Friday, January 25, 2013

Ideas for Staying Healthy While and After Traveling

Staying healthy while traveling
Travelling throws things off for me. For one, I always manage to feel like I can't, um, poop on a trip. Sorry for the overshare, but it's true. The other thing that tends to happen when I travel is that I get sick upon my return. I recently went to Arizona for my little brother's wedding and decided, doggonit, neither of those things were going to happen to me on this trip! I'm happy to report, neither did...because I was prepared.

I brought a lot of stuff with me to keep me healthy, kept my exercise routine as close to normal as possible and got lots of sleep. I filled up my water bottle in the airport and dumped an Emergen-C packet into it, then downed the whole thing once I got on the plane. After which I promptly sanitized everything my hands, arms, etc. touched with hand sanitizer. Here are some of the other things I did and strongly recommend if you're travelling a lot or a little:

  • Make sure you still get plenty of veggies
  • Listen to your body! If you eat a big meal, don't feel like you have to eat another
  • Drink a large green smoothie on the morning of your trip, your tummy will thank you later
  • Stay hydrated by bringing a large bottle of water with you wherever you go
  • Stay on track by exercising every day. You'll automatically eat less if you do some vigorous exercise and break a good sweat every day

You can always chance it and try to purchase the following things when you get to your destination, or, if you're budget-conscious like me, you can just bring:
  • Quick oatmeal packets or pre-measured oatmeal
  • Flax meal 
  • Nuts in pieces that can be sprinkled on oatmeal or eaten by themselves
    •  Make yourself oatmeal with the hot water from the hotel coffee maker
    • Sweeten it with Greek yogurt that you can purchase at convenience stores or grocery stores or get honey packets from the barista or bar in the hotel
  • Protein bars (my favorite are Luna protein bars)
  • Any fruits and veggies that travel well in purses and carry-on bags (like oranges, crisp apples, baby carrots, etc.)
  • Vitamins (my favorite are Vitamin C, fish oil, acidophilus, food-based multi, Gingko Biloba and B Complex)
  • Melatonin (this helps when you have a time change to adjust to or a hard time sleeping in new places)
  • Did I mention hand sanitizer?
What are your go-to tips for staying healthy while traveling? 


Monday, January 7, 2013

End-of-Year Review

Doing a year-end review is eye-opening. Loads of wonderful things happened in 2012:

The toddler was successfully potty trained.



We took a fun family vacation to Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona for spring break.

My best friend from childhood visited me and we spent a weekend at Snowbird, including a day at the Cliff Spa.


Our family travelled to Chicago for two weeks.



I started running and triathlon training again and competed in my first triathlon after adrenal fatigue.

I painted a lot more and started sharing my art with people on this blog.

My sweet daughter was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.


I ran my first 10K and half marathon.
My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage and I celebrated 19 years of marriage. 

Oh, and I was fired from my job on April 9, 2012.

Of all the things that happened in 2012, getting fired has been the biggest catalyst. 

I haven't written about getting fired because I was so upset and frustrated. I didn't want to write in anger and appear bitter or vindictive. But, I was both of those things for a long time. The crazy thing about getting let go is that it completely minimizes you. In my case I had no warning and was completely blindsided when I had worked so hard to show my employers how much I wanted to help the company succeed. In the end, though, I wasn't enough...and that's what devastated me. 

Now, though, I can look back and see all the beautiful things getting fired taught me. 
  • Getting close to your kids and husband is fulfilling and joyful
  • Nurturing talents feeds your soul in a lasting way 
  • Personal value is deeper than your career or job
  • Meetings are overrated and more often than not—unnecessary
  • Focusing on your blessings and helping others will always help you feel happy

Although I wouldn't wish that on anyone, I am grateful for the lessons I've learned about life, about human nature and about what's really important. I'm ready now and looking forward to the lessons of 2013.

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