Thursday, March 11, 2010

a salty snack

I recently returned from our Sea Kayaking in the Caribbean trip and was once again reminded through experience something we talk about as a safety factor on our trips.

We all know that being adequately hydrated is very important on active vacations - helping us to sustain hours of physical activity, maintain our sense of balance, keep our muscles and joints well-lubricated, etc. Equally important is not drinking too much water, keeping a balance between the salt intake and output when we exercise. Most of the time we can balance these 2 things with drinking water throughout the day and also eating meals and snacks. Most of the time when I need a snack it is due to my energy being low and I often reach for a granola bar.

On the Caribbean trip, where it is hot and humid and you do not feel you are sweating as much, I always talk about the need to eat some salt in a snack just as much as eating fruits or carbohydrates. Despite the awareness of this, it is hard to remember (or want) to eat something salty when you feel thirsty or are already feeling salty from the sea water.

However, twice on this trip, when I was feeling a bit low of energy I ate a handful of salty snack and within moments no longer felt hungry, tired or achy. I definitely do not recommend eating an excess of salt, but next time you are in a hot, humid environment and exercising, try a couple bites of something salty (Chex mix, Cheese nips, salted almonds) and see if that helps. - deb

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I garden in hot and humid Alabama. And I find I crave extra salt in the summer. Gatorade works too. In fact, the park service at the Grand Canyon recommends that hikers hydrate half with water and half with Gatorade to maintain the right electrolyte balance.

Unknown said...

Cheetos,Deb....Cheetos!

Salome said...

Having been on the same trip as Deb I realize the importance of food in relation to being tired and out of energy. For me, as a traveler, whenever my energy was low, Deb and Anne arrived on the scene with the most balanced and delicious meals around. The lunches after the paddles that Deb and Anne prepared for us were a great balance of everything we needed to pick us up and keep us going. Yes, the pouch of the spray skirt always held something tasty to nibble on when needed..and it was. Not having to think about where the next meal was coming from was all the energy I needed to enjoy myself every day of the trip.