And they lived happily ever after

This weekend the Manfriend and I traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico to see our good friend Bryan (we've each known him for 14 years) marry the love of his life, Leah.

Santa Fe is amazing. Have you been to NM? It was my first time.

We stayed at La Fonda, a gorgeous historic hotel in the downtown area.

(Bet it was hard to guess my favorite spot!)

Which paired nicely with a refreshing...

(Skinny margarita: Patron silver, tiiiiiny splash Cointreau (less than 1/2 shot glass), fresh lime juice)

It was nice to see our buds again (I've known most for almost 15 years!)...

(One of the groomsman presents was new Ray Bans!) 

The wedding was breathtaking. My pictures don't do justice.

(Lil choked up. Awwwwww.)

What a good looking couple, eh?

And then was time to party.

We danced our faces off.

And by now, you don't have to guess whether he wore his dancing pants...

I will miss those crazy kids...

* * *

NUTRITION

I don't generally take pictures of all of my meals when I'm away, because a vacation (in my opinion) is about living in the moment. I did however, snap a few pics of meals that keep me (more importantly, my digestive system) in check. As you know, I eat a lot of veggies. With veggies, comes fiber. In the past, I strayed so far from my typical diet that I'd encounter (without fail) major digestive issues when away from home. That being said, I do like to splurge a bit and try local foods.

Here are a few guidelines I follow to keep both my taste buds and insides smiling:

1. Eat a light, fresh breakfast. No one feels good sightseeing after eating a Hungryman's feast. A typical meal for me is an veggie egg-white omelet (sans dairy), dry wheat toast and/or fresh fruit, tomato juice, and coffee.

2. Replace at least 1 meal with a tasty salad or veggie-packed meal. This will keep both your GI tract and waistline happy.

Appetizer salad.

Schmorgesborg of steamed veggies, grilled tofu, and quinoa.

Opened faced veggie burger topped with more veggies, black beans, ketchup and mustard.

Grilled shrimp & spring salad (veggies, mangoes, oranges, and a citrus vinaigrette dressing)

3. Drink lots and lots (and lots!) of water

4. Choose light beer, wine, champagne or low-sugar cocktails. Some favorites are the skinny margarita (recipe above), white wine mixer (recipe here) and a pineapple mixer (recipe here).

5. When possible, have some green juice and load up on your vitamins! From what I've read, drinking green juice on an empty stomach is like a surge of vitamins throughout your body. An empty tummy and little fiber (lost in the pulp) allows for speedy digestion and quick absorption of vitamins. 

Beet

cucumber

celery

apple

garlic

ginger

parsley

* * *

SO TELL ME

How do you stay 'in balance' on road trips, vacations, etc.?

Does your GI system also  go crazy when you're away from home?