Wellness
Healthy Habits to Try While Traveling
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There’s nothing better than being out of office, but honestly, airports are where all your healthy habits go to die. Whether it’s waiting in stressful security lines or a plethora of fast food spots next to your gate, traveling takes a toll on your body.
Once you’re off the tarmac and in the air, it can be easy to forget those pesky habits that can help to keep your body balanced. While you are on vacation and should live it up a little, here are a few tips that help me stay healthy when I’m on vacation.
Pack your own snacks.
My nutritionist, Erica Fowler, taught me this *essential* tip: in-air snacks aren’t always the easiest on your stomach. Make a pitstop to Trader Joe’s—or your local grocery store—for fresh fruit and veggies you can bring on the plane with you. I found it much easier to grab something quick out of my bag and have it ready after take off to munch on, and I could confidently say no thank you to the in-flight pretzels.
1
Pack your own snacks.
My nutritionist, Erica Fowler, taught me this *essential* tip: in-air snacks aren’t always the easiest on your stomach. Make a pitstop to Trader Joe’s—or your local grocery store—for fresh fruit and veggies you can bring on the plane with you. I found it much easier to grab something quick out of my bag and have it ready after take off to munch on, and I could confidently say no thank you to the in-flight pretzels.
Stay hydrated.
I just recently got back from a girl’s trip to New Orleans, and boy, did that humidity do a number on me. By the third night, walking around in that heat, I was ready to topple over. Moral of the story: hydrate, hydrate, and then hydrate some more. TSA restrictions and all the salty plane snacks can make it challenging to get a headstart, but try and stick with water rather than that cocktail or sugary soda before you land. Also, keep a refillable water bottle handy! Those drink cups on planes are ridiculously tiny, plus if you drink a lot, you’ll get up and around to stretch when you head to the bathroom. It’s a win-win.
2
Stay hydrated.
I just recently got back from a girl’s trip to New Orleans, and boy, did that humidity do a number on me. By the third night, walking around in that heat, I was ready to topple over. Moral of the story: hydrate, hydrate, and then hydrate some more. TSA restrictions and all the salty plane snacks can make it challenging to get a headstart, but try and stick with water rather than that cocktail or sugary soda before you land. Also, keep a refillable water bottle handy! Those drink cups on planes are ridiculously tiny, plus if you drink a lot, you’ll get up and around to stretch when you head to the bathroom. It’s a win-win.
Don’t be afraid to ask.
When you’re in a new city—and on vacation—there can be a stigma or fear around asking for something specific in a restaurant. While I’m still learning this one, it’s important to remember that no one will be offended if you want dressing on the side or no cheese on that pasta dish. So, speak up when it comes to menu modifications.
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Don’t be afraid to ask.
When you’re in a new city—and on vacation—there can be a stigma or fear around asking for something specific in a restaurant. While I’m still learning this one, it’s important to remember that no one will be offended if you want dressing on the side or no cheese on that pasta dish. So, speak up when it comes to menu modifications.
Embrace a balance.
No one expects you to be eating a salad every single day of your vacation. You’re in a new city! It’s fun to explore new places and experience the culture through the food you eat—just remember balance is key. If you want to sit on the beach drinking a cocktail, or have some more of that super tasty dessert in a fancy restaurant, let yourself. It’s okay to break from your regular routine. You don’t want to hit the pause button on all your healthy habits, but the point of a vacation is to enjoy yourself, so have that second helping, while making a point to balance it out tomorrow with a longer walk.
4
Embrace a balance.
No one expects you to be eating a salad every single day of your vacation. You’re in a new city! It’s fun to explore new places and experience the culture through the food you eat—just remember balance is key. If you want to sit on the beach drinking a cocktail, or have some more of that super tasty dessert in a fancy restaurant, let yourself. It’s okay to break from your regular routine. You don’t want to hit the pause button on all your healthy habits, but the point of a vacation is to enjoy yourself, so have that second helping, while making a point to balance it out tomorrow with a longer walk.
