Tag Archives: beach

Tips for eating healthy while traveling

Summertime is vacation time – from road trips and family reunions to long flights, making healthy food choices can sometimes seem impossible. But by following a few guidelines and doing a little bit of prep work, you can easily make healthy choices on even the most exotic vacation. Fill your suitcase The last thing you want to do when you first arrive is go shopping for healthy snacks. Instead, prepare snack-sized baggies that you can easily throw into your beach bag or pocket. Keep all the small baggies together by storing them in a larger plastic storage bag. Some great choices include trail mix with dried fruits and nuts, individual packets of nut butters, dehydrated kale chips, dried coconut slices and your favorite jerky. When choosing jerky, make sure to look for brands with no added preservatives, and be creative so you don’t get bored by trying salmon or turkey jerky instead of beef. Even a can of sardines, wild salmon or tuna can be made into a quick meal in a pinch. Air travel Make sure to eat a healthy, protein-packed meal right before leaving to cut down on the temptation of airport fast food, or take a light meal with you. Small frozen gel packs are great for keeping snacks cool for a few hours and usually have no trouble getting through security. Look for sets that are sold for diaper bags since they tend to be streamlined and don’t take up much space. Choose snacks that are nutrient-dense so you don’t need a large quantity to fill you up. Veggie sticks and cheese cubes, avocado slices, fresh coconut slices and hard-boiled eggs are easy to eat without utensils. Apples and bananas are usually easy to find and make a great snack when paired with a packet of nut butter. Road trips Investing in a small cooler will greatly reduce your chances of giving in to the drive-through window. Fill it with fresh fruit, veggie sticks, hard-boiled eggs, chicken-avocado salad and sandwiches. When making sandwiches, choose sprouted, or whole-grain bread – or wrap it all up in a lettuce leaf for a grain-free option. Look for deli meats that are free of nitrates and preservatives, add some lettuce and sliced avocado as a healthy fat instead of mayonnaise. Make sure you layer any condiments (pickles, mustard, and tomatoes) between the protein slices so the bread, or lettuce wrap, doesn’t get soggy. Homemade oatmeal cookies or granola bars made with a touch of honey and filled with dried fruits and nuts make a great kid-friendly snack on the go. If you get caught hungry at a gas station, choose high-protein snacks such as sunflower seeds, nuts, fruit and nut bars or a banana. Restaurants Of course you want to indulge on vacation, but indulging at every meal may make it harder to get back into your healthy routine when you get back home. Choose one meal a day, or every two days, as an indulgence, and skip the breadbasket so you’re not tempted to fill up on empty calories before the meal. Choose grilled, broiled, steamed, roasted, baked or poached for your proteins and ask for vegetables to be steamed so they don’t end up floating in oil. Try ordering a salad with olive oil and fresh lemon juice as an appetizer and choose an appetizer for a main course, or choose two appetizers for your dinner. It’s a great way to try different things without going overboard. Hotels Hotel breakfasts tend to offer a lot of high-sugar, high-carbohydrate items such as pancakes and processed cereals. Choose high-protein eggs instead and add veggies to your omelet if you can. Try finding a hotel with a fridge or request that the mini bar be emptied before you arrive so that you can use it during your stay. Stock it with perishables such as fresh veggie sticks, berries, organic full-fat yogurt, kefir and organic cheese. Pack your own individual oatmeal breakfasts in plastic baggies. Add old-fashioned rolled oats, cacao nibs, shredded coconut, dried cherries, slivered almonds and even some whey protein. Pour the mixture into a bowl covered with water or coconut milk the night before, store it in the fridge and your breakfast will be waiting for you in the morning.Jacqueline Banks is a certified holistic health counselor and busy mother. & Her focus is on helping other busy moms in all stages of motherhood keep themselves and their little ones healthy and happy. & She uses natural and organic solutions to solve individual health problems and promote clean living. Check out her website at www.jbholistic.com.& & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/05/tips-for-eating-healthy-while-traveling/

