The Nourished Life Vol 2 : simplebooklet.com

The NourishedLifeThe NourishedLifeIntroWelcome to The NourishedLife, Volume 2As athletes, adventurers, and explorers of life,we’re always in pursuit of more—more energy,more experiences, more connection to the worldaround us. But what we often forget is thatsometimes, thriving isn't about pushing harder.It’s about finding the balance that fuels both ourbody and spirit.In this edition, we dive deeper into what it meansto live a truly nourished life—one that fuels bothyour body and your sense of adventure. Whetheryou’re pushing your limits in the mountains orsimply aiming to perform better in your everydayroutine, balance and resilience are key.Inside, you’ll find stories from my adventure inthe Arthurs Range, tips on optimising energywith performance plates, and insights fromathletes on the real benefits of nutritioncoaching. Plus, a race report from the FreycinetChallenge and a recipe designed to fuel yourperformance.Remember, living a nourished life is not aboutwaiting for the perfect time; it’s about creating it. So take action, step out of the ordinary, and let TheNourished Life inspire your next adventure, in sport,food, or life itself.

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A Wild Adventure: Traversing the Arthurs RangeThe NourishedLifeArticleEven if no one else ever reads thesestories, I don’t mind—it’s just too muchfun looking back at photos andreminiscing! Christmas and New Year of2022/23 was one for the books. We pulled into the Scotts Peak Damcarpark, ready to hike the Western andEastern Arthurs Range Traverse. Therewere only three other cars in the lot. We were buzzing with excitement andnervous energy for the journey ahead. Ihad no idea what was in store, despite allthe preparation—reading endless blogs(not sure that was a great idea), andensuring I was both mentally andphysically strong. With a 22kg pack on myback, I’d be hauling myself over someseriously steep and scary terrain. I didn’twant my strength to be the limiting factor;if I trusted my body, climbing felt lessdaunting.It’s funny to think that when I first movedto Tasmania, I was too scared to climbCradle Mountain. Fast forward a year (or maybe 18 months),and there I was, about to take onFederation Peak—Australia’s only realmountain, according to Sir EdmundHillary. But we had a lot of ground tocover before we reached “Fedders.”The full traverse of the Arthur Range isabout 77km, snaking through theTasmanian Wilderness World HeritageArea. It’s a rugged landscape of jaggedquartzite peaks, hanging valleys, andglacier-carved lakes. The terrain is brutal,and the weather is some of the mostextreme on the planet, so you knowyou're in for a wild ride.We didn’t do the full traverse, though. Westarted and finished at Scotts Peak Damcarpark to avoid the rush and the hassleof arranging a pick-up. After a finalweather check, phones were switched off.There’s something magical about goingoffline in the mountains. We knew a stormwould hit around day 2 or 3, butotherwise, the forecast looked clear. If astorm is going to hit, you’re going to see itcoming. This was going to be a hot adventure, andboy, was it. Apart from that one storm, therest of the hike was scorching.That start of hike, heavy pack shock

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Packing for 14 days in the wilderness is nojoke, especially when it comes to food.Ideally, we would’ve done a food drop, butwe didn’t have the time (or the energy) forthat. We’d just finished up work for theyear and were already juggling a bit ofchaos. On a previous 5-day hike on the DuCane Range, we took no freeze-driedmeals, and while the food was tasty, it washeavy! So, for this trip, we went theopposite route: all freeze-dried meals withsome snacks. I also packed individualprotein sachets and vital greens.Most of our meals were Radix, which Ihighly recommend. They’ve got a goodbalance of protein, carbs, andmicronutrients. The fat content is high,which makes sense for big mountainadventures, but it can take your body afew days to adjust. Let’s just say, after awhile, what comes out looks pretty similarto what went in! Ideally, I’d prepare myown dehydrated meals, but this was anexpensive trip, and freeze-dried was themost practical option to keep our packslight.We ended up finishing the hike in 10 days.On the final day, with 30km to go in theblistering sun, we had run out of snacksand were down to only Radix meals. Icould tolerate the breakfast, but we bothchose to push through on limited food. Bythe time we neared the car, we must’velooked rough—another hiker even asked,with concern, if we were okay.Food for the Journey#AlwaysBeSnackingThis was my idealfood pack for twopeople for fourteendays. But the realitywas it was not allgoing to fit.

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Here’s a snapshot of how our Western Arthurs Traverse went:Day 1: Scotts Peak -> Junction CreekThe entrée.The Journey BreakdownDay 4: Lake Oberon -> High MoorThe fun begins.Day 3: Square Lake -> Lake OberonWet and windy day, so we took shelterSquare Lake campsiteRiding out the storm at Lake Oberon. The best campsitenestled among the rainforest and secret gardensDay 2: Junction Creek -> Square LakeUp into the mountains.

