Holidays are just the best for completely unwinding, enjoying a new culture and escaping the daily grind. While switching off your mobile (yes people do actually still do this, we've heard) and lying in bed all morning are ace for de-stressing, ditching your regular exercise routine and healthy eating plan may not be a good idea. HELLO!'s new wellbeing expert Louise Parker writes in the latest issue how she likes to keep up with her healthy eating and fitness habits even on her family holiday. It sounds hard work, but Louise has some great tips for chilling out and staying on top form.
Louise said: "When I’m on holiday with my husband and three daughters, I want to feel like I’ve let go of the day-to-day juggle and really relish every moment with my family. It’s about detoxing from screens as much as possible and re-toxing on rest, pleasure and laughter. I want to indulge in local delicacies and enjoy celebrations – but still keep up my core healthy habits so I arrive home energised and raring to go again. However, that doesn’t mean I’m a total health bore. Being healthy on holiday is about finding a balance that works for you.
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"Firstly, try not think of any food as a treat or 'naughty'. This creates a tedious all-or-nothing dieting mind-set. Think of that flaky croissant at breakfast as a 'sometimes' food, not an 'always' food. Each day, the idea is to balance what you know to be good for your health and good for your soul."
HELLO!'s columnist Louise Parker
Louise adds: "Breakfast is absolutely key and sets the tone for the day. If you kick off with a protein-rich meal, such as creamy Greek yoghurt and beautifully ripe fruit or a delicious omelette with local cheese and sweet tomatoes, you’re already off to a great start.
"Enjoy eating fresh local seafood and beautifully zesty salads over long, lazy lunches and evening meals. And have a scoop of ice cream instead of three – just make sure it’s worthy of you. Then relax with a cold glass of rosé or two and match your drinks to a couple of glasses of water. Of course there will be nights when you kick off your shoes and party, but sneak in as many good nights’ sleep as you can (I call them 'super sleeps')."
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When it comes to beauty regimes, Louise still tries to treat her skin well on holiday. She writes: "In that hour before bed, relish the chance to really wash off the day, hydrate your skin with a beautiful mask and slather yourself in a cooling aloe gel. Also, banish that phone and enjoy your holiday read until your eyes wobble. You’ll wake up feeling recharged and motivated."
Exercise-wise, Louise recommends sticking to 20 minutes of fitness each day as 'it’ll be so much easier to switch back into gear when you arrive home." She adds: "Stick to the same time daily and start the holiday as you mean to go on – I find a little toning time before my morning shower gets it done and one good habit ticked off always has a positive knock-on effect on your day. Jump up every hour and take a dip – even a ten-minute swim three times a day and a couple of miles walking means you’re winning."
Louise also suggests taking an hour off for me-time if you have children and swapping childcare duties with your partner, "whether that’s reading your book, having a massage or giving in to one of those gloriously dozy afternoon naps under an umbrella in a quiet corner."
She adds: "If you remain mindful, you won’t need a huge swell of motivation to get you going again when you get back."
For further information, visit louiseparker.com.