HOW TO STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY
W L FITNESS
HOW TO STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY
By Charlotte Forde , Elevate Fitness
If you ’ re anything like me , one of your favourite things about travelling around the world is the food . From Pastel De Nata in Portugal to Paella in Spain , it is typical to want to try local delicacies when on holiday . Of course , holidays come with loads more temptations like alcohol and ice-cream , so , how can you enjoy your holiday without sabotaging your health and fitness and coming home to a wardrobe where none of the clothes fit you ?
Here are some of my personal top tips on how I stay healthy on holiday : -
Eat Mindfully There ’ s a reason I put this first because it is the longest and the most important . On holiday we may have the luxury of somebody else cooking for us , eating out in restaurants every night or even helping ourselves to a buffet style meal , whereas in our “ normal ” life we may not even spend time to sit down and enjoy our meal due to everyday distractions . This isn ’ t usually the case on holidays , therefore take your time when eating your meal , eat slowly , chew your food thoroughly , enjoy a conversation and you may find that you get fuller quicker while consuming fewer calories . With that being said , your portion size and what you ’ re eating is still really important .
When you can help yourself to food , it ’ s easy to consume a larger quality than you would ordinarily have or even eat more frequently than you ordinarily would do . Of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying a treat on your holiday but all in moderation without overindulging . If you find yourself eating or snacking because there is food available , it is more than likely to be out of habit and not because you are actually hungry . I tend to find that if you start the day off right , it is easier to make better choices throughout the rest of the day , so , once you ’ ve navigated breakfast try and establish a plan for working your way through the buffet over the duration of your stay and not just in one sitting . If you have an omelette station that is normally my go to with plenty of protein and vegetables mixed in or yoghurt and fruit with nuts / coconut sprinkled over or a banana dipped in peanut butter .
Think of your hands as a rough guide to portion size ; a large palm of protein , a handful of carbohydrates ( including fruit and vegetables ) and a thumb sized serving of unsaturated fats .
Stay Active Summer holidays are ideal for relaxation , but that doesn ' t have to mean being inactive . Some people find it easier to be active on holidays thanks to the break from reality and the welcome of “ free ” time . Most will find the best time to exercise on holiday is in the morning before it gets too hot or before you have time to put it off , the fact that the sun tends to rise earlier than at home helps to .
The beauty of exercising when on holiday is that you can do things that you enjoy . It doesn ’ t necessarily mean making the most out of a hotel gym , you can enjoy the activities with your hotel entertainment team , you may opt to walk so that you can explore the local area or even if you just find yourself getting too hot , you may want to jump in the pool and complete a few lengths . Either way , an increase in heart rate will boost your mood and energy and an overall happy and healthier holiday .
Keep Well Hydrated It ’ s very rare that you will see me without a bottle of water on the Wirral let alone in 30 o C heat but if you ’ re somewhere hot on your holiday it is so important to consume more water than normal . As a general guide you should be drinking your weight in kgs x 0.033 litres however , if you are active in the heat you should increase this . You should drink regularly and before you are thirsty , often we can mistake thirst for hunger so you could eat more if you ’ re dehydrated ( or hungover ). Watermelon , cucumbers , strawberries and lettuce all contain over 90 % water so are good choices when snacking abroad to keep your hydration up .
Choose your drinks wisely It may be tempting to binge drink on holiday however in any climate it is dangerous to drink excessively over a short duration of time and putting additional stress on your body . I ’ m not saying you should completely cut out alcohol whilst on holiday but try and stick to your recommended units and be conscious of the calories in your cocktails .
Healthy alcohol swaps include :
• Mojito to replace a Margarita or Pina Colada - A Margarita or Pina Colada can contain around 500-600 calories whereas a mojito without the sugar can be under 150 calories .
• Shandy instead of Beer - by swapping a full pint to a shandy with diet lemonade you could over halve your calories from 200-300 down to 100-150 calories a glass .
• Spritzer instead of Wine - try adding soda water to your wine to reduce the calories from 150-250 calories a glass down to 50-100 calories .
Sleep Whilst some people take their holidays as a chance to rest , it is still easy to come home more exhausted than when you left if you stay out later than usual to enjoy the nightlife or get up early to make the most of your day sightseeing or sunbathing . To avoid needing a holiday after your holiday and possible weight gain due to inadequate sleep , try and schedule a minimum of 8 hours sleep every day , even if that means getting a few winks by the pool when sunbathing ( as long as you have your SPF on !) wirrallife . com 69