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Day 10: Goon Moor -> Cracroft CrossingOn the way home. Out of the mountains and onto the button grass plains. Theriver and wedge tail eagle flying overhead was a perfect end to another scorchingday.Day 11: Cracroft Crossing -> Scott’s Peak (aka the car)Hooley dooley. 27km. Hot. Hard. We knew this was going to be hard. But it washard. Proper hard. We were lucky the plains were pretty dry so the going waspretty fast. But snacks were limited and walls were hit. Multiple times

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Italian Chicken & Rice Meal Prep Bowlhttps://www.hillisticcoaching.com.au/35 minutes Brown Rice (dry) Chicken Breast (cut intolarge cubes) Broccoli (cut into small ﬂorets) Red Onion (cut into thick slices) Cherry Tomatoes Zucchini (small, chopped) Extra Virgin Olive Oil Italian Seasoning Garlic PowderSea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)Cook the rice according to package directions. Refrigerate for up to three days. Add other dried herbs and spices to taste, like red pepper ﬂakes, onionpowder, or parsley. Avocado or dipping sauce, like tzatziki or hummus. Omit or use white rice, quinoa, or another grain of choice.Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchmentpaper.Add the chicken, broccoli, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini to thebaking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with Italian seasoning, garlicpowder, salt, and pepper.Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and thevegetables are just tender, stirring halfway through if needed. Season withadditional salt and pepper if needed.Divide the rice, chicken, and veggies evenly between meal prep containers orplates and enjoy!FiberSodiumCalciumIronVitamin B1244813g45g5g38g92mg57mg2mg0.3µgSwap chicken for a protein of choiceAdjust portions to suit your performance plate needsEat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy!

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The NourishedLifeNutrition TipEat Smart, Perform Better: Revamp your Energy using Performance PlatesYour energy is your currency. Right now, you’re running low or it’s inconsistent—feeling pretty broke. Your days are a struggle, adventures are fewer, and trainingsessions get cut short because you just don’t have the energy and recovery is astruggle.Now, imagine a life where you complete the training you want, your brain fog lifts,your sleep improves—both in quality and duration—and even your bodycomposition begins to shift. You break through that training plateau you’ve beenstuck in. You may have thought your performance, or lack of it, was just a part ofgetting older, or that chasing kids and managing a business is draining. And sure,life is hectic.But what if I told you that eating differently could change all of that? It’s not aquick fix, and the results won’t be instant. But with a few key adjustments, youcould see profound improvements in your health and performance.Performance plates are a tool developed by the USOC (United States OlympicCommittee) dietitians to show athletes how to fuel based on the training they didor are doing that day.Page 13

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How to build a performance plateBuild performance plates based upon your training for the day. There are 3different performance plates to choose from. You will notice as intensity increases,carbohydrates increase. An athlete needs more carbs when training more becausethe athlete is using MORE ENERGY so needs to replace energy lost withcarbohydrates. Performance plates focus on three components:1. Protein - Athletes need protein to build and repair their muscles.2. Carbohydrates - Athletes need carbohydrates for ENERGY. Your muscles andbrain prefer to use carbohydrates as energy.3. Colour - Colour means fruits and vegetables. Athletes need colour for vitaminsand minerals and fibre.Additional components to performance plates are fats and hydration. Athletesneed fats for hormone regulation, energy and nutrient absorption.Easy Training DayUse an easy day plate when youhave a really easy workout lessthan 45 minutes, an off day orwhen you are in a break fromtraining. With this plate, 1/4 of your plate iscarbohydrates and half of yourplate is COLOR. Easy days are a great way to get inmore fruits and vegetables whilestill making sure to eatcarbohydrates and protein.

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Moderate Training DayThe moderate day plate is used formost typical training days. When anathlete trains for 1-2 hours/day, not atough workout but a "typical" workout. Notice that protein stays the sameon all of these plates, but thecarbohydrate section increased andthe colour section decreased. An athlete needs an additional servingof healthy fats on moderate days too -add some avocado to your plate. Adding a cup of milk is a great way toget in some extra carbs, fats (unlessnon-fat) and protein along with manyvitamins andminerals.Hard Training DayUse this plate on hard workoutdays, game days, days withmultiple workouts ortournament days. Hard day plates are HIGH inCARBS because athletes areusing so much energy.

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How to use PerformancePlates to FuelPerformance plates are a great toolto use to make sure your body isgetting the nutrients it needs. At allmeals make sure you are eating all3 components of the plate, allathletesneed protein, carbs and colour withALL meals.Make a list of carbohydrate foods,protein foods, colour foods and fatfoods that you LIKE and will eat.When you don't know what to eat,you can refer to your lists. What I LOVE about performanceplates is how easy they are - youdon't have to make any fancy foods;it can be as simple as looking inyour fridge and pulling out foodsthat fit into each category.A good place to start when it comes to using performance plates daily, is to look atyour meals NOW and see if you are missing a component. Hydration is anothercomponent to fuelling like an athlete!Even pizza can be turned into a performance plate - pizza has carbs, fat andprotein on it, add a side salad or some fruit for COLOR and have a glass of milk foradditional protein/carbs and vitamins and minerals. Performance plates can helpbalance out foods like pizza and make them more athlete friendly.Just remember, progress is better than perfection. Be good consistently rather greatinconsistently. Small changes add up over time. You don’t have to change everything allat once.

