Archive for Alex

A rucola salad

rucola salad

Tonight I was remembering my year living in Italy and how much I’ve always loved Italian cuisine, even the food in Puglia. In Italy it is very popular to use rucola on pizza, pasta or even salads. I always enjoyed it as I couldn’t get it in many other countries.

Tonight I decided to make a rucola salad. It takes just 5 minutes to prepare it and it’s great for dinner. Just add olive oil, walnuts, tomatoes, tofu soy cheese (if you cannot live without cheese) and sesame seeds. Rucola loses its bitter taste with all these ingredients.

 

rucola salad

rucola salad

 

Do you also like rucola? What other ingredients would you add?

 

My experience with detox

going through detox

The other day I have explained you a bit why I was going crazy. A few months ago I got skin rash on cleavage, forehead and upper back. I’ve never had anything similar before and wasn’t really sure what it was. Over months, I had to try a lot of different things to get rid of it.

I am trying to eat healthy as much as I can but logically I am no angel.

After years, I decided I needed to go through detox.

 

I didn’t want to do a fast detox of just a day or two as I knew eating healthy when traveling is not easy at all. No matter how much I try, I still take it as being ”on holidays” so I can get ice cream or strawberry chocolate desserts whenever I can, right? And all those press trips just make it worse as my sponsors want me to have a brilliant time and food helps it very easily.

 

But it was the right time for a change. If not now, then when?

I had to make it the right time!

 

I started avoiding chemicals in cosmetics, stopped using the deodorant, shower gel, any make-up and perfume. I bought shampoo with no parabens and made of mostly natural ingredients and also began to apply 100% argan oil on my skin instead of body lotion. hand cream and face cream.

However, this is where my experience with detox only started.

going through detox

going through detox

 

I also started eating more raw vegetables and fruit, many seeds and made juicing part of my afternoon/dinner time. I added green tea for breakfast, white tea for lunch, seabuckthorn tea, linden tea, reishi tea and cups of other healthy teas in the afternoon/at night. I was as well taking spiruline and used detox foot paths for 2 weeks.

Dairy, meat and chocolate at minimum. No ice cream. Only rarely I used soy milk instead of cow milk, and if I was craving for some sweets, I got a small bite of 80% chocolate. I tried to avoid pasta and bread too.

 

I did cheat a few times though – I had chicken breast twice, cheese maybe 5 times, a few cakes and chocolate when I had a really bad day. But it is a lot less than ”normal”.

 

There’s not much to do in winter when it’s or slippery or full of snow so at least I went for a walk when possible, took 6 floors of steps up to my apartment and down, did some boxing or yoga. No sports where I could burn a lot of energy as it’s been a very long detox and I had days when I felt weak.

I did all this for 2 months and even though I cheated a few times over holidays (at Slovak Christmas and NYE), I have lost 3 kilograms and I feel much better and lighter. I also lost 90% of the rash on my forehead and maybe 80% of it on my back and cleavage. And it’s the first winter ever I have not had to fight with sinusitis yet. Even when everyone else was sick around me, I was healthy.

 

Long detox is not easy. I guess no detox is. But it was so worth it! I can say it started as a simple detox but I taught myself to be more patient and take better control of my cravings.

Have you ever gone through detox? Tell me about your experience with detox.

Colour up your day with fresh vegetables

fresh vegetables

I admit that sometimes it is not easy to eat 5 times a day like we all should. And personally, depending on the country visited, I have problems with what to choose for dinner. Fresh vegetables is definitely one of the best options. Go ahead and colour up your day with fresh vegetables. If you can’t make your own salad, in many countries it’s very easy even to get food on the street.

 

fresh vegetables

The 6 best teas to drink to stay fit

sea buckthorn tea in my Christmas mug

There are hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of tea around the world so for those not knowledgeable in this area might difficult to choose the right one.

I have been drinking tea since I was a baby and still cannot live without it. As a non-coffee drinker, I get all the energy from the tein and the caffeine in the tea I sip. Tea definitely belongs into the best drinks to stay fit when traveling.

