5 Tips for Healthy Travel

Next to nutrition, travel is a huge passion of mine. My dream job would be to somehow combine the two and become some form of a healthy travel blogger, healthy food critic or healthy restaurant researcher. There is nothing I love more than discovering traditional foods and finding amazing local restaurants and food shops when I travel.

Ah, a girl can dream, right?

Living in Canada, this time of year is all about vacation and finding a way to escape the freezing temperatures for a little slice of paradise. Now, of course, when you travel you want to indulge in a slice of life but that doesn’t mean that you need to completely give up on your health goals. Guess what? You can do both! I say this from personal experience because it’s how I travel myself. I like to indulge a little, enjoy some treats (Exhibit A) and sometimes a few too many drink (Exhibit B) , but I don’t want to come back feeling like I’ve gained the freshman 15.

So here are my top 5 tried and tested #redsrecommendations tips for staying healthy while traveling.

1. Start Right.

When it come to my meals, I always make sure my breakfast and lunch are really healthy options. I opt for something simple for breakfast like eggs or oatmeal, and keep lunch light with salads or soups or lean proteins. That way when I indulge a little more at dinner, with either an extra glass of wine or a dessert, I don’t feel guilty since I know I’ve made healthy choices during the day.

2. Research restaurants.

To be honest, this is a personal past-time of mine, but it really makes all of the difference when you travel. A little work goes a long way. Buy a Lonely Planet or use apps like Tripadvisor, Yelp, Happy Cow or my all time favourite Spotted by Locals. I also try to locals for restaurant recommendations, and I avoid chain restaurants at all costs.

3. Pack your own water.

I always bring my own water bottle with me, that way I have it in my purse around town, or on the beach, and know I’m drinking water.

4. Pack snacks.

Depending on the length of my flight, I typically pack my own snacks. I’ve been known to pack nuts, veggies, Trail Mix Bites, Lara Bars, Life Changing Loaf of Bread, and buy fruit a the airport. (And yes, you can get all of this through security.) On a flight to Australia, I had so much food I didn’t even eat it all, but it was totally worth is when the hostess gave out sad little egg salad sandwiches at about hour 16 and I had all of these great healthy choices to eat.

5. Pack supplements.

I like to pack a lot of clothes when I travel (I’m a terrible over-packer) so I don’t like to leave too much extra space, but I do tend to bring a few supplements with me to help keep me healthy on the go.

Greens Powders: If you know your diet will likely be a little off, packing a greens supplement is a great way to ensure you are still getting your daily dose of greens. Single serving sizes are easy to transport and easy to drink in the morning before heading out for a day of adventure. Plus, many brands come in handy single serve packets that you can simply add to a bottle of water.
Probiotic: Packing a probiotic supplement can be really helpful while on vacation given your diet and routine will likely change a lot from your regular day-to-day. Not to mention, probiotics can also help keep you regular so you don’t have to deal with digestive upset while you try to enjoy your vacation. Although many need to be refrigerated, there are plenty of brands that do not need to, and a few hours out of the fridge for a flight won’t do too much damage.
Activated Charcoal: If you are going south and are concerned about getting digestive issues or a bug, activated charcoal is a must. (It’s honestly not as scary as the name implies.) If you are prone to having traveler’s diarrhea activated charcoal can be really beneficial by helping eliminate any bacteria or toxins that can be causing issues. The charcoal essentially absorbs the bacteria so you can get rid of it in your next bowl movement. Activated charcoal can easily be found at your local health food store and some pharmacies.