Category Archives: Health

Oct 08 2012
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Health, Life

The Accidental Vegetarian?

I am reluctant to give myself the label vegetarian. I feel like doing so will only set me up for hypocrisy. However, it’s looking more and more like vegetarianism is in my future. It began this summer, when in my hot yoga frenzy I decided to cut back my meat consumption and eat more cleanly. Inspired by films like Forks Over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, and Food Inc., I knew something in my diet was off, so Alex and I agreed we would eat less meat and make sure all the meat we ate was sourced, (grass-fed, free-range, etc.).

What I did not expect is that it would not be so easy to alternate between eating meat and not eating meat. While the beginning of summer was virtually meat-free, my weeks of travel were not, leaving me sick when I returned to my first hot yoga class, (yes, I know there may have been other factors at play, but I feel diet was a big piece of it). After feeling run over in my post-vacation meat-eating hangover, I decided to return to limited meat consumption.

To my surprise, I found myself not even wanting to buy meat at the grocery store, even when tempted by high-quality choices at Whole Foods or the Farmer’s Market. Instead, just the thought of it was suddenly repulsive. I did not begin this whole experiment feeling the least bit disgusted by meat. It was more about health and the way eating meat makes me physically feel. However, the final straw was this weekend, when Alex and I ate at the Rutherford Grill in Wine Country and I could not even eat a quarter of his sourced cheeseburger. It lost all appeal.

So, here I am, a former meat-eater standing at a crossroads. I still don’t want to call myself a vegetarian because I think it’s possible I’ll still eat meat sometimes. However, the thought of eating any mammal now grosses me out and I’m finding it relatively easy to choose food that is satisfying without meat. Just strange, because I never set out to be a vegetarian, I just set out to eat less meat. For now, I guess I’ll leave myself without labels, but we’ll see where I end up.

If you’ve stopped eating meat, what was your motivation? Do you feel healthier? Happier?

I’m discovering vegetarian options to be surprisingly delicious and more energizing than meat alternatives, (Sol Food Puerto Rican in San Rafael).

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Oct 05 2012
5 Comments
Family, Health, Life

Advice to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self/Sister

I’m happy to say my sister probably needs this advice far less than I did at her age, but because she is my closest link to my sixteen-year-old self, and I love her so, she will have to humor me through this…

I started this post earlier this week, inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s advice to her younger self at the end of Dear Sugar and my own desire to say something meaningful to my younger sister about surviving high school. It was intended to be my way of traveling back in time to fix all the perceived wrongs I witnessed and/or participated in as a sixteen-year-old girl.

However, after the list sat unpublished overnight, I decided it was more angry than inspiring, an outdated wish for more confidence and regret over things that could not be changed. See, as much as I wish I would have stood up for myself and others more, maybe it was the not standing up that needed to happen first. To be on the victimized side of rumors, to watch mentally challenged and effeminate students be taunted, to forego relationships because my friends did not approve, to ignore chauvinist boys who pushed too much or called me horrible names, was all part of my becoming.

Sure it would have been nice if I became confident and outspoken sooner, but maybe I needed to know what it felt like to not be those things first so that I could relate to my quiet students and collect more pieces of life and knowledge of myself. Going back and standing up would have felt good, but it was not realistic to who I was at sixteen. That was me and it’s alright. Forgiving myself for not being stronger is actually the bigger piece of advice than any list of all the things I wish I did. It’s okay to be sixteen, quiet, not sure, and sometimes disillusioned.

An afternoon coffee visit with an old friend from middle school made me realize that it was not just my high school experience that felt a little angry– it was hers too, at the very school I thought would make me happier. While this should come as no surprise, because half the people I know felt this way about their own high school experiences, it was somehow humbling to realize I might have been pretty much the same girl under any circumstances. Just part of the territory of growing up.

