How to Get Back on Track after Vacation

You might be wondering how to get back on a healthy track after a week of indulgence in foods or drinks you wouldn’t otherwise regularly consume. 

The first thing to remember is – it’s okay! One week of a little more dessert or a few extra glasses of wine doesn’t define your health. 

The important thing is that we don’t let a week-long vacation of less healthy choices turn into a lifestyle we carry through the rest of the year. 

Sometimes it’s helpful to start with what not to do. 

Here’s are a few things that are not helpful when trying to improve your health after vacation:

• Extreme dieting or doing a fast 
• Beating yourself up or feeling guilty for your choices while on vacation
• Letting a few unhealthy decisions turn into a habit of unhealthy decisions

Choosing to go to extreme measures as well as choosing not to take any action at all can be equally detrimental. 

So, what is the best way to get back on track after a little bit of indulgence? Here are some simple, practical ways to do so:

1. Prioritize sleep. 

Getting good sleep might be one of the most underrated but important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to establishing healthy rhythms and routines. When we are well-rested, we tend to make better choices in food and drink. In fact, did you know that lack of sleep has been linked to things such as insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and obesity?

A few ways to improve both sleep duration and quality are: going to bed earlier, soaking up some natural sunlight, wearing blue-light blockers during the evening hours and not eating a large meal before bed. I have an article on resetting your Circadian rhythm if you’d like to read more in-depth on this topic. 

2. Move your body. 

This one can be confusing for some. Which type of exercise is the best type of exercise? The answer is, the one you most enjoy! Whether that’s HIIT, hot yoga, chasing your kids around a park or going for a walk outdoors, the important thing is that you’re moving your body. 
Movement, and particularly sweating, are some of the best ways to gently detox the body. 

3. Add a few more minutes of rest to your day. 

While vacation is supposed to be relaxing, most of us know what it’s like to return from a trip, only to feel like we need a vacation in order to recover. Especially if you’ve been traveling with kids! Rest is so individualized, and the key is finding what is restful for you. 

That said, I have some ideas!

-Take an epsom salt bath or detox bath to unwind at the end of the day.

-Try prayer, meditation or journaling. 

-Schedule a massage or infrared sauna session.

-Get outside. In fact, data has shown that just a twenty-minute nature experience is enough to significantly reduce cortisol levels. 

4. Meal prep your way to better food choices. 

A lot of us say we want to eat healthier after vacation. Well, meal prep is one of the easiest ways to turn that thought into a reality!

Take a few minutes to sit down at the beginning of the week and plan out healthy meals or snacks for the rest of the week. Grab your groceries, wash and peel/chop fruits and veggies, and you’re already on your way to a healthier diet. 

For your meal prep inspiration:

-We’ve been busy in the kitchen at TDW and have tons of recipes depending on your dietary needs.

-Lisa from Downshiftology created meal prep ideas according to season

-Cassie Joy Garcia from Fed and Fit wrote two cookbooks on meal prep as well as an entire blog with tons of meal prep ideas, including Postpartum Freezer Prep

-Alex Snodgrass of the Defined Dish is a huge favorite! She has a five day meal prep and plan as well as an entire instagram highlight dedicated to batch freezer food. 

And if you prefer to take a simpler and less structured route, simply stock your refrigerator with a bunch of washed/prepped organic fruits and vegetables. Cook double batches of clean proteins (such as grass-fed beef, pastured chicken, pastured eggs and wild-caught seafood) and complex carbohydrates (such as lentils, sweet potatoes, wild rice, etc.) to throw together easy meals in a snap! Most of the meat in our freezer comes from here (use code TAYLORDUKESWELLNESS).

Finally, if meal prepping is not your favorite, Sun Basket is for you! It’s a meal kit delivery service that offers not only healthy ingredients but organic too! 

5. Organize those supplements for the week!

Sometimes good supplementation means not just knowing what supplements to take, but actually remembering to take them! 

Organize your supplements for the week in a simple pill box and have them set out next to the coffee pot or tea kettle where you won’t forget to take them in the morning. 

Just like meal prep sets you up for food success, supplement prep can set you up for supplementation success!

Supplementation is such an individualized thing, but from my experience, on the back end of vacation style eating and drinking, there are some supplements that can be incredibly beneficial:

–Probiotic 

–Multivitamin

–Magnesium

–Electrolytes

Getting back on track after vacation doesn’t mean going to the extreme or depriving yourself in drastic ways. It simply requires a few tweaks and a little bit more planning. 

Give it a try, and you might be surprised after a week at how much your energy levels, digestion and general mood have improved in just seven days. 

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