Summer vacay is on the way

Vacation... a time to get away from reality and drift off.

Going away is an exciting time because it's a break from your responsibilities, but it brings challenges to your health. More times than not, vacation becomes not only a vacation from work, but also a vacation from our daily routine of eating properly.

The key is to get big meals that still add nutritional value to your health and plan ahead of the trip. It can be easy to say yes to that burger instead of that grilled chicken salad just because you're feeling yourself a little too much.

Photo credit: 24carrotlife.com

A great way to make sure you're eating healthy throughout the trip is to bring some snacks with you. If you're driving to your vacation destination, this is super easy because you can pack whatever you want in the car. If you're flying, it can be a little tricky since you can't have anything liquid or snack items that are already open. You might have to do some grocery shopping, but pack some light snacks like granola, nuts, pretzels and seeds with you to snack on in between meals. This will not only be a healthier option for you when you need something small to munch on, but it will also save you money from trips to an overpriced convenience store or vending machine.

You can find some kind of grocery store or fresh market wherever you're vacationing and buy fresh vegetables an fruits to snack on. Also, if you're going to an international destination and are buying any sort of fruit that has been washed in their water, make sure it is okay to eat. In many cases, drinking water from another country can be iffy and if the fruit or vegetables have been washed in that water, they can make you sick.

If you are staying at a resort, there is usually some sort of buffet for breakfast and possibly lunch. These are great ways to fill up on a budget, just make sure your stomach is making the decisions and not your eyes, meaning don't eat everything that looks good. Make good and healthy decisions.

Photo credit: globetrottergirls.com

For meals that you are eating out, choose local restaurants. These will be a more affordable option and will have fresh food that doesn't have as many additives. Going to chain restaurants are going to have food that is being brought in by a supplier and contain more fats and carbohydrates.

Lastly, most meals are not portioned for one person. Dishes at restaurants usually have way more food than you can eat. If you want to save some money, split the dish with someone else. If you're eating for one, ask for a to-go box with the meal and put half of it in the box before you even start eating so you won't be tempted to eat more than you can handle or should eat.

Vacation is supposed to be a time of relaxation and fun, so don't make eating you're number one priority. As long as it is something that you're keeping in mind, it won't be a problem. You didn't work so hard for that perfect beach body for nothing!!

Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

Waking up in the morning is hard enough...so we understand that making yourself breakfast is even more of a struggle. But, breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day. It's meal that you NEED to make time for.

Photo credit: Slideshare.com

It's a meal that gives you fuel after that overnight-fast- that's where the name originated, breaking the fast. Without this major fuel, you are like a car running on empty. Your metabolism depends on you eating and you need to start your day with food. Your metabolism is going to get slower if you don't eat and that can contribute to weight gain.

Your health starts with what you eat and breakfast is the platform for the rest of your day. The right breakfast provides you with the vitals like calcium, irons, B vitamins, protein and good fibers. According to studies, breakfast provides you with the essential nutrients and energy to get you started for the day and keep good concentration. And we all know that in this day and age, maintaining focus is hard.

Hunger is going to strike long before lunch time, so eating a full breakfast that is going to be 1) healthy and 2) fill you up is crucial. If you don't eat breakfast, you're going to be even more hungry earlier and you are most likely going to snack on foods that have high fat or sugar content. That mid-morning slump is going to be a real killer, so eating breakfast can prevent this.

Photo credit: Shakeupyourwakeup.com

So, to start, you're going to want your breakfast to consist of a healthy bread or grain like cereal, toast or some kind of muffin. You'll also want a dairy product if you're not lactose-intolerant. This could be a low-fat milk or yogurt. Last, you are going to need a fruit or vegetable. You could make a quick omelet with some veggies or cut up some fruit. Most of these items are things you can take with you to-go so if you don't have time to sit down at home, you can take it with you to school or work.

To drink, try to replace the coffee with orange juice or milk. If you're like me and can't go without the coffee, try to limit the coffee to one cup just in the morning and keep the sugar and milk to minimum. Coffee isn't bad for you, but most people drink it with sugary additives. If you're just looking for a caffeine boost, try a green or black tea.

Breakfast doesn't need to be time consuming. If you just wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual, you'll allow yourself some time to whip up a healthy morning meal. Planning ahead is going to be key. There are so many times that you lose track of time and end up running out the door with an unhealthy snack. So, decide when you are going to wake up and what you're going to eat ahead of time so you don't run into any issues. Budgeting your time right is going to the best way to get breakfast in.

Skipping breakfast can become a habit, but you can always break a habit!

Side of fries, please!

French fries...good ole' French fries. You love em' and you hate em' all at the same time. They are so tasty and greasy and salty and fulfilling. The important question is, should you really be eating them? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you might not like my answer.

Potatoes are a health food, but unless you're eating just the potato as is, it's probably not going to be beneficial to your health, especially in the form of a fry. Several experts from all around the country have examined the infamous French fry and came to the conclusion that if you're asking yourself whether or not to get the fries, your answer should be "no."

In order to turn a potato into a fry, not much is involved, but a lot is changed. You fry it and salt it and most importantly, you're taking away it's most healthy part: the skin. The skin is where you'll find all the nutrients and fibers, because the actual potato inside is just starch. So from point A (the raw potato) to point B (the French fry), you have completely altered the vegetable and made it into a food with no nutritional value at all.

The fatty and salty fries don't even begin to exemplify how many calories you can rack up in one sitting. Normally, fries go hand-in-hand with ketchup, which has tons of sugar. Or the fries get covered in some sort of seasoning, or you have a mix of both.

Sweet potato fries
Photo credit: dailyburn.com

We get it. It is very hard to try and just quit eating something like French fries, but there are ways around it! Healthier options that still give you the satisfaction.

If you've never tried a sweet potato fry before, you're seriously missing out. The best part about them is that they can actually be healthy for you. Now, this does all depend on how they are prepared, but if you really want those fries, here is your best solution.

The sweet potato, unlike the regular potato, has higher percentages of key vitamins and minerals like calcium, Vitamins C and A and fiber.

In order to get the health benefits from these spuds, rather than frying them, you can bake them. If you bake them and then give them a quick broil, you'll get the same crispy effect that the fryer will have. If you're looking for some extra flavor, you can add a spice or a sea salt.

Fries don't have to be completely out of your life, but they do need to be put on the back-burner sometimes. Although they are delicious, they can really add up quick and have you feeling bloated and lazy.

Next time, skip the fries or whip up some that aren't going to take a toll on your body.

But I want it now...

You get home from a long day from work, maybe you didn't even have time to eat lunch. You walk into your kitchen and see a plethora of food you thought you would have the motivation to make. Uh oh. You're hungry now. The last thing you want to do is slave over a dish for the next 2 hours...

One of the main reasons many people choose to go out for meals, rather than cooking at home is because they think it'll take too long to cook something themselves and they need satisfaction now. WHAT? N-O. No.

Cooking can take time depending on what you're making, but there are hundreds of thousands of meals that you can stir up in under 30 minutes. Think for a second about how long it would take you to 1) think of a place to eat, 2) drive to said restaurant or fast food place, 3) decide what you want to eat there if you already haven't made a decision and 4) wait for the food to get to you. Trust me on this, your 30 minutes was gone awhile ago.

One of my favorite meals to eat when I'm super hungry is a meal with protein, like chicken or fish. Either of those meats can be turned around in under 10 minutes. Add a few spices, maybe a marinade, and all you have to do is put it on the pan until it's cooked through.

Garlic Chicken
Photo credit: allrecipes.com

Chicken is probably more commonly found in your kitchen, so I recommend that the next time you go grocery shopping, you stock up on different marinades and spices. Chicken is chicken, but it can have hundreds of different flavors depending on how you make it.


Vegetables can be heated up from frozen veggie bags or chopped and steamed. It's up to you. And you can add a whole-grain rice to the dish or maybe chop the chicken up and put it over a whole-grain pasta.

If you're able to work with several burners on the stove, you can steam the veggies, boil the pasta and cook the chicken at the same time, which will make this meal an even quicker fix.

Cooking doesn't have to take up you're whole night. Don't sacrifice your wallet and possibly your health just because you don't think you have the time.

Name brands vs generic brands

You're walking down the aisle and you're looking for rice, but when you get to where the rice is...there's 15 different kinds. What do you do? What does one do when there seems to be a million different kinds of the exact same thing...all different prices...but all the same. How do you tell the difference? You want the good stuff but you're kind of ballin' on a budget here. WHAT DO YOU DO?!? Have no fear...

Generic brands or house brands are in most cases cheaper than buying name brand and are also in most cases the exact same thing.

Photo credit: Google images

Do not let the fancy packaging fool you. Many name brands might be more expensive and look more appealing, but have the same ingredients as the generic brand sitting right by it. The best thing you can do, and yes, it may take time, but you should first check to see what item is the cheapest. Compare values and find the one that you can afford. Remember, even though the box may look pretty, you aren't eating the box; you're eating what is inside the box.

Once you find the one or a couple you can afford, turn the box around. Labels are where the truth is going to come out. ALWAYS check the label. It is the easiest way to find out how these brands compare. You'll find that name brand products actually have more of an ingredient like sugar, flour, baking soda or salt. These are ingredients that you don't want to see in high numbers or percentages.

Now, obviously this can take some time, practice and you may need to do your research before going to the grocery store, but in the end, it's your money and your health: two things that are worth the effort.