So, dear sister and sixteen year-old me, that’s my message. Instead of a long list of sixteen different pieces of advice, I leave you with one idea. It’s okay to be imperfect, emotional, sometimes angry, sometimes disillusioned, and not always possessing the confidence we know is inside us. That will come, just keep being you and hold on to all the happy moments, because there will be plenty.

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Oct 03 2012
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Health, Life

Five Reasons that Hip, Happy and Healthy People Do Yoga!

In the spirit of unwired Wednesdays and stepping away from my computer to promote better mental and physical health, I bring you my first guest blogger. Be sure to show Carolyn Fallon some love and check out her blog too!:

Despite that fact that yoga is incredibly hip in modern culture, the ancient practice has many benefits for health and happiness. Although it is promoted as a panacea for optimal well-being, yoga is still a mystery to many people. For those who have never stepped onto a mat or into a classroom, a brief background is in order.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in Bethesda, Maryland, yoga is a mind-body discipline that originated in ancient India. Comprised of gentle meditative movements, yoga is basically safe and effective for everyone. There are yoga classes for seniors, children, athletes and even pregnant women.

Yoga combines various physical poses and breathing exercises with meditation and a distinct Eastern philosophy. Many Americans who use it for health reasons practice Hatha yoga, which includes many different styles. With guidance from a trained yoga instructor, the exercise offers huge benefits with very few side effects.

Why should Americans include yoga as part of their regular workouts? Even in this new century, the ancient practice offers many desirable benefits. Here are five reasons that hip, happy and healthy people practice yoga.

1. Inner Peace

Yoga promotes contentment and inner peace. While athletes, overachievers and Type A personalities may not immediately grasp this significance, peace and contentment are fundamental to their tasks. All yoga, no matter the intensity, promotes relaxation and calmness. People who are at peace with themselves are happier, healthier individuals.

2. Flexibility and Strength

People who practice yoga for many weeks or months enjoy stronger, more flexible bodies from morning to night. Through gentle stretches and focused poses, yoga works the muscles, tissues and bones. It improves core body strength and enables flexible movements. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Glen Axelrod states, “Yoga is excellent for strengthening both flexibility and balance.”

3. Healthy Appearance

Men and women who practice yoga are healthier, more attractive people. Their healthy, fit appearance is the result of yoga’s physical and psychological benefits. People who practice yoga on a regular basis cannot help but look toned and sculpted, and this helps them feel better about themselves too.

4. Body Awareness

People who practice yoga have a keen sense of their bodies and how the body works. Yoga increases the respect they have for their bodies. As a result, they are less likely to overeat and more likely to get adequate rest. Additionally, yoga heightens sexual pleasure.

5. More Compassion

Yoga promotes compassion for others by encouraging people to look at the big picture. In fact, the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine trains yoga instructors in many healing areas, including compassion. When people learn to take care of themselves, they have more energy to give to others. Hip, happy and healthy people are usually more compassionate, kind and generous.

Carolyn Fallon is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well being. She is an avid spinner, healthy cooking enthusiast and lover of life. Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com! 

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Oct 01 2012
9 Comments
Dogs, Health, Home, Life, Pets

Yoga Dog Monday: Looking for Converts

Monday nights are usually hot yoga night for me, my chance to unwind, get a little exercise, and leave feeling like a new person. Anyone who knows me in real life knows I’m a big yoga advocate. It majorly relieves my stress/anxiety, numbs my chronic neck pain, and keeps my pathetic left knee functioning.

A couple weeks without yoga and I’m a mess, a realization that has driven me to practice at home when I can’t get myself out the door to class… Like, uhh, tonight. In all seriousness, it has taken years for me to develop the patience and discipline to do yoga at home without giving up after five minutes, but it’s finally starting to pay off as I focus on poses I need most instead of being at the whim of an instructor.

And, the unexpected side benefit– more time with yoga dog! When I do yoga around the house, I am attacked by Simon. Without fail, the mat comes out, he starts stretching, then he ends up trying to lick my face while I’m meditating on the floor. I’ve been attempting to capture yoga dog in action for days. Unfortunately, the camera comes out and he runs away, (yoga dog is one cheeky monkey!).

