Ah, Clearwater. Home of white powdery sand, dolphins folicking in the surf, and loads of bars and restarants enticing you with fatty fried foods and sugary drinks. Today I face many of the same challenges as I did in Jacksonville, but I'm not complaining. There are MUCH worse ways to spend a weekend than touring Florida's beaches. And this time I know the drill. Suncreen on, shoes off, hello gorgeous beaches! I'm ready for another 400-500 calories to melt off of me in the hot summer sun. As for nutrition, I am treated by my in-laws to an amazing lunch at Columbia's, right on the bay. I'm convinced that sitting by the ocean watching dolphins swim by aids in digestion. So here I sit with page after page of menu layed out before me, and a waiter telling me EVERYTHING they offer is amazing. What's a girl to do? Well, I confess, I ordered a mojito. How can you go to an authentic gormet Cuban eaterie and not try the country's signature drink? Moderation, and a lot of extra steps in my day, will be needed to undue this sin. Sadly I am dissapointed in the drink. They use quite a bit of club soda in it, which I am not used to (I'll have to check but I do NOT think club soda is authentic Cuban!). I suppose that helps with the moderation aspect. Take heart, there are loads of fresh healthy options on even the richest and creamiset of menus. We start with a family style giant salad (served 5 people a very generous portion) of salad with swiss and turkey. Onto some white bean soup (great to fill up on fiber and liquids and slow your stomach's hunger down so your brain can catch up-it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal the brain that it is full, so slow and steady really does win the race!). By the time I get to my entree, grilled snapper with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts, my tummy is well on its way to calling it quits, and I can push some of the food away from me, and easily just say no to dessert. We stroll away (rather than roll away) from the restarant sated, happy and healthy. A long walk on the edge of the sea to burn those calories and soothe the soul, and we're ready for our return to reality. As we prepare to fly home the next day, we have several hours to kill before we need to leave for the airport. To some this may be the time for some net surfing or tv zone out, but for us this is a precious opportunity to get our heart rates up before we sit stagnant on a plane for hours. While my husband goes on a bike ride with his father, my mother-in-law and I strap on our running shoes and go for a jog. This time we're headed to a nature preserve with a giant sink hole. Each decent into the sink hole nets you 900 stairs, while you're surrounded by trees, flowers, butterflies, turtles and waterfalls. For all of you gym rats who cling to your treadmills and free weights (I'm admittedly one of you most of the time) I urge you to suncreen up and hit the trails. Communing with nature gives you a natural rush and appreciation for what you're doing for yourself unlike any read-out on a cardio machine or trendy music video playing on 800 tvs could ever provide. And the great thing about getting in a pre-flight workout is that the mentality doesn't quit on you. After rushing to wait yet again for another flight, we get another opportunity to take an extra 30 minute walk through the terminals and shops. This time a small turkey sandwich greets us as our inflight meal. I suggest you avoid the dangers of the chips and mini-twix that accompany it by offering them to the other passengers. You would have thought I was offering free Jimmy Choo! They were gone in about 5 seconds. Another complimentary water and dose of Emergen-C and we were home sweet home. The trip may be over, but along with my heart I left about 1500 calories in Florida, which my hips are oh-so-happy about. I believe the key to a healthy vacation is to think of each trip as an opportunity to get yourself WELL. Without the stress of work and every day life driving your energy down and ramping up bad-for-you stress cravings, you should rebuild your body along with your soul. Instead of coming back weighed down and guilty about your time off, you'll be lighter, leaner, more energized, and ready to take yourself to the next level.
Next time...how to create your own finish line
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"Communing with nature gives you a natural rush and appreciation for what you're doing for yourself unlike any read-out on a cardio machine or trendy music video playing on 800 tvs could ever provide." Chris and I need to air up the tires in the bikes and hit Herman park. *adds this to the agenda*
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