Traveling can be very stressful especially with your family or for the Holidays. Most of us decide that we can’t control what we eat during vacation and fall off our diet and say “I’ll do a 3-day detox after the trip and then start back on my diet”. I’m here to tell you that not only are detoxes stupid and dont work but also that food isnt something you should have to stress about.
First, let’s talk about different scenarios we tell ourselves when it comes to what we eat while traveling:
- “I’m not in control of what food is available or what I am being served.”
- “I am out of my routine on vacation. Screw it, I might as well just blow my diet.”
- “There are so many tempting foods around.”
These are the kinds of things that I hear all the time. Focusing on the basics is very important when it comes to traveling because there’s only so much you can control. A big part of traveling is truly just having a radical acceptance for all the shitshow that’s going on around you. Think about an airport- you can’t control the people around you unfortunately. You have to have an acceptance for what’s going on and just control what you can. The basic things we can focus on to help us stress a little less are:
- Hydration
- Fueling frequently
- Gratitude
- Movement you enjoy
No we can’t control everything but being able to do these 4 things will ease the stress of traveling.
Hydration – We’re starting with hydration because I highly recommend hydration as your number one focal point when traveling. Water is found in every single cell in your body and plays a large role in the digestion of nutrients- AKA our food that we eat. To be able to take that food and use it in our body, we need water. Water helps improve our cognitive function, speed and strength for fitness movement, helps with immunity, helps with joint Mobility, and lessens risk of injury if we’re partaking in movement. So long story short, WATER IS IMPORTANT! Easy hacks to get water in while traveling is carrying a water bottle with you and using a straw if possible. Buying water at a gas station or airport can get expensive so always have a reusable bottle with you. A straw is not necessary but definitely a plus and much easier than having to unscrew a cap and throw your head back to take a sip.
Fueling Frequently – When it comes to food during the holidays, my #1 piece of advice is to eat frequently. This means eating every 3 to 4 hours. I know, that may sound like a lot but I promise your body needs it. I don’t care what food it is- though, some things will balance your blood sugar better or keep you fuller for longer than others. So now, lets add travel to the conversation. If you are traveling on a plane, pack non-perishable snack items in your bag. You never know when you’re going to get stuck on the runway for an hour and they give you like two little freaking pretzels in a bag which definitely won’t cure your hunger. Make sure you have non-perishable snack items with you. That doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to eat things from the airport if you don’t want to bring snacks but it can get very expensive. Some snacks good for plane rides would be bars, nuts, dried fruit, roasted nuts/seeds, jerky, other non-perishable items. Snacks for car rides includes everything just listed but also parable items like fruits, veggies, sandwiches, wraps, yogurt, cheese sticks, etc.
Gratitude – When we travel, like I said earlier, we have to have radical acceptance because there’s a lot going on that we can’t control. Gratitude and/or just stress management techniques in general can be very helpful and only takes a short amount of time. Some things you could do are:
- Journaling/gratitude practice
- Spiritual practice
- Meditation
- Breathing exercises
- reading
- Listening to an inspiring podcast
You have permission when you travel to set a boundary and to just focus on you.
Joyful Movement – There are so many ways that you can incorporate joyful movement that it doesn’t have to be about working out or exercising. If you’ve traveled to someone else’s house, don’t fall into their habits if it’s not what you want to do. If you feel best if you wake up and go on a walk- don’t let your environment stop you from engaging in joyful movement. If you’re in a new city, explore via outdoor activities like walking, jogging, hiking, fishing, or biking. On the contrary, if you are a person who works out every single day and has guilt or shame for missing a day, you need to rest. Vacation doesn’t have to be about incorporating more movement this is about incorporating rest and that you can truly rest and be okay with it. Give yourself permission to rest and if you’re someone who thinks that your exercise is coming from a place of punishment or your intention is not because you enjoy it but because you have to do it- that’s where we would want to explore practicing joyful rest instead of joyful movement. Use these 4 tips in the future to keep yourself calm, cool, and collected when traveling during the Holiday season. If you enjoyed this blog, I know you will also LOVE my blog titled: How to Enjoy Holiday Meals Without Food Obsession!
