Up until a recent career transition, my job required A LOT of travel (4 days a week, every week). And living with that schedule for that past 4 years, I think it’s safe to say I’ve learned a thing or two about how to stay heathy on the road. Now, let’s be clear, I’m talking about routine business travel, if you’re traveling for vacation, by all means, do whatever you want, let loose, etc. I think its so important to really enjoy your time off. But for business travel, especially if you travel often, deviating too far from your health routine can really throw you off, and hinder your results. Here’s what I do to keep myself on-track while on the road.
1. LIMIT CARBS; EAT PALEO-ISH
Okay, yes, I’d do this anytime I want to feel and look my best, BUT I think its even more important to do this while traveling. Anytime I’m traveling for business, my priority is warding off the seemingly inevitable exhaustion that comes with 6am flights, time-zone changes, and late nights. For many of us, the natural urge is to reach for sugar & carbs to “give us energy”, combined with heavy caffeination. This only sets you up on the glucose rollercoaster, so while you might get some quick energy, you’ll be crashing and craving more carbs in few hours. By focusing on eating lots of healthy fat, protein, non-starchy veggies and minimal grains, I find my body is able to adjust to the travel so much easier. I’ve also found traveling to be a great time to practice a little intermittent fasting. I like to do this my first morning waking up in a new city, or as a reset coming home.2. BE THAT GIRL
This one took me a long time to learn, but it is so freeing once you’re comfortable with it. It’s really one of the best tips for staying the course while traveling, or anytime you want to stay on a healthy-eating path. BE THAT GIRL. Ask waiters for the substitutions you want. Suggest the restaurants for team dinners (that you’ve researched ahead of time). Say no when your team wants to order in pizza for lunch (every team is different, but usually people will appreciate someone taking the initiative to plan the dinners, or being the advocate for a healthy lunch.)
I’ll admit this one can be uncomfortable at first. Especially for women, we’re so conditioned to be accommodating, to be polite, to go with the flow. I did this for 2+ years at my job, and it took me getting a serious stomach issue (SIBO) to finally stand up for my health needs. I can’t stress this point enough: you have every right to stand up for your health. Obviously be tactful about it, but just because your boss eats a shitty standard-American diet, doesn’t mean you have to. We sacrifice enough of our lives to our jobs, our health doesn’t need to be another. And I guarantee you will be a better team member and employee running on real food that fuels your body.
3. DO YOUR RESEARCH
A quick Yelp search ahead of time can help you scope out the best healthy options in the city your visiting. I typically search for:
- WholeFoods. Guaranteed options for hitting up their salad bar, getting an organic latte, or grabbing healthy snacks
- Smoothie bars. This one is tricky. Even in cities like LA is still hard to find smoothie bars that aren’t completely fruit based. Searching for “superfood” cafes usually gives better results. Look for places that stock protein powder, nut butters, and non-dairy milks, and you’ll usually be able to hack together some sort of “create your own” smoothie that is substantial enough to keep you full until lunch.
- Gluten free restaurants. Ideally, we could all search “paleo” and have a list of restaurants pop up, but for whatever reason, this term hasn’t seemed to have fully caught on yet in how restaurants brand themselves. The gluten-intolerance phenomena has however, caught on, so this can be a good way to seek out options. I’ll typically look for a non-vegetarian restaurant with gluten free options, from there, you can usually easily ask waiters to remove any dairy (cheese, sauces) and get a paleo-ish meal.
- Meat-focused restaurants. Maybe not what you’d expect to read on a wellness blog, but I find steakhouses and burger joints to have great options. I also don’t cook up a ton of red meat at home, so it’s a good addition while traveling. A steak or piece of fish (even better) with veggie sides or a lettuce-wrapped grass-fed burger are great paleo-friendly options. If you can, always go for restaurants serving wild-caught fish, pasture-raised chickens and grass-fed beef (easier said than done, I know).
And if you travel often, save restaurants you hear about! I’m always saving restaurants in an insta category when I see other food/wellness bloggers posting restaurants in different cities.
4. PACK & PREP
If you’re traveling somewhere that has just really not caught onto the health trends, or is in the middle of nowhere, your best bet is to bring what you can. My travel food staples include:
- Brain Octane Oil. Bulletproof’s brand of MCT oil – I literally bring this in a travel-sized shampoo squirt bottle with me everywhere. A couple drops in your coffee and you have next level energy, thanks to the MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) which are easily converted into ketones (meaning you can easily burn fat for energy), plus the fat helps ward off hunger.
- Chia Pudding Supplies. This one takes a little more prep, but can be a perfect travel breakfast and keeps you SO full. See the recipe here.
- Protein Bars. A healthy bar is always an illusive find. My favs are:
- Primal Kitchen Collagen Protein Bars. The Macadamia Sea-Salt is my fav, and I’ll have these for breakfast with coffee with MCT oil in a pinch while traveling.
- Bulletproof’s Collagen Protein Bars. These are seriously like candy bars, but if you are sensitive to a high-nut intake, go easy as these are cashew-based.
- Protein Powder. Bringing a container with some of your favorite protein powder can be a life saver. Add it to chia pudding, drink it in an afternoon slump. I like Primal Kitchen’s Chocolate Collagen Fuel or Vital Protein’s Unflavored Collagen. Warning: you may be stopped by TSA for bringing unmarked white powder through security 😛
5. MAINTAIN YOUR ROUTINE
One of the hardest parts about constant travel is the ability to keep any sort of routine intact. I often find my evenings are dictated by my work schedule, so I focus on preserving some semblance of a morning routine.
- Move. Even if its just stretching in the hotel gym, or going for a 30 minute walk outside, early morning movement will help fight jet lag and getting outside and taking in sunlight early will help you feel more awake and grounded.
- Meditate. I’ll be the first to admit, this doesn’t always happen. But when I’m feeling thrown off by the travel, a quick 5-10 minute meditation (using an app like Headspace or just sitting in silence) makes a massive difference in my mood and mental state for the day.
- Settle In. As any of my friends who’ve ever seen the inside of my hotel room while traveling know, I really move in. For me, that means hanging up clothes, laying out all the snacks/ teas I’ve packed, and laying out all my make up / skin care products. This small act helps me feel like I’m not living out of a suitcase, and makes my mornings feel more routine.
