This week's blog is brought to you by Liisa Moore, RDH, QA Coach and Ortho Presenter!

Staying “on track”

Summer is in full swing and many of us are taking holidays; which include, back yard BBQ’s, pool parties, beach days, and all the food and drinks that go along with them.

Not only as a health care professional but also a personal trainer, I get asked all the time “how do you stay on track?” Here are some of my tips for staying on-track during holidays:

Keep your sleep routine

Yep, even on holidays I get to bed at the same time at night and wake up early each morning. I admit I do not set an alarm clock when I do not need to work the next day, but more often than not I wake up within 30 min of the time that my alarm would usually go off. There is a big difference between getting up early in the morning because you have to (because you have to get to work) versus being well rested and wanting to. Use that extra time in the morning to read a book, listen to a podcast, go for a walk, or just sit and have your coffee in peace. This is my favourite time of day to enjoy, since mornings are usually go-go-go, at least in my house!

Move your body

Stay with your workouts! The best part about summer, in my opinion, is having the extra daylight hours. Go for a bike ride early in the morning before work, or take a nice walk with your spouse and family after dinner. Grab your best friend and have a stretch session in a back yard or park. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

Stay productive

Clean out the junk drawer, organize the pantry, watch that webinar, read the article. Do something productive each day even if it’s only 15 minutes. You will be surprised how much better you feel when relaxing after you have done that small task that you have been struggling to find the time to do during your busy work schedule!

Veggies veggies and more veggies!

Who wants to cook when its summer and scorching hot outside? Nothing beats a big salad or just having washed cut up veggies in the fridge. Have them with a healthy home-made dip or my personal favourite hummus. Get creative on how to incorporate more veggies into your diet. No burger buns? No problem! Use a broad leaf lettuce like romaine or iceberg to wrap your patty instead. Want a sandwich? How about portobello mushrooms, eggplant, or a bell pepper cut in half as your bread? Need to cool off? Blend some of your favourite fresh or frozen fruit with some frozen cauliflower for a refreshing smoothie and bonus if there are leftovers, freeze them in a popsicle mold (available at most dollar stores) for the perfect guilt-free treat!

Limit alcohol

There are many pre-mixed cocktails available now, and many of them now have nutritional labels…take the time to READ THEM! Look for cocktails with little to no sugar and also be mindful of artificial sweaters. My favourite “hack” is to make myself a 50/50 drink (this works with non-alcoholic drinks as well). I use my 32oz stainless steel tumbler and fill it with ice. I then pour in ½ of a pre-mixed low sugar cocktail and then fill my cup with sparkling water. For my kids I do the same with a store bought ice tea, lemonade or, sports drink such as Gatorade. The stainless steel cups keep your drink colder and you are getting ½ the sugar and calories with all the satisfaction of enjoying a drink. If beer is your beverage of choice look for light or low calorie/carb options. Again READ LABELS! My final rule is always drink 1 to 1. So after you finish your alcoholic drink have a non-alcoholic one to balance it out such as a sparkling water, or water with lemon, cucumber, mint or any other add it you would like. Get creative!

Most importantly limit stress. You are on holidays! Slow down, appreciate and enjoy them, so you can return to work refreshed and rejuvenated.

Thank you to Liisa Moore for her blog today! These are great tips and reminders as well!

Thank you for reading and have a great week ahead! Please take a look below for what is coming up!

Kindest regards,

Kathleen

Kathleen Bokrossy, RDH ~ President of rdhu