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July 2015

Woman reading while on a vacation.
 by Mayank

Don't Skip Good Habits on Vacation

You pay good attention to your health by eating well, exercising and taking great care of your skin. However, once you are taken out of your normal environment and are free of rigid schedules while on vacation, it can be so difficult to maintain your good habits. The following tips will help you stay on track during your vacation.

Woman jogging in a beach.

Live Well
Exercise may be the very last thing that you want to do but if you continue to exercise while on vacation, it makes getting back to your regular routine so much easier. If you have an entire gym routine that relies on equipment, you may find that you have to wait until you get back home to do everything you normally do. The great thing about vacation is that you likely are excited to spend time exploring your destination. Rather than hopping on a bus or into a cab, walk as much as possible. This benefits you in two ways; you are maintaining regular exercise and you will almost certainly find shops or eateries that you would otherwise miss and pass right by. Additionally, if you end up making purchases, carrying your items home can count as a bit of strength training. Another way to add a bit of movement into your day is to always opt for taking the stairs. Elevators and escalators are so tempting, but walking up and down stairs will burn calories and help you stay fit. If you feel really motivated to workout, you can always look up hotels with fitness equipment and stay there or search for a local place to workout such as a yoga studio.

Dishes served in a fine dining restaurant.

Eat Well
One of life’s greatest pleasures is eating and going to a new place is often culinary bliss. You should definitely be looking for food and drinks that are unique to the region you are in, but be careful not to overindulge. Rather than ordering full sizes of rich and heavy dishes, order a half size or try several small plates of appetizers. Same goes for dessert, when possible of course. Sampling allows you to try all of the local flavors without feeling super guilty and making it hard to go back to a healthy diet at home. However, in the event that you do indulge your food cravings (new foods are so fun and exciting!) you can always put in a little bit of extra walking.

Woman sunbathing in a beach

Look Well 
Taking good care of your skin is extra important on vacation as methods of travel can remove moisture from your skin (specifically airplane travel) and new environmental concerns may upset your skin as well. The first thing you need to remember is to always apply your sunscreen. Not only are UV rays incredibly harmful to your health, but getting a bad sunburn on vacation is never fun. Next, keep your skin care routine as close to normal as possible. Take travel sizes of your normal cleanser, toner, exfoliant and moisturizer. Never go to bed with your makeup on and add in a bit of extra moisturizer.

Vacation definitely is a time to let loose and enjoy yourself, but you also should practice your good habits while having fun. Remember to always stay well hydrated, particularly in the heat and don’t forget the sunscreen. Have a great time relaxing and enjoying new experiences while sticking with your good habits.

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Stressed woman at work.
 by Mayank

How to Get Back to Work After Vacation

You have looked forward to your vacation for what feels like forever, yet it feels like as soon as you’ve left you have to prepare to go back to work. And the thought of going back to work is beyond overwhelming. Think of all of the voicemails, the memos and, of course, the many e-mails that are sure to await you when you get back. Doing a bit of work before you leave can help your return to work easier and a bit more pleasant.

Woman working on her laptop.

Write a Great Away Message
To avoid going back to work with an inordinate amount of work waiting you, you need to write a well thought out “away” message. Skip the “family vacation” or “much needed vacay” and instead be a bit more professional. Simply say you are out of the office from your departure date until the day you plan to return to work. Include directions for what is to be done in the event that immediate action is needed and leave contact information so that people are still able to get the information they need. It is also a good idea to ask that the person e-mailing you follow-up upon your return because e-mails can get lost in a crowded inbox (which you are sure to have after a vacation).

Woman working on her tablet in the airport.

Plan for Your Return Before you Depart
Getting everything ready before your departure for vacation is a completely overwhelming task. There’s packing, making last minute changes to your schedule and wrapping up work before you go. With all of this the thought of adding more to-dos before you go may stress you out completely. However, if you actively plan for your return to work instead of merely focusing on leaving work, it can make going back to the office much easier. Having a clear idea of what you will need to do immediately upon your return helps make you more productive when you actually do get back to work. Plan to spend your first day back checking and answering e-mails and leave important meetings until a day or two after you return to make sure that you are back in the swing of things.

Woman with her luggage on an escalator.

Return Earlier
Most people plan vacations with the day of return being Sunday. Bad idea. So many things can go wrong from layovers to cancelled flights, your day of traveling home is stressful enough without having to worry about work. Delay in travel makes having to return to work bright and early on Monday morning that much more undesirable. Instead of planning to head back to work the day after you get home, consider returning on a Friday or Saturday. This gives you a great buffer day in which you can adjust to being home, unpack and mentally prepare yourself for the return to work. Do laundry, read, spend time with the pets you missed, do whatever you need to do in order to get yourself ready for your return to work.

Very few people get excited about going back to work after vacation, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Give yourself plenty of time to travel and ideally some time to relax before heading back to work and once you are back, take it easy for a day or two and spend time returning messages. And of course, do not let the inevitable return to work stop you from enjoying your time spent on vacation.

