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Are you thinking of taking a trip that involves hiking, sightseeing, heat, or maybe a foreign country? Apparently such travel is big and getting bigger with baby boomers. Make your trip more comfortable, less stressful, more versatile, and less buggy with a few packing product suggestions from yours truly.

On our recent trip to Thailand via the Sierra Club we were told to pack light. We interpreted that also to mean “leave room to purchase handcrafted items to bring home after shopping abroad.” We also knew we are not the sorts to wear “special” travel pants that unzip at the knee and come in one bland color. Revoke our stylemonger status if we recommend calf high socks with tennis shoes and a worn out t-shirt. Two other factors affected what we brought with us: it would be hot and humid in Thailand and we’d be also helping our mom carry her suitcases. In the heat. Up and down stairs. Every day. So each item we added to our luggage underwent careful scrutiny.

So what did we bring that we recommend for your next healthy, active, good-looking trip?

My puffy feet got beat by the heat

Kymberly: Let me start with what I did not pack and wish I had: a supply of CocoaVia drink supplements for circulation. (While CocoaVia has gifted me three months’ supply of their product, they have not asked nor compensated me to write about them in this context). I had vanity-busting puffy feet and cankles from the time we landed in Bangkok until our return to LAX three weeks later.  Attractive for sure and probably due to the extreme heat and humidity, though that twin and genetically similar personage did not have similar circulation issues.

What I am still congratulating myself for bringing and using daily are my Overland backpack (super comfy straps, insulated, and a fun color to match the sherbet brights of Thailand) and my BlueFish water bottle carrier. (I have had both these items more than a year, which were given to me by the respective companies. Again, I was not asked nor compensated to write about nor pack these products).

Reclining Buddha and Kymberly on HOT HOT ground seeking Enlightenment and Shadows

Each day we’d load our main suitcases into the bowels of the bus and have available whatever was up top with us, Since many Buddhist temples require covered shoulders and hats off, it worked well to put my back-up shoulder scarf or shirt into the backpack along with snacks, the hat, lipstick and other items I wanted close by (No, not a personal A/C unit, though that might have fit). The little shoulder strap pouch from Bluefish had my money, water, cell phone and camera and went everywhere with me. Take a look at the photos to see that I really mean everywhere. The Overland backpack marked my bus spot some of the time and went along on our forays some others.

Temple and palace time means covered shoulders. Ask Alexandra to tell you about that little motorized fan around her neck and the hair cut she gave herself. And, yup, that’s mom! Hi Mom!

Crossing borders in my Aventura top, Ahnu shoes, and with my Bluefish pouch. Styler or what??!!

You’re trying to see my puffy cankles aren’t you?

The other three companies that came up big for me on our trip are Aventura, Zensah, and Ahnu. Aventura sent me two organic cotton, lightweight tank tops more than a year ago (again, not compensated to write about them now, though we did get the shirts free initially. I bought the third one as I liked them so well). They were perfect for the jungle, city, bus, restaurants, and markets as they washed well, dried overnight, and took up little space in my suitcase. I like to flatter myself that they also looked good on. The black sports bra under my shirt is from Zensah as were the minimalist ankle socks I brought to hike in. (Zensah sent me the socks and sports bra several months ago to try out. Again, I was not asked nor compensated additionally to post about them here). Take a tip from me, those of you with cleavage — underwire bras in the heat and humidity can really chafe. I was so glad to have a soft, seamless support top to rely on, especially for the three hour trek in the bamboo forest and on the interminable Leech Hike (click the link if you missed that story). The socks were also ideal for travel. For one, they stretched out to fit those puffed up feet I mentioned.

As for the Ahnu shoes, they were an inspired choice to pack: lightweight, good on land and in water, super comfy, and covered at the toe for protection though open along the sides for air. I bought the blue Ahnus a while back for beachwalking. Aaaaand, Alexandra and I came home to free shoes from Ahnu to try out as well. More on the new pair in a future (disclosed) post. I definitely recommend such a shoe for this kind of travel.

Alexandra: Oh, crap, I forgot all about that haircut. Yeah, well, our local tour guide gave us battery-powered fans to help us feel like it was only 97 instead of 100. I was dinking around at the Summer Palace with my fan and got it tangled up in my hair. Er, it was not possible to untangle it. I’m a princess, so I tried to save each and every strand. When that didn’t appear to be working, Kymberly came along and cut the fan off my hair. Those were my favorite 10 strands! Truly, I cannot be trusted near most appliances!

