Healthy Travel Habits in Singapore

June 29, 2017

Healthy Travel Habits in Singapore

It's not always easy to keep up with healthy habits while traveling. I used to live a very unhealthy lifestyle, until I got a little older and realized how important it is to keep the body strong to ward off illness. Since I started focusing on my wellness, I rarely even get colds(fingers crossed I didn't just jinx myself)! There are still plenty of times that I think "I'm on vaca: yoloooo," but I do what I can to balance out my eating habits, stay active daily, take my vitamins, stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep...no matter where I am in the world. I pack fruits & veggie snacks for the plane, like a banana, an apple, cucumber slices, mushrooms and/or carrots. After all, plane food isn't quite the...ahem, freshest. I've been pleasantly surprised with the amount of healthy choices here in Singapore as far as eating and staying active goes. I've put together some suggestions here!

An Acai Affair:
Every morning (and some evenings) we've gone across the street from our hotel to get an acai bowl. Acai is not only delicious, it has 10x more antioxidants than blueberries! It's an Amazonian fruit that contains electrolytes, essential minerals, proteins, omega fats & fibers. This little gem of a place tops the frozen acai with fruits, granola, chia seeds, cacao nibs, coconut & almond flakes, pumpkin seeds & goji berries! You can also add a number of things, my favorite being the passionfruit mango spirulina. They add a drizzle of honey, peanut butter or almond butter to the top! It's so good (and good for you!) The first time I experenced acai bowls was in Hawaii, see that post here: Oahu HiLife ...I've since made them at home, too! I always try to find a smoothie, acai bowl or juice spot early on in any trip.

Lava Hot Yoga:
I love yoga and I often do in the hotel room, but it never compares to a guided class. It's always something new, plus I love experiencing the different styles and tactics in new places. I signed up for two classes at the studio right next to our hotel. This place was unlike any studio I've ever been to! It had only one room, but the room had the works! It's a Japanese yoga chain and the features are something to write home about. The lighting made me feel like I was in a spaceship, cycling through different colors throughout the class. The aromatherapy feature was so soothing; delightful essential oil scents filled the air around me as a moved through the detoxifying poses to calming sounds. The teacher came up to me after and asked me how I liked it, she even knew me by name! I love when a studio makes you feel welcome. It was a very personal and inviting experience.

Tree Top Walk:
I'm very serious about my travels; I don't like to leave any stones unturned in case it's my first and last visit. That's why I always do A LOT of research before any trip. While I did see the Tree Top Walk during some of my searches, I feel like it was under-rated. I absolutely loved this walk. I love to do anything that gets me moving. It's extremely hot here, 90+, so biking around is possible but not ideal. This walk was in the trees, so it was a lot cooler than being in the sun. I didn't realize that this "walk" was also surrounded by hiking trails, which made this good for people looking for a leisurely walk as well as someone like me looking for a nice, long workout. The walk starts with a "free-standing suspension bridge" overlooking MacRitchie Reservoir. After the bridge, there were boardwalks and trails zigzagging through the thicks of the forest. We stayed for hours exploring! My favorite part was feeling as if I was a part of the wildlife world. There were monkeys everywhere! Please keep in mind that the monkeys are WILD; they will bite if provoked(and sometimes even if they are not.) Don't go too close to them and do NOT feed them. If they look like they're "smiling", they're actually nervous. The babies are so cute that you just want to snuggle them, but the parents are protective...be leery!

I otherwise keep up my energy on trips by staying hydrated, especially when I'm out in the heat all day. Hotel Indigo made that easy during this trip by providing us new bottles of water in our room daily! Back in my unhealthy days, I drank alcohol day and night when I was on vacation. Now, I prefer to feel great when I wake up and actually remember these once-in-a-lifetime experiences! I hate wasting a day because I'm hungover, so I try to stick to 1 or 2 drinks, if any. I drink red wine (unless it's a special occasion like a Singapore Sling or a flaming brew at a Harry Potter Cafe durin this trip!) I like to get plenty of sleep and I leave my vitamins on my bedside table to remind me to take them each night. I order salads, fruits or veggies instead of or along with meals(Pictured below is a hot pot vegetable meal we had in Clarke Quay & a delicious mushroom steak with rice, asparagus & a poached pear at the restaurant atop one of the Super Trees, Indochine Super Tree Dining!). I do my best but I also don't deny myself the joys of life because I think that most anything in moderation is OK. Life is about balance!