Eating Healthy on Vacation

Written by: Cole Millen (see bio below)

Vacations aren’t supposed to be a time for challenges. The whole reason we undertake them is so we can escape the stressors of everyday life and relax. Unfortunately, there is usually one problem that many vacationers face, and that’s trying to maintain a healthy diet. Many of us tend to eat fairly well when we can control our food options. Yet when we go on vacation, sometimes our options can be rather limited. Fortunately, there are ways for us to still enjoy ourselves without our stomachs hating us later. Here are a few tips for eating well while on vacation:

At the Airport:

The airport is often cited as the most frustrating aspect of traveling – and it certainly doesn’t help anyone trying to maintain a healthy diet. Most airport restaurants tend to offer fast foods or other high-fat, high-sodium options. You can counteract this by seeking out healthier alternatives like sandwich shacks and salad bars. Some food stands also offer items like fresh fruit and veggies, pita and hummus, and smoothies.

Unfortunately, once you’re airborne your food options become even more limited. There are a lot of airlines that offer healthier options, so be sure to ask your steward/stewardess. Worst-case scenario: bring along healthy snacks to munch on during long flights (as long as you don’t mind paying airport prices!).

At the Hotel:

Hotels are absolutely critical for maintaining a healthy diet on vacation. After all, this is the place that you essentially “live” at, for all intents and purposes. For this reason it is important to ensure that you are staying somewhere that can cater to your healthy needs. Taking the time do to a little research beforehand is a great way to ensure you find the right place. Reading reviews from consumers can provide the most unbiased and honest form of information. In a recent trip of mine, I found a great site that listed reviews for amenities and restaurants at Las Vegas hotels. This was extremely helpful and assisted me with finding a hotel with a fitness center as well as a gluten-free restaurant!

As another option, you’re more than welcome to bring in outside food items to store in your hotel room. Buying things like soup, oatmeal, or fresh veggies will help keep you on a healthy track. If you want to indulge in a continental breakfast, don’t forget the fruit! Fruits are high in fiber and a healthier alternative to doughnuts and pastries.

Eating Out:

Most people end up eating out at some (or a series) of restaurants when they’re on vacation. There’s nothing wrong with this, but be sure to remain focused on eating well. For starters, try to gravitate towards restaurants that serve fresh and locally sourced foods. Check the menu beforehand so that you can avoid last minute temptations and surprises. Seafood restaurants and salad bars can be great options. As well, eat a healthy snack before dining out to help prevent over-eating.

Once you’ve arrived at the restaurant, resist the urge to order appetizers. Try to stick to boiled, broiled, fat free and grilled food. Remember, fat-free does not necessarily mean low calorie or low sugar. Use caution and better judgment when ordering your meals. Don’t be afraid to ask your waiter or waitress if they have nutritional information available for their menu items! Another helpful tip – a colorful meal is more likely to be high in nutrients and fiber. Order a side of vegetables to bulk up your entrée rather than getting fries or onion rings. Finally, customize your meals to include lower amounts of fat and sauces. For example, when ordering a salad, ask for less dressing or for the dressing to be on the side.

Staying healthy on your vacation is absolutely possible; it just takes a little discipline. If you follow these tips you can find yourself coming home looking just as great as when you left!

About the Author:

Cole Millen is an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life’s best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate “experiences.” Check out his blog for more fitness and nutrition tips at http://colemill.blogspot.com/.

Be Well xo

Meatless Monday: Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. This recipe is nothing but a whole lot of ooey, gooey, warm, cheesy goodness.

I’ve made eggplant parmesan before, but it was the traditional way where you slice the eggplant into discs and bread each piece.

This is a much simpler, quicker version and oh-so yummy. I enjoyed my eggplant with a whole wheat roll, which I used to dip into the ooey, gooey, warm, cheesy goodness. Fantastic. Hope you all enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget to enter my SlimKicker giveaway contest to win a FREE slow cooker!

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced in half vertically
Olive oil
Salt
1/3 cup light ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp each dried basil and parsley (or fresh, if you have some handy)
1/3 cup low-sodium marinara sauce
1 small tomato, sliced
Whole wheat bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Sprinkle the eggplant halves with a little bit of salt and place on a baking sheet, flesh side down. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and broil on high for 20 minutes. While the eggplant is in the oven, combine the ricotta cheese, basil, and parsley in a small bowl.