Simon is a bit camera shy about his yoga moves…

But, I finally caught him in his favorite pose, downward dog.

Anyway, back to the point of all this– I believe there is a yoga style for everyone, whether it be hot yoga or Vinyasa or what have you. Heck, as my conservative, P90X-doing hot yoga buddy said the other night, “You don’t even have to be a hippie!” So get out there, try it if you haven’t and try it again if you have! It took me years to find the right style/instructors to keep me hooked, but now I’m going on two years of consistent yoga-ing and couldn’t be more pleased!

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Aug 31 2012
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Dogs, Family, Health, Home, Life, Pets

The Skunk Saga, Part III

Last night, as I was making dinner, Alex took our dog for a walk.  When he returned, he announced a skunk sighting next door. This skunk was no baby skunk like the neighbors on the other side spotted.  This was a full-grown, Simon-sized doozy, (at least that is how Alex described it, I’m still skeptical this is possible).

That should have been our warning.  Not to mention the neighbor telling us that once a week or so he sees a skunk walk up the street, through his driveway, and over to the side of our fence.  Like I said, should have.

Fast forward to 1AM.  I’m blissfully asleep, Alex is still awake, a typical Thursday night.

“Babe?”

“Huh?”

“Simon got sprayed again.”

“Shit.”

So, it happened again.  The sneaky monkey realized we only stop him from going outside when he barks first.  He used to bark before he slipped out the door to chase something.  Now he moves like a quiet little ninja.  I’m not going to cause any trouble, just headed out to relieve myself, that’s all, I promise, see, I’m not barking!

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  We need to block the dog door at night.  But, here’s the thing, our cat likes to take the cap off for him pretty much as soon as we put it on.  She’ll just walk by, dismantle it with her freakishly nimble paws and return to whatever it was she was doing inside, not even bothering to go outside.  Alex’s weekend project is a lockable pet door.

Anyway, good thing we finally bought the big bottle of skunk shampoo this week to get rid of his lingering odor from last time, (one dip in the family pool last Sunday and he was back to his stinky self). Forget all that other natural stuff.  Buy the skunk shampoo and use it if you ever need it.  I take back any other advice I gave in previous posts.  Coconut oil will still mask it between baths, but this is the best for diffusing the smell.

Duh. Skunk shampoo. Why in the world did we think all the other crap on the internet would be more effective?

Back to my story.  It’s 1AM, I have 5 hours of sleep left, a tiring week, and here I am, wondering why Alex woke me up to tell me Simon got sprayed by a skunk.  Maybe I’m not the nicest person when awakened in the middle of the night.  You were already awake, great, here is what you need to do: grab gloves, a mask, a towel, remove the carpets from the bathroom, wash him, leave him in there. Have fun!

This time I was not getting my hands dirty.  Already did that.  Too bad I woke up feeling a little mean.  Sorry, Alex, you’re amazing, thanks for taking care of that ridiculously nauseating business (mostly) on your own.

Still, I can’t help but feel proud we now know how to quickly and effectively handle the middle-of-the-night skunk fire drill.  The fallout was much less devastating this time, although our house smells a bit again and he’ll need another bath this weekend. Here’s hoping lightning, or skunks, don’t strike thrice.

This time around he looks, dare I say, comfortable in his post-skunk state. Thanks skunk shampoo…

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Aug 18 2012
11 Comments
Dogs, Family, Health, Home, Life, Pets

Skunk Attack Survival Tips

In case you should ever have the same misfortune of needing to clean your dog, your home, and yourself of the putrid smell of skunk, here are a few tips.  I offer only the ones I found useful, as many things we tried, (such as tomato paste and vinegar), did not have an immediate benefit.

1.  Do not touch sprayed areas with bare hands– wear gloves!  Last night I started Simon’s third bath of the day without gloves AGAIN.  Serious brain fart.  I quickly realized my mistake, but my hands already smelled of skunk AGAIN.

