Summer vacation is so sweet. It’s a perfect time to unwind and forget the regular routines that get you rising before the sun, making school lunches, and driving kids to school before rushing to work.

For some people, summer vacation means giving their workout routine a break, while for others it means having more time to ramp up their workout or trying something different.

Even when traveling, there are plenty of opportunities to be active and stay fit. Here are some ideas for staying active, and a workout routine you can do anywhere with just a chair.

Pick An Activity…

©Sandy Matzen

There are so many ways to pump up your heart rate, and enjoy a day of leisure. When visiting a new city, many of these activities can be built right into your sightseeing schedule. For instance:

Take a walking tour of the city or local attraction,
Walk to a farmer’s market or shopping center,
Run or walk along the beach,
Hike a trail or meadow path,
Cycle around the city or bike in the mountains,
Join a free yoga class in the park,
Swim in the lake, ocean, pool,
Surf or Standup Paddle in the ocean or lake,
Kayak, row, or ride a canoe,
Walk the course when playing golf,
Play tennis, volleyball on the beach, soccer in the park,
Dance ANYWHERE…

Grab a Chair…

While on vacation and away from the gym, you can still do strength training using your own bodyweight or using items in your hotel room or nearby park. For instance, you can use 2.8L juice containers or 4L milk containers filled with water or sand as weights; benches at the park or ottomans in your suite can double up as workout benches.

The following is a 20-30 minute workout using just a chair. Adjust the timing by adding or subtracting sets. You can do these strength workouts every other day. Be creative and add more exercises on your own using whatever you have available.

We’d love to see your ideas so take pictures and tag us on Instagram at @aspireperspirenourish.

Upper Body

Lower Body

Abs & Core

Stay Nourished…

©Andrei Mihalcea

Vacations are times filled with food and drink temptations. Stay healthy by engaging in responsible eating and drinking, i.e. watch portion sizes, buy healthy snacks, keep the alcoholic beverages in check, and eat as much raw, whole, natural ingredients as possible.

Sometimes, we do need a nutritional boost so this summer, try some Aloha products, which are made simply with natural ingredients. We are testing out their products and will tell you more about them in future posts. In the meantime, you can enjoy a free trial by going to the link below:

Free Trial of ALOHA On the Go Kit**

**Please note this is an affiliate link and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the link.

☀️Happy Summer🌅

Recipe of the Week: Turkey Scallopini Rolls

Monthly Food Feature: Coconut

We ❤️coconuts🌴

Although we’ve featured coconut oil in a past post, we’re showcasing coconut – the fruit/nut – in today’s post.

©Teddyp

The more we research the history and health benefits of coconut, the more we fall in love with it. Coconut has been a staple food in the Pacific Islands and Asia for many years not only because it grows well in these regions, but also because the whole fruit is versatile and yields nutritious benefits. For example, young coconuts contain water that is sweet, delicious and full of electrolytes; the pulp of the nut is edible raw or cooked; the pulp can be dehydrated (desiccated), preserved, made into powder and reconstituted, made into milk, oil, and so on.

The possibilities for using coconut to nourish ourselves AND positively affect our health are endless. Coconut is considered a natural ‘functional’ food because it not only contains fiber, minerals and some vitamins for nutritional benefits, but also boasts bio-active compounds (phytosterols) that may improve health.

Nutritional Profile and Health Benefits

©Jeff Kinsey

Coconut is high in calories so use wisely if you’re watching your waistline. Remember that adding just a touch of coconut to your dishes will do wonders to enhance the flavor reminiscent of the tropics. Although high in saturated fatty acids, coconut contains lauric acid which has been known to increase good-HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Read more about this in our past post about coconut oil. With zero grams of cholesterol and high fiber, coconut is considered heart-healthy.

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 100 g of fresh, raw coconut meat has 354 calories, and contains the following essential macronutrients:

33 g fat
15 g carbohydrates
3 g protein
9 g fiber

© Anjelagr | Dreamstime.com - Coconuts Photo

Coconut is also high in potassium, folates, pantothenic acid, thiamin, vitamin C, copper, iron, manganese, selenium, and phosphorous.

Ongoing research suggest that the health benefits of consuming coconuts include:

boosting immune system,
promoting bone and teeth health,
improving digestion and bowel function, and relieving symptoms related to Crohn’s disease and stomach ulcers,
enhancing absorption of calcium.

Easy Recipes

When cooking with coconut, people often use it for sweet dishes but, as we mentioned earlier, there are endless ways to eat coconut. Here are a couple of coconut dishes that may become favorites in your home:

From Whole Foods Market:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Seared Tuna Steaks with Coconut, Corn, and Cilantro

Healthy comfort food, tropical style! The coconut-lime broth in this recipe sounds amazingly light and flavorful.

From Delicious Living:

Jules Shepard at Delicious Living

No-Bake Chocolate-Coconut Protein Bars

We have been looking forward to making this recipe. Now, is the time for the test! It sounds like a great school snack…if they last long enough through the week.

Be sure to try many of the coconut recipes we’ve featured in the past by typing “coconut” in the search button on our site.

Please let us know what you think of the recipes. You can also tag us with a photo of your prepared dishes at @aspireperspirenourish on Instagram. Hope to see you there!

References: