Two weeks spent. . .in Greece.
Reveling in dry, hot, sunny weather while shielding my Midwestern skin beneath wide-brimmed hats, long sleeve shirts, and gallons of sunscreen.
Drowning my senses in gorgeous scenery, stunning sunrises and sunsets, the hypnotic rhythm of a language I can’t speak, nor imagine ever being able to understand, while inhaling too much noxious cigarette smoke, car exhaust and diesel fumes (thanks, Athens.).
Sunset
Sunrise
Fira, Island of Santorini
Eating gorgeous-to-the-eye, delicious-to-the-palate, nourishing-to-the-body homecooked, REAL food, while lamenting a squandered eating opportunity on a mediocre “tourist meal” courtesy of a recommendation from our apartment owner.
True Greek salad. Those are caper leaves on top!
Delicious Greek pastries and bracing Greek coffee; orange pie and baklava.
Feeding my brain with historical knowledge, by learning traditional and regional food and cooking practices, and navigating loopy city streets via landmarks and signage etched clearly in Greek(!), while allowing my mind to empty during an afternoon spent poolside.
Acropolis Museum display (lots of stone ladies!).
Spending (not enough) time with good friends, while not knowing when we’ll next be together. BTW, my friend Elena is the founder and writer of the blog Olive Tomato | The Authentic Mediterannean Diet. We earned our nutrition degree’s from the same university (University of Illinois at Chicago), but didn’t know each other then! We met in 2006. Since she’s moved back to Greece, we try to see each other at nutrition conferences as often as we can.
My friend Maria? I’ve known her for over 30 years(!). We met when we both lived in Chicago and worked together at The Limited. I’m not kidding. She moved back to Greece 30 years ago, and this is the first time I’ve seen her on her own “turf.”
My dear friend and fellow RD Elena (@greekdiet) and me at our Athens apartment.
My dear friend (also a breast cancer survivor) Maria and me!
These examples describe my oppositional experience in Greece, a beautiful country I was lucky to visit earlier this month.
Traveling is one of my passions. As a little girl (and VORACIOUS reader), I devoured books about wildly exotic sounding places, like New York City, for example! 😉
I get ideas when I travel. I feel inspired and creative. I broaden my views on so many things. We can read and hear about life in other places from the media, through the internet and second-hand accounts, but there’s nothing like literally stepping off a plane and into the real-life world of others.
We are so fortunate to live in a global world, where for a reasonable amount of money (yes it’s possible, do your homework!), we can hop on an airplane and be whisked away to experience how people in other countries eat, cook, shop, practice self-care, communicate and simply live.
I find that fascinating and amazing.
Shaking Things Up!
Much as I love the benefits of my regular eating, sleeping and exercise routine, occasionally stepping outside of it allows me to get creative in how I substitute for its predictability.
When planning a trip, there are a few things I do without fail to ensure I can keep up with my self-care.
Let me give you a little tough love here. Just because we’re on vaca, it doesn’t mean we abandon eating well, exercising and getting enough rest. Working to minimize our risk of recurrence is our #1 job. That doesn’t change because we’re out of town!
Here’s my 11 tip checklist for inviting healthy travels. Use it the next time you head out, and see if it doesn’t make a difference in how you feel!
- Choose hotels with onsite fitness centers.
- Even if it’s an extra closet turned into a mini-gym, it will work!
- Impossible to get the gym/hotel combo? Find out if there’s an off-site gym offering hotel guest use.
- Prepare for accomodations without a gym and no alternative.
- Do my 20-minute workout in your room. No equipment necessary! For bicep curls and shoulder presses, use a small piece of luggage or nothing – it’s ok to do just the motions. Print it off and pack it along.
- Pack your fitness gear. Here’s what I bring, your list may differ slightly.
- Running/walking shoes
- Weight lifting gloves
- Small resistance band(s)
- Workout clothing (one set, you can wash them in the shower!)
- Sports bra
- Exercise socks
- Sport sunglasses
- Visor or baseball cap
- For the days you can’t even get in that 20-minute workout.
- Walk laps around the airport.
- Take the stairs anywhere and everywhere you can safely do so.
- Stretch!
- Carry your medication in your purse.
- Don’t risk missing doses of your AI or other meds because they’re stashed in your checked luggage – especially important on flights where you’re crossing time zones.
- Remember to bring your compression sleeve.
- I don’t use one, but if you do, consider keeping one in your luggage; you’ll always know where it is.
- Dining out should be pleasurable and memorable.
- Learn which plant-based dishes are specialties in the area you’re visiting.
- Order those items most often (they’ll taste different based on different preparations/chefs, etc., so you won’t likely tire of them!).
- Focus on whole soy, eggs, seafood, fish, legumes, lentils and beans and for protein.
- Seek out restaurants that offer healthy dishes.
- It’s getting easier to find health-focused restaurants. Our hotels recommended them to us without hesitation when we shared our preferences – and we found many on our own.
- Alcohol. It’s your call.
- Remember that alcohol (in all forms) can increase your risk of recurrence.
- If you enjoy drinking, don’t feel guilty or weird about it, but could you limit it (split a glass of wine, drink every other day)?
- Pack snacks for the flight and layovers/delays.
- Dried fruit and nuts.
- Nut butter (almond, cashew etc.) sandwiches
- Fresh fruit and cut up veggies
- Refillable water bottle
- When your body is begging for sleep, go to bed early.
- Your immune system will thank you.
- Your energy level will thank you.
- Your focus and stamina will thank you.
- Your patience, problem-solving ability, and resourcefulness will thank you – all critical in unfamiliar territory!
To wrap up, here are pics of some treats I brought back, and what I think is an adorable photo of me and my partner in adventure. . .my darling husband.
Gifts from Elena: gigante beans, olives, barley rusks and olive oil she helped me choose.
Dried figs and sun-dried tomatoes from Santorini.
Mastika (Greek liqueur) and Greek honey.
Travel companions for life!
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