• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Marissa Vicario

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • services
  • Book
  • Contact

Search

Why Vacation is Healthy + A Summer Trip to the South of France and Ibiza

08/21/18

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | South of France | Hotel Les Roches Rouges

Ever get vacation guilt? That feeling where guilt about lying around, ignoring your emails and not being productive creeps in? It happens and I daresay it’s happened to me. As much as I love vacation, as a small business owner, I tend to feel like the longer I’m on vacation the more my to-do list piles up. Apparently, it’s not just me because a US Travel Association study found that 40 percent of Americans leave paid vacation days unused. But the truth is, vacation is healthy – yes, it’s good for your health! Research shows that those who don’t take vacation get sick more often, are less productive, feel more stressed and anxious and are more depressed. 

If you need a reason why you should take full advantage of your vacation time, here are three good ones:

One // Your stress levels will plummet. At the very least, most of us experience chronic levels of low-stress on a daily basis. By taking regular vacation time, you give yourself a break from your chronically stressful lifestyle. Chronic stress over time can disrupt every system of your body from your immune system, nervous system and digestive system. It increases the risk of stroke and heart attack and also speeds the aging process. 

Two // The mental break will boost your creativity and productivity. Similar to the concept of taking a rest day from exercise to give your body a chance to rest and rebuild, giving your your mind a  chance to reset and refresh can help you come back to work even more productive. Sometimes, a change of scenery is just what you need to feel more inspired and energized to get sh*t done. 

Three // Your metabolism will benefit. It’s true! Your metabolism needs a break too. What does that even mean? If you’re someone who puts a lot of time and effort into eating healthy and exercising as part of your daily routine, you may be putting extra stress on your metabolism. That little break (i.e. skipping a few workouts and eating a few treats) can benefit your metabolism. Some people even find that they lose or keep their weight steady on vacation even though their daily routine isn’t as strict as it is at home. 

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | Sunet | Hotel Les Roches Rouges

David and I put these concepts into practice during our Summer trip to The South of France and Ibiza. People warned us that these locations would be swarmed with travelers in August but we didn’t find them to be any busier than usual. I think a big part of why this trip allowed us to relax and and experience fewer crowds was because of where we chose to stay. 

In France, we visited St. Raphael, a resort town in southeastern France on the Cote de Azur. We stayed at Hotel Les Roches Rouges, a luxury, boutique property that was a little off the beaten path. The service at the hotel was stellar and the setting was pristine and there were so many little extra touches like the decor and bespoke welcome drinks that made this hotel special. 

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | Place de Lices | Saint Tropez

Most of our four days in the South of France were spent lounging pool and oceanside, but we took one day to drive to Saint Tropez where we visited the famous Place de Lices, an open-air market hosted every Tuesday and Saturday morning. Afer that, we spent the rest of the day at a local beach club where we had lunch and enjoyed the ocean. 

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | fresh food | Hotel Les Roches Rouges

All of the food we had in France was fantastic from fresh oysters in Nice to every morsel of the tasting menu at Le Terrace at Les Roches Rouges. 

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | Ca Na Xica | luxury boutique hotel in Ibiza | pool

From France, we headed to Ibiza, an island off the east coast of Spain, for four more relaxing and picturesque days. Ibiza gets a reputation for its party scene but we didn’t experience that at all while we were there. We stayed at Ca Na Xica, a boutique hotel on the rural north side of the island surrounded by nature – lush greenery, fruit and olive trees, rich red soil and beautiful flowers.  

What we appreciated about our time in both France and Spain is that we were surrounded by natural beauty. Both resorts used the natural surroundings to their advantage to create an oasis from the more touristy parts of the areas and their surroundings. 

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | Ibiza sunset

In Ibiza, we spent lots of time pool-side, a day at a beach club where we rented sunbeds, ate lunch and shopped the local fashions at the beachside stands and spent a day sailing on the Mediterranean to catch the Ibizan sunset. 

The Ibizan vibe is super relaxed so the restaurants we went to were charming and laid back (think quaint garden-party) and although fresh, the food didn’t blow us away.

Vacation is healthy | trip to South of France and Ibiza | Health Coach Marissa Vicario | Parque de Buen Retiro Madrid | With Love from Madrid

On our way back stateside, we spent one night in Madrid where we stumbled on a cute cafe for juice, smoothie and salad, strolled in Parque del Buen Retiro and ate dinner at the creative and sophisticated Bibo by Michelin-starred chef, Dani Garcia. 

Of course, the hardest part of vacation is leaving. David and I make so many wonderful memories on these trips that it’s always difficult to say goodbye, but we come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle our respective work.

The next time that vacation guilt creeps in, remember that your vacation is healthy and yes, you need it (that’s why it’s there) so take it! 

Leave a Comment
Travel// Uncategorized// Wellness

« New York City Wellness Guide
How to Practice Mindful Eating »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me


Welcome! My name is Marissa and I’m a lover of all things health and wellness.As a NYC-based board-Certified Wellness Coach and Healthy Living Expert, I share my own health secrets, get-fit tips and the cooking expertise that has inspired countless women to change their relationship with food and turbocharge their health to become holistically hot in a way thatโ€™s fun and fearless.
Shop Sakara Life Today! IIN

Order Today! Your Holistically Hot Transformation

 Holistically Hot Transformation

How I Turned My Passion Into a Business: Next Generation.TV

Microwavable meals that are actually healthy AND g Microwavable meals that are actually healthy AND good for the environment? I'll take them ALL! #ad

One of the biggest challenges I have as a Mom is keeping myself fed and fueled with healthy food so when I (virtually) met Zoe, the founder of @fireoxfoods and a new mom herself, I was delighted to learn about the new line of frozen plant-based meals she created. 

