs rest, we鈥檙e often still working: melting snow for water or chopping through ice, fixing equipment, arranging and packing up camp. I鈥檓 sure my parka will be loose by the time I reach the Bering Sea.

Thank goodness for Sarah Hamilton, a longtime sled dog booster who happens to run Trail Center Lodge along the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota鈥檚 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She makes heat-and-eat trail meals called , and if a box of them hadn鈥檛 arrived literally hours before my dogs and I left for Alaska, I would be fighting my dogs for pork.

Which of course I would never do, because the dogs come first. Moms and dads feed their children. Mushers feed their dogs. We take much delight in their hearty appetites. We try to get everything just how they like it, so they can focus on their race. Cutting off the proverbial crusts, if that鈥檚 what they need. We鈥檙e kind of useless out there compared to the dogs, so this also makes us feel a little better about ourselves. By the time we鈥檙e a few hundred miles in, they鈥檒l eat just about anything.

Sarah鈥檚 CAMP CHOW meals can be made with hot water or even cold water. She sends me the gluten-free ones, which are incredible. There鈥檚 a blueberry parfait that I don鈥檛 think I could ever get sick of, which is saying something, because it鈥檚 hard to eat when you鈥檙e so tired. I鈥檓 thirsty out there. My teeth are practically furry. All I want to do is sleep. I am the last creature I feed, and it鈥檚 hard to cajole myself into eating, but it鈥檚 necessary, and Camp Chow makes it possible.

Other mushers have their own techniques. One friend asked me to pick up 20 McChicken sandwiches right before the Iditarod start a few years back. He kept them in his sled, and thawed them one by one in his armpits when he got hungry. My wife, also a musher, swears by frozen cheesecakes, because she loses her appetite completely on the trail, and they鈥檙e caloric and never freeze too hard to take a bite. She likes Twizzlers, too. They freeze solid, but she can hang one out of her mouth like a farmer with a blade of straw, thawing and gnawing it inch by inch. The sugar keeps her warm and the taste keeps her awake.

What about drinks? We mushers drink a lot of hot Tang. Sometimes it鈥檚 available at checkpoints, steeping in a big thermos next to coffee that might or might not taste like coffee, although no one cares for taste at that point. I packed bottles of iced tea and coconut water in my drop bags, because I can drop them (frozen) into my cooker when I鈥檓 making dog food. When they thaw just enough, I gulp down the slush.

Unless, of course, the dogs decided they want what鈥檚 mine. In that case, it becomes theirs. I鈥檓 happy to live on the crumbs.

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On Sunday February 9, 2025 the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Travis Kelce will be there. Taylor Swift will no doubt be cheering him on. Kendrick Lamar is slated to perform the halftime show. There鈥檚 a lot to look forward to.

Here at 国产吃瓜黑料, we are still thinking about an infographic published by the in the fall of 2024, which charts, of all things, the sheer volume of Uncrustables being consumed by the NFL. Yes, that鈥檚 right, if you haven鈥檛 heard, professional football players eat an ungodly amount of the pre-packaged, crust-cut-off, frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sold by Smuckers and available in virtually every grocery store. According to the Athletic, NFL teams are tucking into somewhere upwards of 80,000 Uncrustables a year. And that鈥檚 just among the teams that chose to respond to their inquiry.

For their part, Smuckers has made the most of players鈥� love of their iconic sammie, with teams like the Ravens and players like the Kelce brothers.

Now, I don鈥檛 claim to be a nutritionist, but I do devote quite a bit of rent-free space in my brain鈥攁nd quite a bit of my time鈥攖o reading about and researching the latest science on diet and nutrition. And I try to reasonably modify my own and my family鈥檚 diet in response to evidence-based things that I learn.

Alcohol is connected to higher risks of at least seven types of cancer,? Alrighty, Aperol Spritzes only on special occasions moving forward. ? Never going to buy a can without BPA-free on the label! And on down the line to microplastics in kitchenware. You get the gist.

So I think what surprises me most about Uncrustables as professional athlete fuel is my perception that they fall into that most contemporary of negative food categories: ultraprocessed. Although the research on the effects of ultraprocessed foods is still emerging, early , among other potential downstream health considerations. So I guess I would assume they are, broadly put, something to be avoided, especially in the context of peak athletic performance.

But let鈥檚 challenge my assumptions, starting with my broad brush view of ultraprocessing. As a recent article published on our sister site , 鈥淪ports nutrition鈥� requires ultraprocessing in order 鈥渢o create fast-digesting carbohydrates in the form of gels, chews, and beverages to keep your muscles adequately fueled.鈥� The ultraprocessed factor of certain specially manufactured foodstuffs, argues听Triathlete, ensures their capacity to meet nutritional needs in a unique way for endurance athletes. Again, as a total non-nutritionist, that feels like a fair point in their favor.

Peanut Butter and Jellies Are Pretty Amazing Workout Calories

And we do know that PB&Js are a great workout option.

国产吃瓜黑料 writer Michael Easter put it simply in a 2018 story he wrote on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as the unassuming鈥攂ut ultimate鈥攁dventure fuel: 鈥�A basic PB&J鈥攕liced white bread, Jif, and grape jelly鈥攃ontains 350 calories and 16, 45, and 11 grams of fat, carbs, and protein, respectively. That鈥檚 roughly equivalent to a Peanut Butter ProBar鈥攁 favorite among endurance athletes鈥攚ith its 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of protein.鈥� And, according to his estimates, they 鈥淸clock] in at roughly 25 cents each.鈥�

Kelly Jones, a registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and owner of and told me that if she were my nutritionist, she鈥檇 recommend making my own PB&J or peanut butter banana sandwich 鈥渙ut of whole grain bread and having half or a full one depending on the timing before activity鈥� to net out greater nutrient density.

Uncrustables aren鈥檛 that far off a typical homemade PB&J in their caloric content, coming in at around 210 calories with 28 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 8 to 10 grams of added sugar. On Amazon, , which makes the cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.75 per sandwich. And there鈥檚 definitely something to be said for the convenience of an Uncrustable when it comes to the per-unit price breakdown.

So I guess my first assumption鈥攖hat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren鈥檛 the best thing to eat when working out鈥攊s pretty far off the mark. That said, making one at home is definitely a better bang for your buck and probably has denser nutritional value.

But who wants to make 80,000 homemade PB&Js in a year?

What Do Nutritionists Say About Uncrustables?

To get more perspective鈥攁nd to test more of my assumptions鈥擨 reached out to , a nutritionist and certified personal trainer based in Denver, Colorado. Carmichael runs her own nutrition and fitness company, Team Humble Yourself, where the mission is to educate and empower women to take responsibility for their habits within nutrition and fitness.

Carmichael gave me some really helpful food for thought. She said she likes 鈥渢o think of nutrition as paralleling finance. Like a budget, you can spend your money on whatever you want, but long term, all the short-term gratification spending (like consistently eating a highly processed diet) will not lead you to an early retirement or a life full of financial freedom because of small choices that were made daily.鈥�

As such, an Uncrustable here or there is totally fine, but 鈥渨hole foods are elite,鈥� as she said. 鈥淚t takes less energy to digest ultraprocessed foods. It takes more energy (calories) to digest and process whole foods, so relying on more of a processed item for recovery isn鈥檛 something that should be habitual.鈥�

Jones added another layer of complexity to my thinking about ultraprocessed foods as a part of athletic training and recovery. She noted that 鈥渞ather than label all ultraprocessed foods as unhealthy, we should recognize they fall on a spectrum from low to high nutrient density. Athletes who burn 1,000 calories or more per day participating in their sport may have more flexibility to choose foods such as Uncrustables in their diet versus the average American just working to fit in three workouts each week.鈥�

To emphasize that spectrum of ultraprocessing in food, Jones noted that Oreos may be an obvious example to most people, but few recognize canned beans or Greek yogurt as ultraprocessed foods. In fact, I think most of us would agree that the latter examples fall into our idea of healthy eating.

