Hello, hello!
Can you guys believe that we’re already towards the end of July? It seems like the summer is just whizzing by!
Next weekend starts the beginning of a month of travel for me. First, I leave for the east coast to spend time with my family and friends out there for a few weeks. My hubby was already scheduled to take a trip to Philly for a weeklong class to start his Masters degree at Temple University, so it seemed like a good time for me to head east too. I’ll be based at my parents’ house in Jersey, but will also traveling around the state to visit in-laws and friends, heading to Philly a few times to see my hubby, and will probably visit NYC once or twice.
Then, I come back to Cali for a week of normalcy before heading out to Ireland. I’ve never been there before and am excited to go! I’m expecting lots of greenery, pubs, and castles, and will of course keep you guys in the loop about what I’m doing in Dublin and around the country. If anyone has must-see recommendations, please let me know!
Photo via Ireland.com
I adore traveling. It’s a passion of mine to see and explore new places. But traveling can certainly make it more of a challenge to live a healthy lifestyle. Since it’s important to me to consistently feel my best, I’ve developed some healthy habits that serve as guidelines during my experiences traveling. Here are 8 ways that I stay super healthy while traveling!
Keep up with a workout routine. While I might not get in as frequent or as long of workouts as I do when I’m in a normal routine, I make sure to still fit in exercise when I’m traveling.
A shot from a hotel room yoga session in Mexico in June
Sometimes I bust out a quick HIIT routine or yoga session in my hotel room. I use whatever I have available to me, which sometimes is a treadmill, other times is a few sets of dumbbells, and at times may be just a floor with a bit of space to jump around.
It also helps that my hubby is the same way. When he opts to go for a quick run around whatever city we’re in, I push myself to get in a workout as well!
A healthy smoothie lunch in Lake Tahoe
Keep it healthy for breakfast & lunch. Let’s be honest, I love food and when I’m traveling, I’m going to splurge sometimes. Food is no doubt part of experiencing the culture of different places. But, if I eat a big breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I feel bloated and gross. Instead, I try to keep it pretty healthy for breakfast & lunch, and then I indulge at dinner.
Pizza in Venice — which was even better than it looks!
In example, if I know I’m going to eat Italian for dinner and bathe in a pool of pasta, I make sure to get in protein and go light on the carbs during the day. Or, if I order pancakes for breakfast, I’ll eat only half of them to avoid feeling stuffed. It’s all about balance.
What my breakfasts looked like while vacationing in Italy
Love a big fancy brunch? Go for it, but then even it out a bit with a lighter dinner. All in moderation my friends!
Pack healthy snacks. Furthering my point of eating lighter during the day, I always pack lots of healthy snacks when I travel. That way I never get myself into a hangry emergency and wind up eating crap to hold me over until the next mealtime!
Plane ride snacks
One of my go-to snacks is a granola or protein bar. Check out a recent favorite snacks post here.
Drink lots of water. Flying dehydrates me like crazy. Drinking alcohol also dehydrates me like crazy. Staying hydrated keeps you feeling and looking your best, so drinking a lot of water is a priority for me all the time – including when traveling. When I’m drinking alcohol, I always have a glass of water next to me to sip on. I also always get a bottle of water at the airport to sip during flights.
I died and went to dessert heaven with these churros in Cabo San Lucas. Split em with my hubby of course!
Split dessert. I have a big sweet tooth, and if I see an amazing sounding dessert on a menu while traveling, I tend to go for it. But do I need that entire lava brownie? Certainly not. Instead, I make whoever I’m with share it with me.
Side note: My husband usually turns me down at my dessert sharing request, but then when I insist on ordering it anyways, he winds up eating more of the dessert than I do!
Morning bike ride around downtown Sonoma earlier this year
Explore by foot or bike. Whenever I’m exploring a new place, I like to get out and see it by walking/biking around. I always feel like exploring by foot enables me to see places in a different light. It gives me a more local perspective, and I catch things that I wouldn’t see if I were in a car, bus, train, etc. And even if I haven’t gotten a proper workout in that day, I’ve gotten in my 10,000 steps by walking around a lot or some low-impact biking exercise.
Eat your fruits & veggies. A constant ritual of mine is drinking green juice before I fly. Why? Because planes are full of GERMS! During/after a trip is pretty much the only time I ever get sick, and the antioxidants and nutrients from fruits & veggies helps to boost the immune system and combat any bugs that I’m coming in contact with.
I’m also mindful of how many servings of produce I’m eating on a daily basis while traveling. Eating lots of fruits & veggies helps me to feel energized, vibrant, and healthy, so I don’t slack off on consuming them when I’m out of town.
Give yourself time to just chill. I love researching and planning trips out, but I also resist the urge to plan every moment of my travels. Sometimes it’s nice to leave afternoons open to do something spontaneous, or if I feel like it, just relax. A nap here and there is always nice, especially when I’m jet-lagged!
The sunset view from my parents’ Jersey shore house
For my upcoming east coast trip, I definitely have to plan some things out because there are a lot of people I want to see. But at the same time, there will be a bunch of nights left open to just relax, hang with my family, and do ‘normal’ stuff like blogging and watching TV. I’ll be working from my parents’ as well, so I technically won’t be on vacation. I’m sure that there will be a few lazy summer nights happening, and that is a-okay is my book!
Tell me.. How do you stay healthy while traveling? What challenges do you face when out of town?
You’re going to have SO much fun in Ireland! Did you I tell you about my favorite restaurant there? It’s a splurge night. You need a reservation. It’s 100% worth it: http://winding-stair.com/
I do a lot of these same things when I travel. I double up on the Vitamin C before flying. I try to bring a few healthy snacks, especially for a long flight because I HATE airplane food. Taking a water bottle is key for me; that way I’m not paying $8 for one after security. I love how all the airports have refill stations now!
If you have time, let’s try to get a spin class in next week before you go!
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out. Agreed, airplane food sucks!!
Gah my husband has been talking non-stop about how he wants to visit Ireland! I cannot wait to hear all about your trip when you get back!! And have so much fun in NJ / Phili too!! I always forget that your family is there (mine too!) until you visit and mention it! haha
Loving these tips! I think traveling is always the biggest challenge for me healthy wise – it can be so hard in certain places to find good options for food! Staying active definitely helps!
On my list of places to go!
How exciting that you are visiting Dublin! You are only a hop and a jump over to Manchester, so it’s a shame you can’t make it over here.
I try to keep up with my workouts when travelling, and relax my eating a bit.