Sorry about my lag in blog posts. I was on another extraordinary vacation.

Here I'm in Budapest enjoying the local public spa.

You might wonder why a health and wellness specialist and author like me is writing about vacations? You’ll be pleased to find out that I recognize and prescribe vacations as a vital component of wellness. (And the crowds went wild LOL!)

I’m not kidding. During my 25 years as a busy holistic family doctor near Milwaukee, Wisconsin I observed the necessity for more people to have more rest, especially in the form of vacations. Many illnesses are caused at least in part by stress, or an over-burdened lifestyle.

With my boys and Dog on the Deerskin River in Wisconsin

Now before you begin planning to lead a sedentary lifestyle on the couch for the rest of your life, know that it is equally important to do meaningful fulfilling work that you are passionate about, and dedicate yourself to it. But still, regularly disconnecting with vacations needs to be sprinkled in for rejuvenation of body, mind, and spirit.

So here are several of my suggestions that can make your vacation extraordinary.

#1) I’ve noticed that if people take vacations regularly, then the lazy, non-stimulating type of vacations get boring fast. So go places and do things that are educational, exciting, and adventurous.  For example, I once rented a motor home in Rome, Italy and criss-crossed the country.

Here I'm overlooking a Lake in the Alps.

#2) You don’t want to come home being 5 pounds heavier, so partake in some physical activity each day. Whenever I go somewhere I’m always on the lookout for places to canoe, hike, and bike.

Hiking in Bohemia

#3) Another necessity to keep your physique in check is to control your eating. By all means sample the local cuisine,  but keep some self control such as being sure to eat a big salad everyday just as I consistently recommend. If you travel overseas you’ll notice how particularly healthier the food choices tend to be, especially breakfast. For example, when I was in Poland I was served radishes for breakfast. In France, I ordered an omelet and it came with a salad. Try it and I bet you’ll like it.

#4) Go with the mindset that no matter what happens it will be a great trip. Make the best of whatever the situation. Bad weather, travel delays, and getting lost are to be expected. You can’t lose with an attitude like that. My wife and I were robbed by a taxi driver in Istanbul and we still laugh about it.

With my wife hiking the Lycean trail on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

#5) Learn some of the local history. Every location has fascinating stories associated with it and they will provide considerable depth to your visit. Do a bit of research before you go, buy a guidebook, or ask the locals. My wife and I delight in taking guided walking tours of the major cities we visit. Most of them have been free.

#6) Take at least some risk. Some of my most memorable experiences came from dropping my guard a little. For instance, I was once driving across Montana and saw an interesting looking side road. I decided to take it even though I had no idea where it went. Within a few miles I stumbled upon the fascinating  site of Custer’s last stand. That was really cool.

There are endless places to go that will provide a lifetime of stimulating adventures.

My colleagues teasingly call me a “vacation expert” because of the many fabulous trips I’ve logged. So I wrote an article for doctors called How to Take More Vacations Without Disrupting Your Practice. The article is available for free on my other website specifically for doctors – http://www.reclaimthejoy.com.

I’m Dr Tom Potisk wishing you Happy Trails!

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Be sure and get my 4 free health reports available on the right side of this website.

Oh, and by the way, have you seen my other cool website – http://www.wholehealthhealing.com.

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Healthy people are more likely to be found outside the USA. Sick thought eh? No pun intended. LOL.

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Here I am enjoying the sunshine in Tuscany, Italy

But it’s true. Check the list produced by the World Health Organization and you’ll find that the USA ranks poorly in overall health compared to many other countries, even though we have more doctors, the best technology and the highest costs by far. We are ranked as number 39 – you can read more about it and see the list here. The area I live in/near, Milwaukee, Wisconsin is ranked one of the unhealthiest in the USA!

Now before any of you readers write to me and suggest I move away, I want to explain that I still like it here, that the good ole USA is still the best place to live, and that I’m just trying to help us all get and stay healthier. I believe that can happen if we learn at least a little by observing and learning from other, healthier cultures. Can I stay, please? LOL.

For example, I just returned from a wonderful trip to Italy, visiting Rome and then Tuscany. My wife and I  enjoy what we call “adventure vacations” meaning we travel on our own, getting off the beaten path when possible, do something very active like hiking or biking, and try to come back home having learned something from the experience and the real culture. If this all fails we can always count on coming back poorer! LOL.

Tuscany is a beautiful place.

