Valeria: Hello, my name is Valeria and I’m a transformation expert at the Double Vision Conditioning Centre. I am speaking currently to Josh Stapleton, a Client Experience Manager, about his holiday experience.
So Josh, let me ask you first, where did you go on holiday?
Josh: I went to Faro in Portugal for 5 days and then came back and had a long weekend in Southwold.
Valeria: How was the weather?
Josh: A little bit cloudy, a little bit sunny but very hot - and good because it meant I didn’t get too burnt.
Valeria: I know a lot of people feel guilty when they go on holiday, with the food that they eat; how did you manage to avoid that feeling?
Josh: I think a lot of it comes down to the mindset surrounded by going on holiday. Before I went away I made the decision that I was going to have a refuel week and not feel guilty about what I ate. So it was planned and scheduled in advance; nothing took me by surprise. I was still the one in control and I was allowing myself to have that week off.
I think the important thing is to not see is so much of a cheat week because that implies guilt, but - as I said before - more of a refuel week where I can enjoy whatever food took my fancy. There were times when I was bloated; generally I was a little bit more lethargic than I would normally be, but it serves as a great reminder why eating clean for 50 weeks of the year is the best thing for you.
Valeria: So Josh, let me ask you what type of food did you eat when you were on holiday?
Josh: Breakfast was always very consistent; it would be scrambled eggs, bacon and mushrooms. It was your usual continental breakfast, so there was the option of pastries and all sorts; I chose not to have them at breakfast because I know how much of an impact it has on me for the rest of the day.
I know from past experience that when I do indulge at breakfast it makes me very tired and not able to enjoy my holiday to the fullest, so it wasn’t actually a strain at all to stick to my high protein breakfast, which is what I do every day of the year anyway.
Lunchtime: in Portugal and Southwold, being they are both very close to the coast, it was a lot of fish. I enjoy eating fish; it was also a lot of fresh vegetables.
Dinner was largely the same; I am a big fan of seafood so I tended to choose that whilst being by the sea. But with dinner and sometimes with lunch I did enjoy a dessert. There were some ice creams etc in there, but that was fine because I had planned it in advance.
Valeria: When people go away on holiday, they tend to have a little bit more drink than usual, being by the sea, sun and nice weather; did you have any alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks and what did you drink?
Josh: I made sure to drink a lot of water during the day, obviously especially in Portugal as it was very hot, close to 30 degrees. So I made sure whenever we left the hotel, in fact in the hotel as well, that we had at least 4 litres of bottled water with us. I go through water quite quickly, especially when it’s hot. So I made sure I did that throughout the day, so I was always hydrated.
With dinner, I did enjoy a few glasses of Sangria, and on one night we had some cocktails as well.
Valeria: In general, what would you suggest for people out there that are possibly already planning their holiday or due to go on holiday in a couple of weeks, what food would you suggest for them to go for?
Josh: I recommend sticking to the habit of drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, 3 litres if you’re going somewhere very hot or if you’re a male.
Breakfast: I would advise keeping consistent and going for a high protein breakfast.
Lunch and dinner: my advice would be to prepare yourself and know that you can indulge and enjoy it; I think the point is making it guilt free.
There is something to be said for eating when you’re on holiday; you release all sorts of happy neuro transmitters and studies have shown that it does actually reduce cortisol, which is the hormone you produce when you get stressed.
So, to enjoy your food there are very real benefits to do that. Just know in your mind that you’re going to indulge and have it for what it is. But also know that when you return you’re going to get back on it.
My advice to anyone on holiday, and one thing that I did, was have food already bought in the freezer that I could defrost and cook straight away ready for when I came back after my holiday. So I arrived back on Sunday and immediately defrosted some salmon and some cod, and then cooked that up with some courgette spaghetti.
It was a large amount; I always like to batch cook my food, so there were 2 sides of salmon and a side of cod. That is still lasting me now, so I’ve managed to cook once and it was easy to make that decision after the holiday because I was focused and really looking forward to eating clean again. That would be my advice.
Valeria: Thank you very much Josh for your time, it was lovely talking to you.