Vacation Habits: The Appeal and the Downfall

View from The Ringling Mansion

All dressed up with somewhere to go

I recently took my very first trip to Florida! You may gasp if you'd like. I am aware that it is incredibly rare to find a 25 year old who has not ventured down to the sunshine state for a trip to Disney or spring break. I went with my boyfriend for a wedding in Sarasota, which took place at Ca' d'Zan, John Ringling's mansion (Yes, of the Ringling circus). Words cannot describe how perfect it was.

In preparation for this vacation I worked out every day and tried to stick to organic and clean eating even more than usual. I used this trip as a reward for really getting my eating and lifestyle habits in order. For the most part, it worked! I knew that I would indulge in fruity, sugary drinks by the pool and fried, cheesy food when I got there, and I did indeed. We ordered room service every morning, which included organic eggs to my surprise! We spent the afternoons drinking and indulged in exotic dinners. My boyfriend took advantage of the great seafood, while I tried different things such as truffle fries and fried black bean cakes. I ate and drank and lived guilt free, but by the end of the trip, I felt heavy. Not fat, but just physically heavy and more lethargic than usual.

This fact proved to me more than ever, that eating clean and organic is more than just a cool sounding fad, it is actually beneficial. So, rather than take my time getting back into my before-vacation habits, I jumped right back in.

The weekend after we returned we visited Garden of Eve's Chickapolooza, which focused on how to raise chickens. I snacked on Kale chips, which were to die for, rainbow chard salad and I grazed a buffet created with farm based ingredients. Afterward my boyfriend and I loaded up a wagon full of herb and vegetable plants and took them home to do some gardening. We now have two full green houses of food we are growing ourselves. The lettuce is almost ready to harvest and I plan on making the most delicious salad with it!

Chicken and tour guide at the Garden of Eve

I encourage you to try to incorporate organic and clean eating into your diet. A really great Web site to visit to get started is The Gracious Pantry. It will take some time to learn to read the fine print and the ingredients, but after a few weeks it will become second nature. I also urge you to plant your own food. All of our plants are in pots, since we have space constrictions and this allows us to take them with us, whenever we have to move. Besides being beneficial to your health, this will cut down on your grocery bill also!

A home grown vegetable and herb garden

Do you grow your own food? And if so, what is your favorite thing to grow?