Elements For A Healthier Life Magazine Issue 03 | July 2016 | Page 25

Sunshine. Beach. Flipflops. Long days. And for many of us: vacation!

Two years ago I went on a gorgeous vacation, a week long Mediterranean cruise to Spain, France and Italy. Last year I went to visit family in Israel for a whole month. This year, I am taking the summer off with a very light workload, frequent trips to the beach, long days in my backyard and local day trips -- you know, a staycation.

Whether your vacation is local or far, short or long, solo or with family or friends or anything in between, you can decide to make it a healthy vacation with easy adjustments.

Focusing on health is focusing on pleasure.

The attitude that you can either be healthy or have fun on vacation is simply not true, you can have both! In fact, feeling ill because of many unhealthy choices will decrease your enjoyment of your vacation. On my Mediterranean trip I decided to focus on health and have it be the main theme of my vacation, I shared healthy tips and meals with my tribe on Facebook and it was so much fun! I felt vibrant, alive, energetic and excited to figure out how to make the healthiest choices I could find.

Cruise into health.

Cruises are a popular way to experience world travel. They are fun, more affordable, and allow you to sample many places in a short period of time. Many women fear the ‘all you can eat’ buffets at cruises that can result in weight gain. But cruises can also be treasures of health.

~Long decks for morning and evening walks and watching the sunrise and sunset.

~Fully equipped gyms and classes.

~Dance parties every night.

~Sit-down restaurants with world cuisines, reasonable portions and many healthy choices.

~Staff that is eager to cater to every special need and request.

By Rachel Kieffer

Healthy Travel Guide

July 2016 | ElementsForAHealthierLife.com | 25