 

Have a look at the 6 best teas to drink:

 

1. Green tea is essential – I really do sip green tea every morning. Antioxidants help your body to fight against toxins, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. It also strengthens your teeth and bones and burns calories.

2. Sea buckthorn tea – I am surprised seabuckthorn is still not so globally known and used plant. It fights carcinogens, it is anti-inflammatory, anti-anemic and decreases appetite. It contains more vitamin C than citrics and also many other vitamins and minerals, helps detoxication and is very useful dealing with liver illness. Sea buckthorn gives you energy and resolves skin diseases and diarrhea.

sea buckthorn tea in my Christmas mug

sea buckthorn tea in my Christmas mug

 

3. White tea – similar to green tea, it prevents cancer (contains even more polyphenols than the green tea) and radicals to damage the body cells, reduces the bad cholesterol and increases the good one; and lowers the blood pressure. White tea is antiviral and antibacterial, gets you radiant skin and strong teeth. If unsweetened green tea is too bitter for you, opt for white tea instead for its sweeter natural flavour.

4. Mint tea – relaxes muscles and helps your digestion (also the digestion of fats) and liver. It can also help with rheumatism, stress, fatigue and depresion. Mint tea is antibacterial and a source of vitamin C with sedative properties.

5. Nettle tea – beta-carotene, vitamins B2, C, K, calcium and magnesium  make it the best to cure the urinary problems as it is strongly diuretic. Also great for detoxication and for diabetes as it decreases blood sugar levels.

6. Ginger tea – its vitamins and minerals together with other healthy benefits prevent vomiting, nausea and headache. It also decreases menstrual and stomach discomfort, stress and reduces inflammation of joints and muscles. As well helps with respiratory problems, cough and cold.

I have to confess that I drink at least one or two of these teas every day. Nettle and ginger tea only when I am on holidays in Slovakia, green, sea buckthorn and white mostly everywhere.

 

Avoid fruit tea bags – fruit tea from tea bags usually have a lot of colorings which are not good for your teeth, nor your stomach. Also herbal teas with lemon or any other flavour to make it sweeter and easier for those who do not enjoy herbal teas, most of the time they do not have the natural lemon or other fruit in it, but only some chemicals that do not have any vitamins. Be careful with it and check the ingredients.

Mostly, tea is best accompanied by lemon and honey, no adding of sugar, ok?

 

Would you add any of your favorite teas into this list of the best teas to drink to stay fit when traveling?

What to drink to be fit when traveling

crazy sexy fun traveler drinking coconut water in the Philippines

It is not just food, how much calories you burn doing sports or walking but also what to drink to be fit when traveling that is important.

1. I have to say what you know already – water remains the most important drink even when you are traveling. Some people never drink tap water and spend money on bottled water no matter in which country they are. But I try to do both things as there is chlorine in tap water which is not good for you but on the other hand plastic bottles get chemicals into the water you drink then and you don’t want this. The best way to start your day is drinking warm water with lemon which will boost your metabolism. It used to make me sick even when I thought of it but now even in restaurants/bars I tend to ask for still water and lemon. Or when I get lemon/lime with my food, I squeeze it in in my glass with water. Also remember what some studies say: sparkling water and some other fizzy drinks containing also phosphorous can remove Calcium from your bones, so go for still drinks instead just to be sure.

2. Tea – I am a sucker for tea and when I travel it is very difficult for me to spend even a day without any cup of tea. It is not the best thing for your white teeth (you can drink it through a straw to avoid teeth colouring) but does help many other things.

3. Fresh juice – no, I don’t mean to drink juices bought in groceries as they contain a lot of sugar and I have read about some studies in the past few years saying they can increase the number of cancer cells. Fresh juice is made from fresh fruit/vegetables and squeezed just before drinking. In many countries you can easily get cheap fresh juice at the street, in stalls inside the shopping malls and also in restaurants. You can even drink fresh juice or smoothies with no added sugar instead of snack in between big meals and count them into 5 times you should eat per day.

