Dr. Mom Online

Before we left for our family vacation, a surprising number of people asked me some version of the same question: “You’re not STILL going to do all those healthy things while you’re on vacation… are you?!”

Each time I was asked, I had to laugh! What a funny thing to ask!

The more I’ve thought about that during our trip, I’ve realized some of the differences in the way people think about health… and why choosing healthy things doesn’t feel like a “sacrifice” for me. I don’t feel “deprived” when I choose asparagus over french fries!

I truly enjoy choosing healthy foods – I like the way they make me feel, both physically and mentally. I feel energized when I eat real foods and keep things as “clean” as I can. It feels incredibly good to provide healthy food for my kids. Nope, it’s not always perfect… but it sure feels good when it’s close! I also love to move my body everyday. I’m no marathoner or fitness competitor… but I love to move what I’ve got on a very regular basis!

I crave real food, especially greens. I crave movement. For real! I just spoke these words to my hubby last night on our family walk: “I need a salad… or asparagus… or broccoli… I’ve gotta’ have some greens!” He thinks I’m strange, but he understands and loves me anyway!

I haven’t always been this way… not even close. I grew up with plenty of junk in my diet. Pop, chips, pizza, cookies, ice cream, candy, white flour, and lots of sugar. (Thank goodness I grew up in a small town that had NO fast food restaurants!! That wasn’t part of my life until my teens.)

My parents just didn’t know. Nobody told them how to BUILD health. They were only taught that when things aren’t feeling right, go to the doctor and get “something” for it! Sad. In hind sight, our family doctor knew nothing about “health”. He was a great drug trafficker, though!

I was always “FIT” because I was very active. But I was not healthy. You can’t eat toxic junk consistently, take drugs with any regularity whatsoever and be healthy. I had to GROW into that role of a “healthy person” as an adult! As such, I think differently.

It’s never, ever too late to become a healthier person.

On this vacation of ours, it’s pretty much the same deal as at home. We fill up – FUEL up – with health each day. We don’t ‘indulge’ in tasty toxins until we’ve given our bodies (and brains) an abundant quantity of the raw materials for health. The difference is, on vacation I can’t necessarily keep the purity levels of our food as high as I’m able to at home. Also, we enjoy getting caught up in the vacation ‘vibe’ and trying new foods and new flavors.

Not a big deal when you lay a solid foundation.

We are SO blessed to have accommodations that feature a full kitchen! We stocked up on nutrition essentials our first day here: fresh local eggs, “clean” chicken, grass-fed butter, raw nuts and nut butters, tons of fruit and veggies, wraps, whole milk organic yogurt, and fresh juice (not on the shopping list at home… but too tempting to pass up in the tropics!).

OK. We stocked up on a tad of local organic vino as well! Not exactly part of the health-building regime… just part of the vacation ‘vibe’ I alluded to!

Each day, we start everyone off with protein and fresh fiber (fruit) for breakfast; some nuts or nut butter and more fruit or veggies for a snack; and a healthy lunch and afternoon snack with more of the same. Then, we have some wiggle room for dinner! Funny, though… “wiggle room” isn’t all that different either. We still end up with a source of protein and veggies. Maybe there are just more tasty toxins in this meal than usual. Not too shabby though!

Yesterday, our highly enjoyable toxic choice was ice cream. Not a shred of remorse! It was dee-licious and we had filled up with healthy fuel several times throughout the day already. Plus, we ate it at the half way point of a 4-mile walk with the kids. Walking for 2 miles against high trade winds burned off any of the excess calories! (It’s still toxic… we just didn’t hang onto those calories!)

We move everyday, in one shape or form. We’re in the perfect location for all-day activity outside, so we’ve been doing lots of walking and swimming as a family. Hubby and I have continued with high-intensity interval work outs every other day.

It’s just part of normal life for us. It’s a lifestyle. That’s why it doesn’t feel weird, or like something we “have to do”, or a sacrifice… or any of those other things people said to me before we left! It’s just normal. We do healthy things because it feels good.

Again, that doesn’t mean we don’t do UNhealthy things from time to time! There are some really delectable tropical beverages that keep calling my name… I’ve answered a few times!

Anyhow, when making healthier choices is a fairly common occurrence in your “real” life, you tend to make those choices easily and without much of a second thought. It’s easy to carry this same line of thinking over to vacation as well. Each day includes healthy choices… not perfect, just healthIER.

Aloha!

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Tags: Exercise, health, helathy food, high intensity, intervals, lifestyle, Nutrition, running, vacation, work out