Smooth Summer Sailing: Have Healthy Summer Travels

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While Thanksgiving may be the busiest travel day of the year, summer vacations are a close runner up! If you’ve been working hard for your beach bod, five days on a beach sipping fruity frozen drinks may worry you. Fear not!

I’m here to provide tips and tricks so you have smooth sailing ahead…even if you’re not on a boat!

Let’s have healthy summer travel!

Here’s how to…

Avoid fast food

Whether you’re headed through an airport or I-95, you’ll likely come across some fast food establishment during your travels. You have two options: a) order smart (avoid fried options and special sauces) or b) be prepared! Avoid this diet trap by packing non-perishable snacks to hold you over until you reach your destination. Here are some of my favorites:

• Purse-stable fruit and veggies, like apples, bananas, and bags of baby carrots
• Proteinaceous options: single-servings of nuts or whole grain crackers with nut butter
• If you’re driving, pack a cooler with hummus, low-fat cheese, and hard boiled eggs for quick and healthy protein packed options!

Stay hydrated

Long trips are nearly synonymous with dehydration, so to prevent the headache and sleepiness associated with traveling, stay sipping! While it’s typically recommended we drink 48-64 ounces of fluids daily, bump it up when traveling…especially if it’s air travel! To keep

water bottles cold, try freezing them the night before so they remain chilled in a cooler as they defrost.

Stay alert

If you’re flying you may want to skip this tip, but drivers listen up! Take the extra 30 minutes to reach your final destination by stopping at even intervals, stretching, and even adding a few jumping jacks in there! This will not only refresh your alertness, but help you focus on the road.

Not derail your diet

Don’t worry about ruining all of your hard work while on vacation. Instead of aiming to lose those last few lbs while away, aim to maintain your weight. Even if you don’t have time to hit your hotel’s gym, staying active throughout the day, like skipping the bus tours and exploring on foot, can easily prevent the scale from creeping up. Don’t lose sight of the fact that enjoying a piña colada on the beach or ice cream on the pier is part of the fun in life! You can always get back on track after your vacation (after all, they don’t come around too often these days!).

Stay healthy

When traveling to new places, there’s always an increased risk of food poisoning. Follow my motto to stay healthy: When in doubt, throw it out! A stomach bug is the last thing you need to interfere with your travels. And always remember to pack extra medications, if applicable, in case a trip gets delayed or cancelled!

Although no one wants to talk about it, traveling can lead to varied bowel habits. To alleviate this complication, be sure to include some vegetables in your meals and try to maintain some normalcy in your food routine. My favorite way to do this is to eat a similar breakfast to that at home. Oatmeal packets, fruit, and even whole grain toast with nut butter are portable options that travel well and have sufficient fiber to help…ahem.

Do you have any travel habits you follow to stay healthy and happy on the road?

Always remember that getting away is supposed to be a fun time, so don’t sweat over every morsel you eat!Just remember to get back on track as soon as you get home!

Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Happy travels…XO