Enjoy Your Travels!

We just got back from a fabulous trip – first to Vancouver, Canada (my new favorite city) and then on a wonderful cruise to the Inside Passage in Alaska.  I’ve had many friends who have vacationed in Alaska and just loved it, and I fell in love with this beautiful and wild place, too.  Gorgeous scenery, glaciers, whales, rain forests, quaint fishing villages, fascinating history and culture, friendly people – and we only experienced a small area of this largest state in the United States.  I came back feeling great – refreshed and renewed.

It can be difficult to stay on track with healthy eating and exercise habits while travelling, but I’ve learned that I feel so much better and enjoy my vacation much more when I do.  This particular ship had a state-of-the-art gym on board, which I took advantage of almost every day, as well as walking everywhere when we were exploring ports.  And there were lots of healthy eating choices onboard, as well as indulgent ones.  Here are a few things that work well for me when travelling so that I can stay in shape AND enjoy vacation to its fullest:

• Don’t Leave Your Good Habits at Home.   Yes, you’re on vacation but that doesn’t have to mean vacation from the healthy habits you’ve worked hard to create for yourself over time. You’ll feel better, look better and enjoy your vacation more if you take the same good care of yourself you do at home.  This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy trying different foods or have dessert – just be smart about it.  If you know you’re going to a great restaurant for dinner, a big chopped salad tossed with red and yellow veggies, and topped with a protein like chicken, fish or nuts, is a great lunch and will carry you through the day with energy to spare. If you want to have pancakes for breakfast one morning, go lighter later in the day.  You don’t have to deprive yourself – the key is balance. 
•  Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate.  It’s easy to get dehydrated in the summer heat, particularly when you are more active.  We often rely on thirst as an indicator that we need to drink water, but chances are we are already dehydrated by the time thirst sets in.  If you commonly drink 6-8 glasses of water a day at a minimum, you’re on the right track.  If not, make it a point to drink water at meals, and regularly throughout the day.  Soda and high sugar sports drinks don’t count.  The best thing for your body is pure water, and after that pure juices and high-water contents fruits and vegetables:  watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, celery, cucumber, spinach, tomato, iceberg lettuce and others.
•  Take a Hike.  There’s no better time to put on your walking shoes than vacation, when there is so much to see and do.  And that goes for whether you are in the city, the country or at the beach.  Walking is easy, free, great exercise – and a great way to explore a new locale.
•  Unplug.  With the advent of the internet and email, it can be tempting as well as easy to stay in touch with work and home concerns even when we are away.  Give yourself a break!  Let yourself really be on vacation and get lost.  Soak up the sights, relax with a good book by the pool, play ping-pong with your kids. Find a hammock and read or take an afternoon nap.  Sleep is one of the most restorative things you can do for yourself.
• Reconnect.  Vacations are a great time to have fun and build memories with family and friends.  Our close relationships are a key component of our overall health, because having close connections to others promotes a well-rounded lifestyle.  The World Health Organization defines health this way: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  Vacations are a great opportunity to enjoy uninterrupted time and new experiences with those we love which, in turn, strengthen those bonds that are so important to our both our physical and emotional health.

Whatever your plans for the summer, be healthy, be safe and have fun – it’s summer!

Live a Full Life – Become a Lifelong Learner

There are many benefits to learning throughout the course of one’s life.  Research studies have shown that keeping your brain engaged not only improves functioning and memory, but can also help to stave off both mental and physical ailments.  It keeps you young mentally and physically.  It also keeps you engaged and connected with the world around you, and helps individuals be more adaptable to change.  People who are lifelong learners are more fulfilled, and find their lives more meaningful. And it’s fun, especially when you get to choose what interests you, what you enjoy the most.  There are no requirements – what have you always wanted to learn, to do, to know more about?

Being a lifelong learner doesn’t have to involve traditional classes, although it can. There are lots of avenues to learning.  Attending lectures, joining a museum program, or buying season tickets to a local theater or dance company is one idea.  Some individuals choose to learn various subjects through online or CD programs, or on their own.  Travel to different parts of the country, or world, and learning about the local history or culture is a great way to learn.  You can start a book club with friends to read the classics.  Here’s a few suggestions on ways to cultivate the habit of learning:

1. Books.  Always have a book on hand to read.  Reading is the one of the best and easiest ways to learn.  It’s free, it’s portable, and it’s always available.  It makes you smarter, enhances your vocabulary, and improves your writing skills. You can find a book on any subject under the sun. What more could you ask for?
2. Pick Something.  That’s right, choose something you have always wanted to know more about, or do, and find out more about it.  If it’s a skill that can be applied while you learn, even better. Maybe you have always wanted to learn to cook gourmet meals.  Read books, take a cooking class, visit websites of chefs you admire, and subscribe to their blogs.  Then surprise your family or invite some friends over for a special meal.  You may end up surprising yourself, too.
3. Challenge Yourself.  There is nothing like moving out of our comfort zone to shake things up.  In a good way. Staying within our comfort zone may be safe, but it doesn’t give us much opportunity to grow over time. Trying something new can offer delightful payoffs. You can acquire a new skill, expand your knowledge base, meet new people, and experience the thrill of facing a challenge and succeeding.
4. Have Smart Friends.  This doesn’t mean screening potential friendships and only admitting those with advanced degrees.  It does mean surrounding yourself with people who are interested in the world, who appreciate intellectual pursuits, who enjoy the arts and culture, and like to learn new things.  Some of this is bound to rub off on you.
5. Have Different Friends.  Having a variety of friends is a great way to learn about and appreciate new things.  Having friends of all ages is one example.  We can learn so much from those who are older and wiser, and have been around the block a few times.  Likewise, having friends who are younger can help us retain a younger mindset, as well as encourage us to look at life through a fresher perspective.  It’s often said that “What we teach, we learn.”  Mentoring, whether formally in a career or volunteer situation, or informally to a younger friend, can bring great rewards and expansion of oneself.  Likewise, having friends from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures is a way to experience and learn about how others live, and what they value.

Being a lifelong learner is all about becoming a fuller person.  When you become a fuller person, you are bound to live a fuller, more vibrant life.  Like anything else, you have to make it a priority, but the rewards you get back, the people you meet, and the opportunities and enjoyment it brings, are more than worth the effort.  Take the first step – you never know where it can lead you.

I would love to hear from you.  Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or comments!