7 Ways to Maintaining Balance while On Holidays
Maintaining your health during, summer weekends, long weekends and holidays can be tough. You might be worried about gaining weight or feeling tired, bloated and lethargic when you come back. You might also have health issues you’re working through like food sensitivities or digestive issues that make the idea of being out of your typical controlled eating environment a bit overwhelming.
Making sure that time out of your regular routine doesn’t throw you completely out of balance can take some planning. This way you can get away, eat the food you want to eat and maybe the drinks you want to drink, and come right back into your regular routine and feel good about it.
Not focusing on all of the things you’ll be avoiding during the time away from your routine and trying to focus on the things you can incorporate to help you feel to better during your holidays and long weekends.
These 7 tips can help you maintain your balance during your time away from your daily routine;
1. Stay hydrated & add some lemon to your water
Hydration is not only key for helping your body eliminate what it doesn’t need, but it also helps prevent fatigue. If you’re planning on drinking alcohol throughout the day, try to have a glass of water between drinks. Lemon water, especially in the morning, is one of the easiest ways to give your digestion a boost when you’re outside of your usual routine. The acidity helps to stimulate stomach acid production which kick starts the digestion process to reduce bloating. It also contains enzymes that support your liver after all that wine
2. Get some movement in
Focus on “movement” while on holidays. Worrying about getting in a “workout” can be unrealistic. Wake up and go for a walk or a swim, go for a canoe or a kayak, or simply do 15 minutes of jumping around outside or a stretch with your friends. Stressing less about getting a workout in and focusing more on doing fun activities that involve movement you’ll be happier, have way more energy and feel less bloated as well as healthier overall.
3. Eat more veggies
Colourful veggies are loaded with fiber and anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep you regular, reduce bloating and help you feel a little less “puffy”. Starting your day with a big green smoothie (if there’s a blender) or having a salad at some point in the day can make you feel so much better throughout the day. If you’re camping or hiking and won’t have access to much fresh produce, bringing a green’s powder like Genuine Health’s Greens+ is a really easy and lightweight way to squeeze in a serving of veggies (23 fruits and veggies to be exact).
4. Bring healthier alternatives for your favourite treats
There are now so many whole food alternatives to your typical appetizers and snacks. If you know everyone will be snacking on chips, why not bring some of the healthier versions available at the grocery store. If the plan is to have burgers for dinner, why not bring lettuce buns or offer to make the side salad? If you’re gluten-free or dairy-free but want to enjoy the charcuterie, bring your own crackers, a dairy-free cheese, or add a hummus or guacamole dip to the platter. Check out our favourite recipes for hummus and guacamole.
5. Eat protein throughout the day
Starting your day with protein and eating protein throughout the day can help to balance your blood sugar, especially if in between you’re enjoying more carb-based snacks or sugary drinks. Eating protein with a meal also tends to make the meal more satisfying, and keeps you fuller longer than a high carb meal. This is helpful if you tend to snack or be really peckish throughout the day because balancing your blood sugar can help to curb cravings. Throw a few protein bars in your bag so you always have a snack.
6. Don’t skip your supplements
There are a few “go-to’s” that you can use as part of your travel pack. A magnesium powder like Magnelevures, because it helps with sleep and keep you regular if you tend to get constipated. Magnesium is also used up more quickly when you drink and that can contribute to the jittery feeling you get from a hangover. Taking digestive enzymes before meals also helps reduce bloating after meals that are heavier than you may be used to. And a probiotic which doesn’t need to be refrigerated, helps with digestion and immunity when you are out of your regular routine.
If there are supplements that you take daily, make sure to keep up with them even when you travel or are out and about on weekends. Portioning them out into daily servings in advance versus carrying each bottle can save room in your suitcase and can help you keep your routine.
7. When you get home, jump right back into your regular routine
It’s so common to think you need to “detox” or “cleanse” after a weekend of overindulging to balance it out but thankfully our bodies don’t work like that. In fact, metabolically your body will likely revolt if you try to deprive yourself of food to make up for it. This also breeds an “all or nothing” mentality with food that makes it really difficult to adopt a balanced lifestyle. Your best bet is to just go right back into your regular routine when you return, which is likely how you manage to feel your best on an average day.
Once you are home, try to take the first opportunity to go to the grocery store, have a healthy meal at home, plan out your workout schedule for the week, and prioritize a good night’s sleep. These things are more like self-care than a chore. You’ll feel back to normal more quickly when you jump back into your regular routine!
Talk to one of our Naturopaths to help you maintain a healthy balance at home or on holiday.
Staff Author
The Team at Balance Natural Health Clinic have many years of experience to help you live your best life. True Health, Genuine Care
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