Other Post-Workout Snack Options

Carmichael gave me a whole list of great ideas for post-workout fuel that she believes can help replenish your body鈥檚 glycogen storage, repair and rebuild muscle, and enhance metabolic function. She suggested, 鈥減ost workout, if you鈥檙e not ready for a bigger meal, a large bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese paired with a fruit and honey, or even a slice of toast with some turkey鈥� are all great options.

From Carmichael鈥檚 perspective, it鈥檚 all about moderation. 鈥淢ake a whole food snack or meal after a workout more of a habit, and have something like an Uncrustable when you really want it,” she said. “Moderation is key for everything!鈥�

Even Uncrustables.

Ryleigh Nucilli is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 columnist for the Pulse. Once her dad, Rob, wanted to try eating Uncrustables on a long road trip, but her sister insisted he eat the homemade variety鈥攕erved on hot dog buns.

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Chick fil-A used to be my guilty pleasure, especially when traveling. When I’m rushing through airports that seductive red and white sign always calls for a detour and a Chicken Deluxe. Now, thanks to about the plastic chemicals found in food packaging, that sandwich is dead to me. A team of scientists and concerned citizens recently tested more than 300 unique foods for harmful plastic chemicals. My beloved treat sat near the top of the inauspicious leaderboard.

My regular readers know that I have long been concerned with the scary amount of plastic chemicals that we interact with as we 听go about our daily lives.

There鈥檚 the black plastic in our utensils. And the PFAS (a.k.a forever chemicals) found in everything from our clothing and furniture to our beauty products and toilet paper, the foaming agents in our toothpaste and laundry soaps.

The list goes on and on. We are a society addicted to plastic chemicals and all the modern conveniences they afford. Meanwhile, cancer rates in people under 50 are . I am in doubting that this is merely coincidence.

But nothing freaks me out more than chemicals making their way into my family鈥檚 food. Who among us could ever enjoy a bite of a Chicken Deluxe听again if we knew it were laced with poison?

I decided to look into what we know about chemicals in food packaging, what regulators are doing about it, and how we can protect ourselves.

Plastic Chemicals Pervade Our Everyday Food

I鈥檝e been seeing pop up in my newsfeeds about plastic chemicals in food. I鈥檝e had moments of paralysis in the grocery story trying to find a decent head of lettuce that wasn鈥檛 swathed in a plastic.

A group of Californians felt the same way. They听embarked on a six-month research project to test common food items鈥攆rom local grocery stores and take-out joints鈥攆or the presence of chemicals that enhance the performance of plastics. Phthalates, for instance, are a class of chemicals used to make plastic more pliable. Think: milk jugs and yogurt cups. Bisphenols are plastic hardeners found in beverage bottles and linings of canned goods.

The independent group, working under the name PlasticList, purchased 775 food samples of 312 items. Everything from Almond Breeze milk (currently sitting in my fridge) and grass-fed steak from Whole Foods to Taco Bell chicken burritos and, yes, my beloved Chicken Deluxe from Chick fil-A. They then tested those items for the presence of 18 common plastic-related chemicals that fall under the umbrella of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (or EDCs). Ample proof exists that EDCs cause like cancer, diabetes, and reproductive and neurological disorders.

The is pretty shocking: the PlasticList team detected plastic chemicals in 86 percent of the food tested. 鈥淏ut this doesn鈥檛 mean we should all freak out,鈥� says Yaroslav Shipilov, the PlasticList team leader. 鈥淎lthough it was surprising to discover the presence of plastic chemicals in such a huge percentage of the food we tested, in all but 24 specific cases, the items are still safe to eat according to the three major regulating bodies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).鈥�

Shipilov hopes that his findings will spawn more testing. He also hopes that the regulating bodies will update their outdated safety limits, which are decades old and often contradictory. 鈥淔or example, in some cases we have chemicals that have been banned from children鈥檚 toys, but not food. This suggests that they are not safe for toddlers to touch, but are fine for them to ingest,鈥� he says.

Are Plastic Chemicals Harmful to People?

Make no mistake about it. A rapidly growing body of evidence proves that plastic chemicals are really bad for human health, not to mention the harm they cause the environment.

To get an overview of the health impacts, I reached out to Philip J. Landrigan MD, a pediatrician and biology professor at Boston College. Landrigan serves as director of both the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Global Observatory on Planetary Health.

In October 2023, Landrigan published , a wide-ranging report covering the many health and environmental implications of plastic chemicals.

鈥淧lastics have allowed significant benefits to humanity in the fields of medicine, electronics, aerospace, and more. But it鈥檚 also clear that they are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth鈥檚 environment,鈥� says Landrigan. 鈥淭housands of chemicals鈥攊ncluding carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants鈥攍each out of plastics and harm human health at every stage of the lifecycle, from production to discard.鈥�

For example, Landrigan says, consider the coal miners and oil field workers who suffer from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. (These workers extract the raw materials that create plastic.)听The plastic production workers who have an increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, and brain and breast cancer. The plastic recycling workers who contend with high rates of toxic metal poisoning and neuropathy. The workers in the plastics textile industry die of bladder cancer and lung disease. And the families who live near plastic production facilities who have increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, lung cancer, and a host of other life-threatening ailments.

The report says that these harms exceed $500 billion per year in health-related costs in the U.S. alone.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 most concerning to me as a pediatrician,鈥� says Landrigan, 鈥渋s the risk that chemicals in our food pose to pregnant women and young children. We all need to be more aware of plastics鈥� threats to human health. And we need to take intentional steps to reduce our exposure and our children’s exposure to plastic.鈥�

Food Packaging Regulations Are Rolling Out鈥揃ut Not Fast Enough

The federal government has been slow to respond in a meaningful way to the growing body of evidence that plastics in our food system are poisoning us.

Just last week, a group of environmentalists filed a new lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of phthalates in plastic food packaging. For close to a decade, the FDA has ignored calls to take stronger action against phthalates. We lag far behind the European Union in this regard.

Reporting from suggests that this refusal is due to pressure from the chemicals industry, which would surely suffer in the face of a phthalates ban.

Still, some states have begun to take independent action to protect our food from plastics chemicals.

鈥淪tates have taken the lead on phasing out dangerous chemicals from food packaging and containers,鈥� says Gretchen Salter, policy director for Safer States, a national alliance that works to protect people and the environment from toxic chemicals. 鈥淥ur shows that 16 states have adopted 29 policies to remove chemicals like PFAS, phthalates, and bisphenols (chemicals like BPA and BPF)听from food packaging. Additionally, Washington state has recently 听to ban all听bisphenols in drink can liners and require disclosure of the use of all听bisphenols in food can liners.鈥�

5 Ways To Protect Yourself From Plastic Chemicals in Food

Try as we might, avoiding plastic food packaging altogether is downright impossible. But there are some things we can do to not only limit our exposure to their inherent chemicals (like phthalates, bisphenols, and PFAS), but to be part of long-term solutions that will protect our kids, grandkids, and all the generations to come.

