My husband and I recently went on vacation to South Carolina and it was AMAZING! South Carolina is so beautiful and the weather was perfect.
I truly enjoyed myself and I came back feeling refreshed, but with none of that post-vacation “blah” so many people feel after indulging in all the delicious food.
Why didn’t I experience a downfall in how I felt? Because I really didn’t change my habits while I was there!
I DID enjoy really good food but I also incorporated a couple practices to ensure I continued feeling good. Because who wants to feel like crap on vacation?!
I am all about good food and there is no room for restriction. But there are some changes we can make to feel our bests while still enjoying ourselves.
Maintain a balance
What do people typically eat on vacation? Carbs, carbs, and more carbs! and then some dessert 😉 Of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying these foods, but your gut needs support to help digest food and support your body.
Maintaining a balance of food groups can help support your gut and keep you feeling good no matter what kinds of food you’re enjoying.
Adding a veggie or fruit to your meals will help balance the gut bacteria and blood sugar. A salad or fruit is always an easy add on to support your gut.
When we were on vacation I ate a lot of tacos, pancakes, and ice cream, so I would add a veggie, salad, or fruit at every meal. I enjoyed my carbs and my dessert but made sure to have plants at every meal.
The goal is never deprivation but support for the body. Supporting and fueling the body will leave you feeling good with none of the “blah.”
Move your body
Movement helps regulate blood sugar and support healthy gut bacteria. In other words, movement keeps us feeling good!
Movement may look different from usual on vacation, and that’s okay! The movement you choose may be more relaxed or you may not have the option to do what you do in your normal routine.
The point is to find a way to move.
On vacation we ended up doing a lot of walking and it felt great! We weren’t hurried or in a rush to get anywhere. We were just enjoying ourselves and exploring where we were.
Don’t overcomplicate it or make it not enjoyable. You of course want to enjoy yourself on vacation but that doesn’t mean we have to sit all day!
Let go of the guilt
Feeling guilty can come easily when we get out of our routine and indulge more than usual. But guilt has no place when we are trying to enjoy ourselves!
Remember, healthy habits should be a lifestyle. So when we go outside of our norm, that doesn’t mean we failed.
When you get home you have the opportunity to return to normal. So when you feel guilt rising, remember we are free to enjoy ourselves in moderation!
I see a lot of people give up after going off of their normal routine and eating habits. But part of making health a lifestyle is understanding perfectionism is not real and going off of our normal does NOT mean we have failed.
Enjoy yourself while keeping in mind you can return to normal after vacation (or any diversions from normal).
We should all be able to enjoy our vacation without feeling terrible or guilty. By maintaining a balance, moving our bodies, and letting go of the guilt, we are able to have a fun vacation where we feel GOOD!
With summer and vacation season coming up, let me know if you try to incorporate these and how you feel because of it!
If you are struggling with you mental health, on vacation or not, and are looking for help healing it, I would love to chat about how you can make that happen. Click here to schedule a free session!
