How to Have a Healthy Vacation | Herbal Goodness

This is What a Vacation Means
It means to replenish lost energy; rejuvenate the mind and body; to refuel. But refueling and rejuvenation do not translate to a sedentary lifestyle where one stuffs oneself with all manner of diets ranging from sweets to chocolates to starchy foods. As a student or a worker, a vacation is a time to live healthily and regain your strength. Many—being carried away by their own idea of fun and relaxation—have unintentionally stressed themselves further during vacations by engaging in activities that do not improve their health in any way. So here are five different ways to have a healthy vacation:


1. Sleep: Work usually does not allow one to have all the rest and sleep the body deserves. Sometimes there is a need to sleep late to tidy up the day’s assignment and awake early to start off a new day. But this shouldn’t be so during a vacation. Have all the rest and sleep the body needs. Up to eight hours of sleep is recommended. A bad practice during vacations is staying up all night and binge-watching movies. This affects one’s productivity during the day. Also, try as much as possible not to carry work into the vacation. But if this isn’t inevitable, do the work at your own pace.

2. Exercise: Some folks use exercises as a way to kick-start their day, ensuring they take up activities with vigor and mental alertness. But as soon as they embark on a vacation, this changes—vacation becomes more sleep time. This is not ideal. Do not quit or reduce the intensity of your exercises. Still wake up early and run those kilometers. Keep up with the sit-ups and push-ups. Keep burning the fats, buddy.

3. Eat Healthy (No junks): No . . . No . . . No! Vacation does not mean binging on ice-cream and pizza, doughnut and cake, fizzy drinks and pies. I know you deserve a treat after months of hard work but quell your sweet tooth. The importance of healthy eating cannot be overemphasized during your vacation, because except one is intentional about one’s health, there is a huge tendency for one to come down with a myriad of diseases during vacation because of inactivity. So avoid fast foods as much as you can. You are in no hurry with school or office work, so get into the kitchen and treat yourself to fresh homemade meals made up of all nutrients. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. From blueberries to soursop to lemon, super fruits and veggies help boost immunity and overall well-being. Take juices. A glass of wine is healthy too. However, wine and juices as fluids cannot replace water. So drink water. Plenty of water.

4. Reduce contact time with your gadgets: One way to enjoy your vacation is to watch movies, spend time on your computer and phone, or play games for long hours on your console. While these activities are filled with so much fun and make you connect with almost an entirely different world, it is worthy to note that long contact time with these gadgets can impact negatively on your health. So what other ways can you have fun during your vacation? Read books. Write. Hike. Ski. Swim.

5. Be wary of seasonal diseases: Note the season of your vacation and prepare adequately for it by researching on diseases that are common in those seasons. With the information, you get, arm yourself with the right clothing, right foods, and remedies. (You do not want to spend your vacation on a hospital bed.) Remedies include drugs and supplements for prophylaxis or cure. However, taking adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables can perform the same function as these drugs and supplements.