Top 5 Healthy Travel Tips
To travel and see the world is one of my favorite things. What a treat it is to explore different cultures, various ways of living, and beautiful scenery. Whether you’re traveling for fun or work, it can definitely be a challenge to stay on track with your health goals. Depending on how far your traveling, you could very well be adjusting to changes in time zones as well as different environments. Typically, when you’re traveling you’re off your normal schedule/routine and tend to eat out for almost every meal. This is where things get sticky.
Something to remember while you’re vacationing - everything you do is still going to impact your health goals. Just because it’s vacation or mandatory work travel doesn’t mean those calories go out the window. Of course, it’s totally justifiable to enjoy yourself and indulge on a meal here and there but every meal you eat and every decision you make is something that is going to hinder or progress your goals. You shouldn’t feel restricted when making the decision to lead a healthier life.
It’s not about sticking to a diet or ‘finding motivation’ — once you make lifestyle changes to eat better and get movement in every day, it just becomes the way you are. When you make it a habit (and realize how amazing it really makes you feel), you will not think twice about getting a workout in while out of town. Whether you go for a walk/run on the beach, jog around the city, rent bikes, find a cool local gym near by, or even just a quick session in the hotel gym, something is better than nothing. Odds are, you’re doing more walking while on vacation and getting more steps in than your normal routine, which is great too!
Top 5 Travel Tips
1) Pack essentials
Pack collagen/protein powder to add to your morning coffee or utilize to ensure you get enough protein throughout your day, especially if you’re trying to preserve any muscle mass. When you’re eating out for almost every meal, most restaurant serving sizes are quite small and it can be easy to not hit your daily requirements.
Pack your supplements
Immune boosting - vitamin C, oil of oregano, black elderberry
Probiotics - since you’ll be eating out for almost every meal you’ll want to keep that gut health in check.
Omega 3s - will help with inflammation
Greens powder - to ensure you’re meeting your nutrient requirements daily.
Ginger capsules can help with motion sickness.
Digestive enzymes - to help break down food during digestion to better uptake nutrients - I take them when I’m having a carb heavy meal.
2) Take a reusable water bottle -- luckily airports now provide refill stations at drinking fountains. Staying hydrated is always one of my top priorities regardless of travel, but especially during travel. The airplane holds higher humidity inside the cabin which can dehydrate you easily. Airports + airplanes are covered in germs and toxins, drinking plenty of water helps flush out anything unwanted. Depending on where you’re going, you’ll likely be adjusting to climate + pressure change which can also impact your hydration.
Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, cramps, and a slew of other unpleasant symptoms -- none of which are fun when you’re trying to enjoy your trip.
I also like to pack hydrating eye gels to use on the plane, there’s nothing like getting off a plane feeling fresh faced + hydrated :)
UCAN Hydrate electrolyte packets are great for traveling as well, we always make sure to throw some of those in our bag.
3) Prepare a healthy carry on bag. Whether you use your purse or a separate carry on, ensure you have a snack pack easily available. This will help prevent you from relying on airport/airplane food.
This can be a stasher bag that goes inside your carry on/purse/backpack, anything works really. Packing some easy, non perishable snacks that are convenient in between meals or in place of meals if there is nothing healthy available until you arrive at your location.
Nuts + seeds, chomps jerky sticks, almond butter packets, tea bags, low sugar snack bars, or pre-made protein balls are all great options!
4) Pre-plan restaurants you want to visit (this is a no brainer for me because when I travel it’s all about what restaurant we’re going to next lol)
You don’t need to plan out your WHOLE trip in advance, that’s part of the fun to go with the flow, BUT it is convenient to pick a few breakfast, lunch, and dinner spots you know have healthy options and are close by where you are staying so in a time of need you have a spot picked out.
Think the 80/20 rule -- as cliche as it is. My favorite part about traveling is to indulge in the local cuisine and explore new foods, but you don’t want every meal to leave you feeling heavy and bloated. If you have a big brunch, try and keep your lunch a lighter dish, etc. Balance out where you decide to indulge and where you try and keep it light and healthy.
5) Daily Movement. Make your workout apart of your site seeing. Rent a bike and ride around the city, walk from one location to the next (if applicable), hike to see the view, swim at the beach, run on the beach, etc.
Daily movement will also help your body filter through some of the extra calories you’re probably eating.
If your hotel has a gym, great. If not then I find it handy to pack resistance bands (which take up NO space in your suitcase) to use for an in-room OR outdoor workout.
Stretch before bed, especially on travel days -- you’re likely sitting at airports, in airplanes and car rides for long periods of time, your lower back could start to hurt from your hip flexors being in a compromising position for the duration of your travels.
Focusing on your breathing while holding stretches for a few minutes each position can also help relieve any stress from the long days that typically go along with vacation/travel.
Take away message : Set up non-negotiable standards and ensure your health is a priority, you will enjoy your trip much more if you feel good :)
xx Brit
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