1. 1. Avoid fast food and take-out. When you can鈥檛, get that hot food out of its packaging as soon as possible to avoid chemical leaching. Even pizza boxes contain PFAS.
   2. Bring your own take-out containers. When dining out, bring a glass or metal container from home for leftovers. And avoid putting plastic take-out containers into the microwave. Although the specific research around this practice is , most experts believe this can cause additional contamination and leaching.
   3. Opt for fresh, whole foods. Skip the packaging whenever you can. For example, buy loose veggies rather than those ensconced in plastic. For meat and fish, buy direct from the counter. Ask for it wrapped in paper, rather than picking up a package from the chiller, where it’s been resting in a plastic package for who-knows-how-long. (Note: even that butcher鈥檚 paper likely has chemicals on it, so unwrap it as soon as you get home.)
   4. Ditch all plastic from your kitchen. Yep, you heard me鈥攁ll of it. Storage containers, colanders, utensils, cereal bowls. Start to replace all of those items with glass, wood, metal, and ceramic. I鈥檝e scored some really high quality replacements at the second-hand stores I love to frequent. And don鈥檛 forget the Saran Wrap and Zip-Lock bags. Transition away from those, too, and go with beeswax bowl toppers and silicone baggies.
   5. Speak up! It takes one minute to to create a Global Plastics Treaty. Do it! Another powerful action you can take is to write a letter to your state congress representatives. Urge them to support the Global Plastics Treaty as well as state laws to ban toxic plastic chemicals. Here are to get you started.

Kristin Hostetter is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 sustainability columnist. Sadly, she has eaten her last Chick fil-A Chicken Deluxe. But she’s currently working on recreating a healthier version in her home kitchen.听 Follow her journey to live more sustainably by for her twice-monthly newsletter.听

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Everyone knows a skier who prides themselves on , only to fuel up on pocket jerky and maybe a PBR on the lift. But during a long day on the slopes, we鈥檙e never opposed to warming up our toes and refueling in the lodge.

Of course, many lodge cafeterias offer an exceptionally average $30 plate of a burger and fries, but in recent years, some have started providing unique dining experiences (at often more affordable prices!). And while no one can argue that chicken tendies don鈥檛 taste amazing after crushing laps sometimes we鈥檙e craving something a little bit more. That said, we鈥檝e hunted down the best and most Check out our picks, below.

Green Chili Dogs from Ptarmigan Roost Caf茅 (Loveland Ski Area, CO)

While shredding at , Ptarmigan Roost Caf茅 is undoubtedly a worthwhile pitstop. Cozy up with a can of Rolling Rock and a green chili dog either next to the wood-burning stove, or on the observation deck, which provides 360 views of the area at 12,000 feet of elevation. After a day of exploring the bowls or hitting the glades, the combination of the spicy green chili 鈥� with a glizzy 鈥� is truly unmatched.

Bacon Bloody Mary and BBQ from Black Mountain Lodge (A-Basin, CO)

Although you may have to roll back down to the base lodge afterward, taking a mid-mountain break at is practically a requirement during a trip to Arapahoe Basin. Even though the pulled pork sandwich happens to be a household favorite, you really can鈥檛 go wrong with ribs or brisket, either. Make sure to wash it all down with one of the lodge鈥檚 iconic Bacon Bloody Marys, and you鈥檒l likely be full until just before your morning laps tomorrow.

Veggie Ramen at Miso Hungry (Jay Peak, VT)

There is truly nothing more satisfying than cozying up with a steaming hot bowl of ramen after a few hours on the slopes (hey, even during a long day on the slopes!). But it鈥檚 safe to say Miso Hungry鈥檚 Veggie Ramen does not disappoint. You can choose between spicy and regular miso (we鈥檙e always opting for spicy鈥t鈥檚 a quick way to warm up!) and top it with a little fried tofu for some extra protein. You can even make it vegan by asking to swap out the marinated egg for extra veggies.

Curry Fries from Roundhouse (Solitude Mountain Resort, UT)

 

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Indian-Himalayan fusion might not come to mind when visiting the state of Utah, but mid-mountain restaurant, Roundhouse, has a mouthwatering menu (think: dals, butter chicken, and lamb curry) that鈥檚 worth flying in for. But if you鈥檙e looking for a big plate to share, curry fries may be the way to go, and definitely ask for extra napkins. We can鈥檛 think of a better way to warm up amongst friends.

Jerk Chicken from Jerk Jamaican Mountain Grill (Killington Ski Resort, VT)听

During those extra cold days on the slopes, a tropical lunchtime vibe may be the way to go to get the feeling back in your fingers. One repeat recommendation for the best mountain food on the Reddit page was the famous Jerk Shack at , and needless to say, we鈥檙e dying to try it. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a jerk chicken shack slopeside at Killington that is so good it鈥檚 hard to believe,鈥� one user听writes in a rave review. 鈥淓asily the best food I鈥檝e had at any resort, ever.鈥�

Barbacoa, Chicken Tinga, or Tofu Chorizo Tacos from Phlox Point (Timberline, OR)

Even though Portland tends to be Oregon鈥檚 primary food hub, one ski area along has a ski-in, ski-out taqueria that could just as well be in the city. Phlox Point at offers affordable and flavorful tacos, which beat any .

鈥淥ur personal faves include the barbacoa, a tantalizing shredded beef version braised in stout with ancho and chipotle chilis, oregano, and cumin,鈥� , behind Mount Hood鈥檚 Alpine Chalet. 鈥淭he chicken tinga is also a standout, marinated in IPA, green chili, cumin, and garlic. And for the veggie peeps, they have a rotating option (currently tofu chorizo).鈥�

The Reuben from John Paul Lodge (Snowbasin Resort, UT)

John Paul Lodge serves up what they claim to be 鈥渢he best Reuben in Utah鈥� 鈥斕齛nd the Internet seems to wholeheartedly agree. In response to , one comment read: 鈥淐ouple more weeks till I fly in for my Reuben,鈥� while another added: 鈥淏est Reuben of all time.鈥澨鼳nd if you鈥檙e still not convinced, then , who voted Snowbasin one of the top ten resorts in the West for dining in our annual SKI Reader鈥檚 Survey.

Fondue from The Roundhouse (Bald Mountain Ski Area, ID)听

Fondue is a relatively common slopeside staple, but evidently, has nailed the art of melty cheese and crudit茅s. Not to mention, a pretty stellar view from the top of the resort, only accessible by gondola. Not to mention, The Roundhouse claims to be the original on-mountain dining spot in the U.S.

The Roundhouse is popular amongst skiers and nonskiers alike, so if you鈥檙e planning on visiting make sure to make reservations ahead of time.

Deer Valley Turkey Chili (Deer Valley, UT).

You know a food is iconic when a quick Google search ranks copycat recipes to make at home higher than the resort鈥檚 website. Deer Valley鈥檚 Turkey Chili is certainly that type of dish and a staple at the Utah resort. You can snag this famous bowl of protein-packed goodness at several of Deer Valley鈥檚 onsite lodges, and even . Don鈥檛 forget to embrace toppings the Deer Valley way by adding cheese, sour cream, red or green onions, or even some sliced jalape帽os.

Not into Chili? No worries, Deer Valley has plenty of other favorites like rich and silky smooth hot chocolate, and a whole variety of desserts guaranteed to please your sweet tooth and give you the energy to carry out your day.

Latin American food from Nob Hill Cafe (Sugar Bowl Resort, CA)听

Situated in Village Lodge is the Nob Hill Cafe, a casual spot to grab some Michelin-starred chef-created meals. This season, the cafe is bringing the heat with a flavorful Latin American-inspired fare. Between laps, you can choose from a tasty menu that includes birria braised beef, pollo asado chicken, vegetarian Pozole Verde, and veggie pupusas 鈥� yum.

