Tawanna, Author at Mom's Guide To Travel

Jun 04 2011

Vacation, Healthy-Eating, and Fitness: Can They Co-Exist?

Staying on plan with healthy eating and exercise never ceases to be a challenge when I travel. As relatively consistent as I am when I’m home, as soon as I hit the road or skies, a SHUT-OFF button magically appears. It’s like an auto-relax button that says vacation, exercise and healthy-eating don’t always belong in the same sentence.

Funny thing about departing from my everyday regimen is that when I get back from vacay, and I haven’t exercised or eaten properly, I’m everything but relaxed. I’m bloated, edgy, cranky, and just overall, grumpy, and not nice. However, I will say that even in my inconsistency, I’m not consistent about falling off the horse. I’m still trying to figure out why I fall on some trips andrace to the finish line on others. Is there a direct correlation between my attitude and my location – the more tropical, the greater my motivation and vice versa?

In April, I took a three-day cruise with my BFF. I worked out 2 of the 3 days we were on the ship but consumed way more alcohol and deserts than is my usual. I’ve come to a few conclusions:

1. I take vacations, especially girls-only ones, to relax and step away from the stresses of everyday demands. Exercise isn’t a stress for me, therefore, taking a vacation shouldn’t mean relaxing on my fitness regimen.

2. Exercise is fun and is more than just jumping jacks, push ups, and 5 mile runs. Being away from home in a new and exciting location is a great opportunity to explore new ways to be active. Nature hikes, snorkeling, open-water swimming, zip-lining, rock wall climbing, canoeing are great activities that not only elevate the heart rate but also show off the land.

3. Food is food, no matter where I eat it. Bad food at home is the same bad food on the road. Departing drastically from a healthy eating regimen just because I see a few umbrella drinks, a sandy beach and tropical waters is irresponsible of me. It takes twice as many days to recover and get back on track and generally, not worth it.

Vacation, fitness and healthy eating aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. If the latter two can be achieved at home then they certainly can be applied on the road. Do you get off track when you take a vacation or do you remain consistent? Is it a challenge for you or easy as pie? Pun intended.

Jun 03 2011

Wilson Capris – A Fitness Addict’s Review

As someone who works out 6-7 days a week, I’m pretty picky about my workout gear, specifically capris. As a traveling mom, who likes to workout even while on the road -besides form and function, I’m looking for style and packability in my fitness clothing. The Wilson tennis capris fit the bill for me in all respects. They not only make my lower half look good (totally narcissistic comment there) but they also provide great support, whether I’m riding 15 miles; doing interval training; or running a 5k. The black and teal are ultra cute and are for more than just tennis, which I had naively limited them to.

The design is clean and simple. The wicking action is extremely effective and the fabric is incredibly light and breathable. Out of the 5 brands that I use for capris, I honestly rank this pair as my favorite – hands down.

It’s great to see Wilson enter the market and offer functional fitness apparel that can be used across many sports disciplines. Maybe they always had and I never knew. When I think of the Wilson brand, my mind immediately goes to tennis – from balls and tennis skirts to sneaker and rackets. That’s what I’ve known and respected them for. And now they’ve got my respect for making awesome capris that don’t ride down; or cut off blood circulation at the calf; or harbor unflattering seams that would make any exercise enthusiast hang up her sports bra and call it a day. Because if you know like I know, most women want to look good, whether they’re fresh from the salon or sweaty from the exercise mat or bike trail or tennis court.

Wilson has done their math on these capris and I can honestly say that I am a new fan.

Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this review – Wilson did send me a pair of their ultra cute capris in order to write this review and I’ve chosen to keep them.

Official information about the Tennis Capris:

The Wilson La Davine Capri Pant is a compression fit Capri that is lightweight, breathable, and flattering. The premium technical fabric and design allow for maximum moisture wicking and comfort. The Capri has versatile functionality whether training in the gym, playing on the tennis court, or just out and about running errands.

May 30 2011

Postcard Giveaway

There’s just something to be said about receiving a note in the mail. Opening the mailbox and finding something from someone other than the mortgage company or your cell carrier always warms the heart. Remember when you’d send a postcard from your latest travel destination? That was often the best souvenir anyone could give me and it’s sad that I don’t receive or send as many nowadays.

However, all is not lost. Enter the UPrinting.com postcard giveaway for a chance to win your own personal set and resurrect your postcard-writing days. Simply comment below if you’d use them for business or personal purposes. The contest runs today only 5/31/2011. One random winner will be announced and contacted to claim their prize. Here are further prize details:

100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
5″ x 7″
14pt Cardstock Gloss
Front Only printing
2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time
Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards printing for hosting.

May 14 2011

Travel during allergy season – Quercetin may be your savior

Do your allergies feel more out of control than normal this year? Is this your first year ever getting allergies? Well, you are not alone. A growing number of allergy sufferers are reporting the same observations.

Mine sure did when they first started killing me softly back in early April. At times, I was sneezing so hard and rapidly that I’ve had to put my car in park and allow the spell to pass. Horrible! I thought it was way too early for those bad boys to give me the okie doke but apparently it wasn’t. All the rain and hot flashes that Mother Nature’s been experiencing has not only strengthened the pollen but also made it come on prematurely. However, now I’m better prepared.

I found out about an herb called Quercetin at a seminar and it has done wonders for my immune system. I knew that I’d be traveling in a few weeks and was going to need more than Claritin, Flonaise, etc. etc. but I didn’t want to take any new prescription allergy medicine. After the initial two weeks of taking quercetin twice a day, I haven’t had to use it again thus far. If you travel during the Spring or Fall, this would be a great supplement to travel as you don’t always know what to expect in your destination.

Have you ever tried Quercetin? How did it work for you? What else has been beneficial to your system? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience on beating the pollen.

May 12 2011

Food Should Taste Good

As much as I am in to fitness and clean eating, I have to admit that I am a snacker – a big one. Thus, my quest for healthy snacks is an ongoing one. I mean, come on, after a while almonds and string cheese can get boring.

Luckily, I’ve found a tasty chip devoid of preservatives that actually tastes good. The chips are from a company called Food Should Taste Good. They’ve been featured all over the place – Rachel Ray has talked about them so much on her show that I think she may be a spokesperson by now.

When I first purchased these chips, I was in the market for a gluten free snack for my boys other than the average plain potato chips, just to give them some variety. I found Food Should Taste Good’s multigrain chips. In all honesty, my boys weren’t the biggest fans of that particular flavor but I sure became a fan. The hearty nuttiness of the multigrain flavored chip made it easy to eat just the recommended serving of 8 chips. Though it sounds like a sparse serving, the chips are sizeable, and again, pretty hearty.

For this post, I tried other flavors from the company, which they provided to me for this review. Here are my thoughts on the individual flavors:

Cheddar – thumbs up, loved it on its own.
Jalapeno – sideway thumbs – this flavor was missing a little something and didn’t excite my taste buds but it wasn’t awful.
Lime – thumbs up…best eaten with a salsa.
Chocolate – thumbs down…not my type of wedding. I’d rather just eat a piece of chocolate or a corn chip.
The works – my favorite of them all.

Four out of five isn’t a bad rating at all. Would you like your own taste? Just leave a comment below of the 5 flavors you’d love to try and a flavor you’d like to see them make. Visit the company’s site here to choose your flavors. One lucky winner will be chosen by random and rewarded with their own arsenal of healthy chip choices. Contest runs from 9am EST May 12, 2011 until 11:59 pm May 14, 2011.

Good luck and happy healthy snacking.

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