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Couple having lunch in a restaurant.
 by Mayank

Eat Well While on Vacation

When vacation time finally rolls around one of the greatest pleasures is spending time indulging in new experiences. One way to fully experience your destination is to sample the local culture gastronomically. Eating well on vacation requires a bit of sleuthing work prior to departure, but the time you spend researching eateries will be well worth it when you get a taste of what your vacation destination has to offer.

Read Blogs
You probably already follow some blogs, and you may even have a few you go to for travel tips, tricks and ideas. To eat well on vacation, look for food blogs that either are written by locals in the area you are traveling to, or by bloggers who travel and sample foods from these same destinations. Not only do these food blogs give you a bit of an idea of what to expect, but they can also shed some light on hidden gem restaurants that you might otherwise miss completely.

Woman asking for directions.

Ask the Right Questions
One common mistake people make when vacationing is to ask locals where “the best place to eat” is located. That’s a totally fair question, but is pretty open to personal interpretation. Often, locals interpret this question as “where is the nicest, fanciest place to eat,” and that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be getting a taste of local flavors. Instead of asking where is the “best” place, ask questions such as:

  • Where do you eat regularly?
  • What is the one dish (and where can you get it) that captures the spirit of this location?

Asking specific questions helps the person you are asking think more about the food than the reputation of the restaurant.

Use Review Sites Sparsely
The internet is a wonderful way to experience and learn about things that are far removed from where you are. However, there are some things you need to consider when using web-based research for eating while on vacation. Sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp can be incredibly useful, but be wary. Reviews are written by people and people aren’t always the most trusted sources of information. The first thing you want to do is scan for thoroughly detailed reviews that mention what the person ate, a rough idea of cost and other details about the dining experience. Next, check out the commenter’s profile and avoid those who have only reviewed one or two restaurants. Also avoid comments that either love everything or hate everything about the experience. Sure, it may have been a once in a lifetime perfect dining experience, but it could also be a server at the restaurant trying to drum up business.

Woman sampling a dish

Sample, Don’t Splurge
Eating well isn’t just about finding the tastiest thing you can while on vacation, it also includes feeding your body foods that provide nourishment. You don’t have to stick to a rigid diet when traveling, but be sure to sample local in-season fruits and vegetables. Visit a farmer’s market to get the freshest produce possible. A trip to the farmer’s market can also help you find great local eateries; simply ask the vendors if they provide their produce and meats to any local restaurants. When it comes to extravagant dishes or delicious desserts, go ahead and sample those that look particularly tasty to you. Sampling items gives you a bit of indulgence while not going overboard and upsetting your normal diet (or waistline).

Vacation really is a special occasion that should be enjoyed. Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures and trying new, exotic foods is something you shouldn’t deprive yourself of. Doing a bit of research and practicing just a bit of restraint can help you eat well while on vacation.

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Woman sipping wine while taking a bath
 by Mayank

Incorporating Resveratrol Into Your Skin Care Routine

Taking care of your skin not only yields a radiant complexion, it is also beneficial to your health overall. A good skin care routine not only includes actions such as washing, exfoliating and moisturizing, it also requires that you use high-quality ingredients. Certain ingredients benefit skin of all types and ages and one of these is antioxidants. Antioxidants are incredibly important in your skin care routine because they fight free radical damage and help minimize premature signs of aging.

Grapes growing in a vineyard.

Of all the antioxidants available in skin care products, one stands out above the rest as an anti-aging superstar:  resveratrol. Resveratrol is a chemical that naturally occurs in many forms of plant life to fight off would be attackers. This magic polyphenol is found in nuts, the skin of grapes, berries and red wine. Adding resveratrol to your diet does positively impact your health, and applying it topically can dramatically improve the appearance of your skin.

The skin has the ability to repair itself and does much of this work overnight. However, as you age, your skin’s ability to regenerate nightly decreases. Resveratrol, and other antioxidants, help your skin repair overnight. Resveratrol boosts the production of other beneficial antioxidants within your skin cells and can stimulate collagen production.

With all of the incredible benefits of incorporating resveratrol into your skin care routine, you would think all products would carry this ingredient. The one issue with resveratrol is that it previously would destabilize when exposed to air and light, making it a difficult addition to skin care formulas. However, scientists have worked hard to discover ways to stabilize resveratrol and it can now be found in many products.

Woman cleansing her skin

A good skin care routine begins with a clean face. A mild, gentle cleanser removes dirt and debris from the face without stripping your natural oils and moisture. Oily skin types may benefit from the use of a toner to help reduce excess oil. Exfoliation is an important skin care step that some feel unnecessary. However, exfoliation removes clogged dirt, oil and dead skin cells allowing for healthy regeneration and for skin care treatments to penetrate the skin more fully. In the evening, after proper exfoliation, applying a treatment product with resveratrol can help your skin repair damage.

Friends having wine in a restaurant.

When you add resveratrol to your diet it helps benefit your health and your skin. However, using resveratrol topically allows you to fully experience and appreciate all of the advantages resveratrol has for your skin. This powerful antioxidant yields healthier, more radiant skin for all ages.

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