Waffles from Corbet鈥檚 Cabin (Jackson Hole, WY)

If you鈥檝e been skiing for more than a few years, you鈥檙e likely accustomed to a grab-and-go waffle before hitting the chairlift. But, Corbet鈥檚 Cabin at Jackson Hole is no run-of-the-mill Waffle Cabin. Skiers can grab a freshly made waffle reminiscent of weekend mornings and choose toppings accordingly, like bacon, peanut butter, or whipped cream. All that extra sugar pairs perfectly with a death-defying run off the cabin鈥檚 namesake, Jackson Hole鈥檚 famous Corbet鈥檚 Couloir.

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In of The Road Less Eaten, chef and host Biju Thomas visits Utah鈥檚 Heber Valley, an unassuming corner of the western U.S. that has seen an explosion in its food scene over the course of the last ten years. While in the Heber Valley, Thomas spends the majority of his time in Midway, Utah, a town on the Eastern flank of the Wasatch Mountains, about an hour away from Salt Lake City and a stone鈥檚 throw from Park City.

Thomas tells viewers that local farming and great ingredients have made the Heber Valley a quiet food mecca with a vibrant culinary scene that can hold its own against other, more well-known food destinations. With farms and ranches dotting the landscape, and local bakeries and restaurants that understand the value of locally sourced ingredients, the Heber Valley is filled with dining destinations for visitors to explore after a day hitting the slopes or adventuring in the outdoors.

 

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Hawk and Sparrow Bakery

Thomas starts his journey through the Heber Valley food scene at , which is an organic, artisan bakery located in baker Andrew Berthrong鈥檚 home garage in Midway, Utah, that Thomas says produces some of the best bread in Utah. Hawk and Sparrow is known for its sourdough, which is a staple in Heber Valley restaurants that aim to showcase local ingredients and artisan products. Thomas describes Berthrong, a former academic, as 鈥渙ne of the best bakers in the country.鈥�

Viewers watch as Thomas and Berthrong sample the popular sourdough, which takes a multi-day process to create. As they slather the bread with butter, Thomas remarks on the beauty and simplicity of freshly baked bread that鈥檚 made with just a few ingredients because it really has nothing to get in the way of its flavor.

 

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Lola鈥檚 Street Kitchen

From Hawk and Sparrow, Thomas ventures onto , a former food truck that now has a brick-and-mortar location in Midway, Utah. Owned and operated by David and Mandy Medina, Lola鈥檚 makes all of their own breads, buns, and pitas in addition to using some of the sourdough from Hawk and Sparrow. The Medinas envisioned the restaurant as showcasing the best of American street food, all made from scratch.

One of the highlights of Thomas鈥� visit to Lola鈥檚 includes a rundown of their three most popular items: the fried chicken sandwich on freshly baked potato roll, lamb gyro on handmade pita, and a portobello truffle melt on Hawk and Sparrow鈥檚 sourdough. Thomas describes Lola鈥檚 as approachable and affordable with beautiful dishes but without any fussiness or stuffiness.

Heber Valley Artisan Cheese

After his ride on the local 鈥淗eber Creeper鈥� train, Thomas takes viewers to the fourth-generation family-owned dairy farm and shop. Thomas describes the dairy鈥攁nd its owner and operator Russ Kohler鈥攁s embodying the ethics of the region. At Heber Valley Artisan Cheese, they do it all; they grow the hay that feeds the cows, and they raise the herd that produces the milk that turns into some of the world鈥檚 finest cheese.

And Thomas isn鈥檛 exaggerating. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards for its Lemon Sage Cheddar, and its Wasatch Back Jack is a National Champion. A highlight for Thomas comes when he gets to taste both prize winners. As he samples the cheddar, Thomas remarks that the cheese is actually 鈥渕ore buttery than cheesy,鈥� which Kohler explains is a result of the cows鈥� diet. Because corn doesn鈥檛 grow at elevation, the Heber Valley Artisan Cheese herd has an alfalfa-based diet. Alfalfa diets create a richer, creamier texture in the cheese.

 

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Midway Mercantile

Chef John Platt then gives Thomas a tour and tasting at his upscale Midway, Utah, eatery . A former teacher and principal, Platt moved to Midway nearly two decades ago, drawn by the Heber Valley鈥檚 beauty.

While at Midway Mercantile, Thomas gets to sample their panko-crusted Alaskan Halibut, which is Midway Mercantile鈥檚 most popular dish. The fish is panko crusted in yellow curry, served with coconut rice and spinach, and topped with apple chutney. Thomas loves the dish鈥攑articularly the apple chutney. Thomas also gets to taste Sandra鈥檚 Classic Salad, a salad named after Platt鈥檚 wife and composed of greens, herbs, lemon vinaigrette, truffle oil, and grilled Juustoleipa cheese. Juustoleipa is a Finnish bread cheese that really has its flavors come out when grilled.

 

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Ritual Chocolate

Thomas finishes his exploration of the Heber Valley at , where Anna Seear has perfected small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate from ethically sourced heirloom cacao. Thomas notes that he and Seear actually both started their careers in the Boulder, Colorado, food scene.

After walking through the artisanal process Seear uses to create Ritual鈥檚 finely crafted chocolate, Thomas enjoys tasting Ritual鈥檚 unique, single-origin drinking chocolates, which are made from half hot water and half chocolate. After drinking both the Madagascar and the Ecuador, Thomas notes the cinnamon-y flavor and richness of the Ecuador, while the Madagascar has a brighter flavor.

The post 鈥楾he Road Less Eaten鈥� Visits Heber Valley, the Secret Food-国产吃瓜黑料 Capital of the West appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 not that I don鈥檛 like food. I do. I carry frozen cheesecakes on winter expeditions. They鈥檙e caloric and they don鈥檛 freeze hard, so you can bite off chunks without chipping your teeth. I once ate the same dead catfish boiled over a fire for three days. Was it good? Absolutely not. I like cardamom, snap peas, and Asian pears. I eat frozen bean burritos. I hate raw tomatoes, a trait I attribute to growing up near a ketchup factory in California. Tomatoes festered on every street corner and stuck to the soles of my flip-flops. They rolled off trucks en route to the factory, then rotted in the sun.

My husband, on the other hand, was raised by an epicurean grandfather, driving hours one-way for frog legs, bouillabasse, a pastry shaped like a bird鈥檚 nest. We have twin babies now. He wants them to appreciate good food, so he’s learning to cook. In pursuit of this goal, he discovered the , a remote bed and breakfast in Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula where superstar chef Lane Regan (formerly Iliana) cooks foraged ingredients for a handful of guests in exclusive weekends that sell out years in advance. This year, my husband鈥檚 been helping out at the Inn, building a woodshed and tending colonies of bees. He鈥檚 developed a new language, dropping words like 鈥済arum鈥� and fermenting wild plums on the top shelf of our closet. In exchange for his work, Lane offered us a slot on a last-minute November weekend鈥攁nd my husband, excited to share a place he loves, gave the slot to me.

The Inn lies about a mile from two-lane Highway 13 as the crow flies, and 25 miles by unmarked dirt road. Guests caravan. It鈥檚 a log cabin with a central parlor that鈥檚 half kitchen, adorned with Pendleton blankets, paintings of foxes, and Chef鈥檚 three Michelin stars. Tonight鈥檚 dinner is not the star of the weekend鈥攖hat would be Saturday鈥檚 15-course tasting menu鈥攂ut as guests gather around the three small tables, it鈥檚 clearly no less anticipated. I scoot in at the corner table with two couples, dodging a silky lump that reveals itself to be a Shih Tzu named Clemmie. George, a nine-year-old Newfoundland, sprawls like a bear rug by the hearth.