Moving on…. I don’t like mosquitos. I dislike leeches more, but that’s no endorsement of skeeters! Right before leaving for Thailand we attended the Natural Products Expo West, where we found Purple Frog Patches. The company is so new, it doesn’t even have a completed website, but I loved the patches because they DID keep away the mosquitos and they are DEET-free. They are like scratch and sniff pads, and you stick them on yourself. They have citronella and eucalyptus. I hope these patches become available, because I feel certain you’d love them too.

Patch me up, Froggy!

From our other posts about Thailand, you’ve probably discerned that I don’t like to be uncomfortable or interact too closely with nature. I also whined when the hot water didn’t work for 5 of the trip nights. You can add a dislike of sunburn to the list. Did I mention that I love my hair and am mad at my fan? Another product that we got at Expo West (in our press gift bags) was Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen. It’s totally free of weird stuff that’s hard to spell (i.e., phthalates) and is full of really good stuff (click the link, as it’s quite an impressive list). I don’t mind if this sounds like an ad (I’m paid nothing for saying this), but it did 4 things I care about – blocked the sun, looked good on me, felt good on my face, and matched my ingredient values.

I also wore my Aventura red capris (they can be rolled up & buttoned just below the knee), plus my Headsweats cap a LOT (I was sent the hat about a year ago). Both wash and dry fairly quickly. You might not think of this while packing so I’ll share my discovery – the hat has a Velcro adjustable closure in back, which meant I could take it off and easily attach it to my backpack or pants loop whenever I went indoors. It’s so easy to lose hats, but I never did. I hope this is a helpful tip for you. Oh, besides keeping the sun off me, the hat kept the sweat out of my eyes and prevented leeches from dropping into my hair. Bonus!

See how my Headsweats cap keeps me covered and dry? P.S. Way cool waterfall too!

Having an adventure in my Aventura pants (or just being goofy)

Got my hat, shades, backpack and guide while hiking to the summit of Doi Inthanon. And lipstick!

The final item that I found invaluable was the insulated backpack that Alpina gave me at their test kitchen (they were introducing their Greek yogurt & granola pairings) during Expo West (no compensation or expectations involved). It was small enough to use as a daypack, and the insulation kept my water from getting hot. I left my purse at home in favor of the Alpina pack.

We hope these suggestions help you plan your next trip or hike. Having the right items can make all the difference when traveling. P.S. I don’t recommend the battery fan – better to get a hand fan for a dollar and wave it at yourself non-stop.

Whew, are you exhausted now? How about a nice cup of coffee from the Royal Projects at Doi Inthanon? The hand-grinder will totally give you a workout. Trust me on that!

I’m smiling because I didn’t embarrass myself when I volunteered to attempt the heavy coffee grinder.

Gift yourself by subscribing to our YouTube channel and blog. Please also follow us on Twitter: AlexandraFunFit and KymberlyFunFit and Instagram: KymberlyFunFit and AlexandraFunFit. Or click now on the icons above. Then go pack your lipstick so you’ll always look fresh in travel photos, no matter how sweaty you are. 

Natural Products Expo West is the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry. That means food, skin care, drinks, supplements, ingredients and way, way, way more. We were two of over 60,000 attendees visiting over 3,000 exhibitors.

We’ve only been home a few hours, but we wanted to share a few pictures from the event.

You know you’re in for a good experience when the first thing you see in the Press Room is a Gifting Suite!

Top Left: Alpina USA Greek Yogurt with Granola (We went to an Alpina test kitchen event. More on that in a future post)

Top Right: Debbie from Premium Gold Flax

Middle Right: Curtain at the Stonyfield Farm booth made from yogurt lids

Bottom Right & Bottom Left: Extremely unique chocolate from Lilie Belle Artisan Chocolates (yes, that really is bacon in the chocolate, and yes, you should NOT eat this bar unless you like super spicy)

Bottom Center: Daisy from Carmela’s Food Company (her marinara recipe comes straight from her Italian emigrant grandmother, Nana Carmela)

Left: Silk Soy Vanilla Iced Latte 

Center: Lotus Aroma is a French-Canadian company that makes skin care products that are devoid of crap (and the owner has a great sense of humor)

Right: Organic Valley has come out with even more yummy items in their grass-fed line (sisters not included). They put on a rockin’ 25th anniversary party too!

