Traveling Healthy

When Terry and I traveled to Hawaii recently, we flew immediately after work and weren’t able to eat a meal ahead of time. At the end of such a busy week, I hadn’t planned ahead enough to pack snacks, so we resorted to purchasing a few snacks at the airport. Sadly, despite scrounging around the magazine shop for 20 minutes, all I could find were crackers, trail mix, and nuts. The resulting stomachache reminded me that I should a) think ahead and pack homemade snacks, and b) write a post about traveling healthy.

Many folks, including myself at times, take the stand that a vacation is a vacation, so healthy eating and exercise go out the window. I’m often the same way, because:

• I want to experience the food of the region, and eating a salad at Aloha Mixed Plate wasn’t my idea of an experience.

So much meat

• Eating out 90% of the time on vacation versus eating in 90% of the time at home inevitably results in bigger portions, less (or zero) control over how the food is prepared, and, very often, a lack of fruits and vegetables.
• Bigger portions at meals results in less snacking; so instead of eating 5-6 times per day, I’m eating 2-3 times, which slows my metabolism.
• As much as I might want to exercise, sometimes excursions, scheduling, and hangovers practicality prohibit me from completing the workout I really want to do.
• I’m more likely to drink alcohol on vacation (two glasses instead of one, for example).

But here at BLWB, we take a no excuses attitude, right? So if you’re planning to travel, here are my best stay healthy away from home tips.

This time, when Terry and I left on Friday night, I brought a double batch of Julie’s homemade peanut butter granola, a bag of baby carrots, and empty water bottles to fill up before flying. I also downloaded my boot camp workouts on to my laptop so I could keep up with them while away. Since we took a red eye to Florida for the cruise, we made sure to sleep on the way there but will stay up on the trip back to ensure we get back on our normal schedule as quickly as possible.

As always, it’s all about moderation. Find ways to continue the healthy routines that you always do, with some leniency in order to enjoy your time away. Next time you travel, I hope these tips help you stay healthy on your vacation!