Host Rebecca, a breezy redhead with pigtails and an expression of warm concern, brings dishes of savoy cabbage with pine flower miso and milkweed flower vinegar that have my tablemates gasping. It鈥檚 meaty, complex, and鈥攖o my inexperienced palate鈥攊neffable. I feel like a phony for eating it without the knowledge to name the tastes. Like wild mushrooms, I think, tentative even in my mind鈥攁nd when a neighbor mentions the same, I feel a sprig of confidence. By the bread course, a thick warm sourdough with tangy goat milk butter and honey, I find myself relaxing. The trout in herb gribiche is fleshy and tastes like lake in the best way, and dessert鈥攁 profiterole with spruce ice cream and chaga cookie top that cracks into patches like the spots on an amanita鈥攐ffers an almost musical experience of bliss.

By the time guests sigh and lean back, the woods outside the windows are black. The nearest neighbors are more than a howl鈥檚 reach away. Rebecca did a 12-day silent retreat 鈥渋n order to be able to work here鈥攂ecause one struggles with one鈥檚 mind,鈥� she remarks of the Inn鈥檚 isolation, gliding to the table with postprandial tea. A guest inquires if she has any decaf coffee. 鈥淣o the fuck we do not,鈥� she says.

I sleep outside by choice, full-bellied in two sleeping bags, and wake to daylight in a shell of ice.

By first breakfast鈥攂anana-walnut bread with salt and butter鈥攖he guests are familiar with each other. They鈥檙e midwestern, foodies, adventurous鈥攖wo retired couples, a pair of restaurant owners, and a data scientist and millennial geriatrician from Madison, Wisconsin. Chef Lane bustles in the kitchen, answering questions and offering guidance on the wood-fired sauna. They鈥檙e slim and soft-spoken, with a teal moth tattooed on their neck, wings filling the open collar of their tucked-in wool flannel. In a minute they stir, scoop, plate, taste, give hiking suggestions, and brush Shih Tzu Clemmie鈥檚 eyebrows up with their hand, securing them with plastic barrettes. Second breakfast is tacos on green tortillas, tinged with weeds picked that week.

The day is food and leisure; some folks wander to the Sturgeon River, descending a trailless slope, while others knit, hike, or read. I sit briefly in the loft, overhearing snippets of conversation. 鈥淥ne time I got stung by a hornet on my butt cheek and [redacted] sucked all the venom out of me,鈥� someone remarks. 鈥淭hat was the most romantic thing he鈥檚 ever done.鈥� Later, thoughtful: 鈥淢y tapeworm鈥檚 the only one who understands me.鈥�

When guests stay too long in the sauna, Lane worries. 鈥淒o you think they passed out?鈥� they murmur. 鈥淢aybe they鈥檙e cooking.鈥�

Lane says that guests at Milkweed fall on a spectrum: on one extreme, foodies who rarely step outdoors, and at the other, outdoorsfolk who鈥攍ike myself鈥斺�渉ave never even had a tasting menu.鈥� It鈥檚 Milkweed that brings them together.

As an adventurer, I鈥檓 often in the position of enticing people outside, and it can be a hard sell. Not because the highs aren鈥檛 great, but because folks fear the lows: bugs, cold, bears, isolation, toilet paper made of leaves. And yet here鈥檚 Milkweed, pulling magic: calling new people into the Northwoods, not in spite of discomfort, but for pursuit of pleasure alone.

Lunch starts with a salad of fennel and carrot two ways (shaved raw, and blanched and marinated in lemon), moose garum and egg white aminos with marinated white beans and garnished with chamomile. The flavor is multisensory, euphoric; I feel it in my arms. Something鈥檚 sweet on my tongue, and tart on the sides of my mouth, and there鈥檚 a tinge of smoke, too, which surprises me.

鈥淲e fed the moose firewood,鈥� says cooking resident Jade. She鈥檚 joking, but she might as well not be, because I swear it鈥檚 all there: the soil, the rain, the antlers, the trees. And when it hits me, I almost laugh from the revelation: foraged food isn鈥檛 just about bringing people into wildness. It鈥檚 about bringing wildness into our very mouths.

We can鈥攚e do鈥攈ave nature inside us, even in the most conservative sense of the word: wilderness as nonhuman, nature as beyond control. What鈥檚 a tapeworm if not a reminder that our bodies are ecosystems, too? But this place, this cooking, this food鈥攊t turns fear into pleasure. Savoring a wild lion鈥檚 mane mushroom is no less an engagement with wildness than spotting one in the woods, and it is鈥攊n a tactile way鈥攎ore accessible to most.

I鈥檓 not proud to realize that my lack of engagement with good food was, in minuscule part, because I thought myself above it. Because, while I savor comfort, I鈥檝e always prided myself on enduring its lack, and I have in me some Puritan sense that suffering for a goal gives you greater pride. I have struggled in my life to let myself be purely content, and maybe food represents that: it turns a need into a gift. I鈥檝e spent decades chasing wilderness, when it could always be right here: on my plate, in my mouth, in the animal body that I am.

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When I was 13, like many young women, I developed an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. At 16, I started mountaineering, which was a profound catalyst for change鈥擨 learned that food was fuel and that my body could do so much more than simply look good. I got really excited about building strength and fitness. By my mid-twenties, I would say I had recovered. I dealt with fluctuations in my weight and appearance without spiraling, lived a balanced, active lifestyle, and ate what I wanted without guilt or shame.听

I鈥檓 30 now, and I recently visited an old, very close friend from childhood who shared my adolescent despair and unhealthy eating patterns. I stayed at her house, and noticed she hardly had any food鈥攋ust some tofu, greens, and fixings for light smoothies. No bread, no cheese or milk, no snacks. I listened to her talk about her eating habits鈥攈ow she鈥檇 skip dinner if she knew she was going to drink a lot that evening, or that she doesn鈥檛 keep jam in the house because she鈥檒l eat it all. (Isn鈥檛 that the point?) She told me that she knows she has to sacrifice certain foods to maintain a body that she is happy with, and that she鈥檚 at peace with that. At the time, I thought Wow. She鈥檚 still in it鈥攖his disordered relationship with food and her body. Thank god I grew out of it.听

Then, I looked at pictures of us on the beach from that weekend, and noticed my frame dwarfing hers. I came home from the trip triggered, questioning whether I needed to go on a diet, reevaluate my habits, or even get my hands on some Ozempic. Things I never think about. I want to be super clear: I love this woman and have an incredible time with her. She never commented on my body or what I ate. And she never would. But in her judgment of herself, I started to hear criticism of my own habits and appearance, too. After a few weeks, the ship righted itself, and I felt, once again, at peace with myself and what I ate.

We鈥檙e now planning a river trip together, where we鈥檒l be sharing all of our snacks and meals. How can I avoid falling into the same old, defeating thoughts when I鈥檓 with her? Should I talk to her? I don鈥檛 even really know what I鈥檇 say, and definitely don鈥檛 want to police her behavior. If I don鈥檛 talk to her, what can I do to protect my own mental health and body image during our time together?听

Versions of this letter could have been written by so many women I know鈥攊ncluding myself. This may be a tricky situation, but it鈥檚 also a testament to your hard work toward body acceptance, and how incredibly far you鈥檝e come.