Left: Sandy Todd Webster is the editor in chief of IDEA Fitness Journal. She knows food and fitness, oh yes!

Top Right: We met our FitFluential friend Jody of Truth2BeingFit. She is super fit and super fun.

Bottom Right: That is my former UCSB student Will. He now works for CORE Foods. Buy their stuff.

Left: Artists from Hugo Naturals creating soap

Center: We like balance so that’s what we did with Chandra, founder of Drink Chia. We support woman-owned businesses like crazy.

Right: Someone has to win this beehive from Attune Foods, and Alexandra wants to be that someone.

Photo Credits: Alexandra and Kymberly’s Instagrams.

Please click to visit us at FunandFit.org, subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and follow us on twitter: @KymberlyFunFit and@AlexandraFunFit.  See our instagram pics at: @AlexandraFunFit and @KymberlyFunFit. We follow back!

An excellent way to start your day is with a healthy breakfast smoothie. If done right, it’s a blended concoction that is nutritious and delicious!

And if done to perfection, Mr. Smooth himself, Barry White, would hand me this smoooooooth concoction every morning! Come on now, I can’t be the ONLY person who sings, “Never Gonna Give You Up” to my morning beverage!

Since so many of my fitness students do not eat a proper breakfast, I’m sharing this recipe as a way of encouraging all of you to start your day out right. It only takes a few minutes to throw everything in the general direction of your blender, and voila!! – a glassful of your recommended daily intake for so many nutrients is just about signed, sealed and delivered (nope, not Barry White – Stevie Wonder).

As a bonus, this recipe is full of foods recommended for increasing your brain power. I’m making no promises that you’ll get smarter, but it’s nice to start your day with the potential to boost your brain! We go into more detail in our post “Brain Envy” that talks about the link between your brain, your nutrition and your movement habits.

Perky Pick Me Up Smoothie Recipe
ice
2 oz. blueberries
1 oz. plain Greek yogurt
4 Tbl brewed green tea, cooled
2 leaves kale (with spine removed) or other dark, leafy greens (i.e., swiss or red chard)
4 oz. Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla
2 Tbl applesauce

Combine all ingredients in a blender or juicer and blend until smooth.

Makes 1 serving

Calories saved by using Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Vanilla milk instead of low-fat moo milk: 25

Okay, anyone can throw ingredients into a blender, but you will be astounded at how fun I make the “ingredient throwing” in this video.

Get even smarter by reading the rest of this post, ‘cause this is the part where I tell you why the almond milk is such a great choice in this smoothie. First, it has less than half the calories of skim milk (30 versus about 80 for a single serving). Second, it is not cow’s milk. I’m somewhat lactose intolerant anyway. Third, almond milk tastes very creamy and delectable (I just love that word). Fourth, I’m a vegetarian, and it’s from the infamous almond vegetable plant! hahaha. Okay, an almond tree. But that’s still something that grows from the ground, not something that walks on it! And finally, it’s GMO-free. I would never feed modified food to my boys, so why feed it to myself?

I’m fond of products that have the word “pure” in them!

Smooth out your fitness knowledge by subscribing to our YouTube channel and blog. Please also follow us on Twitter: AlexandraFunFit and KymberlyFunFit and Instagram: KymberlyFunFit and AlexandraFunFit. Or click now on the icons above.

Photo credits: Blueberries:  brx0, Almonds:  artizone, Green Tea:  balaam, Kale: urbangarden

Disclosure: I was compensated by FitFluential LLC for this campaign. All opinions, recipes and taste buds are my own.

Water provides many health benefits, especially to aging skin. For us boomers, the importance of water increases as we age, for respiratory health, skin care, holistic health, well-being and physical wellness. And how we get that water is important too. Gone are the days of carrying water in buckets on our heads, but as we age, water accessibility, especially in the kitchen, is important too.

During my recent trip to Cologne with the Modenus BlogTour, I experienced water from a variety of perspectives. 

On the very first night of BlogTour, we were invited by BLANCO to a private dinner at the German Sports and Olympic Museum. For a good description with great pictures, read this post by Tina Ramchandani. I mention the dinner for several reasons: 1) it set the tone for how we were treated throughout the entire event, 2) the water at meals in Europe usually comes in glass bottles, and 3) wine has water in it!

Instant Cooked Pasta!

