4 Tips to Stay Healthy During Your Hard-Earned Getaway   

Summer is a great time to relax, sit back, show off that body you’ve been working so hard at for the last six months, and enjoy that all-inclusive vacation you’ve been planning!  No doubt, high on your list of things to look forward to while on your cruise or at the tropical resort, is the fantastic variety of delicious foods included in your vacay package.

However, while the continuous flow of food and drinks might seem like an added bonus on your trip, that flow can become a tsunami that ruins your healthy eating habits if you let it!  So how do you keep the summer vacation overindulge from becoming a post-vacation bulge?  Below are four basic tips for an all-inclusive healthy holiday!

Fiber First
Choose the foods that have the most fiber.  At the salad bar, go for dark greens like kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, broccoli, Bok Choy and asparagus, along with naturally sweetened fruits like guava, apples, pears, strawberries and mangos. These foods are high-fiber – i.e. high-energy conversion foods that will fill you up without the grease of fried-food options, and offer plenty of zesty, tropical taste for a refreshing and healthy eating experience.  This will not only pump you up (psychologically) but leave you feeling energized and healthy with plenty of enthusiasm for your vacation activities.

Protein Power 
Go for the high-protein option on the menu.  Cruise ships and resorts are renowned (unfortunately) for the variety of fabulous high-carbohydrate foods that will crash your healthy diet. So stay away from super-high sugar juices like O.J. and apple juice, and avoid grabbing a stack of starch- and carb-loaded pancakes or waffles at the breakfast bar, which will leave you feeling bloated throughout the day.

Instead, choose leaner breakfast options such as oatmeal with almonds or pecans, Greek yogurt, egg whites, tomatoes, salmon, turkey sausage and/or bacon.  These high-vitamin, unsaturated fats and protein sources will give you a jumpstart on your day with more energy and no “carb crash” (which can make you sleepy while you’re trying to enjoy your day).  Choosing lean meats at lunch and dinner, such as grilled chicken or fish, will allow you to enjoy your afternoon and evening without feeling too full and will digest better for more restful sleep.

Fit & Full of Life
You have worked hard (too hard at times) to get your superstar physical body in its best shape for your amazing vacation. Your dedication to hot yoga and burpee exercise has also boosted your self-confidence for walking around in that tight, short, sleeveless sundress.  But overindulging in your meals with little or no exercise while on vacation, after all those hours of working out with your personal trainer, can not only crash your regular eating and fitness routines, it can sabotage your mental game for feeling the accomplishment of looking great while on your expensive vacation.

So remember to incorporate some fitness activities into your vacation: hiking, scuba diving, hitting a cardio/strength class at least three times on the cruise ship, swimming some laps at the resort pool and/or even dancing at night, will help keep you in shape as you work off any extra calories while still allowing you to relax!

Abstain from the Alcohol
Go easy on the liquor bar. I know that statement might sound ridiculous considering the all-inclusive alcohol bar options, but seriously, it’s easy to overindulge when the alcohol is so accessible any time of the day and night – but that can alter your vacation experience, making it not only a blur, but a full blackout if you’re not careful!

So pace yourself, and drink the low-sugar, light-alcohol options with your meals for better absorption.  Remember that alcohol is dehydrating, which can also cause digestion to be slower, along with gas and bloating (not what you want while trying to relax and have fun).  Too much alcohol also brings excess calories as your body will digest the alcohol first, leaving any healthy food to be stored as fat instead of used for energy.

If you’re spending a lot of time lounging poolside or on the beach with a margarita in hand, you will be dehydrated too, so make sure to drink at least 64 oz. of water or more throughout the day to keep you hydrated, feeling fuller longer throughout your day, and your digestion on track.

Lastly, use a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF so that you don’t fry that beautiful skin!  If you do get a sunburn, use a lotion with coconut oil and aloe to soothe and heal the damage.

Incorporating these four basic tips can help you feel positive and happy on your vacation without the stress of post-vacation damage control.  Smart eating, staying active, avoiding too much alcohol and taking care of your skin, will allow you to come back knowing you had a phenomenal experience with fabulous pictures of your healthy body to prove it!