Vacationing at an All-Inclusive Resort? How to Enjoy, Indulge, and Keep Your Health on Track (mostly).
I love to eat. I love to travel. My family and I love to vacation at all-inclusive resorts in tropical destinations, especially those that come with all-you-can-eat buffets and unlimited fruity tropical drinks. As someone who has been able to maintain my weight and keep type 2 diabetes at bay with my lifestyle despite many indulgent vacations, I offer some tips for your next vacation.
1. Don’t indulge during transit. Airport food offerings are notoriously unhealthy. Eat a filling, healthy meal at home before you get to the airport, and do the same on the return trip. Skip the frothy, sugary coffee drink at the airport terminal and get a big bottle of water instead. Airplane air dries out your skin, so hydration is very important. If you think you will need a snack before your next meal on the ground, pack a bag of low-sugar, high-fiber, high-protein snacks like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or dried coconut slices.
2. Choose alcoholic beverages wisely. Even if you plan on forgetting your stress and losing your inhibitions with alcohol intake on vacation (I am not recommending this), choose lower sugar options. Dry wines, gin and tonic with a twist of lime, and rum or whiskey with diet soda, have much less sugar than tropical mixed drinks.
3. Drink lots of water. Take a refillable, insulated water bottle from home. Add 10-20% to your daily water intake goals at home to account for extra activity (walking, beach activities, hiking, etc.), extra sweating in the heat, and extra urine production (alcohol acts as a diuretic). In addition to preventing heat related illnesses, staying well-hydrated will also help increase a feeling of fullness before, during, and in between meals.
4. Get lots of sleep. Getting high quality sleep for 7-9 hours per night can lower our cortisol (stress hormone) levels and help heal our metabolism. Sleeping longer can also help reduce our food indulgences. If you are a late riser, enjoy brunch and an earlier dinner, instead of three full meals. If you prefer to rise early, eat breakfast and a bigger late lunch, and wind down earlier for a good night’s rest.
5. Eat slow. Do not race through meals. Appreciate the beautiful scenery around you. Enjoy each course separately. When eating dinner at a buffet eat your salad and drink at least half of a glass of water, before repeating the process with soup, then a high protein entrée, and so forth. Eating slower allows our stomach and intestines to start the digestive process and then send hormonal satiety signals to our brain telling us that we’re full. It can take 20-30 minutes after ingesting your first bite, regardless of what you are eating or how much, for your body to register that you are full.
6. Start meals with filling, healthy real foods which are part of your nutrition plan (whatever that may be). Foods that are high in fiber (fresh green salads, roasted vegetables, raw vegetables with dressing, nuts, beans), high in protein (meats, fish, eggs, beans, tofu) and high in healthy fats (avocados, coconut, olives, cheese) all help you feel full, so you are less likely to overindulge in the “empty” calories of refined carbohydrates.
7. Try new foods, skip the mundane. Never tried quinoa, smoked salmon or plantains? The buffet at your all-inclusive resort is a great chance to try those and other foods without breaking the bank. You might even find your new favorite healthy food. Vacations are a great time to be adventurous with foods. Save room for the new indulgences by skipping the mashed potatoes, French fries, bread and white rice that are available back home.
8. Don’t clean your plate. Enjoy smaller portions, share indulgent foods with your family, take small bites to taste new things, and do not feel obliged to clean your plate whether you enjoy the food or not. Apply the same principle to higher sugar drinks. Satisfy your curiosity with a sip or two, but do not feel guilty about not finishing it.
9. Maximize your stress reduction. Vacations are a great opportunity to improve your self-connection by journaling, meditation and self-care activities. Build your human connections. Reconnect with nature. Get lost in a book (or three!) Relax your body with stretching, yoga, exercise, and massage. Laugh. Listen to music you love. Enjoy the scenery.
10. Get back on track with your healthy way of eating as soon as you get home (even better, start at the airport). Vacation-eating which entails refined carbohydrates will increase secretion of insulin and other hormones which stimulate hunger. This increased hunger may linger for days or weeks after you get home. Self-awareness of these hunger cues and a mindful plan to decrease your hunger hormones quickly by getting back to your usual way of eating can prevent a serious backslide in reaching your health goals.
Vacations are meant for relaxation, indulgence and celebration. In our current food environment, many of us eat like we are on vacation every day! Instead, mindfully save those indulgences for your next vacation: better start planning now!