Arrivederci from Italy!
I have spent the last week traveling Italy and I will be here for another week. My last blog post touched on my packing essentials and what I did to fight jet lag. I am happy to report that I really did not get jet lag. I will admit I got tired (and cranky) during my adventure to Italy (15 hours of travel, delayed + cancelled flights, broken luggage + a temporaily lost garment bag) but after a good night's sleep, lots of water, and some green juices + smoothies, I felt back to normal!
This vacation for me is all about balance. This is a relatively new concept for me as I am an extremist and tend to be all in or all out! It is a work in progress but I have realized that a good portion of healthy living is the mentality and attitude you have towards food.
Here are my tips for staying balanced while on vacation:
FitBit. I will admit, I was very late to jump on the Fitbit bandwagon. But I am fully on board now! My Fitbit has truly changed my life and has been an eye opener. This is my first vacation while having a Fitbit and I love it! I love tracking my sleep quality, calories burned, steps taken + heart rate. I aim to take 10-15K steps in a day and often find that motivates me to take the stairs instead of the escalator or walk instead of cab.
Packed Snacks. If you read my last blog post, you might have seen that I packed some healthy snacks on my trip. I find these very helpful for eating on the go, adding sustenance and keeping that blood sugar balanced! I packed: hemp seed, chia seed, Lara bars, healthy teas such as peppermint and licorice (both for aiding digestion), Vega green water mixers, and spirulina/ginseng energy balls. I add the hemp seed and chia seed to foods at meals such as yogurt, fruit, eggs, sandwiches, etc. The younger me would have been very insecure to do such a thing in public out of concern for what people may say to me but current me gives 0 f's. My advice to anyone who has trouble with this concept: YOU DO YOU. If you are worried what people will think or say, do not. These people should be supporting you and encouraging you to feel your best. I have realized that often when people have something to say about this, it is coming from their own insecurities. Like I said, YOU DO YOU SHORTY!
Vitamins + Supplements. These are another reason why I did not get jet lag. Flying can be very hard on your body so I made sure to take supplements on the plane as well as every single day here. I take chlorella/spirulina (for detox, digestion, and energy), shelf stable probiotics i.e. ones that do not need to be put in the fridge (for digestion and help assimilating your body to local bacteria), maca (for energy + hormone balance which can often get disrupted during travel), and finally Holy Basil which is an adaptogen that helps decrease cortisol levels in your body (i.e. stress levels)
Take Advantage of the Natural Landscapes + Scenery. What I mean by this is, if you are in Jamaica take advantage of their gorgeous beaches, swimming, water sports. When I was in Florence, we walked everywhere. The past two days I was in Assisi which is a town in the mountains. As you can imagine, everything is uphill so even walking to dinner was a nice little workout. I also ran every morning which I find is a great way to start the day as well as explore the city and scope out any places you would like to see later.
Indulge (during the day). Sometimes this is not doable and that is okay! When I indulge, I try to have those meals or sweets during the day so it gives my body time to digest and break down rather than sitting in my stomach and going right to bed. If I eat indulgences late at night, I take some digestive enzymes or have peppermint tea to help with digestion.
Pick up Groceries. Although I packed some snacks and supplements, I could not pack produce! Try and find a grocery store and pick up staples along the way. For example, I found a grocery store and picked up avocados that I could cut up and add to the breakfast included with my hotels such as eggs or toast. Sprinkle with some hemp seed and you are good to go! I also found some pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and lots of Greek yogurt!
Healthy Local Restaurants. Do some research beforehand, ask your hotel, or reach out to your community on social media for tips on where to eat. If any of you saw my Instagram stories or post, I found an amazing place called Shake Cafe in Florence and became obsessed with their green juice, ginger shots, and avocado spinach smoothie. I visited this place every day during my stay which I can definitely say helped with my lack of jet lag and energy levels.
Chill Out + NO GUILT. There are going to be days where you eat/drink a lot and that is okay! The whole point of vacation is to relax and let go a little. Do not be too hard on yourself.