kate Daugherty functional wellness

CO Hike Series: Cataract Lake

October 24, 2020

Fall hiking destination north of Silverthorne in the Gore Range of Colorado When my friend Rachel texted, “Hey wanna hike tomorrow?” I knew I was in for a good day. There are very few people who match my expectations of what it means to HIKE. Rachel gets it. We set off EARLY on a Saturday from Denver. That’s just how it is anymore. If you want to beat traffic on I-70 (especially westbound morning traffic), you’ve gotta get up before the sun on a weekend. I’ll give up my sleep for an easy drive and empty trail. As we drove up to the trailhead in the dark, we realized we didn’t have a headlight among us. Oh well. We were surprised to find a FULL parking lot before 7am. The Surprise Trailhead is a popular backpacking location, and accesses popular fall hunting grounds. The mild fall weather meant a good weekend for camping! Luckily, by the time we unloaded and laced up our hiking shoes the sun was up. For the first 1/4-1/2 mile we didn’t see anyone. We marveled at the last leaves hanging on the aspen groves. Soon we came upon a hunting camp (and pack horses). We passed a few camo-clad hunters and another hunting camp. Many hikers are not aware that most big game hunting in Colorado happens on National Forest Land (not private property). Yep, the same hiking trails that you’re on. BE AWARE in the fall, be respectful, and understand how to share the outdoors. Most of the trail was well-maintained single track that wound through dense forest. There are certainly steep stretches (we noticed these more on the way down); but largely the trail is a gradual incline. We hit a few areas that required manuevering around fallen trees. There is a significant trail split to be aware of. About 3.5 miles from the trailhead, stay left on the Upper Cataract Trail. Straight will take you along iconic Gore Range Trail. After about 5 miles, you get to a sweeping overlook. Below, you get your first glimpse of Cat Lake. Be prepared to descend into the valley below Eagles Nest Peak (and go back up). We happily down-hiked to the lake junction. Left takes you a short jaunt to Upper Cataract Lake (10,744′); right will continue to the shore of Cat Lake (10,395′). We made quick work of this 5.25 miles up to the lake. We only needed a short break for photos and a snack. Although Cat Lake was on the radar, this was a surprisingly beautiful and rewarding destination. The trail really shows its distance on the way down. We made great time, but I can tell you seeing the parking lot at the bottom was a welcome sight. Our roundtrip hike distance was around 11 miles and time was about 4.5 hours; a decent effort for a fall jaunt. Have you hiked near Silverthorne? Tell me your favorite hiking spots and mountain town restaurants! Shop my Hiking Favorites:

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5 Simple Ways to Dress Up Your Bone Broth

October 15, 2020

I’ve already tackled all the amazing benefits of Bone Broth and I’m a big proponent of including it as a dietary staple. However, it can get pretty bland and boring. Dress up your bone broth with herbs and spices, and you can create endless possibilities of flavor from one base recipe.  Here’s my simple formula for dressing up your bone broth: Basic Broth + Fat + Acid + Herb/Spice + Sea Salt Add Fat I like to add a tablespoon of grass-fed ghee, full-fat coconut milk, or MCT oil to amp up the flavor and the satiety factor. Pairing extra fat in bone broth makes the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K more bioavailable for absorption.  Add Acid Acid serves to brighten up a mug of broth or add tanginess to increase the flavor complexity. This can be a squeeze of lemon or lime or a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar.  Use Herbs & Spices There are so many directions you can take your broth by altering the herbs and spices you add in. Go Thai with some ginger, lime, and coconut milk OR turn up the heat with sriracha, green onion, and coconut aminos. For a fancy twist, try using a tea infuser filled with Herbs De Provence (savory lavender broth is so decadent!)  Finish with Sea Salt I often make my broth bland (on purpose), and prefer to season as I drink it. It only needs a garnish of coarsely ground real salt (like Himalayan, Celtic, or Redmond’s). Maximize your mineral content! This simple add-in can really dress up your bone broth. Dress Up Your Bone Broth to Make It a Meal If you are a smoothie lover, try using bone broth as the base for your smoothie. This is great for green smoothies (kale + broth + lemon + MCT). For a chilled treat, freeze broth into cubes then blend directly into smoothies. For a true don’t-knock-it-til-you-try-it surprise I credit my friend Parry with a Cacao-Turmeric-Bone Broth-Maca-Coconut Milk blend that turns into a complex, filling, enticing bowl of goodness.  Some of my favorite flavor combinations to dress up your bone broth….. Cold Buster Turmeric  Garlic Ginger Cayenne Lemon Parisian Sipper Herbs de Provence Butter Lemon Black Pepper Garden Herb Apple Cider Vinegar Sea Salt Parsley  Dill Black Pepper Chili Zing Siracha or Goujang  Coconut Aminos Green Onion Shop this article:

