I love summer – it just may be my favorite season. Kids are away, the livin’ is easy – and we become kids ourselves. Traveling, eating out, staying up late, drinking Rosé all day… you get the picture!
But let’s face it: although summertime is super fun, it can really take a toll on our bodies. Being away from home and our daily routines usually means eating out more and not getting enough sleep. What I’ve found is that, come Labor Day (or, OK, the day after Labor Day!), I make a few non-negotiable goals for myself to help me feel better and look better quickly!
Here are some of my tips for jumping back into your routine after summer vacation:
Go To Sleep!
I love sleep and try to get my 7-9 hours every night, but truth be told – when we’re traveling, not sleeping in our own beds, going to parties, eating those fun late-night meals, having cocktails, it all adds up and it all takes a toll. Now we’re back, we can start catching up on precious sleep! Try to head to bed a bit earlier than usual. Even if we’re not sleeping by 9:30, we can still take a break from phone screens, catch up on a book, and help our bodies relax. Sweet dreams!
Rehyrdate!
We all know this – it’s not new information. But it’s important enough to be worth repeating: Hydrate! We flush out all those toxins from our bodies, plus it helps us with that bloated feeling we might still have from eating all those sodium-filled meals at our favorite restaurant. My rule of thumb is this: drink half your body weight in ounces daily. Cheers!
Stock Your Fridge
If you’re like me, you probably cleaned out your fridge before you left for vacation and now you’re home and have no food! Hit the grocery store today (or order online) and stock up on lots of fruits and veggies and get back to eating healthy!
Eat At Home
Now that you’ve stocked your fridge and cabinets with lots of yummy healthy foods, start making home cooked meals for yourself and your family. Eating healthy starts at home. Portions at restaurants are out of control and loaded with sodium. Jumpstart your routine by preparing meals consisting of lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fresh vegetables: Bon Appetit!
Drink Something Green Everyday
This tip should be year-round. Green smoothies are loaded with amazing nutrients for our bodies and will help give us a great energy boost, as well as make us look and feel healthier. And green smoothies are a terrific way to get in that daily dose of vegetables we know we all need: bottoms up!
Get Things Moving Again
Traveling and being away from home can sometimes wreak havoc on our digestion, so now it’s time to fill our bodies with fiber-rich foods and help get our digestive tracks… back on track! Some great fiber-rich foods we should be incorporating into our diet are chia and flax seeds, oats, berries, and beans. Also to help “move” things along make sure to include foods like brown rice and, of course, vegetables.
Lets start off this week right by hitting the gym, stocking up our fridges, and getting back on track!
What are some of your strategies to get your mind and body back on track after vacation?