Vacation Wellness Check-In

I am back from vacation. I did not go anywhere special just stayed around my home, but my best friend and her son were up for a whole week. I definitely indulged in alcoholic beverages probably more than I should have. I also felt it the next day in my gut. After the first bought of crappy feeling from the overindulgence, I said not for the rest of the vacation.

I wanted to enjoy myself and not be in pain, stuck in the bathroom or in bed. Who wants a vacation like that? So I scaled back on the alcohol and hydrated as well as made good food choices when I could.

We had my daughter's graduation party, the Fourth of July festivities, and floating down the river. Since I was in charge of the menu for the grad party I did a ton of fresh fruit, vegetables, some chips, and dips, and pulled pork with a sugar-free bbq sauce. When we went places I found that nachos were a great option that would not make me bloat or feel sick after. The advantage is most tortilla chips are corn-based instead of flour. I added lots of extra vegetables to them and scaled back on the cheese sauce.

I did ask several places if they had gluten-free options before making any decisions. Do not let that fear of what they will think to make you not ask. This is your health, not theirs and you do not have to apologize for your eating choices. I also found that in the places that only had burgers and pizza I ould order a burger with extra vegetables and lettuce and take the bun off.

When we floated down the river we took lots of water, Powerade, a few cocktails, and some fresh fruit the w ut up so would just grab a piece or two out when we need something to snack on. We did a mixture of melons since they are mostly water and help with hydration. Another great option would be some grapes or strawberries since they are great to grab and go. This was one of our best ideas since it was very warm that day.

We had lots of campfires where the kids roasted marshmallows to make smores. This was one thing I did not at as I never have been a fan of smores' anyway. This makes me think of testing out a few creative concoctions to find some great campfire healthy treats. I will be working on that over the rest of this summer and get that all put together for you.

As I was nearing the end of my vacation I went to orientation with my daughter for college. I really should have packed a lunch and snack but we made it work. I grabbed a banana from the gas station we stopped at for breakfast. For lunch, we found a place called firehouse subs. They had gluten-free bread so they are a good option for those that need to be gluten-free. I went with the turkey ranch club. It was loaded with lettuce onion and tomato. Very filling, I should have gotten the small instead of the medium as I was not hungry till about 7 pm that day. For dinner, we stopped at Taco Bell-KFC restaurant. We got the KFC for the family and she and I both got the chicken power bowls.

Saturday was a day filled with walking in 85-degree weather checking out tons of collector cars with my husband, parents, and cousin. I found this awesome coffee truck that also served a breakfast burrito made with a jalapeno cheddar wrap stuffed with black beans, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and cilantro. Rise& Grind Coffee go check them out on Facebook and Instagram. Here are the links https://www.instagram.com/rise_and_grind_coffee/https://www.facebook.com/riseandgrindwisconsin

I grabbed a smoothie for lunch and we stopped at this great restaurant for dinner and got myself some mango habanero shrimp tacos with a side salad. My steps were 7,219 I stood for 7 hours and climbed three flights of stairs. All just from going to a car show. Now that feels good to get in movement while doing something you are enjoying.

On my last day of vacation, I did rest quite a bit. I got up at my normal time which is between 5:30-6:30 am. Had a cup of coffee while sitting on my patio listening to nature and meditating to start my day. As I began to really wake up I played in my garden clipping herbs to get my oils brewing and dehydrators full for future use. I love having a ton of fresh herbs and dried herbs for teas and cooking. This year I also planted some citronella this year and am trying to make citronella oil for homemade bug spray.

After a couple hours of this, I felt burnt out but not tired. So I rested and gave my body a break from all the movement I had put it through over the past week and played on my phone for a little while. As the kids started to get home I prepped dinner and watched some television with them until bedtime. I can honestly say that even though I was very nervous about what I was going to eat that didn't smash others' eating habits or cause a fluff about where or what I could eat, went much smoother than I had imagined.

My vacation was fun, stress-free, healthy, balanced, and extremely helpful to my mind and body's overall health. We need these times to unwind, destress, let loose, be free, and recharge. If your cup is not full then you won't be able to fill others' cups. Remember to take time for yourself so your cup can be refilled.

💖,

The Wellness Blondie

I would love to know, what do you think?