July Health Hacks for Vacations

July -- a time to

keep calm and sparkle on.

Let's be healthy

while we vacation.

-Lona

Vacation Stress Is Real

Many people travel as a way to relieve stress, yet some people suffer from induced travel stress. We may feel moments of strain and pressure but there are ways to alleviate the stress and come back feeling refreshed. You can also plan a staycation (information below).

Here are a few ways to combat stress while on vacation.

Continue your daily mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing practice. If you don't already have a practice, start one while on vacation. This allows you to lower blood pressure.

Twenty minutes in nature lowers levels of stress hormones. This vacation, plan to spend time in a park, forest, hiking a trail, playing on the beach, or paddling down a stream.

If you work out at home, don't skip the workout while on vacation. Most hotels have exercise equipment. Take your yoga mat and greet the sun. Find a fun new class. Walk instead of Uber. Stretch before and after you get on and off the airplane. The Airport Stretching Routine can be found here.

Ways to Become More Mindful

Mindfulness rewires the way your brain reacts to stress. It lowers blood pressure and you feel happier and healthier.

Here are 22 mindfulness exercises for your enjoyment while on vacation.

These meditation apps can help you get zen.

Detox From Electronics – want to let go of the daily stress? Take an entire day off from technology. No clocks needed. Throw your watch in a drawer. Turn off the cell phone, tablet, and computer. (Are you gasping in fear?) Let go of the GPS and Spotify. Now what?

Embrace the silence. Putter. Get out the adult coloring book. Take a bath. Finish that project you’ve put on hold.

Play with your animals and children – board games, water fights, tic-tac-toe.

Organize a closet if that feels therapeutic.

Try a new recipe because you eat when you’re hungry, not because it’s 11:45.

Read a book (hard back, paperback, comic) and savor the feel of pages between your fingertips.

Have a face to face conversation with someone.

Start a gratitude journal. Meditate. Exercise.

Do nothing at all, which is something most of us were good at as children.Take time out for you. Hang a hammock, kick back and relax, meditate, and swing the day away.

Skip the News. For a week. Banish stress from your life. Much of the news warns of impending doom and results in feelings of gloom. You won’t miss out. Pinky promise. If the world comes to an end, you will have missed all the scary information leading up to the event.

Build a relaxing fountain. Some people use projects as a way to focus and relax. Take time to hunt for the exact materials that will make you fall in love when your project. The sound of water trickling over collected or painted stones can have a soothing effect. Here are instructions on fountain building.

I'll always remember what my meditation teacher told me. Take three deep, slow breaths...and then...very slowly, let go of your expectations. May your travels be filled with fun.

Reduce Travel Stress

Travel can be transformative but it is not going to make you into a different person or help fix your problems. It can be a good way to get away from your daily routine to think and gain clarity. You will still have the same problems when you return. Vacation can allow you to recharge so you are ready to deal with whatever shows up.

Enjoy the travel experience for what it can provide. Start with your heart. What do you really want to do or see?

Learn something new or interesting. Dopamine is released when we get excited about learning.

Take time to relax. Rushing from one sight to another can lead to travel fatigue. Turn off the alarm and wake up when you feel rested. Let go of the need to schedule every minute.

Increase cultural awareness. Our brain remembers unique events, especially if they are fun.

Spend quality time with your partner/family. Feeling loved and appreciated creates lasting bonds.

Have a new experience. You won’t know what you enjoy until you try something different.

Keep your vacation sweet and simple and embrace the fun factor. This helps foster positive memories.

Enjoy the great outdoors. Hike, bike or ride a horse. You will burn calories while feeling less stressed.

Detach from work. Set e-mail to out of office. Tell your co-workers you will not be available. Wrap up projects before you take off on your trip.

Stick to your budget and maximize every dollar. Book the trip you can afford. Use a travel agent if managing details stresses you.

The most positive aspects of travel are relaxation, new experiences, creating memories, not the destination or fancy hotel.

Vacation Necessities

Remember to pack your medications and supplements. We can write you a letter for your liquid supplements or you can take your large liquids and put them in small liquid bottles. Additionally TSA may require additional security checks but you are worth it! Take you supplement with you.

Outdoors Time? Sunburns can ruin your fun. Here is a video on Eating Your Sunburn which talks about food intake. Remember to bring your aloe vera gel with you. The tans will fade but the memories will last forever. Additionally, don’t forget your Potassium, Bioplasma and NADH. Dehydration happens quickly during your time outdoors. Drink plenty of water and put minerals in your water.

Have trouble sleeping? Bring your own pillow, get to bed at the regular time, avoid heavy evening meals, keep room temperature low, and take time to compress. Additionally, BACH Flowers makes an amazing sleep formula that is non addictive and will help you with a more restful sleep.

Airplane protocol. Carry hand sanitizer (Doterra has On-Guard Hand Sanitizer) and wipe down the arm rest and tray table with Rubbing alcohol wipes. DO NOT USE CLOROX BLEACH. Use essential oil sprays to kill germs. Keep your vents open for air circulation. Wash hands before and after flight. Take a detox bath when you reach your destination. Bring your own neck pillow and sweater if you get cold. For longer flights take Lymph 1 to keep your lymph moving as well as Chemtox and Manganese for circulating plane chemicals.

Don't forget your Epsom salts. A bath can help your body detox, takes care of sore muscles, induces sleep, and keeps your skin smooth. You can add your favorite essential oil to make it more enjoyable. You can use Baking Soda as a body scrub and is PH balancing and detoxifying.