Recently I had an interaction with a close friend鈥攁 woman in her thirties鈥攖hat reminds me a bit of your situation. We were at the beach, and she had recently ordered a new swimsuit. When she pulled it on, it was uncomfortably tight. 鈥淚 ordered the same size I wore in high school,鈥� she said, tugging the fabric down over her hips, which are objectively skinny and much smaller than mine. 鈥淚 guess I should lose a few pounds.鈥�

I didn鈥檛 know what to say, so I just laughed. We went swimming. But I kept wondering what I should have said. I could have focused on praise, encouragement鈥斺�測ou look great!鈥濃�攂ut wouldn鈥檛 that reinforce the idea that a slightly bigger body is bad? I could have said something neutral: 鈥淏odies change.鈥� I could have taken a cue from my experience training dogs (to discourage a behavior, replace it with an incompatible one) and ignored the statement completely before changing the subject: 鈥淟ook over there. A boat!鈥�

Here鈥檚 the kicker: my daughter was with us, and I want her to have a healthy relationship with her body. I hope she鈥檒l never experience the turmoil that so many women still carry. Luckily she鈥檚 a baby, so I doubt she processed our conversation. She was too busy eating sand. But what if she鈥檇 been older? Three, eight, sixteen? What would I say then鈥攖o my friend, and to her? And if I could figure out the right message to give my daughter, wouldn鈥檛 that be the right message for myself, too?

For the sake of this column, I took what felt like a risk, and called my swimsuit-wearing friend to ask for her perspective on the interaction. She didn鈥檛 remember it at all. But she remembered something else.

鈥淚 was in the kitchen with you and your husband,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檇 just eaten sourdough bread that he baked. I was thinking about how carbs make you gain weight, and I said something like, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 this going to do to my gym goals?鈥� Without hesitating, he responded, 鈥榃hat goals? Getting stronger? More endurance?鈥� It was so pure. It helped me catch myself. I鈥檝e always thought I don鈥檛 have a lot of diet culture internalized, but there I was, trafficking in this culture of diet glorification.鈥�

Even among my most feminist friends, admitting to troubled body image can feel like the last taboo. Women talk about body dysmorphia or disordered eating in the past tense, but stay tight-lipped on current struggles, even when they鈥檙e outwardly obvious to folks who鈥檝e been through it themselves. Part of this dynamic, I think, is generational. Millennials came of age during the extreme diet culture of the nineties听and 2000s, then matured鈥攁nd at least tried to deal with our shit鈥攁s the body positivity movement rose in public consciousness. We were taught that our bodies were bad鈥攁nd then that feeling bad about them is bad, too. We鈥檙e ashamed of the fact that we鈥檙e still ashamed.

So I understand your hesitation to talk to your friend directly, even if you can comfortably talk about almost anything else. Commenting on body image issues can feel almost like a moral indictment鈥攁nd anyway, what鈥檚 she going to do? Get over them in time for your trip?

You鈥檙e better off risking honesty about yourself, and confiding in your friend about your challenges, rather than confronting her about her own. You could frame the conversation in terms of asking for her support. 鈥淗ey, can you help me with something? I鈥檝e had some body image stuff come up lately, and I鈥檓 trying to really focus on accepting myself and having a healthy relationship with food. I think my goal on the river trip is to just be in the moment, and not think about weight at all. If you notice me talking about weight, or being self-critical, could you call me out on it?鈥�

This is basically the truth, and it鈥檚 a gentle way to tell your friend that diet comments can be triggering to you. It might also present an opportunity for her to bring up her own struggles鈥攐r at the very least, to know that if she does want to talk about them someday, you鈥檙e someone who would listen.

In practical terms, make sure that when you pack for the trip, you鈥檙e bringing a swimsuit and clothes that fit perfectly and make you feel confident. (If you don鈥檛 have any, buy some! Clothes that help you feel good about your body are genuinely important.) I also think it鈥檚 a good idea to reach out to another friend鈥攕omeone who鈥檚 not coming along鈥攁nd ask her to be your support system. Let her know what鈥檚 going on, so she can check in with you after you get back. That way, if you end up feeling worse about yourself, she can help to remind you that this, too, shall pass.

And if those bad feelings come back, they will pass, even if it takes a while to get through them. You鈥檝e already worked so hard to love your body and develop a healthy attitude toward food. That work is never wasted, even when you face setbacks. In fact, when you have negative thoughts about yourself and correct them, you鈥檙e not failing; you鈥檙e making your coping skills even stronger. Your body is strong as heck, and your mind is, too.

If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline at +1 (866) 662-1235 for support, resources, and treatment options. Visit for more information.

Blair Braverman writes 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Tough Love column. She has previously written about how to develop more body confidence.

The post My Friend Is Obsessed with Being Thin. How Do I Cope While Traveling with Her? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I like a good burger as much as the next girl. This past weekend at a family cookout, I indulged in a damn good one. But each delicious beefy bite brought with it a bitter aftertaste. You see, I鈥檓 an environmentalist hell-bent on making daily choices that support a healthy planet. And beef, I鈥檓 sure you鈥檝e heard, has a hefty environmental impact. According to Project Drawdown, switching to a plant-based diet and reducing food waste are by far the we can take.

The meat and dairy industries account for about 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are also the leading causes of deforestation. And when you compare the GHG emissions from different food groups, beef takes the prize by a landslide.

So what鈥檚 a beef-loving environmentalist to do? Can I stay true to my climate values without swearing off meat? Can I enjoy the occasional steak without feeling like a total hypocrite? Can I source beef that supports a healthy planet rather than depletes it?

Hoping that the answer to these questions was a resounding yes, I turned to three passionate environmentalists鈥揳 climate scientist, a hunter, and a rancher. None of them think we听need to quit beef altogether鈥攊nstead, we need to rethink our relationship to beef and where it comes from.

I came away from my conversations with three guiding principles about my future beef 听consumption: eat less, don鈥檛 waste any of it, and buy the best I can find and afford.

Eat Less Beef

The topic of meat and its impact on the environment gets a lot of heat and not a lot of light, says Dr. Jonathan Foley, executive director of , a nonprofit whose mission is to stop climate change as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible using science-based solutions and strategies.

鈥淭he science is really clear,鈥� says Foley. 鈥淩ed meat is a huge environmental force. 75听percent of all agricultural land in the world is used to raise animals.鈥�

Roughly 99 percent of American beef is 鈥渇inished鈥� in feedlots, says Foley. That means that while the calves may live on an open range for the first year of their lives, they鈥檙e then shipped to giant commercial operations where they鈥檙e prevented from moving around and fed a steady diet of grain to fatten them up and create the desired marbling.

鈥淲e鈥檙e devoting a huge amount of land, water, and chemicals to grow massive grain monocrops for animal feed, which is detrimental to biodiversity and a healthy planet,鈥� says Foley.

This is compounded by the fact that Americans eat far too much beef: about 83 pounds per person per year, according to data from the听, second only to Portugal.

Practices like regenerative ranching鈥攚hich seeks to improve soil health and increase biodiversity鈥攁nd avoiding consumptive feedlot beef听may be part of the solution, but only if we dramatically cut the amount we consume in the first place, contends Foley.

鈥淐utting back is the only way pencils out. We simply don鈥檛 have enough grassland to support the volume of beef we鈥檙e consuming,鈥� he says. 鈥淩egenerative ranching only makes sense if we drastically cut consumption.鈥�

Respect Meat鈥攁nd Waste None

Nicole Qualtieri is a longtime hunting , the editor-in-chief of an outdoors publication called , and a passionate conservationist who traded high heels for hiking boots when she moved to Montana from Denver and took up hunting a decade ago. She often writes about her connection to the land and how .

