Diet is the biggest staple in my routine that keeps me on the track of staying healthy. It is not my favorite because of the discipline, but I would definitely credit it with being the star of most of my gains in a health sense. I regularly take rest weeks to allow my aging body time to rest and recover (I never used to have to do this, but can’t go without it anymore!). During those weeks, I am not burning the calories that my normal workout routine does. If my diet were to also take a rest week during that time, I would be losing my momentum on my goals.
Food isn’t just good for helping you with your appearance. Food is medicine and your diet is your best defense against sickness. If your diet is balanced and full of whole foods of different variety, you will thrive even during your travels. Jumping on the fast food plan for travel can easily unravel this though. You may not get a gut over your 4 day trip, but your body’s immunity has taken a hit. We are susceptible to sickness through travel due to many factors outside our control. But we can take control of what we eat to help mitigate the risk.
So that leads into the question of what should we be eating when traveling, along with supplement intake? I will lead into this by first saying that you should be taking your restrictions into account when reading this. Some may eat plant base, pescatarian, vegetarian and everything else in between. I am more focused here on finding ways to maintain your current diet (assuming it’s healthy in the first place) as you take a trip.
Pre-Travel:
Try to get an extra healthy, cleansing meal in before you travel. This could be the dinner before morning travel, or breakfast before a day flight. Make sure your plate is consisting of lots of variety in the fruits and veggies. These types of foods have natural antioxidants and are clean and whole. This will set you up strong in the beginning of the trip.
This is when I would suggest taking plenty of supplements that specifically boost the immune system. Again, me being very into the natural and whole ingredient path, I rely on supplements that reflect this. On my list of supplements to take prior to travel are Immune-Biotic, zinc, Energy Plus (iron), silver, Elderberry Elixer, daily vitamin formula (Try this one for men, try this one for women, try this one for anyone), gut health (try this one from Garden of Life), and B12 (try this spray from MaryRuth’s). Spread those out, and adjust dosage per the season that you are in. These are a good base to at least get you through that first day. Just for fun, I’ve even created an article (more like a list) of a TOP 10 Immunity Boosting Vitamins and Minerals, courtesy of our friends at Earthley (Link).
During Travel:
Whether you are navigating an airport or a highway, finding healthy eats while on the move can prove to be a challenge. Healthy options aren’t typically the ones jumping out from the options along the way due to the fact that they don’t attract the masses. My biggest suggestion ahead of a trip is to do a little research and planning. If flying, find out which airports that you will be in, whether it be the departure, the layover, or the arrival. I’ve had to plenty of times rely on the arriving airport to host my meal because I didn’t have the time to divert from my end location. Knowing what healthy options there are, and exactly where they are in the airport, can give you lots of ammo to making a healthy decision. I have a few airports that I have layovers in often, and I have those imprinted in my memory of where they are exactly, how long it takes to get there from various other points in the airport, and what options that they have that I like to eat. Other airports are brand new to me. Luckily, Google is an excellent partner in finding you what your are looking for dependent on your diet.
Another trick that I love to utilize is packing food for the road. I will pack fruit, snack bars, veggies, sandwiches, wraps, and whatever leftovers I can find. Put whatever food you have in disposable containers so that if you want to unload the carry on after awhile, you don’t feel bad about getting rid of the whole container. Also, put all food together in it’s own bag so that if you have to pull it out for TSA, it is easy to locate and get in and out. This strategy will save you money if you’re on the hook for your expenses, and it will ensure that you are putting exactly the food that you want into your body. Remember, even foods that appear healthy when eating out can be loaded in oils and salt and could give your gut some fun issues to deal with on a plane. I find that airport “healthy” foods utilize this strategy heavily.
Now how about you car travelers. I would like to say that this is easier, but not necessarily. Packing a cooler for the trip is my favorite hack. Get some ice packs and throw it in the trunk. You can bring along leftovers, overnight oats for the next few mornings, and lots of healthy snacks that you wouldn’t be able to bring on a plane. The cooler isn’t necessarily meant to keep the food all week. Get it to your destination and get it in a fridge!
Another track I’ll take when driving and I don’t have time to get food prepared to the extent of meals, is to map out my drive ahead of time. Find out when I’m going by a larger area, as those are the most likely spots to find multiple healthy options. Time out your drive to be going through those areas during meal time, if you have that flexibility. I typically map out all of the Whole Foods along a particular route, and see which ones I can be near at what times. Allows me to get in a healthy meal and pick up some further healthy snacks for the trip.
At your location:
Honestly, your biggest challenge may not even be the travel. When you are at your location, you may be dealing with other human beings whose food wants differ greatly from yours. This happens with both colleagues and customers. You don’t want to be the person dragging the customer who wants a burger to a little quaint cafe that serves the best tofu! You have to manage the social aspect of travel with your health conscious motives.
I recommend investigating the food options nearby the hotel or customer’s location. Find a restaurant that serves something decently close to what you want to eat. Then be the first one to bring up lunch/dinner and offer that place. Make sure you paint the case as to why the others will find it appealing.
Sometimes, this is just not going to work. Either you are out in the middle of nowhere, and there are exactly 2 options (neither of which suit your healthy endeavor), or someone is going to overrule you because the other restaurant is a must have. Your personality at this point will have to dictate as to whether you resist or go with the flow. If you’re going with the flow, you probably would like to know that you do have a saving grace. If you were following the earlier tips to getting healthy food on the road, you may have a stash of healthy food with you. Find some time to peel away for a little bit and eat a healthy snack, or even meal, prior to going out. This way you can order something that isn’t as filling, but maybe more healthy, that you wouldn’t be able to get on its own without a partially filled stomach. Or at least you will have some portion control if you’re forced to eat outside your desire.
There are a handful of ways to maintain your healthy eating habits while on the road. It just takes a little planning and willpower to overcome the temptations of just “pausing” for a trip. Several trips of pausing will effect your health in the wrong fashion, so don’t let excuses take you down that rabbit hole. We have a community of traveling athletes that have their own hacks, so engage in the conversation and find ways to keep eating like a champ on the road for your next trip!