2. When the eggplant is done, remove it from the oven and carefully turn over each half. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on each piece of eggplant. Do the same with the marinara sauce. Top each half with a few slices of tomato; sprinkle with some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

3. Bake at 400 degrees until the bread crumbs are toasted (about 5-10 minutes). You can also use mozzarella instead of ricotta if you like, or even sprinkle some feta cheese on top. Yum!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Be Well xo

SlimKicker Giveaway: Round 2

As Nutrition Month draws to a close, I hope you’ve been inspired to adopt and/or maintain some new healthy eating habits.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be a chore. It helps a lot if you prepare in advance, whether that be meal planning, cutting up extra fruits and veggies for the week, or cooking all your meals in a crock pot.

Speaking of crock pots… it just so happens that I’m teaming up with SlimKicker once again to run another giveaway contest!

SlimKicker is a health/fitness app that takes all of your health goals and turns them into a level-up game. You can upload an image of something you’ll reward yourself with, such as a pair of shoes, and when you reach a certain number of points, the app reminds you to reward yourself with that! SlimKicker also has lots of coupon codes, such as Oxy-Powder coupon codes.

Another detail about this app that I particularly like is a “virtual coach” provides you with personalized tips and advice based on your tracking activity. For example, if you were to log some exercise minutes, the app might provide you with a friendly reminder such as: “Lots of stress can negatively impact our bodies in many ways. Low to moderate exercise is a great way to combat stress. Go on a walk with a friend or hit the pool for a swim. Make time to escape the stress of daily life.” Check it out, it’s FREE to download!

CONTEST DETAILS
SlimKicker would like to hear your suggestions for new health challenges for the app, such as ”doing 20 pushups a day for 1 week”, or “squatting during commercials”.

To enter this giveaway contest, you simply need to leave a comment on this post containing your idea for a new health challenge. The challenge idea should be fun, creative, and no more than 1-2 sentences. The staff from SlimKicker will choose their favourite submission to be featured on their website, and the winner will receive this prize:

A Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker! Perfect for cooking healthy meals in advance.

The contest will close at midnight (11:59 pm ET) on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 – 1 week from today!

*Please note that this contest is only open to residents in Canada and the USA.
**If your submission is selected as the winner, you will need to provide me with your email address so that I can put you in touch with the SlimKicker team in order to receive your prize.

GOOD LUCK! :)

Food Labels 101

National Nutrition Month continues! When it comes to healthy eating, the ability to read and interpret food labels is absolutely essential. I know it’s not always the most convenient thing to do. Most people don’t want to waste time at the grocery store comparing products; they just want to grab what they need and go. It’s important, however, to know exactly what you’re putting into your body! The health claims slapped onto products do not always provide accurate information about how healthy an item actually is. I’ll use the following example to demonstrate:

According to the claim on this box, one serving of this cereal contains 51% of your daily value of fibre. That’s all fine and dandy… if you’re a woman! Men’s fibre needs are higher than women’s, so if you’re a male, this product actually contains closer to 34% of your daily value of fibre. Just a quick sidenote – my intent is not to pick on a specific company or criticize a particular product.. I’m just pointing out a fact!

In addition to being mindful of health claims, here are a few other areas to pay close attention to:

1. Serving Size: I would recommend looking at this first. Calories only tell you so much – you need to know exactly how much food is considered to be one serving. Which would you prefer:  Cereal A which has 160 calories for a 1-cup serving, or Cereal B which has 150 calories for a 1/3-cup serving?

2. Fat: Yes, there is such a thing as “healthy fat”. Unsaturated fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are considered “heart-healthy”. These types of fats can be found in certain vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish, such as salmon and trout. Aim to consume saturated fats in moderation, and try to minimize your intake of trans fats as much as possible.

3. Cholesterol: This is a type of fat that is manufactured by the body and also found in certain foods – animal-based foods, to be exact (i.e. meat, cheese, eggs, etc.). If you have high cholesterol, it might not be a bad idea to reduce your intake of animal-based products and increase your intake of plant-based foods, like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

4. Sodium: A recent news report stated that Canadians are consuming “sky-high amounts of sodium”. The daily recommended intake is only 1,500 mg, and maximum intake 2,300 mg. Pay close attention to the sodium content in canned soups, sauces, and other packaged foods. A label on a soup can might boast a sodium content of 300mg – but the serving size may only be 1/2 a cup! Do you know anyone that only eats half a cup of soup in one sitting, ‘cuz I sure don’t!

