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Faraway lands where you can immerse yourself in the food, the people, the culture and the beauty of the landscape. It’s an exciting time to travel to new places, and whether the goal of your trip is for luxury or adventure, you’ll need to integrate a little self-care so you can feel well so you can take full advantage of the experience.
One of the biggest challenges when travelling is that we are out of our routine. At home, we have a daily rhythm that we call our life, and don’t often think too much about all the things we do to keep healthy; like taking vitamins, drinking enough water, making healthy food choices, getting out for a bike ride, walk or hitting the gym.
But when on the road, our lives take a big shift. Suddenly, we’re on a plane, breathing recirculated air for hours, held hostage on a flight eating foods we may not normally choose, ultimately landing in another time zone, sleeping in a different bed, a different climate…you get the point.
Here are a top seven tips to stay healthy when travelling:
Depending upon your destination and the airline, you may either end up with a bag of pretzels or have some meal options. For international flights, the services are better, like when I travelled to New Zealand I was delighted to have a deliciously healthy and well-prepared meal and could choose from several options. However domestic flights, as you may know, are a different beast; many of the meals, when available, are high in fat and sodium so not optimal. I recommend you learn in advance so you can plan ahead.
The first thing I do when setting into a new environment is to find the local grocer and stocking up on healthy, easy to assemble foods. Eating out at restaurants several times a day is not only expensive, but you’ll end up eating more calories and have less control over the quality of the food you normally eat. If your hotel room has a refrigerator, or better yet a micro-kitchen or full kitchen, stock it well so you can at least have breakfast there in the mornings so you can start your day in a healthy way. I always bring TONI’S Protein Meals ® for breakfast, or as an anytime meal so that I don’t have to compromise on food quality. Also, if you have the ability, preparing your own dinner is ideal.
If you are in a different time zone, or even just a different environment, our sleep can certainly suffer. I usually take a hot bath before winding down, shut off all electronics, and read. I also bring Melatonin as if all else fails, which is a natural sleep aid.
Allowing a little down time to relax, recuperate and rest is so helpful to stay feeling good. It’s easy to get caught up in the go-go-go of vacations, but equally important is plan for a massage, an hour of reading, or sitting in nature to rejuvenate.
Some self-care routines can be kept up while away. Like bringing your vitamins or stretching in the morning. I love to give myself visual cues, like putting my vitamins next to my toothbrush, or the coffee pot, somewhere where I will see them and be reminded.
We are social beings, and every day on vacation feels like a Saturday! It’s easy to let our healthy habits lapse and overindulge in alcohol, desserts and foods that weigh us down, don’t make us feel well and contribute to weight gain.
Did you know you lose muscle after only four days if you’re not working out? If you don’t have access to a gym, I suggest bringing a double handled exercise band. It’s lightweight, doesn’t take hardly any room in your luggage, and you can use it anywhere. Once I traveled to Italy and was preparing for a figure competition. I had to at least maintain my muscle. I was able to do core, squats and some upper body routines with my one little band. It was a lifesaver.
Whatever you decide, you know what is best for you. May you find great fulfillment and learning in your adventures!
From my heart to yours,
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