5 awesome hotels for moms traveling with kids

Planning a vacation with your family this summer?  It’s never been easier with hotels and resorts offering special mom and kid friendly amenities to make traveling a little less stressful. According to Corinne McDermott, a travel agent and founder of the website havebabywilltravel.com, many destinations are wising up to the fact that women are waiting to have children later in life, and “once the children come along, they don’t necessarily want to give up everything they enjoyed pre-kids,” she said. Check out some hotels that are making trip planning a little easier and vacations more fun for the whole family. 1. The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach in Florida is an all-suite hotel that offers full kitchens, climate-controlled poolside cabanas with flat-screen TVs, private restrooms, Wi-Fi and call-button service for refreshments. Camp Hyatt offers daily activities and adventures, and the Toy Box program provides a variety of age-appropriate toys and games for kids to choose from. The hotel also offers the Babies Travel Lite program which provides vacationers with everything from diapers and wipes to cribs, strollers, and baby food. Babysitting is also available. 2. If you’re breastfeeding or need a place to pump, the Nursing Mothers Amenity program at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago has you covered. For just $30, the hotel provides a Medela hospital grade breast pump – a breastfeeding accessory starter set which includes the Quick Clean™ Micro Steam™ bags, Quick Clean Wipes, Pump and Save™ Bags and disposable bra pads.  The hotel also offers an in-room microwave, mini-refrigerator, ice packs and mini cooler bags. Plus, they’ll even FedEx your milk home. All proceeds from the program benefit local families with children in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital. 3. The Four Seasons Resort in Vail, Colo., caters to the littlest traveler with amenities like a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, a bottle warmer, sterilizer and cleaning brush, a step stool, baby bathtub, crib, a pack and play, or a toddler bed. Is it nap time

The best way to scorch fat and lean up for the summer

With less than a month left until summer, you've got to tone up fast. It's time to learn about Tabata, a Japanese method of training with sessions that's based on timing instead of counting reps and is absolutely perfect for scorching fat and getting toned up for the summer. Tabata is known for improving performance and muscle tone. In fact, a study in the Journal of Physiology found that short, intense interval workouts like Tabata can be a more time-efficient way to get in shape than longer, steadier paced workouts. RELATED: Last-Minute Beach Shape-Up Routine Try these four Tabata moves two to three times a week; it should take 20 minutes to complete. Each move should start with 20 seconds of flat-out effort on each move, 10 seconds of rest, and repeat eight times. Take a full minute to rest before moving on to the next exercise. You will also need weights that are about half the weight of your normal level so you can last through the time sets. Lastly, since this is a high-intensity exercise, you should try wearing a heart rate monitor to make sure that you're working out at 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, your optimal fat-burning zone. Let's get started! 1. Press-up Row. In a pushup position, grip the handles of two weights. Instead of lowering yourself down, bring one arm up to your armpit while holding yourself tight. Lower and repeat. RELATED: 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!) 2. Leapfrog Plank.  Leave your weights to the side, get in the pushup position, with your shoulders and hands in line and your back straight. “Leap” your feet forward towards your hands, and then jump back to plank position. Do this back and forth as fast as you can. 3. Front Squat. Rest your weights on your shoulders, palms facing out, standing with feet hip-width apart. Slowly squat (remember to keep your butt tucked in and your back straight!) as far down as you can, making sure that your knees are aligned with your toes. then return to start. 4. Clean and Press. Stand with your weights at your toes. Squat down and grab your weights overhand. Stand up and lift the weights up and over your head, then lower them down to the floor. Repeat. RELATED: Fastest Fat Burners Ever! Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, best-selling author, and entrepreneur.  With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW's Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants' to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC's Today Show, Extra, The Doctors and Good Morning America. This article originally appeared on Health.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/30/best-way-to-scorch-fat-and-lean-up-for-summer/

