SLO Sunshine

Let’s just say, we don’t travel light.  Schlepping in and out of every hotel takes some time—suitcases, shoe bags, magazines, computers, cases of water and kombucha, the aforementioned snack bag…. We would have made bad pioneers.  By the end of one night in the hotel, makeup and lotions and flat irons fill the bathroom counter and clothes are strewn from one end of the room to the other.  Especially when we’re getting ready for our first photo shoot for our website.

On our first morning in San Luis Obispo (SLO, to those in the know), after trying on every dress we had packed (and a few borrowed from McKenzie’s friend, Devon) we settled on our wardrobe changes and headed to breakfast at Sally Loo’s, the home of McKenzie’s favorite Acai Wonder Bowl.  Sally Loo’s is a SLO institution and a favorite study lounge for Cal Poly students, who dig into the Goober—a Belgium waffle covered in gooey peanut butter and bananas—to get through an afternoon energy slump.

Well nourished, we drove to Avila Valley Barn, the perfect setting for two Registered Dietitians who love to eat real food—beautiful in-season nectarines paired with artisan jams, fresh-baked pies and delicious homemade ice cream, all in a beautiful setting.  Nice.  We met Lara, McKenzie’s friend and owner of Sealed With a Kiss Events, who immediately put us at ease and had us laughing as we donned aprons, peered over top of cookbooks and licked ice cream cones.

From Avila Valley Barn, we drove to Avila Beach for a picnic.  After a quick wardrobe change, we set up a picnic in the sand with a fruit and cheese plate featuring Cowgirl Creamery cheese from Point Reyes, California.  After snapping a few photos, we decided to play in the surf for a few minutes.  We looked back at the beach to see our picnic blanket engulfed in seagulls.  Seriously?!  We were only gone for a minute. Running to the scene, we saw the cheese plate licked clean (or pecked clean, more like it)—not a speck of cheese or slice of bread to be found. 

Hoping the seagulls choked on the cheese, we packed up and headed to the next spot—Happy Hour at The Cliffs.  It was supposed to be our last photo shoot location, but was really just a good excuse to have a glass of wine and enjoy the sunset.  And goof off just a bit. 

Tired and giddy from the day, we effusively thanked Lara for traipsing all over San Luis Obispo to get shots for our website, and making it great fun in the process.  We headed back to the hotel to slip into comfy jeans and tee’s before going back into town and collapsing into chairs at Big Sky Cafe, a restaurant devoted to supporting local organic farmers.  And do they ever!  The portions are huge—definitely go with an appetite and plan to split entrees.  The New Mexican Pozole was richly flavored, spicy and thick with hominy, and the roasted eggplant lasagna delicious and satisfying.

Happy and feeling like two accomplished entrepreneurs on our way to success, we crawled into bed to get a good night’s sleep before hitting the road again tomorrow.  Destination:  Beverly Hills.  It’s a good life.

And Now…A Note on Keeping Hydrated

When you love the sun as much as we do, you can anticipate having long walks in the sunshine, spending full days on a sunny beach, and enjoying a glass of wine on an outdoor patio (see reference to the beach and The Cliffs, above). While you’ll be fulfilling your daily requirements for vitamin D, you may also be forgetting to replenish another key component for a healthy body – water.

We know, we know. It looks kind of boring and it tastes kind of boring, but please don’t underestimate the power of water. From a biological standpoint (we are science nerds, after all), water is important because it supports cell function, lubricates the joints in your body and prevents friction, maintains electrolyte balances, excretes bodily wastes, AND delivers essential nutrients within the body. Whew, GO WATER!

Unfortunately, the body’s thirst mechanism is not always the most reliable. Most often, by the time the brain signals, “I’m thirsty!” you may already be slightly dehydrated. While many high performance athletes require a beverage containing carbohydrates and sodium to enhance athletic endurance and optimize fluid retention, most people can just stick with good ol’ H20. It’s cheap. It’s refreshing. And it satisfies your body’s needs.

To avoid dehydration, try our Five (pre)Thirst Quenching Strategies to help you meet your water needs:

#1. Invest in a water bottle you really like – it will be worth it, we promise. Carry it around with you throughout the day so it’s easy and convenient to take small sips. No need to guzzle an entire bottle at one time!

#2. Try adding fresh slices of oranges, lemons, limes or cucumbers to your water. Not only does it look pretty, having that additional flavor makes drinking your water way more fun.

#3. For something different—and fancy!  Pour a glass of sparkling water and combine it with a splash of real fruit juice (orange, cranberry and pomegranate are our favorites).

#4. If you need a water break (pun intended!), try brewing your own iced tea. If you really want to be impressive, freeze lemonade in your ice-cube trays and add a few cubes to your glass. When they melt, rather than diluting the tea, they’ll enhance the flavor and provide a touch of satisfying sweetness.

#5. Eat your fruits & veggies. You don’t necessarily have to drink all of your fluid needs. Foods you eat contribute to total water consumption too. Some foods, however – such as fruits and veggies – have a higher water content than most foods so it’s a good idea to listen to your doctor and mom, and eat them - as if you need another excuse.