Healthy Living Tips

By: Nathan Graves, MD

MOVIN Health Facts

Summer Vacation: Give Yourself a Break from Bad Eating Habits

By: Nathan Graves, MD

Schools get a bad rap for giving kids sugary snacks and not enough exercise.  But one recent study suggested that kids actually gain more weight on summer vacation and not during the school year.  Because eating out is the norm on vacation, this time of the year can also be dangerous for health-conscious adults.

 
Most people are aware that restaurant dining can be hazardous to a diet because of the large portions and extra calories.  With a little restraint and a few good decisions, eating out can actually help you lose weight.  Some of the easy things to avoid at restaurants are fried foods, sugary sodas and most desserts.  Having either an appetizer or a dessert (but not both) can cut calories while keeping it fun.

Watch out for health food trickery and avoid eating salads loaded with cheese, thick dressing, and bacon.  Think twice about having a tasty smoothie that has a bit of fruit but a ton of sugar.  On sandwiches or hamburgers consider mustard rather than mayonnaise, and consider no cheese.

People plan for and take action on things in their lives that are high-priority.  Things that are not high priority get overlooked.   If you want to eat healthy on your vacation, then plan for it.  Use the internet to search menu’s of restaurants in the town you will be visiting.  Have in mind a few different restaurants and what healthy meals are offered.   

Restaurants are continually providing more choices for dieters, which makes eating healthy a lot easier.  A great thing about McDonald’s is their almost universal availability, offering healthy choices like the premium salad line and apple dippers. Their widespread presence can assist people who may not otherwise have a healthy choice.

The amazing thing about a vacation is that it can break routine and give people a chance to step out of patterns that don’t work for them. Vacations may give you the time to plan healthy meals and to exercise.  They may be devoid of stressful situations that trigger emotional eating and may allow you to get enough sleep so that you aren’t consuming heavily sugared or caffeinated snacks to maintain alertness and energy level. 

Use your next vacation to make rejuvenating changes.  Start some of these habits on your next vacation and try to carry these changes back to your daily life:

• Eat breakfast
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Decrease portion size
• Eat whole grain carbohydrates
• Decrease sugary beverages and sweets
• Eat 5-6 small meals a day
• Avoid fried foods
• Avoid eating within 2-4 hours of going to bed