5 Tips to Eat Healthy While Traveling

• By Beth Meirav
• My Blog

Traveling is exciting and can be a lot of fun, however it can also wreak havoc on your body. Your circadian rhythm, the internal process that regulates your body's clock, is thrown off. This disrupts how you sleep, eat and even poop!

Of course we do not want this to stop us from all of the amazing things to see and do out there. I have plenty of clients that take fantastic trips and are able to maintain their weight easily. I even had one take an eight day Disney Cruise and still maintain her weight (I was impressed). A few simple tips to keep in mind are all it takes.

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Your trip will inevitably begin with one of those. The "getting to/from" part of the trip tends to cause challenges for most of us (myself included). We get to the airport or begin our road trip and immediately think SNACKS!!! The best way to handle this is to prepare. You know you will want to snack so bring something along (plus you will save a ton of $$$). Grabbing that trail mix at the airport is not quite as healthy as you think. Bring along some sliced up veggies (yes, I checked and they do allow it), applesauce, cheese sticks, yogurt, bananas (you get where I am headed with this). Prepare and defeat the snack attack!!
2. Eating Out - So you figure "I am on vacation anything goes....". Well, that vacation weight can truly add up. You can definitely eat out while away and still eat healthy. Look for things that are grilled, broiled or roasted. Stay away from anything that is described on the menu as "crispy" (that typically means fried). I enjoy trying a lot of different things so I love small plate restaurants. Perhaps order two or three appetizers and share them. It's fun and you can be more adventurous because you aren't committing to one main entree.
3. Timing is Everything - When you eat is very important. Travel can throw off your normal eating pattern. I know in Europe people tend to eat dinner at 10pm. You don't need to eat with the locals. Remember to finish eating at least 4 hours before bed. Go for a long walk and explore after dinner. Your body will thank you and you will definitely sleep better.
4. Hydrate - I am a broken record when it comes to hydration. Traveling though absolutely impacts our bodies significantly and it's very easy to become dehydrated and not even realize it. We also tend to drink more alcohol when away. Those fruity drinks or frozen pool-side pina coladas are difficult to resist. Keep in mind they are highly caloric. Try slipping a glass or two of water in between. It will keep you hydrated and slow you down.

Wishing you safe and happy travels this summer!! Reach out for more tips or if you are looking for someone to hold you accountable (in a kind way) on your health journey.