Eating Healthy While Traveling

Even with healthy food options becoming more readily available in airports and t rest stops, I have found that staying well on the road takes more than just picking the new 'healthy' packaged treat at the grab and go. And since I travel a lot - long car rides, lots of flights, some extra planning goes along way to help me feel great while I am away, and when I arrive back home.

Some of my best advice has come from Linden Schaffer, author of Living Well on the Road.

Here are a few of Linden's favorite tips for healthy eating while Traveling. These simple food questions are great to consider before you pause to eat.

Ask yourself:

Do I really need to eat?
Traveling dehydrates our entire system, which makes us lethargic and has us reaching for food to cope. Before you eat the first things in sight, drink a large glass of water to rehydrate. Use this pause to reevaluate the situation and help you make smarter food decisions.

Will this cause inflammation?
Poor eating habits such as too much sugar, overeating, and nutrient deficient food lead to internal inflammation, which affect our physical health. Inflammation symptoms manifest as heartburn, joint pain, and brain fog. Travel already stresses your system in other ways, so remember to be nice to your body and reach for anti-inflammatory foods such as almonds, beets, broccoli, garlic, salmon and spinach. This way your body can redirect your energy to other more needed areas.

What 2 things can I do to set myself up for success?
It takes a conscious effort to eat healthy in any environment There are many ways to set yourself up for successful eating habits while traveling such as packing snacks, searching for hummus and veggies at the airport, finding the nearest grocery upon landing, researching restaurants before you arrive, or taking probiotics to aid digestion. Pick one or two that sound easy to you and built out your healthy food routine from there.

These healthy eating tips and more can be found in Linden book, Living Well on the Road.