Mixing Pleasure With Healthiness

Recently I was on vacation, away from work and my life back home. Maui, the place my lovely wife and I opt to visit to get away from it all - relax, refresh, rejuvenate, reinvigorate, rest…and those are just the “R”’s!

But even while embracing all of the above, I still work on practicing healthy habits, by continuing to focus on the things I need to do each day to stay happy and keep living life every day in every way.

* Every morning I sit on the lanai and read, mostly catching up on my backlog of magazines and newspapers. The sound of crashing waves, chirping birds, and trade winds rustling the treetops my background music, I also use this time to reflect on all that I have ingested, letting it settle into my brain, along with the tranquil reward of my picturesque surroundings.



* Just about every day I walk across the street and visit the local farmer’s market, picking through the fresh fruits and veggies - papaya, pineapple, guava, avocados, apple bananas, tomatoes, star fruit, passion fruit, and more. This not only supports the community but promotes healthy, nutritional eating. I also make a point to lessen my carbohydrate consumption, with an overall goal of returning from my vacation weighing the same as I began it.




* I take an hour walk every morning. This is a key for me - not only does it kick start the day, but it is spiritually relaxing, walking along the ocean path, taking in the breathtaking sights and sounds. It’s also a wonderful way to burn calories early in the day so I feel less guilty later, when I kick back and indulge in some gastronomical treats. (hey, I’m on vacation, gotta mix some fun with the fitness, right?)

* After my walk I meditate for thirty minutes. Embracing my surroundings, I sit in a quiet, dark area, close my eyes, suck in a couple deep breaths, and focus on the now, the moment. I gently push any invading thoughts from my mind, nudging them aside as I allow only the present existence into my being. This exercise puts me in the place I need and love to be to start my day.

* The rest of the day I do all that fun, vacation stuff, be it catching some rays by the water, exploring local sights, or chilling with my significant other. Does this sometimes lead me astray toward less-than-healthy choices? You bet it does. But I also strive to eat as healthy and nutritiously as possible, even while sampling the local delicacies.

* Every afternoon I take a dip in the ocean and swim for at least fifteen minutes. This gives my arms and upper torso a nice workout, along with soaking the rest of my body in a saltwater embrace. Not only physically satisfying, an ocean swim enhances my mind and spirit.



* Lastly, after enjoying another wonderful day in paradise with my wife, I kick back and read for pleasure, indulging in any number of the myriad tomes I bring with me while on vacation. This is also the time, when the mood strikes, that I do my writing, working on new projects, developing ideas that have been taking up room in my brain, journalizing. In fact, it was this very practice, after a day of aloha spirit in Maui, that the concept for my website, livelife365, was inspired.

No on enjoys or looks forward to getting away from it all more than myself. The thought of being able to sleep in, relax, and do whatever I like is tempting. But I also know that I need to do it all in as healthy a fashion as I can, while always making sure to balance my mind, body, and spirit in the process.

Even while on vacation. Ahem…especially then.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike