It’s finally summer and thus, vacation season is now in full effect! Time away can be a wonderfully restorative and life-giving event. However, for those who are firmly committed to living a health-promoting and disease-preventing life, leaving the routine comforts of home often comes with challenges.
Vacation time can tempt even the most committed among us to “let loose” and ignore our regular healthy habits in many ways, typically by over-indulging in junk food and alcohol, ignoring food sensitivities, and de-prioritizing sleep, to name a few. This may, in theory, sound like a good way to REALLY be on vacation, but in reality the end result of even temporary poor lifestyle choices can look like this: feeling tired, super bloated, foggy headed, probably constipated, and just plain crappy.
The trick is to plan a vacation that’s tons of fun and relaxing, AND prioritizes our health-promoting lifestyle at the same time. Of course it’s naturally going to be harder to follow a healthy lifestyle and eating habits when away from home, but it’s not impossible, and with some proper planning, it doesn’t even have to be that difficult.
With that in mind, here are my tips for having a vacation that is a ton of fun but also brings you home feeling truly relaxed, reenergized, and with no regrets!
- Bring healthy food with you - Wherever you’re going, if healthy food is going to be hard to find, bring it with you. If you are traveling a relatively short distance by car, you can pack a cooler with things like fresh fruit and veggies, grassfed beef sticks, hard boiled eggs, and nuts, and bring it along for the ride. If traveling by plane/train/bus, you can reserve room in your luggage and carry-on for a good amount of those high quality non-perishable packaged foods, such as dried fruit, nuts, canned wild caught salmon, organic whole grain crackers, dark chocolate, etc. Even if you won’t have access to a kitchen, you can still be super creative with what you bring. It’s amazing how much can fit into a little hotel fridge, and many hotels have microwaves available upon request as well.
- Find healthy food stores - One thing I’ve learned from my domestic travels is that in most U.S. cities you will find at least one grocery store that caters to healthier food. When I’m heading to a new city I preemptively research the store that’s closest to my hotel’s location and then hit it up right after arrival in order to stock up on essentials. Even in the more rural areas I’ve found that there’s bound to be at least a small mom and pop style health food store or co-op. Wherever you’re headed, a quick “health food grocery store” google search can help you start off your trip prepped and ready to stay on the right track.
- Find healthy(ish) restaurants - The “Find Me Gluten Free” app is my go-to when trying to figure out where to eat in a new area. With this app, even in the most middle of nowhere locations, I can search for places that accommodate gluten free. I’ve also had great success google searching “organic restaurant” or “vegetarian or vegan restaurant” for wherever I am. These keyword searches often lead me to restaurants that serve healthier and higher quality food. Depending on where you are, it’s not always possible to find a wide array of real, whole food options. That being said, on more than one occasion I’ve been shocked to find a perfect little organic, hippie, hole in the wall spot located in a place I’d least expect it.
- Treat yourself, just be smart about it - When it comes to treating yourself, it’s helpful to draw a line that you will not cross, and stick with it. For example you may allow yourself to have more sugar or processed foods than usual over the course of your trip, but can still choose to stay committed to avoiding really detrimental foods, such as those that contain any known food sensitivities you may have. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean junk food is going to do any less harm or make you feel any less worse than it would at home. It’s important to remember that treating yourself doesn’t have to be all about food either! Find other ways to make yourself feel special on vacation, like splurging for a massage, signing up for a golf or tennis lesson, or taking a soak in the hot tub.
- Walk, walk, and walk some more - Exercise remains essential to health, whether on vacation or not. Thankfully, when you’re out having fun, it’s easy to walk miles and miles without even noticing it (i.e. at Disney World). Go for a sunrise or sunset walk on the beach, hike that scenic mountain trail, or check out all the local shops while taking a long stroll around town. As you walk, let yourself be captivated by the beautiful views, new scenery, and memorable experiences that you come across!
- Keep up your sleep routine - Whenever possible, it’s helpful to try to stay close to your regular bedtime and waketime, even on vacation. Time zone changes can necessitate some adjustments of course, and there’s certainly some room for some smart flexibility even if not changing time zones. Ultimately, the most important thing when it comes to sleep, is to make sure we are getting ENOUGH of it, and that it’s QUALITY sleep. So don’t forget to pack your eye mask, white noise machine, earplugs, or whatever it is you need to make sure you sleep well. When you prevent your body from getting too out of whack, your energy levels can stay up, allowing for the enjoyment of every waking second of your vacation! It will also mean a much easier reentry back to normal life if you don’t have to retrain your body back into good sleep habits.
- Pack light - Antoine de St. Exupery wisely said, “He who would travel happily must travel light.” Taking a minimalist approach to luggage can certainly remove some unnecessary stress from your vacation. Slugging around a giant, overstuffed suitcase or numerous, cumbersome bags filled with unnecessary things through an airport, or in and out of rental cars/ubers, is torture for anyone. Consider doing yourself a favor and just bringing what you really need. The focus should be on where you are, what you're doing, and who you’re with, not 17 extra outfits, “just in case.”
- Reimagine what a vacation should look like - It’s easy to fall into the idea that a vacation isn’t a vacation unless all “rules, restrictions, and regulations” go out the window. A healthier idea is for us to embrace a mindset that prioritizes relaxation and fun, but reminds us that we actually don’t need to become a sloth, gorge ourselves, or party like it’s 1999 in order to have a great vacation. We will truly enjoy our vacations a whole lot more when we make choices that TREAT ourselves, but don’t BEAT ourselves.
As opposed to vacations in the past where “letting loose” may have left you coming home feeling like you need a “vacation from your vacation,” consider trying to keep your health a priority this summer.
Doing so, even while on vacation, will allow you to not just feel better during your time off, but will also allow for the opportunity for you to come home happy, relaxed, with great memories, AND feeling even healthier than when you left!
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. The author is a certified nutrition coach, not a medical doctor. If you have health concerns, consult a qualified healthcare provider.
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