Water Comes Out (of the Faucet)
On the morning after the welcome dinner, we headed to the BLANCO booth at The Living Kitchen inside IMM Cologne: The International Furnishing Show to learn about faucets, sinks and water systems. The sign at the booth had a waterfall, which I hope you can see in this picture. In any case, BLANCO had two items in particular that I fell in love with. The first was a hot water system that puts out boiling water instantly. As they say on their site, “nothing works in the kitchen without water,” and if you want steaming tea or coffee water immediately, you can get it. Cooking, preparing, heating, washing – Boom, boiling water that’s 97 celsius. Don’t ask me what that is in Fahrenheit – heck, we were in Europe, so we got European measurements – all I know is that the days of running water wastefully down the drain while it heats up (or in my case, filling the pets’ drinking bowl repeatedly) are over. Well, those days are over in 2014, which is when this system might be available in the U.S. But I can wait – my kitchen will still be around next year!

My favorite BLANCO product was the SAGA tap. I immediately thought of my mom, who is a young person in an elderly body. She has arthritis in her hands and wrists, and her grip strength isn’t that great. This faucet is ideal for people like her who have limited mobility, dexterity, vision or grip strength. Instead of having to reach for a lever, or twist one (or even two) handles, you just slide the sleeve that’s right by the spout. Super simple to use: slide forward or back to control water volume, and gently turn left or right to set the water temperature. With 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day for the next decade, products that “speak” to aging joints will be mandatory. When I saw this faucet, I immediately thought of the increased independence this design offers.

Water Goes In (To the Skin and Body)
One of the sponsors of BlogTour was Mr. Steam, makers of steam showers and towel warmers. They sent us to the Claudius Therme Spa, known for its healing thermal mineral waters. For a lively recap of the visit to the spa, read this post by Paul Anater.
According to their site, the heated water “aids rheumatic complaints and diseases of the intervertebral discs or joints, has a positive effect on hypertension, circulatory problems and disorders caused by stress, and activates enzymes and and stabilizes bone structure.”

On the Mr. Steam site you can find a list of 44 benefits of steam therapy, which add to the list above. Below are just a few:

* Cleanses, lubricates and hydrates the skin
* Removes toxins from the body
* Increases circulation
* Helps the body rid itself of excess sodium
* May relieve pain and discomfort from arthritis
* Rids the body of metabolic and other waste products
* Promotes deep, restful sleep
* Helps reinvigorate tired muscles
* Increases muscular flexibility
And of course, #44 is my favorite because it’s so specific:
* Adds humidity to your orchids (I don’t have orchids, but my dry legs like humidity!)

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the spa (possibly due to the naked people wandering about the sauna area), but I will tell you that we sat inside a very steamy hot tub in the middle of a pool that had a current so you could float or swim while circling the hot tub. The photo above shows how it looked. It was heavenly. Yay! Now I’m back home with bronchitis and wishing for a steam shower. Boo! But we were allowed to take pictures of the group eating dinner at the spa. Yes, we really are eating a formal dinner while dressed in robes!

Speaking of steam, you might like to know what I thought of the Miele steam oven once I saw it in person. After eating a lot of food made in the steam oven at the convention, my advice is “Run to the store and buy one right now!” I even tweeted about my plan to toss my micro in place of the steam oven, and I encourage you to do the same if you want super delicious, nutritious food.

Going to IMM Cologne really taught me new ways of viewing my life and home, and how truly good design can help improve both. When my home is healthy, I’m happy, and when I’m healthy, my home is a happy place.

Oh, while we’re on the subject of water, if you’re a boomer you’ll get the song reference in this post’s title. This video should help. But change the answer to “Absolutely Something”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Want to water your own face with tears of joy? Then please subscribe to our YouTube channel and blog. Please also follow us on Twitter:AlexandraFunFit and KymberlyFunFit and Instagram: KymberlyFunFit and AlexandraFunFit. Or click now on the icons above. We’ll cry happiness tears too!

Photo credits: Alexandra rowing: Sarah Sarna; BLANCO sign: Tina Ramchandani; Claudius Therme in Snow: Paul Anater; Faucets: BLANCO; Robes at dinner: FlyingCamel/The NKBA

Disclaimer: I was not paid to share my opinions about the products I liked at IMM Cologne. I am, however, very grateful to all the sponsors.

As a healthy living blogger who cares a lot about fitness and food, I’ve mostly associated the term “organic” with food, and “sustainable” with recycling. I bake and cook from scratch, I have an organic garden, I shop for organic foods, and I recycle and buy used items. That’s always been my interpretation of those terms.

