The Vacation Experiment - Staying Healthy in Puerto Vallarta Bartleys Run
go to original May 8, 2016

My favorites… lots of ceviche – even a make your own ceviche bar at every lunch buffet. Mango tower with smoked marlin, and always-fresh salsa & guacamole, fruit, and veggies at every meal. Presentation was amazing.  Everything made from scratch.

Hola amigos!

We just returned from a pretty amazing vacation (5 nights, 6 days) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. PV is a cool little port town filled with historic buildings and cool sculptures and art — and of course, lots of resorts and gorgeous beaches.

This was my second time here but Ben’s first time to Mexico. This vacation was important because it’s the first we’ve ever planned more than a few weeks in advance, and fully necessary for my ailing adrenals (I have Stage 2 adrenal fatigue going on up in here). A beach vacation is exactly what we needed to relax and take a break. My plan: do absolutely NOTHING.

Was it successful? ABSOLUTELY!

Here’s the thing, though. Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune thyroid disorder) runs every aspect of my life. I don’t go more than 10 minutes without thinking about something related to “Am I feeling alright?” or “What do I need to do now to ensure I’m going to be ok 5 minutes from now?” I’ll get more into the actual details some other time, but I’ve done an awesome job of managing it, if I do say so myself! I pack and cook all of my own food, I bring my own water, I sleep when I need to no matter what has to be done or who is around, and I need to be selfish about everything that I do. One mistake could easy set me back by months to flare up an autoimmune attack and make me sick again.

This vacation was important because, well, I never thought I could take a vacation! That’s how limited I feel sometimes with Hashimoto’s. I can’t always do whatever, eat whatever, or go wherever I want and when I want — guess that’s what happens when you get “old” and in your 30s. ;) If you’re wondering how I eat, the short of it is that it’s like Whole30 or Paleo on steroids and way more random (to avoid the random foods I’m sensitive/intolerant to – like beets or bananas!).

I started searching for resorts and hotels that could accommodate food allergies. These are the types of kitchens and staff that are trained on how to properly prepare food & avoid cross-contamination. I stumbled on some online articles & TripAdvisor threads, and of those, the most desirable, affordable, and geographically feasible for us was Secrets Vallarta Bay in Puerto Vallarta. I cashed in on the Southwest points I’d unknowingly been hoarding, so even our flights were free. (Direct flight, what!!)

The rest of this post is vacation photos, so if you have autoimmunity like me, are stressed about it, and don’t feel like you can travel, this post is for you. And the hotel is beautiful. A smallish property, but beautiful.

Fooding: I emailed in advance, but found out quickly after check-in that all I needed to do was get a dietary card from the Concierge that I’d carry around with me all week and show to servers before ordering...

Read the rest at Bartleys Run.