Holistic Tips for a Health-Boosting Vacation

For many of us, vacation is a time for relaxing and reenergizing. But that doesn’t mean we have to be sedentary by lounging in a sunbed all day long. Of course, lounging and ‘doing nothing’ is an important part of recovery - and what’s more idyllic than snoozing in the shade with a good book anyway? But there’s more to upleveling your health than just resting. Read on for our holistic tips for a health boosting vacation.

Plan ahead

Staying healthy while traveling comes down to planning. The moment you leave your door, you’re usually presented with numerous obstacles that can jeopardize your healthy routines. At train stations, airports, on airplanes or along highways, there is often a lack of fresh, healthy food options. Usually you’ll be confronted by a minefield of sugary fast foods. The trick is to plan your travel’s food just like you plan your route or the outfits you bring. Pack convenient and healthy snacks that stay fresh for some time and that don't need refrigeration, like carrots, apples, nuts, dark chocolate, tins of sardines and Inika Bars and Shakes. We designed our products for these kinds of moments exactly!

Intermittent Fasting / time restricted eating

What is a holiday without trying all kinds of exciting and delicious foods? At Inika Superfoods, we stay far away from counting calories and stressing about food. Instead we  preach balance. A really effective and easy way to be able to allow yourself the occasional splurge without harming your health is to do intermittent fasting or time restricted eating. Numerous studies show that fasting has several positive effects on your physical and cognitive health. Why is that, you may think? It is believed to come down to the process of Autophagy, triggered by fasting. Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells. So if you want your body set on anti-aging mode, try a narrower feeding window during vacay and beyond, eg. 14:10 (fast 14 hours, eat for 10), 16:8 or 18:6. (consult a healthcare professional to discuss if fasting might be right for you).

Remedy stress

Yes, even vacations can be stressful. A lot of planning, long travel days and delays can be a pain. To avoid feeling the need to take a vacation from your vacation, build in stress relief routines into your everyday. Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, time in nature and creative expression are all efficient ways to destress and tune into the moment. Also - make sleep a priority. Gone are the days where we would prefer a long party night before an early rise. Try to hit the pillow by 10 to wake up refreshed before everyone else. It’s a magical moment of the day, and perfect for yoga and meditation, to be up when others are asleep.

Walk everywhere

Many of us work 9-5 jobs or are otherwise sedentary most of the time. But movement is crucial for the health of our body and brain. Holidays are the perfect time to really shake your body up and move. In fact, movement makes us smarter, and being sedentary - well, it does the opposite. When moving your body, the hormone BDNF is released, which has been proven to prime your memory, sharpen your senses and in general strengthen your cognitive ability. Moving also makes us feel happy by triggering the release of serotonin and dopamine. Challenge yourself to move. Start your day with 10-20 minutes of yoga, take long walks and make a thing out of walking everywhere now that the weather hopefully should be pleasant. When traveling around and exploring new places, it should be easy to get your 10,000 steps in.

Minimize screen-time

A few beeping notifications may be the trigger that throws you off your well needed vacation zen mode. Let your whole body and brain relax by minimizing screen-time as much as possible, perhaps by setting time limits and rules to just check your email once a day (or never). Rest your eyes on beautiful views instead of your blue screen, play a boardgame instead of binging on Netflix and enjoy the sweet sensation of a dip in the ocean or the taste of a serving of fresh summer berries. Really tune in to zen out.

We wish you a healthy, happy summer holiday. 

Love,

Inika Superfoods