The 5 veggie-centric varieties are each inspired by global flavors and the ingredients are so clean I feel good sharing these meals with my daughter.

๐Ÿฅฅ Massaman Coconut Curry 

๐Ÿ„ Mushroom Oat Risotto

๐Ÿ… Provencal Ratatouille

๐ŸŒถ Chipotle Red Bean Pozole 

๐Ÿฅฌ Braised Ethiopian Greens

Everything is vegan, gluten-free and SO TASTY! Try them out for yourself for 15% off with the code EATVEGGIES at www.fireoxfoods.com๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’‹๐Ÿฒ
As a new mom, I quickly discovered that there's a As a new mom, I quickly discovered that there's a lot of focus on "bouncing back" into exercise, work and intimacy and many of the moms who had babies at the same time as me seemed to be doing it a lot faster than I was. Because nobody ever told me it could take up to a year (or longer) to feel like myself again, I often wondered what was wrong with me. 

On my blog (link in profile or MarissaVicario.com/blog), I published an honest account of what my first year postpartum was actually like as I learned to navigate a new body with a new purpose, a baby that refused to sleep and of course, a pandemic. 

What I'm about to say I wish someone had told me 15 months ago: Itโ€™s ok to take as much time as YOU need to recover and even though you're a mom now, you WILL feel like yourself again! ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’‹๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง๐Ÿ“ธ: @graceandfirephotography 

.
.
.

#fitfluential 
#iamwellandgood 
#healthyhacks 
#mindbodygram
#eatforabs
#finallythemcfarlands
#valentinaantoniamcfarland
#preemiemom
#instafit
#fitfam
#wellnesswarrior
#holisticallyhot
#marissaswellbeingandhealth
#iinhealthcoach
#nychealthcoach #nycfitness #plantbasedmom #nycfitnessblogger #postpartumjourney #postpartumrecovery #nycmomblogger #nycmom
Today feels like the first page of the first chapt Today feels like the first page of the first chapter of a brand new book. Iโ€™m hopeful for what the future holds. ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’‹๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
My weekend #momuniform ๐Ÿชข Top knot ๐Ÿต Matcha My weekend #momuniform

๐Ÿชข Top knot
๐Ÿต Matcha
๐Ÿ‘š Cozy hoodie and jogger set
๐Ÿ‘Ÿ @vionicshoes sneakers

.

.

.

#fitfluential
#iamwellandgood
#healthyhacks
#wholefoods
#eatrealfood
#huffpostliving
#mindbodygram
#eatforabs
#aloyoga #alo 
#fitfam
#wellnesswarrior
#holisticallyhot
#marissaswellbeingandhealth
#iinhealthcoach
#nychealthcoach
#nycfitness
#plantbasedfoodie
#huffpostparents
#nycfitnessblogger
#nycmomblogger
#newmom
#nycmom
#momblogger
#fitmom 
#momcrew
#postpartumjourney
#fashionbloggerstyle
#vionicshoes
Iโ€™m thrilled to announce that Iโ€™ll be working Iโ€™m thrilled to announce that Iโ€™ll be working with my friends at @nowfoodsofficial again for 2021 AND I have a new discount code for 20% off your order โžก๏ธ MARISSA 

As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I only partner with brands I trust and use myself. Over the past three years, I've loved introducing many of you to the NOW Foods brand and helping you discover products that allow you and your families to live healthier lives at affordable prices and in turn support a family-owned business. So let's keep it going for 2021! #nowwellness #ad ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’‹๐Ÿงก

.
.
.

#fitfluential 
#iamwellandgood 
#selfcareday
#selfcaretips
#healthyhacks 
#newmom
#fitpregnancy
#healthyliving
#huffpostliving
#mindbodygram
#eatforabs
#nycmom 
#instafit
#fitfam
#wellnesswarrior
#holisticallyhot
#marissaswellbeingandhealth
#iinhealthcoach
#nychealthcoach 
#nycfitness 
#nycmomblogger
#girlmom
#postpartumfitness
#postpartumjourney 
#postpartumwellness #galpalsforevas
I'M BACK ... and more thankful than ever for my he I'M BACK ... and more thankful than ever for my health! If you were following my stories earlier this week, you saw that I took some time off because of a corneal abrasion. It's now 90% healed. 

Valentina poked me in the eye on Saturday morning and by that night I couldn't open my eye. And because I couldn't open the injured eye, I couldn't open the other eye. 

It was both scary and frustrating. With both eyes closed, all I could do was sleep. So with the help of my husband who took on sole responsibility for Valentina, I slept all day Sunday and half the day Monday until I could get in to see my eye doctor. 

I joked to one of my friends that I finally got the mommy break I needed - just not the one I wanted! I also caught up on all my missed sleep for the year! 

But in all seriousness, with everything going on in the news I knew I needed the social media/tech break, I just wasn't taking it. I'm a firm believer that the Universe does for us that which we can't do for ourselves. This has always been true for me that when I most need a break, I'm forced to take one through Illness or injury. 

With Valentina being sick the first week of the year followed by my social media and technology hiatus, I fell even more behind than I already was. But in the grand scheme of things, none of that matters. 

I'm so thankful for my familyโ€™s health and even though I was injured, I actually feel refreshed. Next time I need a break, I'm giving myself permission to take one - and I hope you will too! ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’‹๐Ÿ‘€

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”

Now let me tell you about this outfit. I know, I know it looks like basic black sweats but theyโ€™re better than basic - Iโ€™ve been living in these @monrow_official joggers (the softest ever) and this elevated cropped sweatshirt by @alala both courtesy of @renttherunway. Use my code RTRMARISSA this month for 40% off an 8 or 16 item plan. @rtrambassadors
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • services
  • Book
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright Marissa Vicario © 2021
Web Design by Grace + Vine Studios