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My PRIME DAY picks for a Healthy Kitchen

October 13, 2020

Nutritionist curated Amazon Prime Day Shopping List Amazon’s Annual Prime Day is HERE! I’m expecting some great kitchen deals: from cookware and appliances to books and storage. Now is a great time to refresh your kitchen and treat yourself! While many deals are kept under wraps until Prime Day kicks off, you can get a sneak peek of upcoming discounts on big kitchen brands like Cuisinart, Instant Pot, Le Creuset, Pyrex and more. Amazon Prime Day is a perk exclusively for Prime Members. If you’re looking to shop for Prime Day deals, I suggest signing up for a free 30-day trial now, so you can access the event for FREE! When it comes to a healthy kitchen, here are some of the tools I find myself using daily as I make healthy meals and prep at home: Instant Pot – I recommend an Instant Pot for anyone who batch cooks and/or meal preps for the week. I like to cook meat all at once (pressure cooked chicken is my favorite), and I’ll cook a large batch of legumes or grains (beans, quinoa, and foolproof rice). I use my Instant Pot for Bone Broth and Soups, and occasionally as a slow cooker on busy weeknights. 2. Blender – I love my Vitamix. I will always recommend it, but I understand it is a pricey option! I’ve heard from others that the Blendtec system is a suitable replacement. (It won’t last as long, so it may be a short-term solution). 3. Dutch Oven/Enamel Pot – When I have the time, I like to slow cook using an enamel cast iron pot that can easily go from stovetop to oven. I will roast whole chickens, make slow broth, and use it for braising roasts. The Lodge brand is durable and affordable for all things cast iron. [Note: while you’re at it if you don’t own a Cast Iron Skillet, Lodge is the way to go!] 4. Spiralizer – This is a tool I didn’t know I needed until I was gifted it. It is GREAT for veggie noodles (alllllll the zoodles), but I’ve also found myself using it for making fancy salad toppings. Finely shredded raw beets and carrots are excellent! 5. Glass/Stainless Storage – As I get back into meal prepping, I needed to update my glass storage containers. Amazon has all sizes, you can replace all that old Tupperware in one fell swoop. If there’s one SIMPLE upgrade you can do for your hormone health, it’s to STOP USING PLASTICS (even BPA-free)! (Especially for food storage: the longer it’s in there, the more leaching that occurs). I just found this cute stainless lunch pail, how fun. When you just need a ziplock style bag, I love these stasher bags! 6. Cookbooks – While I have my go-to meals that I gravitate towards, I enjoy flipping through real cookbooks for ideas. Books are very helpful when adopting a lifestyle change (like trying out Whole30 or going Paleo). I have really enjoyed Cook Once Eat all Week for anyone looking to learn to meal prep! 7. Handheld Frother – I use this little gadget waaaay more than I thought I would. It stays on my counter (which is why that stand is handy)! I use it to froth up any cream/non-dairy milk/oat milk that I put in my coffee with collagen, and I even use it to quick mix up supplement powders, greens powders, and electrolytes into water. No more plastic blender bottles for me. In addition to products, you can shop Amazon Fresh and get $15 off your first order! I like using this service for busy days when grocery shopping needs to happen, but I just don’t have the time to go to the store. I can click and shop, know my food will be safely delivered, and still cook from home!

