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Travel Healthy this Holiday Season
Posts may be sparse over the next week as I'm traveling. How many of you are traveling this holiday season? Maybe it's to visit friends and family or maybe it's a long anticipated vacation. Maybe you're traveling across town or maybe you're traveling the world. Wherever your travels take you, you'll want to remain healthy for maximum travel fun. Here are my trusty travel tips for staying healthy on the go.
Girl Healthy's Tips for Healthy Travel
1. Hydrate hydrate hydrate! Travel, especially air travel, is highly dehydrating to your body. Drink plenty of water and avoid drinks with caffeine as they will only dehydrate you more. Consider using a moisturizer so your skin stays hydrated, too. You'll look and feel fresher upon arrival to your destination.
2. Get your check-up. Visit your primary care professional and your dentist before you embark on a lengthy trip. It's better to make sure you're healthy before you go rather than struggle to find a doctor on the road.
3. Bring along a first-aid kit. Be sure to include remedies for cough, cold, upset stomach, and pain medication. Don't forget your sanitizing hand wipes, which leads me to . . .
4. Wash your hands. Think about all the surfaces your touch when you're traveling: gas station bathroom doors, airline arm rests, money, seats on the subway or bus, etc. Now think of all the people who have touched them before you. You'll lower your chances of catching colds and other illness by frequently washing your hands.
5. Monitor what goes into your body. Eat well balanced meals and avoid overeating. Remember to take a multi-vitamin to be sure you're getting proper nutrition if balanced meals aren't available. Limit your alcohol intake to prevent dehydration.
6. Exercise. Regular exercise will help keep your body in working order while traveling. If you expect to be sitting for long periods of time (on a plane or a long car ride) take frequent breaks to stand up, stretch, and walk around. You'll improve your circulation and you could prevent a blood clot. Exercise can also help you sleep better as it gives your body a chance to release energy and relieve stress.
These tips work for me, but what about you? Are there healthy travel tips you'd like to share? Leave me a comment and tell me how you stay well on your holiday journey.
Average 2.0 starsHomemade Cranberry Sauce
Thought I'd better put this recipe out there before any of you stock up on canned cranberry sauce for your Turkey Day meal. Yuck! Don't do that. Make your Thanksgiving dinner a little more special by cooking the cranberry sauce yourself. It takes very little time and effort and trust me, it will taste so much better than the canned stuff. Did you know cranberries will protect you from urinary tract infections, stomach ulcers, and gum disease? For a wealth of information about the benefits of cranberries, check out The Cranberry Institute and then go make this sauce.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Serves 7
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp ground ginger (or to taste)
2 tsp grated orange zest
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
12 oz fresh cranberries
Mix one cup water with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest, salt, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and stir for about 8 minutes or until thick. Remove the cinnamon stick and let cool before serving.
Estimated 145 calories per serving.
Average 3.0 starsWhat to Eat
What to Eat: An Aisle by Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating
by Marion Nestle
Once a person decides to monitor her nutritional intake, a simple task like grocery shopping can become daunting to say the least. We're being marketed an outrageous number of food products with lofty claims such as "no trans fats," "all natural ingredients," "certified organic," and "made from whole grains." But what does it all mean? Are these food products really healthy or are they just touting the language to make us shoppers believe we're making healthy choices?
Enter Marion Nestle with her book, What to Eat. There is a reason Marion Nestle is my favorite nutritionist. She's very talented at simplifying the language surrounding food marketing and food politics. What to Eat, as the title suggests, is literally "an aisle by aisle guide to savvy food choices and good eating." It's as if Marion is right there with you in the grocery store explaining why the milk is in the back of the store, why you never see a television commercial for apples, and why the kids cereal is positioned waist-high to grownups. You'll learn about food marketing strategy, practices of the meat and dairy industry, how foods are priced, and more. Marion reminds us that making healthy choices really boils down to common sense: eat less, move more, choose more fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat little to no junk food.
Rather than reading What to Eat cover to cover, use it more as a reference guide and read according to your interests. I plan on keeping this book handy for years to come.
Average 2.0 starsZoe's Kitchen
I was out and about recently when lunchtime came and the nearest restaurant was one I had never tried before: Zoe's Kitchen. Typically I stay away from franchise restaurants, but . . . wow! I have only great things to say about Zoe's. I had the Lean Turkey Pita which has fat free turkey and swiss inside a pita with cabbage slaw enhanced by vinaigrette and feta. Two hundred seventy eight calories and completely delicious! I ordered the sandwich with a side of fresh fruit and a bag of chips to make a meal with a grand total of 524 calories. Bravo to Zoe's for giving us such healthy options. Check out Zoe's website for this handy guide to making smart food choices.
More Girl Healthy picks from Zoe's include but are not limited to the following low calorie choices:
Egg Salad Sandwich - includes lettuce, tomato, and mayo on seven grain bread.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich - order either American or Swiss on rye with a slice of tomato for unique flavor.
Grilled Chicken Breast Plate - order it with rice pilaf to keep it on the lighter side.
Average 4.0 stars