4. Coconut water – When visiting some countries, such as Thailand, Mexico, Philippines just to name a few, you should drink fresh coconut water every day. When I am there, I spend up to a few euros for coconut water every day as it is hard to get in Europe. Coconut water contains B and C vitamin, potassium, minerals, it fights against diarrhea and cancer, it is anti-ageing, helps digestion and it makes your skin look fresh among other benefits.

crazy sexy fun traveler drinking coconut water in the Philippines

drinking coconut water in the Philippines

5. Avoid alcoholic beverages – apart from the fact that most of them have many unhealthy qualities, they also contain a huge amount of sugar, unnatural flavours, colourings etc. I quit drinking alcohol on the 1st January 2009 and never got back to it ever since.

6. Avoid sodas – you will never see me drinking a cola or any other fizzy soda drink. They have so much sugar your body does not need and happily saves it on your belly. There are girls who asks me how I keep my good figure when traveling and they ask me this while they are drinking a cola and me with my healthy water or green tea?!

7. Avoid energy drinks – no, you really don’t need them nor their sugars and they also have a very bad effect on your heart. I remember each time I had a very difficult exam at the University and drank an energy drink before it to keep awake, my heart started beating fast like hell!

 

Next time try to drink what I recommended in the first 4 points and avoid the other 3 drinks. You will be surprised about the difference.

 

Do you have any other tips what to drink to stay fit when traveling?

Healthy breakfast – what to eat?

oatmeal, berries, nuts, cinnamon, honey and flaxseed

I hope you finally know for sure that skipping breakfast is NOT a good idea. Saying that you don’t have time to eat in the morning before you start exploring the city or take a train/plane somewhere else is bullshit.

But do you know what you should eat for breakfast? I bet it is not easy to get something healthy so I would like to give you some ideas.

I personally prefer to have oatmeal with fruit and nuts for breakfast. As weird as it may sound, I got this habit a few years ago when I was in Scotland for the first time and I got oatmeal with berries in my B&B. I fell in love with it the very first day. In Slovakia where I am from people don´t tend to eat oatmeal but bread with vegetables, cheese, sausages and ham which I never really liked. So when traveling, I adapted a healthier habit and then also made it a habit when visiting Slovakia.

I try to carry oatmeal with me when I travel as a pack lasts for a few days. If I cannot make oatmeal with fruits (my favorite ones are bananas and berries) and nuts, honey and cinnamon, at least I get oats with soy milk. Every night before going to bed I already look forward to my oatmeal in the morning. It is very easy to prepare.

oatmeal, berries, nuts, cinnamon, honey and flaxseed

oatmeal, berries, nuts, cinnamon, honey and flaxseed

If I am in a hotel/hostel with breakfast, I try to get cereals with milk and fresh fruit/fresh juice for healthy breakfast. If possible I finish it with a whole-grain bread with cheese and eggs to get some protein too.

Remember, egg whites are always healthier than whole eggs. If I have hardboiled eggs, I never eat the egg yolks as they are full of unhealthy cholesterol.

You can also eat fresh fruit salad, just chop fruit you love. These are sold in many countries at the street or also train and bus stations/airports so no excuse when traveling.

Smoothies/protein shake/freshly squeezed juices (many of those bought in packs in stores are not the best choice, always check out what they contain) can be also easily purchased around the world in case you cannot make your own.

If you are a cheese lover, than the best cheese you can get for breakfast is protein-filled cottage cheese. Plain you can eat with fruit, cinammon and honey or the herbal one even with ham. Also tofu cheese is a great option. It can be prepard with eggs and vegetables, for example.

A soy yogurt or a low-fat yogurt could be a possibility instead of oats. Add granola, any whole-grain cereals, fruit, honey and seeds to get a lot of energy. Please always check cereals before buying them as those chocolate ones, coloured ones and all those containing fruit already contain a lof ot sugar too. Better buy plain whole-grain cereals and then mix them with fresh/frozen/dried fruit (some dried fruit also has a lot of added sugar, so be careful too).

As well, I love adding sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, ground flax-seeds (they have to be ground to make the nutrients available as whole ones just pass through your body and get out without anything), buckwheat or millet.

Eat breakfast every day

breakfast

Each time I travel, I observe what people do and eat and then they complain about how they look like. Yes, people have breakfast included in their hostels and hotels most of the time but guess what? They just go and have a coffee at empty stomach or even worse, they just don’t go to eat at all. And I wonder why because when I choose a place to stay, logically I also check if there is breakfast because I want it.