But going to IMM Cologne, the international furnishings show in Germany as part of BlogTour by Modenus, helped open my eyes to expanded definitions of both terms. Part of why I found the trip so appealing was the attention paid to the future, and how the present affects it. Everything I saw, from new products in Cologne to extremely old houses in Amsterdam, was built to last.

Please read along to discover some of the companies that are forward-thinking in their products and design, and see if your understanding of what’s organic and sustainable grows (in a chemical-free garden, of course)

Hansgrohe, already pioneers in sustainability, and environmental and climate protection, had the Axor Starck Organic line, which includes the faucet you see here. Is it just me (and hundreds of visitors to the booth) who thinks it looks like a tree branch? This faucet has “Organic” in its name for the following reasons:

* Less is more: it has minimal design
* The water flow rate is 3.5 liters per minute, compared to the norm of 7 (with no water pressure difference. I’d tell you about the 90 holes in the tap that makes this possible, but it’s technical and my mind wandered off)
* The controls are intuitive, ergonomic and economical, which means you turn the water on and off at the tip of the spout, where it’s easy to reach. And the temperature is controlled at the top of the mixer
* The casting is hollow, so  less material is used to make the faucet
* The water never touches brass pipes, so it’s not picking up weird pipe goobers

My next tip of the hat goes to a Canadian, woman-owned company, Du Verre Hardware. They create cabinet pulls from recycled aluminum. I’ve never seen pulls quite like these, and I was curious about Du Verre’s statement that “Our precision die cast hardware is manufactured entirely from recycled aluminum and is an environmentally friendly choice for professional and consumer alike. Du Verre Hardware is compatible with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) objectives,” so I asked owner Gina Lubin to elaborate.

“The metal is valuable and easily melted down and reused. In fact, aluminum becomes stronger as it goes through this constant process of being cast and melted and cast again. Of course, all of us are now so much more aware of the importance of reduce, recycle, reuse. It’s not only a good thing, it is expected. Recycled aluminum requires only 5% of the energy used to make new aluminum. So there is energy saving as well. LEED was developed in 1998 to create greener spaces. People are making a more environmentally friendly choice. A small thing in a large project, but a worthwhile detail.”

The final entity I want to mention is the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). They are not producers of products; rather, they are a professional association for bath and kitchen specialists. What this means to you is that you can visit them to get professional help in planning your kitchen or bath project. I’ve moved often and prefer older homes, so have been through many remodels. Because of that, I hate waste and impermanence, and crave homes that respect the environment, both in usage, history and surroundings. The NKBA mission statement appeals to my values – “Committed to helping consumers and professionals understand their options for creating more energy-efficient living spaces…with a focus on environmentally friendly products and practices.”

My colleague Sarah Sarna wrote a very helpful post that describes the NKBA, so clicky on over to her description. After reading Sarah’s post, I wrote to get more information about the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) that the NKBA will put on in April, and discovered a talk that appeals to me – “Designing for a Sustainable Lifestyle.” The blurb says that “attendees will learn how to think beyond the basics of design to seek out innovative ways that solve everyday challenges which come with trying to live a sustainable lifestyle.” I’m not a designer, nor do I have any current plans to attend the show, but if I ever hire an interior designer, I want THAT person to have attended the talk.

In the end, I came home from BlogTour with an expanded idea of what it means to more fully live an organic and sustainable lifestyle. It’s more than what I DO in the kitchen; it’s what my kitchen IS. It’s the busiest room in my home, and I want it to fully reflect my values. And it was such an adventure. The show was for interior designers and home specialists, and I was probably the only healthy living blogger there. To see all the creativity and effort that is going into making our lives better (I saw nothing that was designed to be obsolete) made me excited and happy. I like owning items that have a history and will last long enough to become part of my kids’ histories. I prefer function to flash, and quality over shiny objects that glitter for a while, then lose their sparkle after a year or two. What about you?

If you want to know about the mattress I discovered at the show that’s treated with olive oil, read my quick blurb over at Freshome. Cashmere is also involved!

I was not compensated in any way for this post, nor was I asked to write it. All of the organizations mentioned were sponsors of BlogTour, and I truly feel they are working to improve our lives and planet.

Want to design a healthier life for yourself? Then please subscribe to our YouTube channel and blog. Please also follow us on Twitter:AlexandraFunFit and KymberlyFunFit and Instagram: KymberlyFunFit and AlexandraFunFit. Or click now on the icons above.