let’s be real, we’ve all planned a trip at some point and told ourselves we were going to stay healthy while traveling & then get to where we are going and the plans to stay healthy go out the door. well, you aren’t alone. we’ve all been there. i’m heading on a trip in just a few weeks and i have a few little tips that work for me to stay active & not completely go off the rails.
i want to note that i am not a proponent of dieting or having the mindset of “if i workout, then i can eat this or that”. my whole reason for staying on track while traveling is so i don’t feel like crap when i come home. i typically plan to eat more deserts and drink more alcohol, so i just want to make sure i continue to move my body and not eat bad for every meal. as i head to belize this coming week i want to share my tips i live by:
if the airport has a yoga room i go stretch
i usually fly out of SFO & whenever i’m there will an extra 15-20 minutes to kill i pop in for a quick stretch. when i travel i usually get pretty swollen, so i like to get my blood flowing before i sit down for hours on end.
book a hotel with a kitchen & a gym
people have given me shit for working out on vacation, but i think vacation is the best time to workout. when else do you have that much free time? it’s tough fitting in workouts in to your workweek and normal life, but i find it much easier to do when i’m on vacation. i will say, i don’t workout for as long or as hard when i’m traveling and i don’t do it every single day. i like to go on adventurous vacations so if i can go snorkeling, hiking or fishing i won’t go to the gym. if there’s a gym i usually just do a bit of cardio and some total body movements. if there isn’t a gym, i will do yoga or stretch on the beach or maybe bring bands & a TRX and do a bodyweight workout.
hydrate
like i mentioned i get super swollen, so it’s key to hydrate. i also tend to drink more on vacation, so i bring my hydration necessities on all my trips. i bring the following vitamins for hangovers & to ensure i don’t dehydrate in the sun. these will change your life
liquid iv: Electrolyte powder to add to your water, drinking 1 bottle of liquid IV is equivelent to drinking 2-3 bottles of water. i drink these before and after drinking alcohol
emergen-c: i drink these on the plane and every morning while on vacation
milk thistle: my cousin who’s a nurse intro’d me to milk thistle when i was in austin for ACL and after being in the sun and drinking all day, i woke up feeling fine the next day!
charcoal pills: the idea is this compound will soak up metabolites and toxins from the blood and help you with your hangover
advil: helps with a headache
PLEASE NOTE: After a night of drinking I chug a big glass of water with liquid IV, take 2 milk thistle pills, 2 charcoal pills and 2 advil. For some reason, this works sooo well for me!
pack healthy snacks of things you love
i personally always pack a ton of snacks that i love. jerkey, almond butter or peanut butter, dried mango, raw nuts, protein bars, packs of dry oatmeal, etc. I also bring my own stevia to add to my coffee.
grocery shop or head to the local market when you get there (if you have a kitchen)
i like to pick up things like almond/soy milk, fresh fruit, eggs, avocado and other snacks. this is a great way to save money while you’re traveling. i try to eat breakfast in my room and then if i end up eating out for lunch and dinner i don’t feel as bad
tips when ordering
i try to eat fresh fish as often as i can and get some sort of veggies along with it. this way if i want desert or drinks with my food, i can enjoy those. please also don’t get me wrong, there are some meals on my trips that i order whatever i want, but i try to choose those days for maybe a night we decide to head to a special restaurant. i also sometimes like to make “skinny” drinks so i don’t drink all my calories. i want to note, i don’t diet. this is pretty much how i eat in general, so i just want to stay consistent. if i want to eat junk, or am craving something- i eat it!
things i’ve ordered on vacation:
hawaii- poke bowl with no rice, double cucumber
turks and caicos- skinny drink order: muddled fresh mango and mint, soda water & rum
belize- fresh fish grilled with side salad and sweet potato fries ( i can’t resist sweet potato fries)
dominican republic- sashimi, cucumber salad, seaweed salad & split a roll with a friend
greece- greek salads galore with grilled fish
italy- salad and veggie appetizer, split the pasta
mexico- ceviche, made to order tacos or fajitas with homemade corn tortillas. you can always skip the cheese and sour cream