2.  Do not wash everything in the washer together.  We made the mistake of throwing all our bedding in with the most affected top sheet and now EVERYTHING smells equally bad.  If some articles smell less, don’t wash them with the super stinky items.  Currently hoping that putting everything in the hot Sacramento sun for the afternoon is going to help.

3.  Baking soda sprinkled on the carpet, left over night, and then vacuumed makes a HUGE difference.  Today our house is only slightly smelly, with practically no smell in the living room or on the couch where he rolled.  Unfortunately our bedroom is ground zero, still trying to figure out what to do about that, (and sleeping in the guest bedroom in the meantime…).

4.  Coconut oil on the affected areas after bathing is the biggest secret to our success.  My mom thinks coconut oil is the answer to 9 out of 10 problems, (love you Mom!), and in this case she was correct.  It seems to isolate the spray and trap the smell.  Whereas I did not want the dog within three feet of me this morning, as soon as I put coconut oil over the area he was sprayed, (his entire head!), I could no longer smell him unless I put my nose up against his fur.  HUGE IMPROVEMENT.

I’m sure all the other tricks help to some degree or another, but those were the four that in conjunction with frequent bathing worked the most for us.  I was tempted to go to hot yoga and sweat out the oils, but then thought better of it.  Pretty sure they’d ban me from ever returning.  The good news, went to Saturday School (our version of back-to-school night) today and no one could smell me, (and, they all seemed to really enjoy my story).  Coconut oil for the win.

Hope you never need to unearth this post in the future… Happy Saturday.

Our surprising discovery.

One of the nice things about coconut oil was that Simon was actually cooperative, (vinegar, not so much). Just like the tomato paste, he thought he was being covered in something delicious.

And, now he’s our minimally smelly, rebellious punk rock child.  I think he’s over all these weird treatments.

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Aug 17 2012
11 Comments
Dogs, Health, Home, Life, Pets, Teaching

The Stinkiest Day of My Life, Literally

As if being awakened by my dream last night was not enough, insert animal drama.

4:30 AM, finally back asleep, dog races out the dog door and starts barking.  Please, no.  Lying half awake, I hoped he would come back in without me having to yell out the door.  Please, please, please.  The sound of the dog door told me my plea was answered.  Kind of.

Simon jumped on our bed, thrashing his body.  At first I thought, Oh no, he has a rat.  Then I realized the strong smell invading my nostrils was skunk.  He was sprayed.  Shit.  Jumping out of bed to try to grab him, he bolted for the living room, stopping first to rub his body against the carpet in the bedroom, then again in the living room, his grand finale our couch.

I grabbed him with my bare hands and carried him to the bathtub, his eyes swollen shut, whimpering.  Dazed by the time on the clock, I was still not entirely sure what was happening, I just knew I needed to clean his eyes, fast.  Rinsing them in the tub, the stench was so strong I had to grab a cleaning mask.  Oops, didn’t shut the bathroom door.  Simon escaped and rolled some more.

Finally, mask in place so I would not vomit, which with the severity of the odor was feeling increasingly possible, I rinsed his eyes and began to scrub.  This was my second mistake.  My bare hands massaged the soap into his short coat, uncertain where he was sprayed, thinking it was just his eyes.  Then I realized I was rubbing the skunk’s bright yellow spray on his neck, its powerful odor sinking into my finger tips.  Still, I soldiered on, uncertain what else to do, Alex working hard to google our options.  I was just concerned about clearing his eyes.

Fast forward two hours of cleaning the dog and our house, the smell still overwhelming, I left for work, frazzled but still on time.  Telling another teacher my story in the hall, I realized I now smelled too.  The spray was in my pores.  The vinegar, tomato paste, water, soap, hand sanitizer, you name it, was not enough.  In fact, I stank.

Another teacher walked into my classroom, unaware of my story, and declared “What’s that smell?!” Normally this question would be completely unoffensive, the common side effect of teaching a room full of thirty children, but by then the answer was embarrassing.  I had left for work, reeking of skunk, without even realizing it because everything in my house smelled.

