Eating healthy while traveling can be a big task— especially if you are accustomed to routine or have not been following a diet plan for an extended period of time. But avoiding the terrible and unhealthy food choices at airports or the snacks for the long plane ride is possible if you come prepared. Whether it is a short business trip or a long vacation, you should always take the same approach to your diet. Remember— eating healthy is a lifestyle, not something you just do when you are at home! Here are six tips for preparing your diet for travel.
Stick to Your Usual Meal Timing
The best way to make your diet stick is to eat at the same times that you would any other day, within reason. If you know you are jumping on a plane at 6:00 p.m. and this is the usual time you eat your fourth meal of the day, then simply eat just prior to your departure. It is far better to eat a meal a little sooner or later than to entirely miss a meal. Missing meals can result in low blood sugar levels, energy crashes, and potentially eating anything and everything in sight to make up for that missed meal!
Be Prepared with Your Own Flight Plan
When travelling, it is important to bring simple diet items with you so that you are prepared no matter if there is a delay or layover. Have protein powder, protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, packets of oatmeal, veggie sticks or even small cans of tuna ready to go. This will ensure you have good diet options available to you while you are waiting to get to your destination. The more prepared you are, the better chance of sticking to your diet.
Jet Lag Eating
With jet lag usually comes sleeplessness, and when we lose sleep our body tends to increase levels of cortisol, the catabolic stress hormone that eats muscle and halts fat burning. What’s worse, lack of sleep can cause us to have an insatiable appetite for sugary carbs to increase energy levels. Our bodies have a harder time processing carbs, and as a result more is stored instead of being burned off.
Avoid Late Night Room Service
It may be tempting, especially if you are staying in a place that offers 24-hour room service, but it is important to not give in! If you are sitting in your room bored, go to the gym at the hotel or find one close by. And if that is not an option, go for a walk; do something to keep you active and your mind off of food.
Remember, it’s a Lifestyle
Being out of their routine often causes people to fall off their diet plan, but if a simple thing like travel is throwing you off your diet, then how committed are you to your plan? No matter where you are, you need to make the right healthy choices and stick to your routine the best you can. That means eating right, making the right choices off of the menu, visiting a grocery store if necessary, and continuing with your workout plan.
Vacation Planning
If you are planning a vacation and want to be sure you stick to some kind of diet plan, then you need to check out destination hot spots before you commit. Be sure they offer a variety of food options that will allow you to make the right food choices, even if it is an all-inclusive resort. Above all else, avoid the alcohol, which not only provides empty calories, but also causes your body to switch from fat burning to burning off the alcohol you are consuming!