Take two pairs of comfortable shoes and change them on a regular basis.

Arm your medical kit with homeopathic remedies for pain relief, motion sickness and an bites and stings. Take your neti pot for allergies. We have a wonderful throat spray which helps with airborne toxins and sick relatives. We have some wonderful homeopathic remedies for diarrhea and papaya enzymes for heartburn, over eating and eating out.

Feeling stressed? Use Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. A homeopathic remedy that is an all natural form of healing. Effective in virtually any situation that causes stress or anxiety. Can be used with pets.

Why did the robot go on summer vacation?

Because he needed a reboot.

Texas Biological Medicine is here to help stay healthy before and after your vacation. Call our office at 972-233-8339 to discuss customized treatment plans.

Staycation

Staycations are a way to stay at home and feel as if you have been on vacation. Traveling to a tropical island, a theme park, or visiting relatives isn’t your only vacation. Here are a few ways to save money and have fun.

Vacation and staycation benefits include loads of free time without rules and obligations Start with a budget. This reduces the stress of credit card burden.

Catch up on errands, chores, and grocery shopping beforehand.

Get your house cleaned. Part of vacation is bed making, dusting, and restoring order to chaos. Pay someone to do this for you instead of spending an entire day doing it yourself.

What do you generally do for dinner? If you go out, have dinner delivered. Use paper plates so there are no dishes to clean. If you normally dine in, try a different restaurant. Create a new experience. Have veggies for breakfast and eggs for dinner.

Organize a babysitter. What would it be like to have a night of peace and quiet while your children are down the street at your neighbors?

Create a spa in your bathroom. Draw a bath, use Epsom salts and your favorite essential oil, light some candles and let mother nature take care of the rest. Find a masseuse who makes house calls. Avocados make a great facial mask and apply before the bath. Baking soda makes a great facial scrub.

Indulge in a Reading Binge. A couch journey can take you on a trip around the world.

Camp out in your backyard. Borrow or purchase a tent. Pack snacks and drinks. Air out the sleeping bags or create a pillow haven. Have a flashlight, candles, or lanterns. Light a fire in the pit, sing camp songs, count stars.

Entertain a Pajama Day. Remember, the purpose is to relax. Plan absolutely nothing and see where the day takes you.

See your hometown through foreign eyes. Get travel brochures. Visit museums, hike the trails, get your bike out, go to a sports events, explore museums and nearby towns.

Learn. A new language, how to paint, take a baking class with a chef, volunteer at a place you want to learn about.

Have fun. See a movie. Dress up and go to a show. Call an old friend and catch up.

Spend time with others: host a BBQ, take an exercise class with a friend. Create a film festival in your home. Have a theme party. Plan a movie under the stars.

Make staying hydrated fun. Buy a beautiful glass pitcher and place it in a strategic place. Fill with oranges, lemons, cucumbers or grapefruit. Stop by throughout your day and sip to your hearts content.

Texas Biological Medicine would like to provide you and your family healthy alternatives. Call our office at 972-233-8339 to discuss customized treatment plans.

Vacation Eating Choices

You can make healthy eating choices while on vacation.

Staying hydrated keeps energy levels steady. Water is your best friend. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Pack your favorite snacks. When hungry, our food choices aren't always stellar. Take foods that doesn't require refrigeration.

Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. Ease up on hard core dieting. Now is the time to enjoy without overeating.

Resist the urge to splurge. If you do, share your meal with someone.

Visit a grocery store or market instead of a restaurant.

Avoid an all or nothing mentality. Before you start eating, take a few breaths. Ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale of 1-10. Halfway through your meal do it again. When full, put your napkin on your plate or push the meal away so it symbolizes you’ re done.

Sandy toes, sun kissed nose, flip flops and fun. Stick to a healthy eating plan and you'll have no regrets when you return home.

July Seasonal Veggies

You make me hap-pea when you eat your veggies.

Asparagus

Broad Bean

Carrot

Chard

Chicory

Cucumber

Garlic

Green Bean

Early Potato

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Nettle

Onions

Peas

Peppers

Rhubar

July Seasonal Fruits

My pun about cherries is pitiful but these fruits taste wonderful.

Black Cherry

Cherry

Strawberry

Melon

Mulberry

Pear

Plum

Peach

Nectarine

Raspberry

Currant

Gooseberry

July Seasonal Fish

How do you communicate with a tuna?

Anchovy

Cod

Mackerel

Red Mullet

Sardine

Snapper

Sea Bream

Sole

Tuna -- drop him a line.

Knock Knock.

Whose There?

Opportunity.

Opportunity doesn't knock twice!

Lona recommends:

The Fungus Link by Doug Kaufman. Fight the microscopic fungi that can cause hormone problems, mental dysfunction, autoimmune disease, ear nose and throat illness, weight gain and hair loss.

Tricia recommends:

Jobs Body by Deane Juhan. Possibly the most famous and widely used resource in therapeutic bodywork, this beautifully written, detailed and reader-friendly picture of how and why the body responds to touch is both scientifically reliable and inspiring.

Ramona recommends:

Glory Carriers: How to Host His Presence Every Day by Jennifer Eivaz. We were created to reflect something or someone. What we behold, we reflect. The more we behold the Lord, the more we look like him - and the more we see his glory released into our lives and the lives of those around us.