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The Health Benefits of Bone Broth

October 10, 2020

Cate Shanahan, M.D. touts the importance of nose-to-tail eating in her book Deep Nutrition. This ancestral tradition of consuming all parts of an animal has long disappeared. By consuming more than muscle–everything including skin, cartilage, tendons, and organs–we get a balanced intake of all essential amino acids and many overlooked micronutrients. What is in bone broth? Broth made from animal bones is rich in amino acids, minerals, and proteins like collagen and gelatin. Collagen is a main component of connective tissues (cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bone, skin; even blood vessels and eyeballs!) in our bodies. The hydrolysis of collagen forms gelatin. Thus, the longer the broth is simmered the higher the ratio of gelatin to collagen. (Note that both are equally beneficial to our bodies). The most abundant amino acids found in bone broth are glycine, proline, and glutamine. Glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Proline is an amino acid that should be obtained in the diet; it functions alongside glutamate and glycine in neurotransmission. Glutamine is particularly important for the gut lining and provides energy for active immune cells. The mineral content extracted from bones is extraordinary! The mineral profile of bone broth includes: calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, and zinc. A warm cup of broth is nature’s multi-vitamin! What are the benefits of bone broth? -Skin Health : Collagen from bone broth can significantly improve skin’s elasticity and moisture content. Hyaluronic acid in bone broth can promote skin cell proliferation and increase retinoic acid. This improves cell turnover and repair. -Metabolic and Cardiovascular Health : Glycine plays a role in blood sugar regulation, helping mitigate some effects of fructose consumption. Glycine brings an important balance to amino acid consumption. It balances out methionine (found in high amounts in muscle meat). Methionine can drive homocysteine, an inflammatory marker. Vitamins B6, B12, folate and choline can also help to balance high methionine/homocysteine levels and protect against heart disease and stroke. -Muscles and Performance: Glycine increases creatinine which increases anaerobic capacity and stimulates muscle repair (through HGH). Proline enhances muscle protein synthesis through the mTOR pathway. Phosphorous and magnesium are needed for the formation of ATP, the chemical form of energy in the body. -Bones and Joints: Bone broth provides many of the raw nutrients needed to build healthy bones! Particularly calcium, phosphorous, and amino acids. Glucosamine and chondroitin in bone broth provide joint lubrication and decrease joint pain. -Gut Health: Gelatin and glycine are powerhouse nutrients for maintaining a healthy gut lining. The gelatin coats the surface and prevents microbes from compromising the barrier. Both gelatin and glycine decrease intestinal inflammation and protect against gastric ulcers. Glutamine promotes endothelial lining integrity and repair. -Digestion: In addition to intestinal health, glycine aids digestion by increasing stomach acid secretion. Further, it promotes secretion of bile acid to help breakdown fat and maintain blood cholesterol levels. Gelatin improves motility and regularity of bowel movements. -Detox, Liver, Kidney: The amino acids in bone broth improve antioxidant capacity by stimulating the production of glutathione. The amino acid proline scavenges free radicals and helps clear out cellular waste. -Brain Health: The nerves of the brain are insulated with a fatty sheath that speeds transmission, called myelin. More than 60% of the brain is composed of fat! The animal fat in bone broth, especially from marrow bones, builds up this myelin sheath and reinforces the blood-brain barrier. The calcium in bone broth is also important for neurotransmission and conduction. -Mood and Sleep : The glycine in bone broth is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Inhibitory neurotransmitters have the opposite effect of excitatory neurotransmitters. Glycine has been shown to decrease anxiety and improve sleep. -Immune function : Bone broth helps the immune system second-hand by improving the gut barrier integrity. The amino acids in bone broth also communicate with immune cells and can reduce inflammatory signaling. Glutamine provides fuel for active immune cells to fight infections, parasites, and bacteria. How to make bone broth? To make bone broth, you only need bones and water. Using vegetable scraps will add flavor and nutrients but isn’t necessary for a satisfying broth. An acid medium will accelerate breakdown of cartilage and connective tissue. Adding a splash of apple cider vinegar will pull more nutrients from the bone marrow- enriching the broth. The long, slow, cooking extracts maximum nutrients. A good, heavy, stock pot is a great tool for simmering over a long time. It is possible to make bone broth in a slow cooker or pressure cooker– this can be a safer method if leaving the house, but temperature is more difficult to control. Grass-fed beef bones and free-range organic chicken bones are commonly used to make broth. The health of the animal will affect how much collagen/gelatin is produced in a bone broth! You may also use bones from other poultry like duck or turkey; lamb and venison bones will also produce a uniquely flavorful bone broth. Although mixing bones from different animals is possible, It is not a good idea to mix poultry and larger animal bones as the cooking times will vary. Include other animal scraps such as feet, heads, gizzards, wings, and necks. Gather the ‘leftover’ bones and scraps from meals: including skin and meat. Keep them in a freezer bag until ready to use. This works particularly well for a roast chicken or turkey- maximizing the use from the animal. DIRECTIONS: Add bones/carcass/trimmings and any vegetable scraps to a large stock pot. Cover the bones with filtered water. I use the Berkey water purification system. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Bring the water and bones to a boil, then reduce to low and allow to barely simmer for 6-72 hours*. After cooking, strain the bones and scraps, discard. *Cooking times will vary greatly: 6-48 hours for chicken; 12-72 hours for beef How to use bone broth? Store broth in mason jars and keep in the refrigerator or freezer. Consume the broth plain, warmed, or as a base for soup. This makes for a