Qualtieri glasses the countryside for mule deer in eastern Montana. (Photo: Lindsey Mulcare)

鈥淗unters and vegans have more in common than less,鈥� says Qualtieri. 鈥淲e are both actively involved in our foodways. But most vegans still depend on industrial food entirely for what they eat, plants included. I think it’s great that they shun industrial meat and animal products that lack integrity; however, there are other routes to breaking systemic dependence.鈥�

For Qualtieri, part of breaking that dependence is eating as much of the animal as possible, whether it’s store-bought beef or an elk she’s killed.听Wanton waste laws (which vary by state) prohibit hunters from leaving meat behind. 鈥淗ere in Montana, wanton waste laws mean that for cervids (deer, elk, and moose), hunters have to take the four quarters, two backstraps, and tenderloins. I choose to take much more. For me, hunting necessitates a deep participation in the landscape鈥攍earning about game trails, animal behavior, seasonality, and more. It鈥檚 beyond empowering to walk into the wilderness alone, kill an animal if the right moment occurs, process it, butcher it, and cook it with care and respect,鈥� she says. In her efforts to minimize food waste, she’s become a more adventurous omnivore. “I eat heart, tongue, organs, and strange cuts on a regular basis from the animals I kill,鈥� she says.

Every fall, Qualtieri鈥檚 goal is to fill her freezer with wild game that will last her through to next season. 鈥淚t lowers my grocery bill, it鈥檚 than store-bought, feedlot-raised beef, and I eat less of it because it鈥檚 precious. I have pulled myself out of industrial meat for the most part, and that feels like a huge win.鈥�

When Qualtieri does buy beef, she typically buys it in bulk, and gets best quality she can find, which for her means locally sourced in Montana and raised far away from the feedlots. 鈥淢y family occasionally pitches in on a beef quarter from a local rancher, which goes a long way,鈥� she says.

How to Source the Best Beef

When shopping for meat, the labels can be confusing and confounding, and the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of stuff we find in the grocery store is of the industrial, grain-fed variety.

There are far better options. Cole Mannix is the president and founder of the , a company whose motto is 鈥渕eat with integrity.鈥� Mannix, a fifth-generation regenerative Montana rancher, believes that animal-based agriculture has the power to both produce nourishing food, maintain and improve long-term ecological health, and leave space for wildlife.

Mannix, like Foley and Qualtieri, is both an environmentalist and a carnivore. He wants people to not only think about where their food comes from, he wants people to actually see where it comes from. “I want people to develop and deepen a friendship with the people and听 landscape behind their food.”

That鈥檚 why he created the听Old Salt Festival, a of Montana land stewardship, now in its second year. The festival, which melds wood fire cooking, Americana music, local makers, and educational meadow walks on the Mannix Family Ranch, had 1,600 attendees in 2023.

鈥淭he deadest landscapes I鈥檝e ever seen are monoculture commercial grain farms,鈥� says Mannix. 鈥淲hat I鈥檓 trying to show people is another way: cattle ranches that are wild, wide-open landscapes with grizzlies, birds, and abundant wildlife. Places with healthy riparian areas and biodiversity. Biodiversity is a sign that a place is alive.鈥� Mannix does this by rather than trying to fight it with chemicals and “mimicking the symbiotic role that native ruminants (grazing mammals) had with grasslands.”

But what about someone like me鈥揳n east-coaster who鈥檚 about 2,500 miles from Big Sky country? I asked Mannix for tips on how to shop ethically for meat in my area. I鈥檝e been perplexed in the store by the myriad labels on beef: grass-fed, grass-finished, regenerative, organic, free-range, and more.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 point people to one single label on a beef product that would tell them it鈥檚 better,鈥� he says. 鈥淟abels do not reflect the landscapes. My advice is to research the landscape behind your food and make your own decision. Look for beauty because beauty is a sign of life. Only healthy soil and intact ecological function can support life. Soils that are teeming with life mitigate climate change.鈥�

Mannix鈥檚 skepticism about misleading labels and his advice to really think about the suppliers behind everything we buy makes perfect sense to me. But I wanted to learn more about how anyone, regardless of their location, resources, or food budget, can find ethical beef. Like the frazzled working parent with a bunch of mouths to feed, rushing to the local market between her day job, dentist appointments, baseball games, and carpools.

After loads of research, I’ve come to believe that there are, sadly, no short cuts for busy moms like me. If you see labels like like 鈥済rass-finished,鈥� and 鈥渞egenerative鈥� in the store, they can be a starting point. On the spot, you can whip out your phone and navigate to the brand’s website. Read the About Us section to learn about its land stewardship values and maybe see photos of the farm. When ranchers cherish the landscape, you’ll know it because they talk about it and show it on their websites.

If it feels right, put that burger meat in your cart and make that chili tonight. And keep learning. At home, when you have a minute to breathe, continue researching the brands you have local access to. While you’re at it, look up some delicious vegetarian chili recipes to work into your rotation.

The people I interviewed for this piece showed me that you can be an environmentalist and still eat beef, if you do it thoughtfully and intentionally. For me, that means practicing my new non-hypocritical meat-loving environmentalist mantra: Eat less, waste none, and do the best I can to buy from regenerative farms I trust. I’ve already placed an order for a with Old Salt and it should last me for about six months.

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 head of sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. for her twice monthly newsletter or write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

The post Can You Be a Beef-Loving Environmentalist? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ultrarunner extraordinaire Courtney Dauwalter has picked up in 2024 right where she left off last year. After famously winning three of ultrarunning鈥檚 most epic races听 during the span of about nine weeks last summer鈥擶estern States 100, Hardrock 100, and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc鈥攖he 39-year-old athlete from Leadville, Colorado, in a decisive wire-to-wire win in late February and won the Mount Fuji 100-miler for the second time on April 27, placing third overall. She鈥檚 now gearing up to go for a third straight win at the Hardrock 100 on July 12-13 in Silverton, Colorado. After Hardrock, she鈥檒l be crewing and pacing her husband, Kevin Schmidt, at the Leadville 100 on August 17-18, and then tackling a yet-unannounced trail running project in September.

We caught up with Dauwalter to talk about her fueling and training in a virtual press conference, where she announced the May 20 release of her signature flavor of Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel鈥斺�攁s a permanent part of the brand鈥檚 lineup. Since she鈥檚 emerged as one of the world鈥檚 top trail ultrarunners, she鈥檚 been known for having a sound approach to nutrition and fueling, never shying away from eating whatever she wants, admitting her soft spot for candy and pastries, or having a beer every now and then if she feels like it.

RUN: How did you develop such a sensible approach to nutrition and fueling, and what, if anything, have you changed?

DAUWALTER: I am still eating all of my favorite things whenever they sound good in quantities that sound good, and I am not intending to change that part of my life, because it just gives me a lot of joy to live that way. I guess it鈥檚 got to be partly my upbringing, and also with Kevin and I, our idea of how we want to live our lives is to enjoy it to its fullest while it鈥檚 here. We just want to enjoy food, enjoy meals out, enjoy the cravings that we have, and not worry about it. But I would say in the past couple of years I do more consistently do a recovery drink after a long run or after putting in big efforts, and that鈥檚 something that I was a little more lax with originally, so I feel like that鈥檚 a step in the right direction.

What was your fueling strategy when you first got into ultrarunning in 2011?

