I just came back from a cruise, my first one, and it was amazing!! I won’t bore you with a lot of the details, but I would like to give you some highlights that will incorporate useful healthy tips to prevent major overindulgence and massive weight gain from so many delectable food choices.  Many of these principles that I learned on this cruise can be applied to vacations, brunches, eating out, and times when there are so many temptations and/or an overwhelming amount of dining options. 

Before the cruise, my biggest question that flowed through this noggin of mine was not what to pack, but how am I going to make healthy choices with all the food, dining and dessert choices readily available 24/7?  This was my first time out to sea, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I have a major sweet tooth, addicted to sugar and can get caught up quickly with the focus on the next meal as the main event. 

Before setting sail, I had heard about all the food available, and it was confirmed that there was plenty of opportunity for gluttony.  For me, I had to plan in my head the purpose of this beautiful cruise, like island destinations, azure seas, and sleeping with a natural “sound machine” of the water and waves lullaby as we enjoyed deep sleep like none other!  Yes, we enjoyed the food, meals and dining, but more than that we soaked in the open seas, enjoyed the entertainment and best of all appreciated the fun times and the memories made with my sister and brother in law. 

So, here’s a start on what I learned with this week long pampering vacation when it came to being healthy. 

Lesson 1: Plan…plan…plan…

• Plan to eat healthy first, before indulging in higher fatty meals and desserts. It was much easier than I thought to pick healthy eating options.  The fresh fruit and vegetables were plenty available, as well as interesting healthy menu meal options. My challenge to myself was to make it a game and try one unique and healthy meal, salad, or side each time we ate.  I found myself to be full and less tempted to overindulge (I tried a little of what I really wanted) with the desserts that will pack on the pounds.
• Plan on drinking a lot of water and eating fruit or veggies between meals to keep yourself from getting ravenously hungry with all the activities you will be enjoying, like swimming, snorkeling, and especially Zumba class on the ship with Armando!