This also doesn't just have to be for food. On many occasions, I've been shopping for toilet paper and found that many generic toilet papers or paper towels are just as good.

Photo credit: Google images

Several health addicts, like Heather and Joanie who have a site called "The Krazy Coupon Lady," have actually done studies on generic brands vs. name brands and have found that they would actually rather have the generic in some cases.

So, don't write off generic just because they aren't wrapped as glamorously as their name brand opponent. It may end up saving you a lot of money.

Great health starts in the aisles

Eating healthy is all about what kinds of food you are buying, and that all starts in the grocery store. Some people love going grocery shopping, while others find it to be stressful and just a big pain-in-the-butt. Whether or not we hate it or love it, it has to be done, so we mind as well find a way to make it fun. 

First thing you need to have done before you even step foot in the store is make a list. This is probably the most important part of the check-list because then you know exactly what you came there for. Walking aimlessly around a grocery store results in wasted time and cart full of items you really didn't need and probably aren't healthy either. An easy way to do this is to go online. Most stores will actually put a sort of menu of everything they have in stores, so you can literally plan exactly what you are going to buy. A good way to make the list is to plan what kinds of meals you are going to make, and then going from there when figuring out ingredients.

Second, you're going to want to coupon. Now, I know the couponing shows make this look like only freak shows do this, but trust me it is going to save you a lot of money and it'll help you stay under your budget. Another way you can save money is by buying the store brand foods. To be honest, they don't taste that much different and they are usually a dollar or more less than buy name brand items. If you really want to make sure they are the same, you can always check the label. 

Checking the label is important because it'll tell you exactly what you are getting. In order to make sure what you are eating is actually going to be beneficial for you, look at the calories, sugar, fat content, sodium and artificial ingredients. Just because something is labeled organic, doesn't mean it is actually healthy. Because, I hate to break it to you...a lot of things at a regular grocery store that isn't aimed toward health, like Whole Foods is, is going to have unhealthy options. 

This is why it is important to try and stray away from junk food. It'll help to already have that list in hand, but sometimes you may feel the urge to buy those chips or that soda...you need to stick to the list, unless you see something that is actually healthy for you. Also, although the little gum and makeup sample type stuff in the check out lanes aren't going to bring up your bill all too much, they are still impulse buys. So rather than standing in one of those lanes and grabbing a chocolate bar, do self-checkout. If you have to wait, grab a magazine to flip through while you wait for the next check-out to open. 

Lastly, while you're standing in line waiting to check out, look through your cart and make sure everything in there are items you will actually eat and will be healthy for you. In your cart, you should have a variety of colorful veggies and fruits, lean proteins like chicken or fish, whole grains and healthy sources of fat like nuts or seeds. If your cart is filled with snacks that don't fall under any of these categories, you may want to rethink what you're buying and go back to the drawing board. 

Your health is going to start with what you put in your cart. Ultimately, you are deciding what you are eating at the end of the day, so it is your decision whether or not you will be healthy or not. Choose health; your body is your shrine. 

It's all about what you eat

Many people think that spending hours in the gym will slim them down and melt off the pounds, but that is not entirely true. There are a lot of elements that go into toning your muscles. Exercise alone cannot equate eating healthy.

At it's core, weight-loss and weight-gain revolve around how many calories you are taking in. In is important to note that cutting down on calories can negatively impact you too. You don't want to not eat enough. Eating is important; it's all about what you eat.

Shawn M. Talbott, a nutritional biochemist, says, "for a healthy daily calorie count, allow 10 calories per pound of body weight, so a 150-pound woman should shot for a 1,500-calorie target. That way, you should be bale to lose weight no matter how much you exercise."

Now, eating that many calories is pretty easy if you're hitting up McDonald's. If you were to go there and get a Big Mac and small french fry, it would be 770 calories. For a 150-pound woman, that would mean are more than half way there, and that was only one meal for the day. So, think about how many calories you intake throughout the day.

Another great way to track your calories is calorie counting. Yes, this can be annoying but smartphones have made apps that help you. They remember all of the items that other people put in, from grocery store items to meals at a restaurant and most of the time, whatever you ate is already in the system and you don't need to figure out how many calories were in that meal on your own. It's super easy and it's a great way to make sure you are on track for the day without going under or over by too much.

Talbot did a study on weight loss and whether exercise or dieting made people lose weight faster. He says, "weight loss is generally 75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise. An analysis of more than 700 weigh loss studies found that people see the biggest short-term results when they eat smart. On average, people who dieted without exercising for 15 weeks lost 23 pounds; the exercisers only lost six over 21 weeks."

So, it's much easier to eat the right foods than to burn off the wrong ones. This doesn't go to say that exercising isn't good. Exercise is great! It works your muscles and keeps you healthy. However, exercise is not going to be the answer to your prayers.

As Talbott says, "You can't out-exercise a bad diet."