Why We Wander for Montecristo Magazine



 

“The mountains are calling and I must go. In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir 

There is a certain state of being; a calmness of mind; a liberated space where creativity and peace flow one step at a time. Whether you’re on the path of a meandering meditation or grinding it out for a heart-beating, sweat-inducing cardio kick, Vancouver is a mecca for hiking. Sea-to-sky and beach-to-forest, the city is blessed with an abundance of accessible adventure. 

The hardest part can be deciding where to start. One’s favourite hike is often the last one completed, but these five are easy to go back to time after time.

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Vegan Supplements & Superfoods: Pine Pollen



Like clockwork; every spring a dust of Pine Pollen settles, covering everything nearby with a light golden coat. When we first leaned about the benefits of Pine Pollen, we asked, “Pine Pollen? The same stuff from Pine Trees that covers everything in the Spring.” Yes. That’s the stuff. New to us, as we uncovered that layer of golden spring dust, we learnt, like most natural remedies, Pine Pollen has a very long history. 

Pine pollen has been a go-to in Chinese and Korean medicine for more than 2,000 years. It's been utilized for its adapotgenic properties as well as its ability to boost peak physical performance and balance mental health. It is revered for it ability to restore and boost vitality, while increasing energy and immunity  – checking all the boxes for what we're looking for in a superfood. 

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Keighty Gallagher of Tight Club’s Best of the Best:

 

Keighty Gallagher is the head coach and founder of Vancouver’s top fitness studio, Tight Club. When we first met Keighty, we knew at first sight that she was someone that we wanted to become friends with. Keighty is contagious in her fun and real approach to life and to fitness. She bridges the gap between seeing the need to exercise and actually enjoying it. The actually enjoying it part is key. 

Keighty launched Tight Club in 2012 and was a pioneer in the community driven fitness movement in Vancouver. Tight Club promotes that movement doesn’t have to define your life. It’s something you do to enhance who you are. It’s a lifestyle for individuals who value active bodies, creative minds, and balanced lives. It’s more about life, than going to a gym. Community. Connections. Movement. Tight Club is really just that.. the tightest of clubs, where you go to sweat it out with awesome people that quickly become your best of friends. The workouts are what we go for, but the relationships are why we stay. After class, in a state of sweat and exhaustion, the Tight Lifers hang and on Fridays, beers are often cracked as the post workout preferred means of hydration.  

Keighty has created something special with Tight Club. A lifestyle and a community that we feel lucky to be a part of. 

Without further adieu. The Best of with Keighty Gallagher: 

Daily Breakfast: One shot of lemon water with 1/2 tsp of spirulina, shot back like a tequila shot with a blended Bulletproof Coffee with Brain Octane (bought at The Juice Truck!) and right now I’m really down with the Ricotta, Fig, Truffle oil Toast from Matchstick. On the weekends, the Kale Skillet and the Stuffed French Toast from Mamie Taylor's. They’re really good :) 

On The Go Workout Snack: A banana and a coffee… and a cookie (sometimes/everyday)… 

Can’t Live Without: A weekly phone call with my parents, a hair elastic and Sunday night episodes of the Walking Dead with my boo, Henry. 

Your Hero(s): My dad, Jimbo, and the members of the Dream Team (ya’ll know who you are). 

Favourite Workout Routine: In a perfect day, I’d wake up and run to Lagree West for one of Barbies awesome mega-former classes, then I’d jump on a bike and ride to North Van for the Distrikt's Crush Hush class and then I’d go to bed, wake up the next day and take my own Saturday morning Booty Luv Class and finish it off with Mel Brittner’s Yoga and Chill class. Sleep for a day and then hit up the track for a classic No Fun Run style sprint workout. 

Favourite Single Movement: Step, Step, Stall. Knees high, arms big. 

Best Advice You’ve Ever Received: Don’t go changing. 

Best Song to Workout To: A$AP Ferg - Work 

Who Would Your All Star Private Training Class Consist Of: Joni McKervey, Pauly Shore, Zach Berman, Samantha Matthews and the cast from Bridesmaids…oh and Dwayne Johnson

Best Song to Wake Up To: Sebastien Tellier - La ritournelle (this will also be my wedding song). 

Favourite Karaoke Song: All That She Wants by Ace of Base.

Favourite Song When You Were 16: The whole Grandmaster Flash Greatest Hits Album and Scarlett Begonias… the Sublime version. 

Top Guilty Pleasure: Car dancing karaoke. 

Top 3 Movies: Romeo and Juliet. Saving Silverman and….. that’s all. 

What Would Be Your Ideal Theme Party: Saturday Night Live vs. Mad TV. 

If You Had a Superpower For 1 Day: To be to a junk food garburater and be immune to the highs and lows of sugar. 

What is Your Favourite Candy: Almond Roca. 

Top 3 Travel Spots: Portland, Oregon. New York City, New York. Comox Valley in the Summer. 

Best Hidden Gem: Lovecraft in Portland. 

Favourite Websites: MISSBISH. Mind Body Online and gmail.com 

3 Things on your Bucket List: I’ve always wanted to open a studio (check). I would like to get to the point where I can take a month sabbatical every year. I want to do something daring… that makes me vulnerable… like stand up comedy or some kind of improv show. 

Where or When You’re Happiest: I’m happiest on a Friday night after The Club (class) when everyone’s rolling out, drinking a beer, and everyone around me is socializing. That’s when I know I’ve done my job. Also, two margaritas in, suntanning on a giant party float boat with all my besties and I’m on day one of two days off. 

Best Spot for Dinner: I really love Ask for Luigi…but when I can’t get in, Henry and I will walk around Stanley Park and finish up at Tavola in the West End. 

Best Date Spot: On the rooftop parkade above Matchstick Cafe on Georgia with a Pizzeria Farina pizza and a 6 pack. After we finish eating, we’ll sit on the pizza boxes and watch the sun go down. 

Best Place For an Adult Drink: The Boxcar. 

What Does your Best Day Off Look Like: Late wake up with some smoochies and smoothies. Pack up a lunch and fly to Portland and go straight to the docks with margaritas and my besties. After that, it’s all golden. 

Go-to Juice or Smoothie: My favourite juice is the Turmeric Tonic to help ease inflammation in my joints after hard workouts and The Almost Chocolate with extra spinach to get some greens in. 

Your Current Mantra: Be a robot. Be a robot. Be a robot.