I wanted to disappear.  I wanted to go home, although not to my home, which was still a skunk war zone.  However, being smelly did not seem like a good enough excuse to call an emergency sub, so I toughed it out.  Students entered the room, noses plugged, unaware I was the source of their displeasure.  We sat down to morning meeting and I began with a conversation about empathy.

“I’m going to tell you a story that is both funny and embarrassing, so it is important you use empathy to only laugh with me and not at me.”

The time spent preparing them for the story was worthwhile, they laughed, but only when acceptable.  Most looked embarrassed for me.  They were fascinated, enthralled, could not ask enough questions.  My favorite, “Is it the same as a skunk fart?”  And, to my great relief, they stopped covering their noses after we discussed how it might make someone else feel.  I reminded them that as much as it was gross to them, there was nothing I could do to escape.

So, in the end, I survived the stinkiest day of my life.  The rumors grew throughout the school, some teachers hearing from their kids that a skunk had to be chased out of my classroom.  Home now, my house still stinks, and I probably do too.  Next on the list, try, try, again to make the smell go away.  So far, google has not solved my dilemma.  And, yes, I’ve tried tomato and vinegar based products, thank you.

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Aug 13 2012
2 Comments
Health, Life, Teaching

Hot Yoga Saved the Day

Here’s the funny thing about teaching, or at least about teaching for me.  It’s incredibly inconsistent.  Last week rocked, today sucked.  I don’t know if it is the million degree heat, (my car said 107 degrees when I left work), or that the kids are tired, but today was rough.  I had to contact six families after school because of behavior challenges.  It felt impossible to stay positive when all I wanted to do was pull my hair out.  I felt like I tried everything and nothing worked.  Relax.  Relax, damn it!

Enter hot yoga.  60 minutes of pure, power hour bliss.  It’s so funny that the very activity that scared me so much a couple months ago is now the secret to my after work sanity.  I walk in stressed, I walk out calm, happy, a million miles removed from the rest of my day.  I even like it so much that I’m recruiting teachers at work to join me.  If you have hot yoga near you– you should try it too!

One of my favorite hot yoga rituals is to pick something to concentrate on for the length of the class.  Sometimes it’s my strained neck or my weak knee, other times its a little mantra.  Today was stay positive.  After what felt like such a negative day, I needed this.  Hopefully, it will transfer over to a more positive tomorrow as well!  Let’s hope so…

 

 

 

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Aug 02 2012
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Family, Health, Home, Life, Teaching, Writing

Balancing Priorities: Looking for Secrets

I’m now officially back into the world where I spend zero personal time on the computer during the workday.  Accordingly, I have to fit all my blogging and other social media needs into my personal prime time, when exercise, family, dog walking, house cleaning, writing, reading, and that pesky schoolwork are also competing for my attention.

As such, I’ve decided that I need to cut down on all behaviors that are a waste of time.  In other words, my internet usage has to be get in and get out so that I still have time for all those wonderful things that matter more, particularly writing.  I have to admit, it’s a little depressing to walk away from my writing after getting to focus so many hours a day on it, but this is the reality for most writers, so I need to make the best of it.

What are your secrets?  How do you balance your writing life with your personal and work lives?  Do you have specific hours that you set aside during the week for writing? Do you have any tricks for helping to minimize the amount of time spent wasted on endeavors that aren’t as important on your priority list?  Plenty of people seem to write and still have rich personal and work lives… Right?!

I want my focus on work evenings to be exercise/health, dog walking, time with my husband, and writing (be it blog or novel), so I get really frustrated when I realize I’ve spent thirty minutes looking for a lost receipt or surfing through a bunch of inane chatter on Facebook.  Accordingly, my goal is as little wasted time as possible.  Relaxation does not count as wasted time, but too much internet usage does.

I think that’s my cue.  Closing laptop now.  Look forward to reading your secrets soon.

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Jul 21 2012
9 Comments
Health, Life, Travel, Writing

Life Beyond the Computer Screen

Yesterday, I took a break from blogging, my first since summer vacation started.  After reading “iCrazy” in Newsweek while lying on Tunnels Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, I realized I have become too dependent on the public approval fed through Facebook and WordPress, the notifications popping up in little dopamine doses on my smart phone.

While I rationalize that blogging is at least part of my mission in establishing myself as a writer, the reality is that it has also become part of my greater addiction to the internet.  The number of likes and new follows either negatively or positively affects my mood after posting, (not to mention the compulsive checking of my inbox for feedback).  My solution, forced breaks, turned off email notifications, and only checking my blog when I post new material.

In just 48 hours of silence, I’ve already noticed that not receiving email notifications to my phone has made a huge difference.  Not knowing what activity I am receiving is better than the high or low of immediate reinforcement.  I no longer have the urge to pick up my phone every two minutes.  In fact, I left my phone off all day today and yesterday, save for checking for voicemails and text messages once in the morning and once in the evening.

Taking a day off blogging was also nicer than I thought, as I resisted the urge to complete my daily ritual.  That’s the thing, even on vacation, I derive satisfaction from the exercise of blogging, I am just trying to move away from it being an obsession.  So far, giving myself a little space is making it feel a lot less compulsive.  Best of all, a break made me hyper-aware of how often I think about being online or checking my inbox.  It was more often than I like to admit.  However, the more time I let pass, the less often I had the urge.

The important life reminder– I value time spent disconnected.  A big motivation in becoming a teacher was creating a life where I was not connected to a computer for work all day.  I have to remind myself this as I dive head first into the world of writing, an evolving world shrouded in technology.  If any of this resonates with you, I recommend reading the article linked above, although I’m not suggesting that it is a problem for everyone.

A few pictures below to remind you how beautiful life can be beyond the computer screen.  I look forward to reconnecting with you all next time I post!

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Jul 16 2012
12 Comments
Health, Life, Travel

Wanderlust vs. Sleep

It’s my little tradition to wake up early in Hawaii and run on the beach.  Our resort is perched up on a bluff, so I had to get creative.  The people at the front desk warned us not to take the public access trail to the beach at the entrance of our resort.  I figured they just wanted it for themselves, so of course, that is where I had to run.

At 5AM, like clockwork, my eyes opened, not accustomed to the time change.  Fighting the urge to just lie there, I pushed myself out the door, reaching the dirt trail by 6AM.  At first, I was a little nervous, reading all the signs warning me of danger, suddenly alone in a canopy of trees. Determined to keep going, I carefully maneuvered down the steep, muddy slope, and discovered a glorious little beach.

So glorious, in fact, a few smart campers have their tents protected beneath the thick tree branches, waking up to this amazing view.  I startled a bohemian sort of man, meditating alone at the base of the trail, his canoe and tent behind him.  Or, maybe he startled me. Either way, he has the best front yard on earth.

Jogging on the beach, I let a passing rain storm drench me, smiling with my face pointed to the sky.  My wanderlust restored, I reveled in life.  Sleep is tempting, yes, but nothing beats an early morning outing, alone, on the beach.

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Jun 29 2012
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Health, Travel

My Little Secrets to Travel Health

Gearing up for the second leg of my four weeks of summer travel, I find it necessary to remind myself of the secrets to staying healthy and energized on the road.  These little gems may seem obvious to most travelers, but for me they were slowly won, lesson by lesson, during my three separate treks across Europe, countless American road trips, and a couple of visits to Canada and Mexico for good measure.  Yes, I realize I still have a lot of the globe to see, but I’ll get there with a little luck (and money) on my side.  For now, I’m determined to remember these tips to keep myself healthy for the road already traveled:

Sleep:  For me, sleeping in new places can be very challenging, particularly in noisy cities, or even boisterous small towns like Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre, where the townspeople shout back and forth from their apartments well into the night and again early in the morning.  It was not until my second trip to Europe that I discovered the power of wax earplugs, the kind swimmers use.  While they will not eliminate noise completely, they help you earn a little extra sleep by muffling the commotion, even if what is bothering you is just the stupid in-room refrigerator, (which I have also been known to unplug from time to time).

Now, the second piece of advice on sleep, is if you wake up early, don’t just lie there and wait for your travel companions to awaken– get up!  Get outside!  Some of my favorite travel memories come from early morning walks or runs when a place is just coming to life.  Imagine Rome, just as the shop keepers are opening up their stores for the day, fresh-baked everything wafting through the air, now which is better, lying in bed or getting out and seeing this?

Exercise:  Early morning or not, I force myself to exercise daily.  There is nothing worse than getting home from vacation and realizing that you have a lot of work to do to get back into your regular exercise routine.  I find that even a quick 15 minute run and 10 minutes of yoga, (a few sun salutations, some balance postures, and stretching), go a long way in keeping you energized both during your trip and when you get home.  Likewise, even if you are on an active vacation, this short routine gives you reflective time to yourself and gets your blood pumping for the day.  Best of all, if you push yourself to climb out of bed early enough, you can catch some really amazing sights on your run.  My favorites have always been in Hawaii, where the time change gives you an unfair advantage in getting out of bed early to catch the sunrise while running on the beach.  Life does not get much better than that.

My Montrails are a must pack– officially my favorite running shoes of all time and double as great hiking shoes.

Eat:  Combined with exercise and sleep, eating well on your trip will keep you feeling great both during your travels and when you get home.  There is nothing worse than the cumulative food hangover of consistent eating out.  My remedy for this is pretty easy– work in food from the supermarket during your trip then go sit in the local park or on a bench in town to eat and enjoy the scenery.

We picked up this meal for two for only $11 from the Mt. Shasta Super Market, which carries a wide range of grass-fed, humanely-raised meats. Way better than a fast food meal.

For quick lunches and anytime you’re tempted to eat fast food, these local groceries stores will do the trick.  You’ll save money from a sit-down restaurant, end up feeling a lot healthier, and get to explore local markets in the process.  Whether I’m in Salzburg or Mt. Shasta, I find wandering around a new grocery store to be an interesting cultural experience, and it is fun to buy foods you normally do not keep stocked at home, like dill havarti or German potato salad, perhaps.  Yogurt and fruit also make a nice change of pace from all the other crap you’re likely to be tempted to eat while away from home, which brings me to my other food tip.

Often I find myself ordering whatever sounds the most delicious on a menu, without any regard for health because it’s a special occasion to eat out.  However, a few cheeseburgers deep, my stomach usually starts to hate me, so I have to remind myself to balance in whatever sounds healthiest on the menu as well.  The upside is that usually I am surprised by how the healthiest choice ends up being equally delicious, prompting me to continue ordering this way throughout the trip, and feeling better as a result.

And, last but not least, I carry around a little pharmacy of natural (and not) remedies to cope with those moments you do not feel so stellar while traveling.  Nux Vomica is an excellent homeopathic for car or plane sickness, Emergen-C will fight off that pesky sore throat, enzymes take away some of the guilt for less-than-healthy food choices, and ibuprofen is pretty self-explanatory.  For long air trips, I also carry Dramamine to deal with motion sickness, which has the added benefit of knocking me out.  I may be the daughter of a hippie and into natural remedies myself, but I also recognize that travel time is valuable, so I will do whatever it takes to quickly fix the problem.

Staples in my Traveling Pharmacy

Fun:  So, there you have it.  I love to travel as much as the next gal, but I am careful to keep myself healthy and energized along the way, even if it means carving a little time out for myself to exercise or forcing myself to watch what I eat.  Now, wish me luck as I embark this afternoon on my girls’ road trip to Olympia, Portland, and the Oregon Coast.  Should be a raucous blast!

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