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CO Hike Series: Hartenstein Lake

October 7, 2020

Lesser known destination in Buena Vista, CO accessed from the Denny Creek Trailhead I was so fortunate to get a few days this fall to hike with my family. My Mom, Dad, Lucas, and Kelsey flew in to visit and we spent time in Buena Vista, CO. One of our favorite small towns. No, absolutely, our top favorite small town. We love to be on a trail and this weekend we were graced with absolutely perfect fall hiking weather! The trails were nearly empty, the sunshine was warm, and the fall colors made a breathtaking backdrop. Although we have several favorite hikes in the area, Hartenstein Lake was a new destination for us! How fun to explore a new spot in an area we’ve been vacating in for over ten years. I’ve been on the lower portion of this trail before with my mom. We climbed Yale together on my 19th birthday! It was her very first fourteener and I think my second. Great memories from that day. The trailhead is about 10 miles from the town of Buena Vista, off CR396 before you get to the top of Cottonwood Pass. The road is paved and there is a huge parking lot with plenty of room in the fall. We didn’t start our hike until around 11am on a Sunday. The initial ascent out of the Denny Creek Trailhead parking area will test your mental fortitude. Just know that this climb will ease (slightly). I enjoyed that much of this hike comprised of steep inclines followed by short reprieves of flat terrain. There are two trail splits to be aware of. The first comes about 1-1.5 miles in. Stay left to continue on to Hartenstein Lake and Browns Pass. Right will take you up to the summit of Yale. We took several breaks on the way up to search the surrounding high peaks for elk herds. It all looked so idyllic: I know there were elk in the area. We just couldn’t ever spot them! Oh well, the rest was needed after 10+ miles of hiking the previous days. Just as we were ready for an extended break and a lunch stop, we came into a flat meadow. Peaking through the trees we saw a reflection on water and knew we had made it! Shwew! You just kinda pop right onto the banks of this lake. We thought it seemed like the perfect lake for a moose. Alas, no moose. Earlier in the day, my Dad had purchased some Tamales from the Farmer’s Market in South Main. I packed them up to the lake and they were a surprisingly great trail food! We laughed about the mix of flavors and spice and celebrated a final afternoon in Colorado. The trail really shows its distance on the way down. We made great time, but I can tell you seeing the pavement at the bottom was a welcome sight. Our roundtrip hike distance was around 6 miles and time was about 4 hours; a decent effort for a fall jaunt. Have you hiked near Buena Vista? Tell me your favorite hiking spots and mountain town restaurants! Shop my Hiking Favorites:

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Gluten-Free, Oat + Almond Maple Pumpkin Bread

October 6, 2020

Pumpkin is such a perfect pairing for gluten-free baking. Often, GF flours tend to be very dry and tasteless. However, pumpkin add moisture and gives breads, muffins, and cakes a “normal” texture. I used a combination of Oat Flour (which is JUST ground whole oats) and Almond Flour (JUST almond meal). Many gluten-free flours use gums and starches. These are helpful for mimicking the binding quality of gluten, but I found unnecessary for this type of sweet bread. The less-processed and closer-to-whole-food my diet can be, the better I feel. This bread isn’t overly sweet, but I put chocolate on EVERYTHING…. so there was no exception here. I didn’t add them into the batter, but simply sprinkled sugar-free chocolate chips on top! Scrumptious! Shop this recipe: I also get a lot of my baking staples from THRIVE MARKET. New to Thrive Market? It is an online marketplace for healthy foods, home products, clean beauty, pet supplies, and more. Low Prices and great discounts on top brands like EPIC, Primal Kitchen, Siete, and Wild Planet. I shop my pantry essentials regularly from Thrive Market to save money. Some of my favorites include: Coconut Oil, Collagen Peptides, Maple Syrup, Cashew Butter, and Sardines. Join today and save 25% on your first order!!

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Upgraded Cowboy Cookies: My Ultimate High Country Companion

September 26, 2020

Cowboy cookies are very nostalgic for me. The chewy, soft texture and marriage of oatmeal, chocolate, and salty crunch make up the perfect cookie. They take me back to the days of wrangling and ranching as a crew girl at Deer Valley Ranch. I mean, I had the coolest summer job during college. I wish I could go back to those days! I got to spend the summer months in beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado on a DUDE RANCH. People have crazy ideas about what a dude ranch is (Thanks, movies). In reality, I describe it best as a weeklong summer camp for families. We had a program that ran Saturday to Saturday; families would show up for scheduled activities like hiking, horseback riding, and fly fishing. All meals were on a set schedule and nightly entertainment included Monday Square Dance, Wednesday Night Hayrides, and Thursday Western Show. Being on staff was a whole new perspective. Summer staff was around 30 college-aged boys and girls–many of whom are still my close friends today. Us crew girls would cook, clean, babysit, and wait tables. Wranglers would manage the stables, horses, and lead guest rides. It was hard work, and a lot of play. One of the most anticipated activities of the week was Wednesday’s Lunch Cookout. We’d pack up and head out to an aspen-lined meadow where we’d grill out and play a *competitive* family softball game. On the menu: Burgers, Beans, Watermelon, and COWBOY COOKIES! Did I mention these cookies were the size of your face? It always amazed me that they stayed so soft and chewy; and even though they were the size of frisbees, they didn’t break! These are cookies of legend. We so looked forward to Wednesdays for the promise of a cowboy cookie. I later learned a ranch secret. If you take a hike on Thursday, the kitchen girls pack a leftover cowboy cookie in your lunch! I can’t describe how good these cookies taste at the mid-point of a high elevation trek. WOW. Here’s what happened: now I crave a cowboy cookie EVERY TIME I go on a high country hike with my packed lunch. Hiking and cowboy cookies just go together. My family is coming to visit for a fall getaway! We’ve got a spectacular hike planned to Grizzly Lake (hint: my favorite spot in all of Colorado). You know what that means… I needed a batch of cowboy cookies! Here’s the original DVR Recipe for Cowboy Cookies. In the years since Deer Valley, I’ve become more conscious of ingredients and inflammatory foods. The traditional recipe doesn’t make me feel my best (and that’s something I do want while hiking). I made a few tweaks to decrease the sugar, swapped out the flour, and upgraded the mix-ins. Aha! I still get my cookie fix in the high country and know that I’m fueling myself with a better-for-me treat. Here are my changes (Shhhhh! Don’t tell Sue!): In place of white sugar, I used unrefined coconut sugar. In place of brown sugar, I used golden monk fruit. I decreased the amount of both sugars and added a bit of unsweetened coconut flakes (which give natural sweetness). Instead of white flour, I used Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour. It’s my favorite mix for baking because you truly can replace white flour 1-1 in recipes (and no one will notice!) I kept the oatmeal, but instead of Quick Oats, I used Whole Grain Toasted Oats. Lastly, I toasted the pecans before adding to the mix (worth the extra step) and I used my favorite stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips. I’m eager to have my family test out this recipe and see if they notice my sneaky upgrades. Heh-heh. SHOP THIS RECIPE:

