This is part of my blog series I call “Thoughtful Thursdays”
Traveling is fun, but at the same time it can be very demanding. I think the best part of our honeymoon this summer was the utter lack of plans we had going into the week. But alas, not every trip can be as laid back as a honeymoon. When you’re on the go here are some helpful hints to keep you healthy while away from home.
1. When possible, pack your own food. It’s no shock that home-cooked food is almost always healthier than anything you could hope to find while out and about. Examples of airplane friendly food include raw veggies, fruit, nuts, yogurt (preferably dairy-free), hummus, homemade granola bars, and hard boiled eggs. I was unsure if the yogurt would be too close to a liquid for plane travel, but I can tell you now that I’ve flown with yogurt with no problems at least half a dozen times. If you’re driving, bring a cooler full of your favorite goodies!
2. Research restaurants ahead of time. There are tons of great websites dedicated to finding restaurants that are gluten-free or vegan friendly. If you research ahead of time at home you can take the time to read through their menus. Also, there are all sorts of websites cropping up now that are dedicated to healthy traveling.
3. Download apps that help you find healthy eats. One of my personal favorites is Find Me Gluten Free.
4. Research gyms ahead of time. A lot of gyms offer a free week, or you could at least purchase a week or a few days for pretty cheap. Some nation-wide chains will allow you to use gyms in other parts of the country if you travel. Even some boat houses (rowing) have been known to allow guest rowers access to their equipment!
5. Ditch the gym all together- make your own work out. Bring something portable like a TRX trainer and the world becomes your gym. There are great websites that show you how to do a total body work out with minimal equipment (such as my favorite, the daily HIIT), too. If you’re staying in a city, bring your iPod and sneakers and take yourself on a running tour of the city. It’s a great way to enjoy the sites AND get a great work out in!
6. Try to anticipate any time changes ahead of time. They say “flying east is a beast; flying west is the best”. If you’re flying east, try to go to bed a little earlier every night the week or so before your travel. That way you won’t be up until 2:00 am east coast time and start your first day exhausted.
7. Hydrate. I can not stress this one enough! I know nobody likes being “that person” on the airplane who always has to pee, but get over it. It’s not worth wizzling up like a raisin just so you can let the stranger in the aisle seat watch their movie uninterrupted. They’ll understand.
8. Unless you’re traveling for a specific event and need to be super scheduled consider not over-scheduling yourself. Certainly, if you’re traveling for a wedding or a conference it would behoove you to stick to your schedule. But if you’re traveling for pleasure consider leaving yourself plenty of room to be spontaneous and enjoy what life tosses your way.
Happy travels,
If you or somebody you know is interested in working with a functional medicine doctor please call my office at (919) 238-4094 and see if we are the right fit for you. Infinity Holistic Healthcare is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, part of the Raleigh-Durham “triangle” area.
