As summer approaches, many of you may be traveling, be it for work or vacation.
While you may have cultivated your top health habits, it can still be challenging to stay healthy while traveling. And did I mention that you might also get constipated?
While the last thing you want is to see that hard-earned six-pack turn into a one-pack, you may still be constipated, dehydrated, stressed out, and jet-lagged in a foreign country.
This is why I’ve written this post to share my top 10 travel essentials and top 5 healthy travel tips that help me stay healthy on the road. I hope you will benefit from my tips too.
I will also be posting a healthy travel checklist you can take on the road anywhere, anytime! Stay tuned for the next few weeks!
Digestion is key to health. If you don’t have a good digestive system, you’ll have drag and accumulate toxins in your body.
When you’re traveling, your digestive system may be disrupted due to dehydration, traveling (and toilet!) changes, and stress.
While eating plant-based foods is key to boosting the number of anti-cancer butyrate producing bacteria in our colon, you may want to take a probiotic if you have drag in your system. You don’t want to be adding more waste when you haven’t cleared out your previous stuff yet.
While fruit are available in some airlines, they may not necessarily be fresh or organic.
Sometimes it’s good to have your favorite fruit handy.
Ones that are easy to carry include avocados, apples, and oranges. I love avocados because they go great with salads – their fat content helps you absorb the vitamins and nutrients better.
I also love dried fruit (without natural sugars). They are easy to carry and great to munch on. My favorite brand is Made in Nature.
Blueberries would also be great though you may want to eat them sooner on a long-haul flight unless you can get a hold of the refrigerator.
We all love our kale, one of the most nutritious vegetables out there. We know the benefits of kale – full of iron, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Dehydrated kale chips are easy to carry, crispy, raw with enzymes intact.
Whenever you want munchies or/and savory snack on the plane, you can grab the kale chips instead of pretzels. Most snacks provided by airlines are full of processed salt and refined carbs, causing inflammation, spiking up your blood sugar, and making you fat.
My favorite kale chips so far are the Cheezy Kale Chips from Nood Food.
I especially love dark green leafy vegetables when you’re traveling because they are high in antioxidants and provide protective factors may offer the best protection against cumulative DNA damage associated with ionizing radiation exposure.
For all of you frequent flyers out there, pile up on kale!
Studies show that nuts do not contribute to expected weight gain. Nuts are high in protein and fiber, and keep you satiated.
Whenever possible, choose pre-sprouted and dehydrated nuts. They are full of enzymes and are easily digested in the body (MORE TO FOLLOW…STAY TUNED!)
Cooked nuts’ enzymes are killed so they can potentially make you bloated, because they are harder to digest.
Unsoaked nuts’ enzymes have not been activated. They also contain inhibitors that prevent the enzymes from activating.
Raw nuts, when consumed, may not be digested and assimilated well in our bodies (more to follow in a later series on nuts…stay tuned).
I am in love with Stephen James’ Cocoa Pili Nuts.
Some countries may not have healthy desserts available. You may have easier access to fruit and greens. BUT…What if you’re a chocoholic or just love your raw vegan sweet treats?
If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to bring these with you:
Yes condiments and dressings can be full of artificial and processed ingredients.
Table salt causes cellulite. So bring your own Himalayan salt (a little will go a long way) or Celtic sea salt.
White sugar causes inflammation. Bring your own stevia or coconut sugar. They are in granular form and are easiest to carry.
Iherb and SJO have a good selection of Himalayan salt and coconut sugar.
Yes I love tea. They’re the few drinks out there with few to no calories. They taste great and can boost your antioxidant levels. They are also great stress relievers.
However, conventional tea can be full of pesticides and chemicals like artificial flavoring, natural flavors, and hidden GMOs. You don’t want to be drinking water full of pesticides. So it is crucial to use organic tea.
Here are a few brands I love:
Skin cancer is on the rise. To protect your skin, you either avoid the sun or slather on sunscreen (or both). Yes some countries have higher UV levels than others (i.e. Australia).
Most shops sell sunscreen but it is safer to bring your own especially since some sunscreen may not be safe and do not offer you the broad range of protection as advertised.
The ideal sunscreen would be a physical block using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Click here for EWG’s sunscreen guide. I use EltaMD.
Whether you’re a guy or a gal, moisturize! Otherwise, your skin can get very dry.
Antioxidants help you fight off pollution and moisture keeps you hydrated.
For a great antioxidant serum, I love Skinceuticals’ Phloretin CF. This is great for guys too, especially if you love outdoor sports. Apply a few drops on your face after cleansing and then put on sunscreen. It’s so easy!
We love our hyaluronic acid because it keeps us hydrated and fights wrinkles. If you’re going to places that are a bit more humid, hyaluronic acid provides you moisture without clogging your pores like many other cream does. I like Kate Somerville’s Quench Hydrating Serum.
YES this applies to men, especially if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. Wind, water, snow all dry your skin up. You may get cuts more easily and dry, flaky skin just doesn’t look good…
Shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower gel, body moisturizer. They are our essentials. For gals, you may also want to include cosmetics.
However, quite a few products maybe loaded with chemicals that are hazardous for you. If you forget to bring your own products, you may not find the safe brands in airports or drugstores when you’re traveling.
Check out EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database for more information.
Raw vegetables are great for digestion. They are also anti-inflammatory, fighting pollutants, radiation and toxins you accumulate when you’re traveling. They also give you fiber to ease constipation.
Pre-cooked vegetables can lose a lot of their nutrients and enzymes. Adding processed oil and seasoning to the mix, they may not necessary be the healthiest for you.
This is why I recommend ordering a salad with dressing on the side whenever possible, and start your meal with a salad so the greens fill you up first.
Haha I don’t bring my vitamix. Maybe a bit too heavy don’t you think? It’s ok to skip juice and smoothie for a while. What you can do is ask your hotel for a blender. Or you’ll just have to find a green café!
Hydrate. A lot. Being on the plane dehydrates you given high altitude levels.
Alcohol and smoke dehydrate you when you’re traveling. Here is a word-for-word script on how to say no to alcohol. Otherwise, you may want to pace your drinking for special occasions.
As much as we all love our organic coffee, caffeine can disrupt our sleeping schedule make us more jet-lagged and dehydrate us. Unless you’re on a different time zone and are planning to stay up the whole day to fix your schedule (because you’d otherwise be sleeping in your hometown), limit caffeine intake.
Call ahead your hotel and/or travel agent to see what options are available for restaurants nearby and kitchen appliances available during your stay.
Yes kiteboarding in a perfect beach, secluded from crowds, eating organic and living foods, engaging in conversations with spiritual people on greening the planet and building sustainable businesses, while sailing across the deep blue ocean in a catamaran, swimming with manta rays and hanging out with sea turtles…. This is my ideal getaway. 🙂
If you plan your vacation around your favorite sport like snowboarding, surfing or kitesurfing, you may be in for a surprise. You are likely to lose the extra weight and have lots of fun at the same time…while gaining spiritual wisdom, new friends, and energy. Isn’t this an ideal vacation? 🙂
P.S. I’d also add a foam roller and pilates elastic band if you will be working out intensively. You can do your ab exercises, stretch, and roll out sore muscles!