What they expect from their body is like not giving gas to their car and still hoping it will take them a long way that day. Yes it still can go using the remains of the gas but it is not the same. This is probably the easiest comparison.

It can take only 10 – 15 minutes to prepare and eat breakfast so trust me, if you prefer 15 minutes of longer sleep or just smoking a cigarette while having a cup of morning coffee it is not worth it. But breakfast is necessary for both your body and brain to function the best way they can. And like I already mentioned, you really should eat 5 times per day in order not to gain weight but lose it. Studies show that people skipping breakfast tend to get obese after some time.

And also, how do you want your body to work at the fullest without eating for hours? Just imagine that after dinner you slept for a few hours and then you don’t eat until lunch? That can be easily 12 hours our of 24 thta your body has no nutrition.

breakfast

healthy breakfast

And it is not just to eat anything for breakfast so you can be happy saying you did have something. The problem then is obviously what you eat.

In many countries people have very unhealthy habits in the mornings which makes it difficult to stay fit. In many hostels the only breakfast you can get is bread with butter and marmalade with a cup of black tea or coffee. None of these could be considered as healthy breakfast. Or in Spain or France for example, if you go to a restaurant/cafeteria they usually only offer sweet pastries, pancakes, cakes or muffins. And in many other countries it is sausages, bacon or other fatty meals.

We don’t want any of these. Fat will just stay on our belly and all that sugar will boost our sugar levels and mood but then very quickly go down.

I agree, maybe 80% of all the breakfast options you could get around the world are fatty or carb-filled with no nutrients.

 

But what we really need in the morning is fiber, minerals and vitamins. And there are hotels or B&B with healthy breakfast. The other day in Genoa I stayed in a B&B where I could get a very tasty and healthy morning meals. And also just recently in Liguria and Costa Brava I stayed in hotels with fresh made vegetable and fruit juices and a lot of kinds of cereals.

 

Eating breakfast is one of the best habits you can develop. Start tomorrow morning. I can proudly say that if I counted all the days of my 28 years of life when I had to skip breakfast, I think it would be easily equivalent to the number of fingers on one hand.

 

Do you eat breakfast every day? If not, will you try to after reading this post?

 

Walk, walk and walk – to walk is important

hiking

People often ask me what sports I do when traveling. Honestly? Not so many like I should. But at least I am trying hard.

There is just one simple tip behind it: walk, walk and walk. Yes, each time you can, just walk.

 

Taxi? No, thank you.

Public transport? No, I’d better walk and also see some new buildings and more ”real” life on the streets.

Do the local people tell you the only way to get where you are headed is to take a bus or tube for those 2 stops? Do not listen to them, ask for the direction instead. You can walk there, trust me.

What is the best way to get to know a city? You guess it right – also here to walk is important. There is always so more to explore in between the most famous attractions than just those. It is a win-win. You find new cool off the beaten track spots and also stay fit.

hiking

hiking

 

Hiking? Yes, please. I do a lot of hiking. I am still not fit as much as I would love to, and my nose operation years ago did not help it as I cannot breathe properly but I still do try. I go hiking in Slovakia in summer and there are always hidden gems to explore in our High Tatras or Sninsky kamen. I also so loved hiking in Patagonia for a few weeks.

There are days when I can walk/hike many kilometers. I remember when visiting Rome with a friend, she counted then that we walked more than 23 km that day. Impressive, right?

Walking will burn calories, shape your legs and get you a hot ass like I have.

Yes, that is the only secret behind my sexy butt. I walk ALWAYS  unless it is longer than 30 min walking in super heat or very cold after long hours on the road with no sleep and heavy baggage. Or unless I am late somewhere, or it is dangerous to walk in there. Apart from this nothing can stop me.

Don’t be lazy next time. You got legs to use them. Bring on more walking!

 

Do you walk or do you usually take the local transport when traveling?

The most important healthy tip – eat 5 times per day

eat small portions often

You would not believe it, but I always get a really bad reaction or a blank staring as answer to my

Yes, I do eat 5 times per day. Or sometimes even 6.

