Once when I mentioned to a patient that I was heading on vacation she responded, with a wink, “oooooh, I hope you plan to have a realllllly good time.”

At first I was a bit confused as to what she was suggesting! Then I realized we had been talking about nutrition so I clarified that this was the topic at hand (thankfully it was!)

I told her that across the board, it is important to me to eat foods that make me feel well. And that this means more thought, more effort, and more commitment when I’m not on my home turf.

That’s not to say that I might not be more flexible when I’m traveling but the non-negotiables for me (no dairy, and no commercially raised animals) are non–negotiables if I’m at home or away. It’s a values thing for me. My values don’t go away on vacation. Feeling well and taking care of my body are paramount.

My life . My values . My choices .
☀️
Your values . Your life . Your choices .

If it’s more important for you to be carefree on vacation than it is to stick to your eating plan, if you don’t mind dealing with whatever it is that comes down the pike from getting ‘off track’, so what? If a short period of indulgence doesn’t make you feel regretful on the other side, and you’re not dealing with a concerning health issue (celiac disease, diabetes, etc) that will be impacted significantly by short term indiscretions then seriously, don’t worry about it. As long as you’re not (more…)