Post-Vacation Healthy Reset
I recently returned from an awesome vacation to Sonoma, CA with some close friends and I still find myself laughing when I recall some of our adventures. We went wine tasting, biked through downtown Sonoma, made it through an escape room, and had our “fancy dinner night.” We had such an amazing time and I am so glad that we have made this an annual event.
Me and my lovely friend Zoe at Domaine Chandon, Yountville, CA.
Beautiful vineyard at Starmont Winery, Napa, CA
The backyard at the AirBnB we rented in Sonoma, CA
The Reset
Now that I am back to reality, the jet-lag, dehydration, and inadequate fuel has has made it a bit of a struggle to get back on track with my healthy habits. I was lucky enough to be able to take a couple of days off after we returned to Virginia, and it has given me some time to think about what I can do to feel at my best again.
Hydrate
Getting re-hydrated is at the top of my list when it comes to my post-vacation healthy reset. I had been working really hard on my water intake recently (especially with my hyperhidrosis) and although I had great intentions of drinking lots of water on this trip, I think I really fell short of my goal. I usually travel with a re-usable water bottle and I’m not quite sure what got in the way of me bringing it with me and refilling it every time we went out.
Now I am starting each morning with a big glass of water (sometimes with sliced lemon), before breakfast and coffee.
Healthy Fuel and a Proper Schedule
While I wouldn’t say I ate totally poorly during the trip, I can definitely say that I probably didn’t eat enough. This all culminated in an almost-melt-down when we arrived at SFO airport to go home. (No stress management tool in the world can save me from turning into a monster when my blood sugar gets too low.) There was always plenty of food but I think my eating schedule got so skewed to the point where I didn’t realize I wasn’t fueling properly.
We had nothing in our pantry and fridge when we got home, so I took this as an opportunity to stock up on lots of fruit, veg…and maybe a bag of vegan chicken tenders from Trader Joe’s. I already feel better after a few home cooked meals eaten at my normal intervals.
Sleep
Coast to coast jet-lag is no joke. It’s all fun and games when you travel east-west and you’re waking up early (with no alarm clock other than the rooster that lived next door) and going to bed early. It’s a whole other story when you make the return trip back to the east coast. We landed at around 1230 AM and didn’t make it home until around 130 AM. When I woke up the next morning (afternoon?) I almost didn’t know what planet I was on. As a night owl, it was challenging not to stay up until the wee hours of the morning and curse myself after inadequate sleep.
Getting back on a regular sleep schedule is really important, especially after being in a different time zone for a longer period of time. Staying up a little later and getting up early was really helpful in making sure that I would be tired when it was time for me to go to bed.