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Photo by Vicko Mozara

Spring Break is just around the corner. For many, a trip somewhere south is in the plans. For others, a little road trip. Whether you are travelling near or far, here are some simple strategies that will help your healthy habits stay on track.

1. Pack snacks. Bringing along your own snacks will not only give you healthier options to choose, you’ll save money too. Great packable snacks include: raw nuts and seeds, homemade or simple ingredient granola bars like Made Good, whole grain crackers and an assortment of bite size fruit and veggies with hummus. Note: Crossing the border with fresh fruit or veggies can get you tangled up at customs.

2. Remember to drink enough water. It can be tempting to reduce your liquid intake while travelling to avoid having to use rest rooms on the go. This however, is not great for your body. Travelling can be quite dehydrating, especially air travel. Dehydration leads to headaches, grumpiness and over eating. Pack your favourite water bottle and take it on your adventures with you.

3. If driving is your main method of transportation and stopping for food is not only necessary for nourishment but also acts as a travel break, consider stopping at a grocery store for food. Many stores have prepared salads, sandwiches, veggie and fruit trays and soup. You will be able to feed your family for a fraction of the cost when compared to stopping at a restaurant. You’ll also get a chance to stretch those legs while walking around the store. When our children were small, we would stop at a park along the way to eat. It was a win-win for everyone.

4. No matter your destination, consider bringing a natural first aid kit. We pack probiotics, vitamin C, vitamin D and oil of oregano. Make sure your probiotics are shelf stable as access to refrigeration may be an issue. Probiotics support the digestive system and overall immune system. Many people experience either diarrhea or constipation during travel. Using a probiotic helps keep you regular while also supporting your immune system. Vitamin C and D support our immune systems as well. Oil of oregano comes in handy if we start to feel like we are coming down with something such as a cold, sore throat or even a tummy bug. Oil of oregano is anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial. For more information of oil of oregano, click here.

5. When on holidays it is only natural to expect to indulge a little. The trick here is to not let it go too far. There is something about an all-inclusive trip that makes us want to squeeze every last drop of value out of our trip. While I can appreciate this train of thought and have found myself thinking this very thing, we need to take a step back and look at it a little more objectively. Just because you can have a full buffet at every meal and snacks whenever you please, doesn’t mean that you should. I’ve found that starting my day off with a healthy breakfast helps me make better choices all day long. You don’t need bacon, eggs, waffles, hash browns, an omelette and 3 cups of coffee every day. Keep it simple. Your body and waistline will thank you for it!

Whether you are travelling near or far or even staying close to home, enjoy longer days and the exciting signs of Spring that are beginning to reveal themselves.

Have you ever really stopped to listen to how you talk or even think about food? Have you ever eaten a decadent piece of cake and then felt bad about it? What about a bag of chips that you vowed to only have a couple of and then discover your hand in an empty bag? What about the day that you chose a salad for lunch? How did that make you feel about yourself as a person?

Here is the deal. The type of food you eat has no merit on who you are as a person. End of story. You are not a better human being when you choose fruits and veggies compared to when you choose chocolate and chips.

Exercise is not a currency to be used to pay down your food guilt balance. Exercise is something you do to take good care of your body; to help your heart, joints, muscles and nervous system function better. And on top of that, the mental health boost that being active can provide. While there is a relationship between our daily diet, our exercise efforts and our overall health, guilt should not be the motivating factor in getting you to eat more plants, less sugar and move your body more. Loving yourself should be.

I felt it important to share this message as we inch closer to Christmas. Every December, I hear people stressing over how to avoid certain foods over the holidays. And, every January, I hear people beating themselves up for having indulged over the holidays. There are many favourite foods at this time of the year that bring joy, stir up memories and provide a sense of comfort. We were created for community, and food often brings us together.