Being the author of the book Whole Health Healing-The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible for All Ages, I can’t help but focus my attention on the health of each culture I visit. This gives me a good excuse to eat every thing in sight – strictly business right? LOL. You can order the book by clicking here.

Italian people are generally healthier than us in the USA; especially Italian people who live in Tuscany. Tuscany is about 1-2 hours northwest of Rome and is quite rural. It’s also extremely beautiful. In fact my wife and I agree that it is one of the loveliest places we’ve ever visited.

Sorry, for those of you that think it’s all genetic – that’s long ago been dis-proven. It’s really about lifestyle choices.

So what did I observe there about the lifestyles of these healthier people? Plenty! For one thing they generally eat fresher vegetables and fruits there. They mostly do their grocery shopping in small markets that have much locally grown produce. Many of these rural people are prolific gardeners growing much of their own produce.

They use a tremendous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. When I ate at restaurants, the waiter always started out by bringing fresh bread (the bread had little or no salt in the dough) but there was no butter to be seen. Instead they put olive oil on their bread. Of course, olive oil is known to have better quality fats than butter. When I ordered salad, there was no dressing to be found other than olive oil and vinegar. There are olive trees growing practically everywhere you look.

Lunch time at the piazza in Sienna, Italy. Notice the olive oil and vinegar for the salad?

They drink red wine with every evening meal. I saw much less consumption of soft drinks than here.

Fried foods are a rarity, and grilled foods are common – even vegetables, also served with olive oil instead of butter.

Most portions are smaller. Boohoo! LOL.

They eat much slower. Much slower. In fact it’s darn right irritating for us Americans to visit their restaurants because a typical meal takes about 3-4 times as long to be served. We are impatient eaters and overeat as a result.

Lastly but equally important, it’s easy to see that they are far more active than most of us are.  They walk a lot.  In fact, the Italians have a wonderful custom called passegiatta in which they take a stroll every evening.

Very active indeed. I’m not kidding that I picked up an 85 year old hitchhiker! Her name was Tosca and she looked great for her age.

So there you are- lessons from my Italian adventure vacation.

Which of these observations can you incorporate into your lifestyle?

Arrividerci!

Don't forget to explore the mountains of gelato (Italian ice cream) LOL.

By the way, have you seen my other blogs: 1) wholehealthhealing.com & 2)reclaimthejoy.com?

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Kids need adventures and so do I.

Today I was interviewed for another blog site and I was asked what kind of kid friendly vacations do I recommend? “Adventure vacations”, I replied.

My 2 boys on the deck of the reconstructed Nina ship

I’ve traveled to most parts of the US including Alaska, been to over 20 countries, and consider myself a vacation expert, in fact, I even teach that to other doctors thru my lectures and book called Reclaim the Joy of Practice – An Advanced Guide for Advancing Doctors. I teach that because I find most doctors need more rest.

In my travels, I soon learned that laying around on a cruise ship or in some hotel or on a beach is great but gets old fast. I found adventure vacations to be more rewarding. Also the whining factor from my kids, you know “Daaaaad. There’s nothing to do!” is much less or sometimes  non-existent when we are on an adventure type vacation. And I whine less also! LOL.

So, in response to the bloggers questions, I started taking inventory of all these adventures. There are dozens.

People refer to me as the “down to earth doctor” for several reasons, like my gardening, my practical teaching style, and my overall holistic lifestyle. These adventures are still another reason.

For example, I recently hiked in the San Bernadino Mountains of California to a remote natural hot spring. You can read the full story here – Wellness Prescription: have More Fun.

Last spring, I hiked, biked and canoed from Vienna, Austria to Prague, Czechoslovakia.

We love hiking at Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin – lots of great trails there, and great rock climbing for all ages.

Parents love that adventures tire out kids!

About 6 years ago, I rented a motor home in Rome, Italy and spent three weeks circling the country to cool places like Pisa, Pompeii, and Venice. I was amazed that the Italians allow climbing on many of the ruins.

3 years ago, we loaded up 2 canoes with our camping gear and spent a few days inside the Sylvania Tract wilderness area in the Michigan UP.

I could go on and on. My point is that if you just want to lie around and rest, stay home and do it on your couch.

I say "let them climb!" Don't worry the cannonballs were welded together!

Ask any kid, including mine, and you’ll find out they prefer adventures over vacations, like some place they can climb, explore, and run free. And they prefer camping over hotels with hot dogs roasted on a stick over a fire. Don’t forget the marshmallows!

I guess in that way, I’m still a kid too.

How about you?

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