It is very surprising that so many people see never heard of it. Really??? It is the simplest rule to healthiness and been told and written down so many times. And still maybe around 90% of all people who spend some time with me when traveling get a shock.

The thing is that our body works in a very simple way that if more people understood it, it would be much easier for their body, stomach and also belly fat.

Do you ask how a person can stay slimmer eating more times per day and giving more food to the body than doing less? It does not make sense I hear you saying?

Well, it does!

Your body needs a routine. I know that we travelers are strongly against any kind of routine, but this should be one of the very few ones we better get in our life as soon as possible. And please, do not get rid of it. This is not one of those routines you should fight against. The opposite, do anything you can to apply eating 5 or 6 times per day. Right, every single day.

Still don’t understand why?

To make it easy for your brain, let’s just say this: your body needs energy every 2 or 3 hours again to function properly. Energy has to be from food and your body wants to use it all knowing that in another 2 or 3 hours it will get more. You have to create this routine. If this does not exist, your body is smart and will know it. Next time it will just ulozit something for later on. And that something will be fat on your belly. Do you really want that?

eat small portions often

eat small portions often

 

Tomorrow start the day with breakfast, then get some fruit for snack as second meal of the day, lunch, more snacks (e.g. something with protein, or nuts, a salad) and then dinner. Do not snack eating chips or unhealthy white bread sandwiches. You want to get your body the best possible.

I will be honest with you now. This routine will be one of the most difficult things to keep up with when traveling and in some places around the world it will be pain in the ass (own experience) but your body and disappearing belly fat will thank you so much! It actually makes it harder for me to remember to bring healthy snacks with me in between the meals and my body got used to it so much that I get cranky when no food is delivered into my stomach for longer than 3 hours, but it has many more advantages behind it.

Just give it a try – smaller portions 5 or 6 times per day depending on how long you stay up. You will also feel so much lighter with more energy and not like having a siesta after each meal.

Want no belly? Eat often, the best 5 times per day! Remember to eat fruit and/or vegetables with every portion of food.

Is it easy to stay fit when traveling?

I get asked what I do to stay skinny and look good on the road all the time. Not many people know I took a few courses where we spoke a lot about healthy lifestyle as it used to be my ”job” for a bit during the University.

I could be called a health freak, yes.

But is it easy to stay fit when traveling? 

 

I know exactly what to eat and when, and also what not to, but still, sometimes the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest, right? So I do sin from time to time, I have to admit. Especially I cannot live without chocolate and ice cream. It is always difficult to say no. Mostly when traveling, we tend to treat every trip as ”holidays” and we want to enjoy at maximum. It means no restrictions when on the road.

Trust me, it is not so easy for me either to eat healthy and keep fit when traveling. I should be grateful for my good metabolism for sure and do more exercise and sports.

There are two reasons why I started with this fit travel blog: to give simple tips to travelers to help them be fit and also to force myself to try harder whenever I can. We have just one life and one health and it makes me upset to see how we just do not appreciate it at all. We just keep eating food we know we should not and it keeps accummulating inside of the body until it shows on the surface later on … and at that time it might be too late.

Please stop treating your only body and your only health the worst way possible.

Change the things you can change. Don’t wait for a miracle to happen, make it happen yourself. Get in a better shape, get more energy, get a smoother skin, get more life. You can do all this with just a bit of self-control, healthy meals and moving your ass! You can do it! And I started this blog to make it happen for me too. I want to be your inspiration. I need to live healthier and do more exercise too. Good luck to us.

I know that people do know that it is more difficult to stay fit than to be unhealthy. And I also hope people will realise they have only one body, one health.

 

I am not just a lucky person but it is a hard work also for me. Yes, it is. I just had my last chocolate cheese and raspberries cake a few hours ago and for a few days there will be nothing sweet on my table. Do the same. Stop buying sweets, chocolate and cookies. You can live without them no matter how much it can hurt in the beginning. Let’s try it together.

Move as much as possible. I just walked to the 6th floor and then had a good work out for 30 minutes.

 

Do you find it difficult to stay fit when traveling too? Please share in the comments, I don’t bite 🙂