Summer vacation — there aren’t many words in the English language that bring so much joy! We don’t always get to take a vacation every year, but this year we carved out a week to go to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.
The Smoky Mountains are a little piece of heaven here on earth. The peace that sitting in nature brings is good for the soul. It helps you reconnect with family and gives you time to reflect on yourself. Vacation can be wonderful time to break free from the stresses of everyday life and truly enjoy time with your family.
Vacation time also brings the chance to “cheat” on your diet. Scenarios run through your mind, do I eat the pancakes or just have an egg white omelet? Fried chicken or a sensible salad? French fries or green beans? The struggle is real y’all!
I am going to tell you all a secret. Do you promise not to tell? I had a pancake…and fried chicken…and ice cream…and fudge. It was delicious! Even though I allowed myself to eat these forbidden foods, I still tried to keep a balance. I would eat sensibly for two meals of the day and allow myself to indulge for one. Vacation is a time for relaxing and celebrating. It’s okay to celebrate.
One of the most important things I’ve learned during my journey to better health is to not be so hard on myself. Allowing myself to indulge while on vacation could have totally derailed my efforts in the past. But with this new sense of focus, I was able to fall right back in to healthy eating since I’ve returned to the real world.
The recipe this week is a super simple side dish or snack. If you have never tried roasting radishes, you are missing out! Radishes just aren’t for salads anymore. It is a crowd pleaser and your family will be sure to love it. Pair these delicious radishes with grilled chicken and a side salad and you are all set.
So on vacation or while you are celebrating…eat that cookie…enjoy that fried chicken…get yourself an ice cream cone. Then, pick yourself up, get focused back on the end goal, and keep on going! Remember you’ve got this! You can do it! Keep pressing on towards the prize. “The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