5. Fibre: Like I mentioned above, men’s and women’s fibre needs differ. Instead of relying on pre-packaged foods, consider seeking fibre from more natural sources, like fresh fruit, beans, and whole grains.

6. Sugars: Be very careful with added sugars. They often appear under strange names, like “glucose”, “dextrin”, and “corn syrup”. Yuck. Here’s a good resource with further information about hidden sugars.

7. Ingredients: The ingredients list is especially important to read, because it is here that you will be able to identify any hidden sugars or other strange things. Ingredients are always listed in order of weight, from most to least. Helpful tip: when shopping for whole grain products, quickly skim the list of ingredients to ensure that the first few ingredients listed actually say “whole grain”.

Source: Health Canada

When it comes to reading food labels, the bottom line is that it’s important to read all of the information as a whole – not just focus on certain items, like calories or fat. Next time you shop for groceries, try to take the time to really look at what you’re eating. If you need some help, Fooducate is a great app that can help you make healthier choices on-the-go! Alternatively, you can always call EatRight Ontario for FREE and speak to a Registered Dietitian!

Speaking of apps.. Some of you may remember the giveaway contest that took place last year, courtesy of the SlimKicker team. It looks like SlimKicker is now running a March Madness giveaway contest that just kicked off. You can sign up through Twitter for a chance to win a Bowflex Home Gym, valued at over $1,000! They’re also giving away 3 Amazon gift cards. I suggest you head over there now to enter the contest!

Be Well xo

*The information provided in this post is based on national standards for proper nutrition as recommended by Health Canada. I am not a Registered Dietitian or Certified Nutritionist, therefore the information presented here need not be interpreted as professional advice. You should consult a certified professional if you are seeking specific advice or recommendations about your diet.

Change Your Position, Change Your Health

I haven’t been sleeping well lately. For a long time, actually. I have difficulty falling asleep at night and frequently wake up feeling tired and lethargic, even on days where I’m able to get a solid 8-9 hours of sleep. I had brought the subject up with my doctor recently, but he informed me I was doing all the right things – eating well, exercising regularly, avoiding caffeine before bed, etc. I thought it had something to do with the fact that I was a vegetarian - low iron or vitamin B12, perhaps? Nope – blood work indicated both levels were fine. I figured maybe I just have a poor mattress, but I can’t exactly afford to buy a brand new one at the moment.

Then I had an interesting “a-ha” moment earlier today at work. Every Wednesday we offer free 15-minute seated massages to staff. Someone didn’t show up for their scheduled appointment, so the therapist offered me the spot. I’ve only ever had a massage once in my life because I’m extremely ticklish, but today I obliged because my muscles were feeling tense. As soon as the masseur placed his hands on my shoulders he said, “Ah.. You’re not sleeping well.” His hands applied pressure to various spots on my back and he said, “You haven’t been sleeping well for a long time.”

At the end of the massage he described how he thought I was sleeping – curled up on my left side, back rounded, shoulders tucked up towards my ears, with one leg bent and the other straight. I laughed, surprised, because he was exactly right. Who knew he could determine all of that from a 15-minute chair massage?? It had never really occurred to me that my sleeping position was having that big of an effect on my quality of sleep. I usually just gravitated towards whichever position I found to be most comfortable.

This led me to wonder if there are certain sleeping positions that have been found to improve sleep quality. I found this recent CBS news report which was helpful. I don’t normally like falling asleep on my back, but the news report suggested it might be my best option for improving my sleep quality and reducing back pain. I also found this graphic from The Wall Street Journal which was insightful:

I’m going to give some of these suggestions a try over the next little while to see if there’s any improvement. The massage therapist also recommended that I do some stretches and deep breathing first thing in the morning in order to avoid muscle tension – I’ll be giving this a try too!

Have you been experiencing sleep issues lately? Maybe it’s time to change up your sleeping position!  Changing your position could change your health :)

Be Well xo