When I first got into ultrarunning, I had no nutrition plan. I didn鈥檛 know what I was doing. My first race was a 50K, and I remember not knowing that these aid stations would be buffets. My mind was blown when I got to them鈥攁ll the options were overwhelming. I just started filling my pockets with jelly beans. In those first years, I did a lot of mimicking of what the people around me were doing. So if I came to an aid station and someone was grabbing pickles and drinking Mountain Dew, then that鈥檚 what I would do. If they were grabbing pretzels and cheese cubes, that鈥檚 what I would go for. It was just kind of roulette for me on what I would end up eating鈥攊f it would work, or if it wouldn鈥檛 work.

You have told stories about a few famous bonks early in your career. When did you start to dial-in your fueling strategy?

Initially, I never had a fueling plan at all. But then in 2017, I went to the in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Tailwind was available on course at all of the aid stations. I had a buddy who had started using it that year, and I remember just loving it and suddenly not having all the stomach issues and energy dips that I often had. I was like, 鈥極h, maybe this is what it鈥檚 like to have something reliable.’

What is your current approach to race-day nutrition?

At this point we鈥檝e gotten pretty dialed on the race nutrition plan for those 10-to 24-hour efforts or the events of 100 miles or below. I鈥檓 not a person who has my watch beeping at me ever to remind me to eat. I don鈥檛 get those kinds of reminders, and I don鈥檛 want to eat every 15 minutes or 30 minutes during a race. I鈥檓 going to just slow drip the calories I have as often as possible鈥攂asically it鈥檚 an eating contest on the move. Now I know my body functions pretty well with about 200 calories per hour during those efforts. So, depending on the distance between aid stations, I can rely solely on a bottle of Tailwind and then supplement with some chews or waffles or gels, because usually I get actually hungry feeling and having something solid helps with that. But mostly, I鈥檓 relying on Tailwind as my backbone to the whole plan and generally aiming for that 200-calorie-per-hour benchmark.

You had to overcome some stomach challenges in UTMB in 2022 and then at last year鈥檚 UTMB you seemed as physically challenged as you have ever been. How have you adjusted your fueling in those situations?

The past couple years (working with a nutritionist friend), we鈥檝e been better at creating A, B, C and D plans鈥攂ecause sometimes the perfect nutrition plan that you have relied on isn鈥檛 going to work. Our approach is that鈥檚 fine, and here are some things you can start subbing in during a race that can cover your needs. I view race nutrition like a puzzle piece, and sometimes it fits into the puzzle right where we want it to, and sometimes we have to kind shift things around a little bit. I think one of the reasons a lot of us love ultrarunning is because, when things just aren鈥檛 going to plan, we have to problem-solve it.

You鈥檒l be doing a lot of your pre-Hardrock training in and around Leadville between 11,000 and 14,000 feet above sea level once the spring snow subsides. How are you able to fuel at such high altitudes?

That鈥檚 one thing I鈥檓 hoping to focus on a little bit more on in this buildup and this prep for Hardrock, because in the past couple times I鈥檝e run it, I鈥檝e struggled a little bit with taking stuff in. I would love to just try to intentionally train my stomach to be better at taking in those calories while pushing hard at 12,500 feet or 13,000 feet just to see if we can make some strides forward. So stay tuned on if that works or not.

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Do you have any bucket list events you want to tackle in the coming years?

Not specific things. I think I want to just keep finding the challenges that intrigue me and fire me up to keep putting in the work, the training, the time, the effort to go after them. And so whatever that is, there鈥檚 not a list of things I want to check off necessarily, but, I鈥檓 continuing to pour myself into this sport and see what鈥檚 possible while every one of my systems [muscular, digestive, endocrine, cognitive, emotional, etc.] is allowing that to happen. The Leadville 100 is on my short list of races I would love to do as soon as I can, but as far as a bucket list in general or what intrigues me, I鈥檓 still very interested in exploring the longer stuff and how our brains and our bodies can work together to take us over 100 miles. What does that look like to move efficiently for 200 miles or 500 miles? So that鈥檚 where I am putting a lot of my attention into鈥攋ust finding ways to test myself on stuff that鈥檚 really long.

You got into ultrarunning through running road races. Would you ever run another marathon?

I am interested in trying a road marathon again at some point because that was what led me to ultrarunning.. I didn鈥檛 think I could make that distance, but I finished without dying and then wondered, 鈥榃hat else is out there that sounds too hard that I could try?鈥� And then I stumbled into the ultrarunning world. In those first marathons, I was a casual runner. I ran every day before work because it made me feel better to start the day, but I wasn鈥檛 doing huge miles or running quickly.听 So circling back to run a road marathon would be kind of fun.

You鈥檝e talked a lot about your eagerness to enter the pain cave when you鈥檙e racing. How did that begin?

I definitely didn鈥檛 invent it, and I don鈥檛 know who did originally, but I know that for me that phrase just became this imagery that I really grabbed onto鈥攁s opposed to the struggle bus or the hurt locker or the many other terms. That one for me was visually something I could see, and it was something that I could work with to be productive. Back in high school, I had a cross country skiing coach who was big on the mental side of the sport and would always remind us and believe in our capacity to push past that moment when it feels like you have nothing left. He was huge on just the idea that there鈥檚 always one more gear. So I just crank the knob and believe that it can be cranked a little bit more. Having someone who believed in me so wholeheartedly that I could trust to keep pushing was important because it鈥檚 hard to do that when you鈥檙e any age, but for sure it鈥檚 hard to do when you鈥檙e a teenager. The idea that you feel like you鈥檙e about to die and yet you鈥檙e telling me there鈥檚 more to push past that? That鈥檚 hard to learn. So I feel really lucky that I had that coach and to learn about that mental side of sports and digging deeper than you think.

You ran the Javelina 100K in Arizona with your mom last October. What was that like? And what has been the lasting effect?

That was so special,听 a highlight of my life for sure. We ran together through the desert in Arizona, side by side the whole time through all the highs and lows, and made it to that finish line. I鈥檒l remember that forever, and that gift that she gave me of doing this thing with me and the sport I love and spending so much time preparing for it. She was training hard back home in Minnesota, trying to learn how to run trails, trying to power hike hills, and learning how to use all of the gear because she had never really run trails before. I think the domino effect is that you can start anything at any age. She was 66 when we ran this race together and 64 when she started this journey into trail running. I had told her my dream was to run an ultra with my mom, and now that she has completed a 100K, she has found a lot of joy in the trails. Even though we don鈥檛 have a race on the calendar together yet, she is still just finding that peace that the trails bring her, and it鈥檚 something she incorporates into her weekly life. I think that鈥檚 really cool, and it鈥檚 why I hope more people can find out about trail running鈥攏ot necessarily even ultrarunning鈥攂ut just getting out on the trails and exploring a little bit because that feeling of moving with your feet surrounded by nature and feeling so small in a big landscape is really, really cool.

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What do you hope runners of any level take away from your success?

My hope is that people hearing about the stuff that I鈥檓 doing or that the ultrarunning community is doing helps them believe they could go after something that sounds too hard or something that sounds crazy. Whether that鈥檚 running 100 miles or 200 miles or not. We can all find that thing in our lives that we can go after with a little more gusto and raise the bar for ourselves on what we鈥檙e actually aiming for. I also hope I can be a small example that you can work really, really, really hard at something and have a lot of fun doing it. Those things can happen at the same time and there鈥檚 no reason to separate them. I never predicted this chapter in my life, but I feel grateful every day for it. I鈥檓 just trying to squeeze as much living out of this period of life as I can.

RELATED: How Did Courtney Dauwalter Get So Damn Fast?

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