Help Patients Stay Healthy and Enjoy Summer Vacation

Medscape

19 hours ago

If your patients express concern about maintaining health goals while going on summer vacations, be sure to share that they can enjoy their trips with proper balance and moderation.
Assure your patients that downtime is important, and a few indulgences won't derail health goals. You can also share tips on how exercising can offset extra calories and how planning can keep their health goals steady and successful.
Here are more strategies to encourage your patients to enjoy their summer vacations guilt-free.
Healthy Tips for Summer Travel
Stay hydrated. Your patients likely know the upside of staying hydrated but reminding them to increase water intake, especially in summer, is worth repeating. 'Suggest to patients they bring a water bottle and keep it filled, especially when they're outside and walking,' said Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. 'You will need more water, and oftentimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. If you always have water with you, you can avoid confusing the two sensations.'
Get good sleep. Whether your patient is road-tripping in a recreational vehicle, planning a week at the beach, visiting a national park, or flying to Europe for history tours and culture, it's important to stress how quality sleep is necessary. 'When you don't get enough quality sleep, you may tend to compensate by eating more,' said Vyas. Another tip for patients: Bring earplugs and a sleep mask to get proper shut eye.
Incorporate physical activity. While on a trip, staying active will not only burn extra calories but also can help with cardiovascular health. 'Suggest they take a walking tour of a new destination,' recommended Vyas. 'Spend time with your family by riding bikes together. Rent the public scooters and enjoy a new city from that vantage point.'
Plan out meals. Food is a large component when traveling and knowing what meals you want to splurge on in advance will help you ensure other meals remain within your health plan, according to Vyas.
She recommends moderation when making food choices, like balancing heavy, calorie-dense meals with more nutritious meals.
Balance with alcohol. It's worthwhile to chat with your patients about alcohol consumption while on vacation. Alcohol can bring on fatigue and tiredness, and it can also adversely affect sleep quality.
So if they do plan on having booze, hydration becomes extra important, according to the American Heart Association. To balance the effects of alcohol, advise your patients to boost their water intake to remain hydrated.
Taking GLP-1s While Traveling
Patients taking GLP-1 medications may be even more concerned about traveling.
Understanding the storage requirements of their medicines will be important, said Vyas, along with ensuring that refrigerators at their vacation residence can maintain the appropriate temperature. Other helpful tips are to 'invest in a TSA [Transportation Security Administration]-approved storage cooler [and] take the medication with them rather than pack into checked bags,' she said.
Patients can also consider transferring their prescription to a local pharmacy in case of emergencies.
Continuing with existing meal patterns is also warranted. 'Enjoy local cuisine by eating smaller portions, eating slower, drinking plenty of water — enjoying their time guilt-free,' Vyas said.
Moderation Is Key
Assure your patients that a few indulgences here and there aren't going to sabotage a health journey.
'Moderation means that no food is bad or off-limits,' explained Vyas. 'It allows you to enjoy foods while on vacation without feeling guilty or shamed. It allows you to build a healthy relationship with food, so you don't overeat or give up on your healthy eating plans when you are on vacation or come back from vacation.'
During your conversations with patients, it can be helpful to discuss their concerns and then share how moderation can help keep their health goals on track.
'I find that the patients who manage vacations the best are the ones who go in with an intentional but not overly restrictive plan,' said Tara Schmidt, lead dietitian for the Mayo Clinic Diet with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Encourage patients to avoid the extremes — both overindulgence and deprivation.
'Overindulgence can lead to guilt and physical discomfort, while deprivation can cause us to ruminate, feel left out, and possibly overdo it at a later time. Establishing and maintaining health goals is about practices that fit into their life. That includes occasional treats.'
More ways to encourage moderation are to suggest having fruits and vegetables at all meals, setting a step goal, and splitting desserts or other calorie-dense items with others in their party, she said.
You can also explain to patients that vacation can be a perfect opportunity to practice mindful eating. 'Use all five senses to truly enjoy the food and surroundings,' said Schmidt. 'This should slow the speed of eating ([eating quickly] often causes us to unintentionally overeat). And they can find balance, which also helps them get back to their usual routine when returning home.'