The WELLalarm Blog

Friday Links: At The Beach

Headed out for the beach? Here are some fun beach travel tips I found.

Ideal Bite has some advice for "greening" your travel. About that tip on packing lighter? The folks at EcoSalon recommend packing smarter.

Travel Betty has this fantastic idea for a Comfort Bag to ease your flight (or train ride).

Go easy on the flip-flops. According to New York Times health blogger Tara Parker-Pope, flip-flops can lead to foot pain. They're great for padding across hot sand, but for a long stroll just go barefoot close to the shoreline.

Do cover up with a sun hat. You can find something floppy and unique at Etsy.

Vital Juice has some calorie-burning beach activities that are no work and all play.

Keep the beaches greener -- and healthier -- by using reusable swim diapers.

Whether you're at the pool or the beach, make sure your kids play safe around the water.

Healthy Living has tips for a better beach day. I especially like the tip on keeping hydrated! Chill some pretty Sigg bottles of water overnight for your day in the sun and then be sure to drink some more water once you return from the beach.

Image via Beach Town Press.

Eco Spas

Using natural botanicals in spa treatments is nothing new, but according to Nora Isaac's article "Eco Paths to Exfoliation" in the New York Times, the locavore movement has recently seduced spa culture. More and more spas are getting in on the eco-friendly game, and that includes sourcing treatment ingredients from local produce.

Alas, James E. McWilliams, the author of A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America, says “Maybe ‘green lite’ will turn into ‘green heavy... But the most environmentally-friendly thing we can do is reduce our consumer spending dramatically, and a spa is a dramatic luxury expense.”

Oh all right, and I suppose it's not very eco-friendly to go jetting off to a spa far from home, either. But if you're going on vacation anyway, or if you really, really need some TLC for your overall health, might as well go eco, right? Here are some spas around the country (some from the Times article) where you can find green treatments.

Cliff House Resort and Spa, Ogunquit, Maine

Naturopathica, East Hampton, New York

Stoweflake Mountain Resort, Stowe, Vermont

ESSpa Kozmetika Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sundara Inn and Spa, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

El Monte Sagrado, Taos, New Mexico

The Crossings, Austin, Texas

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, Sonoma, California

Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, California

Eco Bliss, Los Angeles, California

Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, California

To find more green spas near you try Eco Spas and Ideal Bite.

Images from Cliff House Resort and Spa.