Save yourself from summer dangers

Whether you’re hitting the beach or relaxing in your own backyard this weekend, it’s important to remember some important summer safety tips along the way.   Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor for FoxNews.com, spoke to Dr. Mark Melrose, of Urgent Care Manhattan, about how to avoid common summer health hazards. Food poisoning If you’re attending a summer picnic or barbecue, take precautions to avoid food poisoning. After an hour or two in the heat, any foods that are typically refrigerated should be thrown out, Melrose advised. “Don’t be tempted to bring home leftovers that have been left outdoors all day long. You’ve got to toss them,” Melrose said. Water hazards A trip to the beach or a dip in the pool presents its own safety concerns, especially if small children are involved. Make sure children are never unattended near a pool or beach, and if you’re on a boat, everybody should wear a life jacket, Melrose advised. Also, look out for swimming injuries, especially when people are diving into the water, and react quickly if anyone gets hurt. “If you dive into a pool and hit your head, that would be a reason to call 911,” Melrose said. Sunburns and heat stroke People planning to spend time outside in the sun should also watch out for sunburns and heat stroke, Melrose advised. “The number one solution is to avoid the heat, get into the shade. Get into a cool building,” Melrose said. Most importantly, remember to stay hydrated on hot days, and don’t forget to put on lots of sunscreen when you’re spending time outdoors. “Summer time is definitely busier in hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers. If you take proper measures you can definitely save yourself a trip to the doctor,” Melrose said.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/26/save-yourself-from-summer-dangers/

The golden rules of sun protection

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know to apply sunscreen. There's a lifesaving reason to: About 3.5 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year. “The incidence of skin cancer, including melanoma—the deadliest kind—is going up, and wearing sunscreen is one of the best ways to prevent it,” said Dr. Ronald Moy, a dermatologist and spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation. Stick with these smart tips—and check out our product picks—to make sure you're as protected as you can possibly be. Select a sunscreen you love Finding your sunscreen soul mate is the key motivating factor for using it regularly, experts agree. “If you think your sunscreen is pasty, thick or smelly, you have the wrong kind,” said Dr. Jeffrey Dover, clinical associate professor of dermatology at Yale University. “It may make you less likely to put it on, or to reapply when you do.” Happily, there are plenty of lightweight, sheer formulas, like Vichy Capital Soleil Foaming lotion SPF 50 ($29; vichyusa.com) and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light sunscreen fluid for face SPF 60 with Cell-Ox Shield XL ($30; laroche-posay.us). Health.com: Which Sunscreen Is Best For You? Remember, SPF 30 is the new 15 As a general rule, SPF 15 blocks 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent and SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. Doctors now typically recommend at least SPF 30—at least being the key words. If you have a family history of skin cancer or are vacationing in a tropical spot (where the sun is especially intense), go for 50 or even 70. Just keep in mind: No sunscreen provides 100 percent protection. So to be as safe as possible, you still need to reapply every two hours and after a swim, even if you used the water-resistant kind, said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Try Neutrogena Beach Defense sunscreen spray broad-spectrum SPF 30 ($11; at mass retailers). FYI, sunscreen becomes less effective about three years after you open the container. Check labels for the term broad-spectrum It means the sunscreen provides protection against both UVA (wrinkle- and cancer-causing) and UVB (burning) rays. Problem is, that labeling rule only went into effect in December and stores still sell inventory made prior to it, noted Dr. Steven Wang, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J.  So if you're shopping and there's no broad-spectrum mention, check the ingredients for zinc or avobenzone, the only two that provide top-notch UVA coverage, he says. Coola Mineral Sport broad-spectrum SPF 35 Citrus Mimosa ($36; coolasuncare.com) contains zinc, and L'Oréal Paris Sublime Sun Liquid Silk Sunshield for face broad-spectrum SPF 30 ($10; at mass retailers) has avobenzone. Health.com: 7 Ways You're Aging Your Skin Layer it on Think you apply enough