“Vacay Vibes: Nourishing Adventures in Healthy Eating”

Picture this: you wake up in a beautiful location and it’s time to get your day started. You head down to the restaurant and there are endless options of food in front of you. Everything looks like you should try it even though at home you wouldn’t consider starting your day with such a huge variety of food. You go all in though because how can you not! Lunch rolls around and you are at an all inclusive hotel so you better get what you paid for right? Again the food options are endless, why not try a mix of a few things and then do the same thing at dinner too! You feel ok, day 2 isn’t so bad either and then by day 3 your stomach is getting a little rumbly! We get it, we’ve been there which is why we want to help you out before you do this to yourself!

Prior to becoming a Travel Agent spent several years in the Health & Wellness industry. I was a Massage Therapist and Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition & Wellness Coach. I continue to take courses in the Nutrition & Personal Training field to hold my Certification in good standing because I really enjoy learning about it and who knows, I may do it again one day!

My husband and I have been in seasons where we were a little too much on the ridged side while at home and on vacation which is why I feel it’s important to share this with you now. Now that we’re in our forties we have mastered the beauty of balance while at home and on vacation which we consider to be perfectly imperfect and we are ok with that.

Join me in embracing the vacay vibes while nourishing your mind and body!

Tips to start your day off right without being too “Boring”

One of the most exciting aspects of traveling is trying new food and really immersing yourself in the culture, but too much at once can be a little rough on the gut! Let’s start with breakfast; everything looks so good so where do you begin? Our suggestion is to start with your protein as we know this is usually where the line begins, the hot stuff! Go ahead and grab some bacon and a small scoop of eggs if you wish and then get out of that line until tomorrow. Make your way over to the fruits and veggies, grab a bowl, fill it right up. Throw in some yogurt if you feel want! Last but not least, the pastries and bread. Decide which one you want today, don’t take both. For example, when we travel in Europe I will always have a croissant, the are too delicious to pass up but the odd day I will have toast or keep it a little lighter with adding granola on my yogurt. My husband and son like the waffle days with all of the toppings! I can’t speak for my girls anymore now that they are adults but I think they would still go for the waffles. Another thing that you will see in most places are hard boiled eggs, this are the best choice of eggs so keep that in mind at lunch too. They have nothing added to them like oil, butter or milk like the other egg options will have.

Speaking of lunch, let’s chat about that!

Without being too strict or overthinking what to eat let’s keep in simple! I don’t like to feel like I can’t have things, so what I like to do instead is decide what I want to try the most that day and then I make sure I feel like my stomach can handle it. Once in a while we hear our clients say that the food wasn’t very good at the destination they traveled to so I’m going to start with the basic choices in hopes that most will see that you can create some pretty decent plates of food at any hotel or resort when you know what to put together. Begin with filling your plate with fresh veggies at lunch, we know they have them in every buffet. Next you want to find a protein, if you’re having something like a hamburger that day you can count that as your protein too. A few other things to look for are chicken, fish, eggs, hummus or nuts. Lastly, add your carbs and choose carefully. Add just one or two carbs instead of a mix of 5 different options. This could be a burger with fries, if you have a bun you have two carbs so go find some veggies. An option I like at lunch is protein, veggies and I will usually find a fresh loaf of bread somewhere to cut a slice from.

Ok, now it’s time for dinner

Chances are that you’re getting the hang of this now. If you’re at an All Inclusive resort you might be booked at an À la carte or back at the buffet. If you’re not at an All Inclusive, you are out for dinner at a restaurant of your choice. Eat what you want and keep in mind that there is always tomorrow. Do your best to not overstuff yourself and try one or two new things at a time, trust me your stomach with thank you for it over the week.

Enjoy your time away and go ahead and indulge all while tuning in to what your body can actually handle digesting. Stay active, drink lots of water and do your best to prepare yourself for a good night of sleep so you can do it all again the next day and come home feeling good at the end of your vacation.