Stay healthy while you're away
As the nation gets set for the great summer getaway, The Healthy Holiday Company, which offers fitness retreats as well as tailor made holidays all with a healthy slant (www.thehealthyholidaycompany.co.uk), has some useful tips on how to ensure your holiday is healthy so you return to work feeling refreshed and fighting fit rather than sluggish and exhausted.
Here’s The Healthy Holiday Company’s Top Ten Tips for Keeping Healthy on your Travels:
1. Travelling can put a strain on your health and diet. Try to avoid digging into the junk food at airports and on the flight. These will give you an immediate sugar rush, followed quickly by an energy slump.
2. If you decide on a boozy night out, make sure you eat protein first and try to alternate glasses of alcohol with water. A couple of glasses of red wine is the best option. Cava has been found to be good for blood sugar management - it releases its sugar slowly into the body. Cocktails can be packed full of sugary mixers so best to avoid.
3. If you’re wondering how to manage without your regular yoga classes to hand, sign up to www.yogalgo.com (£12/month) and have access to unlimited yoga classes of varying length and intensity – taught by some great US teachers. Streamed to you wherever you have wifi access at your hotel or villa.
4. As we get older, the collagen in our skin breaks down more rapidly, leading to lines, wrinkles and discolouring.To prevent the breaking down of collagen, eat lots of purple fruits, such as fresh blackberries, blueberries and black grapes. One study showed that eating tomatoes reduces your risk of turning red – but still slap on the sunblock to be on the safe side.
5. Try a digital detox – or at least turn your phone off for a few hours each day on holiday. This will enable you to properly switch off, rather than being open to work or other emails and texts which might keep you in a state of low level stress.
6. Download a few ‘Yoga Nidra’ recordings from iTunes (we recommend Rod Stryker) and listen to them on your cushioned sunlounger. Yoga Nidra is ‘yogic sleep’ – it invites the deepest state of rest possible while remaining awake and aware, bringing profound relaxation benefits – more mentally beneficial than a 30 minute cat nap.
7. Lying in the sun feels great but you only need 10 minutes of unprotected sunshine to get your daily dose of vitamin D. After that you should use sunblock.
8. Get the MapmyRUN or Mapmywalk app for your phone – you are more likely to stay motivated if you’re recording your runs or walks and noting any progress.
9. Treat yourself to a TRX training kit. Light, easy to pack and highly versatile for an all-round body workout using your own body weight.
10. Take advantage of local and seasonal food. If you’re staying by the sea, eat lots of fresh grilled fish. Oily fish - including sardines, fresh tuna, salmon and mackerel - is particularly good as it’s rich in Omega 3, which keeps your skin hydrated and encourages healthy digestion as well as weight loss.
For more information visit www.thehealthyholidaycompany.co.uk
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FemaleFirst
Shabana Adam @Shabana_FAM