I’m not suggesting that we all throw in the towel and eat fruit cake for breakfast, but I am asking you to trust yourself around food. We seem to put a lot of effort into thinking about food and being fearful. We might spend the entire day vowing not to eat even a morsel of chocolate, and then we cave after a rough day and end up eating the whole bar. Trust yourself to just have a cookie or two. Trust yourself to drink plenty of water and include veggies and fruits in your snacks and meals. When we can take a deep breath and trust ourselves around food, we behave differently. We find peace with food, knowing that we are in control of our actions around it and that we are good people regardless of those actions. You’ve got this!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

There comes a time when we have to let our baby birdies leave the nest. For our family, this was last year right around this time. Historically, I share tips and tricks for sending both big and little kids off to school in mid-August. Last year I couldn’t even muster up the ability to take a previously written article and send it out. I was a bit of a mess every time I thought about our son living away from home, even though I was so excited for him and this new adventure. While it was difficult driving away from campus without him in the car, I am happy to say that we all survived and even thrived, and no one got scurvy.

One of the biggest challenges kids face when off to school is how to feed themselves. If they are staying in residence with a food plan, they have to manage the funds that they have available to them. Spend enough to eat well, but not too much that they run out of funds before classes are finished. If they are living off campus, manoeuvring the grocery shopping, sticking to a budget, and cooking for themselves are all big adjustments that top the list.

Whether your young adult is living on or off campus, here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind:

• Find out which stores are either within walking distance or are on the bus route.
• Many grocery stores offer student discount days and even free transportation to and from campus.
• Discuss the value of menu planning, whether eating on campus or cooking for themselves. Variety in diet is important at every age and stage of life.
• Take them along on a few grocery trips while they are still at home. Show them how to compare pricing on similar products, and shop the sales.
• Find out what appliances are available or allowed in the living space. Having a clear picture of what they are working with will allow for maximum creativity and resourcefulness. Many residences offer a communal kitchen space that provides space in a fridge, a stove/oven, a microwave, and a place to plug in a kettle or coffee maker, etc. We were able to send a small fridge that was kept in his dorm room which was great. Some meals that were purchased on campus were such generous sizes that they could easily be divided into two meals.
• Don’t have a kitchen? Make friends with someone who does. Offer to cook them a meal in exchange for using their kitchen.
• Regardless of kitchen space, pack some glass dishes with snap lids for easy food storage. A few key pieces of cutlery and perhaps a favourite mug as well to help them feel more at home.
• If you purchased a menu plan, find out exactly what is included and how to stretch their options as much as possible. Don’t waste money on foods they can easily have in their room, such as simple breakfast options and drinks. Making their own tea or coffee can be a huge money saver as well. Be sure to have a clear understanding about what is permitted in their room and what ‘cooking’ should be reserved for shared kitchen spaces.

Being Creative in Your Space:

Whether there is a full out kitchen, or its more like a form of glamping, there are plenty of creative ways to eat real foods when away from home.

No kitchen, no problem:

• trail mix
• bagged popcorn
• pretzels
• apples, bananas, oranges, pears

If you have a kettle, you can make:

• tea, coffee, hot chocolate
• oatmeal
• soup

If you have a fridge, you can have:

• yogurt, cheese
• milk
• fruit & veggies
• hummus

If you have a toaster oven, you can make:

• whole grain toast
• frozen homemade waffles & pancakes
• reheat leftovers

If you have a personal blender, you can make:

• smoothies
• guacamole
• hummus

High Value Foods:

These foods are generally gentle on the budget while at the same time providing good nutrient value.

• natural nut butters – almond, peanut
• raw nuts & seeds
• lentils, black beans, chickpeas
• whole grain pasta & sauce
• quinoa

General Health & Wellness:

• minimize late night snacking & if you do, make it good quality choices
• eat regularly – aim for 3 main meals & no skipping breakfast
• get outside – with a sometimes-hectic class schedule & homework, we can forget to take advantage of the beautiful sprawling campuses; getting outside is not only good for physical exercise, it is also good for nourishing our brains and giving us some space to breathe

Wishing you well as you both begin a new adventure!