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Race ReportFreycinet ChallengeThe Nourished LifeThe Freycinet Challenge is an annual multi-sport event across the stunningFreycinet Peninsula, at Coles Bay on Tasmania’s East Coast. It’s been runningfor 24 years, and this year I decided to take on the challenge just six weeksbefore the event. I'd never paddled before, and I didn’t own a boat, but whenthere’s a will, there’s a way.My Freycinet journey started after competing in the Winter Challenge, anotherTasmanian multi-sport event that had been held annually until COVIDinterrupted. I had competed as part of a team, with Andrew doing the paddle,while I was initially signed up for the road cycle and trail run, and Kate was tohandle the mountain bike leg. Unfortunately, Kate came down with a terriblecold that turned into pneumonia, so I ended up taking on the mountain bikeleg as well. After that race, I wondered: Could I learn to paddle in time forFreycinet?With that in mind, I walked into Next Level Kayaking, full of enthusiasm andmy “crazy idea.” At the time, they had no beginner boats left to hire, but Itrusted something would work out. I booked my first lesson, joined theirWomen on Water group, and started paddling three times a week. I did threeone-on-one lessons and entered a practice race to get a feel for how “my” newsurfski worked and what paddling in a race would be like.

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The Nourished LifeThe Freycinet Challenge is a two-day event that involves kayaking,road cycling, trail running, andmountain biking. You cancompete solo over two days,complete just one day solo, orform a team. I chose the solochallenge, driven by the idea ofseeing what I was capable of.’m a firm believer that if you want to learn something new, quickly and effectively,you go straight to the experts. That’s exactly what I did with kayaking. Instead ofwasting time scouring the internet and guessing, I went to people who knew whatthey were doing. It reminded me of nutrition coaching—so many athletes wastetime sifting through misinformation when they could save time, money, andenergy by going straight to an expert for guidance.The lead-up to the race went smoothly, apart from catching a cold three weeksout. I rested, took it easy, and pushed on. By race day, the cold was mostly behindme. I had no big expectations going into the race—just to explore my limits andenjoy the beautiful setting.Photo - Tim Harmsen’s DadtPhoto - Mark Howell

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Day 2Day two started at 7:30 a.m. with a 10 kmpaddle. We had some light drizzle, but thewater was flat, which was a welcome relief.After the paddle, we followed the sameroad cycling course as day one, but themountain bike leg was different, finishingwith a 10 km beach run. Mentally, I wasn’t as prepared for a beachrun. By the time I hit the run, I was justhanging on, grinding my way home. The stunning views of Coles Bay and theFreycinet Peninsula were a welcomedistraction!Overall, the event was a huge success. It’sa well-run, low-key race with a fantasticatmosphere. Whether you want tocompete solo or as part of a team, it’s agreat way to challenge yourself in aspectacular part of Tasmania. Next yearmarks the 25th anniversary of the event,which is the perfect excuse to come backand explore this amazing area again.https://freycinetchallenge.com.au/Day 1Day one kicked off with a 17 km trail run,taking us around the Wine Glass BayCircuit in an anticlockwise direction. It’s astunning route, and I surprised myselfwith how well I felt. I focused on stayingfueled, eating and drinking regularly to getthrough the long day. I carried a squishybottle in hand so I would not forget todrink.Next came the 10 km kayak leg—two lapsof the course. We headed north along thecoastline, rounding a buoy and thenreturning behind Picnic Island. At onepoint, I felt like I was going nowhere, as if Iwas being washed out to sea. It took somemental toughness to just keep paddling,stay relaxed, and trust that I wouldeventually reach land again!The road bike leg was a 40 km out-and-back, and it felt great to be back in mycomfort zone. It was all about finding arhythm, maintaining speed, and sticking tomy nutrition plan, even though I didn’t feellike eating much by then. Sometimes youjust need to keep getting energy in. That iswhere having a plan definitely helps.After that, I transitioned straight onto the18 km mountain bike leg down to FriendlyBeaches. The course was mostly gravelroads, with some steep climbs, but it’sdesigned to be inclusive. By the end of the day, I had clocked 5 hours and 22 minutes, with a solidintake of 80 grams of carbohydrates perhour—right on target.

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Nine Benefits of nutrition coaching according to previous clientsApply to work withDr Karen Hill today. Accountability is always important when makingchanges and having someone on the other sidecertainly helps that. 1.A working framework was key for me and theway my brain works, setting up defaultbehaviors but understanding when traveling etcwhat is the next best version of what i wouldnormally be doing. 2.Having someone who has the lived experience insport and understands the push pull of energyreally helps.3.Always provided great quality advice that waseasy to follow (and sent follow up emails aftereach session which was very helpful) .4.Took the time to get to know me and what plan Iwould follow. 5.Made sure simple changes could be made andwere practical at each step.6.Increased physical mobility. 7.Feeling prepared and confident for my goal raceknowing that we had put a good plan in placeand had executed my fuel and training goals. 8. Feeling proud of myself that I was able tocommit to the plans Karen and I made, whichKaren made easy to do.9.

The Nourished Life Vol 2

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