With the summer holidays creeping up, or even having begun already, the excitement of a six-week school holiday is higher than ever. You might even have a holiday abroad booked and are looking forward to enjoying time away from training and relaxing on a beach. We look at how you can and should enjoy some downtime whilst keeping healthy habits.

School's Out - Holiday Happiness!

Your first thought might be: "Yes! School's over - let's go crazy!". Now is a good time to do things that make you happy. Whether it be relaxing in the sun (safely - and getting vitamin D!) or going abroad and splashing out at a water park. Downtime is important. Even the best athletes have rest periods at some point in the year. Enjoy life, try to let go of stress and make the most of the time you have. However...

Keeping Those Healthy Habits

...is an incredibly helpful thing to do!! This is important if you want to stay on track when it comes to leading a balanced lifestyle. Six weeks is a long time, but there will come a time when you're back into the rhythm of training, school, and competing. This is nothing to worry about right now - no! Just be aware that keeping some of the healthy habits you build will help you be more prepared when you're on the go again. Whether you've been trying to add fruit and veg, get more calcium through diet, or mix up foods for protein. You will have put a lot of time and effort into learning about nutrition and trying things out. Keep up the good work!

Costa del Dining - Things to Remember

Holidays normally mean sunshine and ice creams and fish and chips, or all-you-can-eat buffets for breakfast or dinner. There is nothing 'wrong' with indulging in a treat. If it's something that will make you really happy and relaxed, having treats in moderation as part of a balanced diet will help you build a healthy relationship with food. Simply being aware of how much you might usually have on a plate, taking the time to eat good food, enjoying the odd treat and respecting your belly when it feels full is already a fantastic thing to practise.

With a lot of food on offer, you might want to try new things. It's great to have different tastes from different cultures, and you might just find ideas to take home! For example, paella can be a great source of carbs (rice, peas etc) and protein from seafood (prawns). Experimenting might inspire you! Find out what the food is and what it contains before you try anything, especially if you have allergies, and then see what you fancy.

Finally, don't forget your healthy habits from home! Have a water bottle on hand to stay hydrated, try a side bowl of berries for breakfast, order a side salad at lunch, or pack some chargrilled Mediterranean veg with your main at a restaurant. We live in a world where all sorts of foods are available and this includes many nutritious, tasty foods at our fingertips - so dig in!

Strike a good balance between relaxation, enjoyment, and keeping healthy habits to really help you 'live your best life'! Happy eating!

Guest Author: Liam Oliver, BSc Nutriton.