Just because I’m traveling does not mean my health should go on holiday too. In fact, I’ve found my best travel experiences and memories pair well if I’m staying on track and finding a healthy travel routine.
Consistency turns out to be key yet again. When we take an unhealthy detour, we often have to face the consequences.
Finding a healthy travel plan is a learning experience and highly individualized. Every destination you are traveling to requires some thought, compromise and flexibility.
Here are my current 5 tips:
1– Inquire about a refrigerator if your hotel room doesn’t automatically have one. This will motivate you to purchase fresh foods for snacks and meals, rather than just surviving on processed ones when in your room.
2– Check out grocery stores early upon arrival at your destination to see what options may be available that are presently in your eating plan. This is the step where flexibility comes in. You may have to find suitable substitutes to maintain your health. I love plain Greek yogurt (Fage is my healthy pick) and can’t always find one that works when traveling, but recently lucked out on a trip! Learning to read nutrition labels and applying that knowledge is vital.
3 – Ask! Ask about options, substitutions when dining at restaurants, on the airplane, more. Communication is vital in every corner of life! If you don’t ask about options you may miss out on a nut milk (Malk Organics), lower carbohydrate bread with great nutrition (Carbonaut), or custom breakfast creation from the kitchen.
4 – Research and take any supplements that may aid your health (whether it be for sleep, digestion, etc.). Do a trial run at home first to avoid unpleasant surprises / reactions. First and foremost make sure and tell your doctor about the supplements! Talk to friends, family, and neighbors about any of their “travel essentials.” One of my close friends gave me a supplement suggestion that immensely benefited me on my last travel when it came to negative effects from long airplane travel.
5 – Plan out your trip to lessen stress and burden upon touch down. Knowing transport, basic directions, and the general vicinity of vital needs goes a long way. In my eyes it is time worth investing.
I hope these tools help you in future travel and keep you feeling healthy, whether it be a 2.5 hour drive north to Montreal or an international flight to Cape Town.
Bon voyage!
If you have a health-related question that I can ask an expert, submit it here.