This trip to San Diego came together almost effortlessly. When I recently reached out to my friend Laura Lea, we started to dream up a trip together. We both have an affinity for Healthified travel, so I knew we could create an itinerary full of healthy food, movement, and flowy fun. Southern California came to mind pretty quickly, and after locking down some dates, we booked a beautiful, boho chic Airbnb in Ocean Beach. Yoga studios, coffee shops, and even a Co-op can all be found within walking distance, so we knew the area was great for our getaway.
Day 1
I had an early 6 A.M. flight from Richmond, so I started the morning with a black coffee, knowing I was going to have breakfast a few hours later. The trip to San Diego was going to take about 13 hours door-to-door, so I packed a bunch of Gratisfied bars, a salad, and bag of Gratisfied Clusters for a snack if needed. Because I eat for blood sugar balance, I have enough experience under my belt to know all of this would sufficiently fuel my trip. For some context, I ate a Gratisfied Almond Butter Bar at 7:30 A.M., and it lasted me almost 5 hours until my second flight when I could enjoy my salad. A couple of hours later I had a small handful of Cacao Clusters, which got me to our Airbnb in San Diego (to save on any Gratisfied order, use the code HEALTHIFIED at checkout for a discount!)
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For the salad, I tried to use up what I had on hand in my refrigerator, refraining from any animal protein to prevent it from going bad.
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Given the time change, we had half of the day to enjoy upon my arrival. I ate an Oat Bar as a quick snack before we hopped on our bikes to ride to the beach.
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Upon getting to the beach, we found the Ocean Beach Bike Path, so we went on a short walk. It was such a great way to stretch our legs after a long travel day.
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By the time we got back on our bikes, it was “happy hour,” so we searched for a kombucha bar. We found Nova Easy Kombucha nearby. It had both hard kombucha and alcohol-free options on offer. We grabbed a picnic table outside and caught up over our drinks. I got the ginger on draft, which was light, crisp, and exactly what I wanted.
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When dinner time rolled around, we Googled for a healthy restaurant in the area. True Food Kitchen popped up, and although it is a chain, the menu listed items we were definitely in the mood for. We started out with the cauliflower small plate and both ordered the ancient grains bowl. I added salmon for some extra protein.
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Because of the three hour time change, I was more than ready for bed by the time we got back to the Airbnb. It was a great first day!
Day 2
I woke up a couple of hours earlier than Laura Lea. When I travel, I always take my morning routine with me. It might be a tad truncated than what I do at home, but the fundamentals are the same: a 5-minute meditation (I use the Insight Timer app), journaling, and reading, all over black coffee of course.
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With our first full day in San Diego ahead, (more) coffee and a healthy breakfast was first on our agenda. Coffee & Plants Cafe was right around the corner, so we stopped there first.
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Healthified tip: if you choose a dairy-free milk alternative for your latte, have almond milk over oat milk. While the latter is becoming increasingly popular, it tends to spike people’s blood sugar more than a nut-based milk. I got almond milk in mine. If you tolerate dairy, whole milk is another good choice.
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For breakfast, we were both in the mood for either a smoothie or bowl. We stumbled upon Cafe Bella, which from the outside, didn’t look like much. Who would have thought a drive-up juice bar located in a liquor store parking lot would have the most delicious smoothie?!
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Healthified tip: I typically build my own smoothie, as many of the made-to-order options are created with a lot of tropical fruits. Not only will this spike your blood sugar, a fructose laden meal won’t keep you full for very long. And isn’t the point of eating to reap hours of satiation? Here is what I ordered: almond milk, blueberries, kale, peanut butter, plant-based protein. Healthy fat, fiber, plus protein leads to blood sugar balance!
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Our second day was going to be the nicest day of our week weather-wise, so we made plans to pick up some lunch at the community co-op for a picnic on the beach. Some examples of what we got were Simple Mills crackers (highly recommend the sun-dried tomato basil!), hummus, goat milk gouda (yum), crudités, cottage cheese (for extra protein), and some chocolate. It was the perfect afternoon activity for rest, relaxation, and getting some sun.
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We found a 4 P.M. yoga class at Yoga Box, which was only a three minute walk from our Airbnb. I ate an Oat Bar before to fuel the hot power Vinyasa flow. I haven’t been doing a lot of yoga back home, so it felt really good to get back on my mat!
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For dinner, we were in the mood for sushi. Harumama was right around the corner, so we decided to try it. It served some of the freshest sushi I have had! We started with the kimchi appetizer, ordered one of the buns, and both got a specialty roll. So delicious!
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Day 3
Even when I am traveling and trying new things more often than not, I can be a creature of habit. When I find something I love, I tend to want it again. On the third day, we started off at Coffee & Plants where I ordered another almond milk latte; I then had the same smoothie, went to the same yoga class, and enjoyed leftovers for lunch. Laura Lea had client calls in the morning, so this worked well for me.
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When LL wrapped up work, we got back on our bikes to explore Pacific Beach. It was about a 30 minute ride and quite the workout! We walked and rode along Mission Beach, eventually stopping for cocktails.
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We decided on an early dinner, so headed to Our Green Affair for a bowl. This place really impressed me! Not only in the quality of their food, but also their customer service. I once again built my own: romaine, arugula, grilled chicken, sweet potato, sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, and roasted chickpeas with a tahini cilantro vinaigrette.
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It was enough food for two meals! I ended up packing the leftovers for my trip home the following day. Our bike ride back to Ocean Beach was beautiful along the bay.
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Day 4
We both had mid-day flights home, so we eased into the morning with coffee and a quick breakfast before heading to the airport. Knowing I wanted to start the day with some protein (while saving my Gratisfied bar for my layover), I had a yogurt bowl with Bellwether Farms yogurt, Lovebird cereal, some blueberries and walnuts. I packed a bar, my leftover salad, and some other snacks for the 8-hour trip.
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Healthified tip: We all know how important it is to stay hydrated when we fly, but add a packet of LMNT electrolyte powder to the mix and you will be better off!
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