Hi Everyone, 

Marguarette here.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to hike the famous Inca Trail last week with 21 new and old friends.  The hike was pretty challenging but so rewarding and fun.  The Peruvian people we met along the way were warm, funny, caring, and generous.  I wanted to give them all a hug.   

One of my friends, Josh, took the time to write down his thoughts from our journey together and I thought I'd share a tidbit with you. 

Twenty-two of us decided to hike the Inca Trail for 4 days and 3 nights on the way to Machu Pichu. Supporting us on the trek were 33 porters, nicknamed "The Red Army" for the matching red jumpsuits they wore. The porters, ranging in age from 18 to approximately 50, carried 40 lbs worth of gear to our campsite to set up for our arrival.

It was on Day 2 of the hike (which was the longest and offered up the highest peak of the trek) that I noticed the porters taking a break on the side of the mountain in preparation for the final portion of the climb to Dead Woman´s Pass. Being a competitive person I began hiking faster to try and catch up to them. After moving into second gear I caught them completely out of breath.

At this time I reached into my backpack and grabbed a coconut curry Journey Bar. Removing the bar from the wrapper I looked over my shoulder at the stunning views of the Andean Mountain Range covered in green and the Urubamba River below. I thought about this amazing adventure I was on and the beauty of it all. I then looked back at the Red Army and saw that they were still sitting down. Having fueled up with the Journey Bar and some water to my surprise I was ready to press on ahead of the Red Army. As I passed by them we gave each other high fives and looked at each other with mutual admiration - me recognizing the weight on their shoulders and that they do this trek weekly - them recognizing this gringo willing to challenge them to the top.

About 30 minutes later I made it to the top...ahead of the Red Army. I enjoyed the triumphant achievement, but more importantly I shared a moment along the journey that made the accomplishment even sweeter.

Thanks for sharing Josh!

Do you have a personal story on an impactful moment during a journey? Please share with us!

Amaranth is one of the key grains in a Journey Bar.  So why did we choose amaranth?  Good question!

We chose it for many great reasons, aside from having a really interesting name.  So you know Journey Bars are based on cuisines from around the world.  Well amaranth comes from pretty cool places too.  Amaranth originated from Central and South America, more specifically Mexico and Peru but now it can also be found throughout Asia and parts of Africa.  It’s considered an ancient grain (or pseudo-grain as it doesn’t originate from the same species as your typical grains like oats and wheat) because it was used by the Aztec as a staple food in their diet.  Not only did they eat amaranth but they also used amaranth as part of religious ceremonies and decoration.

Of course the other main reason why we chose to have amaranth as a key grain is because it’s so nutritious for you!  This gluten-free grain has one of the highest amounts of protein of any other grain and since we don’t add any protein isolates in our bars, we use grains that will maximize on protein.  Not only this, but studies have shown that amaranth may help to lower cholesterol, which makes it a heart healthy grain.  Last interesting tidbit, amaranth is also the only grain to contain Vitamin C!

Want to know more about amaranth?  Check out these interesting articles:
Whole Grain Council - Amaranth
Discovery Fit and Health

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