Fitness
Why I’m Stoked Surfing Will Debut in the Olympics
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For the first time ever, the globe will be watching surfing take center stage at the 2020 (postponed to July 2021) Olympics. People from all over the world will be appreciating the sport, many for the first time.
This symbolizes the surfing community breaking through centuries of negative stereotypes. Though conditions play a big part in the sport, the biggest hurdle the athletes will have to overcome to see success is mental. The winner will be the one who chooses their waves wisely with their understanding of the conditions and ability to intimidate and therefore overcome components. Meanwhile, they will be challenging themselves to emerge from crashing barrels, fly into the air, and land on the shifting surface gracefully. No big deal.
You’ve probably heard the invention of a wave pool, which creates the perfect man-made wave. In 2007, Kelly Slater founded his wave company with a passion to build the perfectly rideable wave at his surf ranch. It was debated whether the Olympics should be held in the ocean or on a manufactured wave, with many differing opinions on what would be right. The decision was made, and the event will take place in the sea, at Tsurigasaki Beach in Japan, about 40 miles east of Tokyo, where the rest of the 2021 games will be hosted.
As you watch, take a moment to reflect on the century of effort for this to happen. This initiative can be traced all the way back to the 1912 summer games that took place in Stockholm. Duke Kahanamoku, known as the father of modern surfing, won three gold medals in swimming, and while accepting his medal, he expressed that it was his dream to see surfing be added. To add fuel to the fire, International Surfing Association, recognized as the surfing world's governing authority by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), began lobbying for the inclusion of surfing in the Olympics in 1955.
The magic of surfing
Surfing is a multidimensional sport unlike any other. Nothing compares to paddling out to the serene silence that awaits beyond the breaking waves. Once you get out there, you immediately escape the many annoyances ingrained in everyday life—the constant notifications on your phone and laptop, your back-to-back schedule, answering to other people. You’re no longer on the time that your watch reads, you’re on mother nature’s time. You’re also no longer in control of your surroundings. Now, all you can do is surrender and wait for the next set to come, while trying to position yourself for when it does.
The high from catching the perfect wave is so addicting that surfers would fail on one hundred in a row just to catch that one. After you catch that perfect one, you replay it in your mind for the rest of the day.
A successful session is reliant on so many factors of mother nature—a force way bigger than us. For ideal conditions to exist, a good-sized swell must approach from the right direction, the wind must be flowing offshore, and you have to time your session right with the ebb and flow of the tide.
The sport is always teaching you life lessons. It is humbling, even if you’ve been practicing it for many years. One reason why it takes so long to master is that the conditions are going to be different every time you get out there. You might have caught a million yesterday, but today makes you feel like a kook because you can’t land one decent wave.
The community of people that you become a part of when you surf is special. A shared obsession with the ocean that brings you to dive into the water at dawn to get a session in bonds you quick. When you’re out there, you’ll find yourself interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. People enjoy sharing the stoke of the sport. When you see someone out there teaching somebody new, you’ll encounter them cheering at the top of their lungs when they catch a good wave, and as you look around, you’ll see smiles all across the lineup. The other day, I caught a long wave in to be met with a cheering crowd of locals who frequent the spot that I do. When I got to shore, a local showed me their secret stash of hot packs to access in case I, or someone else, gets stung by a stingray when they aren’t around.
Being out in the ocean and abiding by her rules gives surfers a deep love and connection to nature. It’s common to see sea animals out there, like dolphins, stingrays, and fish. When you have an encounter, it’s a reminder that we are invading their territory. It sucks when you see trash floating in the water, or on the sand in its route to the water. It’s a sad reminder of the negative impact that humans can have on natural environments. It inspires you to pick up trash and advocate for sustainability so that we, as a collective, can take care of the beauty that we are lucky to have access to.
Tune in to see surfing break into the biggest international sporting event in the world beginning on Saturday, July 24th.
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