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CO Hike Series: Oh Be Joyful!

September 19, 2020

Lovely hike through Crested Butte’s wildflower-rich valley Summer hiking is my absolute favorite. This season has been challenging. The trails are crowded. Coloradans are out enjoying our home state since there has been a significant halt on travel. I’m all for getting outside and exploring everything this state has to offer; but, man, the crowds are frustrating! My solution has been to escape to lesser-known gems and small mountain towns, like Crested Butte. I most often visit CB in the “shoulder seasons”– the spring and fall outside of peak tourism months. The spring is still *quite* chilly, and many trails are under snow. But the Fall….. The fall is magical. I love the cooler mornings and warm sunny mid-day. The leaves are beginning to change and the animals are more active. I found this hike while browsing my All Trails app and considering a quick getaway to Crested Butte. I wanted a little less elevation gain (not in the mood for a big mountain climb), but I was still seeking some high-mountain views. The Oh-Be-Joyful trail took me through a long gradual meadow, ending in a high basin. It was lovely! The trailhead is about 7 miles from the town of Crested Butte, off CO374 (Slate River Road). The road turns to dirt about a mile from the parking area, but it is accessible by most passenger cars with decent clearance. There was plenty of parking, I arrived just about 9am on a Saturday. Note that the Oh Be Joyful campground is a BLM-managed campground that takes reservations for tent spots and RVs. If I were staying overnight, I would certainly consider staying here! The trail begins across a footbridge over the river. Follow well-marked signs to enter the forest on the south side. The climb is very gradual. You’ll wind through cottonwoods, pines, and aspen groves before opening up to a large meadow. The majority of the mileage is accrued in this meadow that follows the stream. Expect lots of sunshine! You’ll come to an old cattle fence. By my estimate, this fence is about halfway to the top of the basin. Taking a breather about halfway up. As you leave the meadow, you’ll begin to climb a bit higher until you reach treeline. There is a trail split here. Left will take you into _ basin, while continuing straight goes up to Oh-Be-Joyful Pass and . I went left and pushed a bit higher before finding flat ground again as I wound through willows. Even in September, there was snow on the peaks surrounding the basin. Looking back, I could see Mount Crested Butte and a few of the ski runs of the resort. It took me about 2-2.5 hours to make it up to the basin. I took a quick break and photo op before heading back down. The walk out really showed me the distance I had gone! This full hike was about 13 miles roundtrip. However, if you’re not feeling the full effort the out-and-back makes it simple to modify. Simply walk how far you want, then turn around. You’ll still be rewarded with magnificent views! Post-Hike I set up my hammock by the creek and enjoyed a nap in the shade. I later made my way into the town of Crested Butte where it was busy with tourists! I had some amazing tacos at BONEZ. *Highly recommend* My roundtrip hike distance was around 12 miles and time was about 4 hours; a decent effort for a fall jaunt. Have you been to Crested Butte? Tell me your favorite hiking spots and mountain town restaurants!

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