Ah, vacation. Beaches, road trips, spending time with family. It’s a time to kick back and leave all your cares behind. And to make your vacation stress free, you’ll need to keep actively managing your diabetes. Fortunately, all it takes is a little preparation with the right strategy to stay healthy while having fun.

The biggest challenge to taking care of diabetes on vacation is the lack of your usual routine and surroundings. The first step is knowing which healthy habits you’re most likely to drop—perhaps the fatty local cuisine is just too tempting to resist, or you prefer to spend your time on the beach, just sitting, to actual movement. This is your time off, and you should spend it how you want. Just pick from the following tips to help you enjoy your vacation while keeping your diabetes in check.

EXERCISE
Getting enough exercise on vacation can actually be easier than when you’re home. Book a hotel that has a gym and take advantage of the convenience in the morning so your days start recharged and relaxed.

You can also make exercise part of the vacation—pack a swimsuit and take a dip in the hotel pool or on the beach, rent a bike, kayak, or bring along comfortable shoes and go on a walking tour. Just find something that interests you and will get you moving and keep you entertained at the same time.

FOOD
Find a hotel with a refrigerator and kitchenette so you can prepare some meals in your room, which will help you know you’re eating healthier at least some of the time. It will also save money and give you more leeway in enjoying local treats. At restaurants, use the same guidelines you normally follow. That refrigerator in your room will also give you a place to store insulin and any leftovers you want to save for later.

RELAX
The reason vacations are so great is because they help you recharge and relax. Stress reduction helps control blood glucose; so do whatever you need to do to make this time enjoyable. If you overindulge, don’t let guilt ruin your good time. Find a balance and make deals with yourself to make everything count—maybe you’re going to indulge at dinner, so determine to eat a healthy breakfast and take a 30-minute walk the next morning. No matter what, remember that your time on vacation is short, so make it count—you can always get back on track once you get home.

MORE VACATION TIPS from POWERBAR® PRIA® COMPLETE NUTRITION BAR PLAN AHEAD
Bring plenty of snacks, like POWERBAR® PRIA® COMPLETE NUTRITION BARS, with you wherever you go.

CHECK YOUR GLUCOSE
It may be tempting to check your blood glucose less often. But since your normal routine will be a little out of whack, testing more often will help you know where you stand to make sure your blood glucose is under control.

DO YOUR RESEARCH
Finding good deals, interesting attractions and great food isn’t always easy when you’re already on the road—look it all up beforehand so you can make the most of your time.