Do you like to travel but dread the thought of figuring out how to stay healthy while away from home? We feel ya! Keith and I love to take trips together and for a long while it was very stressful. When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease and hypothyroidism, I became very afraid. Especially when it came to us taking a trip. I was at a place in my health where there was no room for mishaps. I was on a mission to become well again and in the beginning that took me, and us being on point with everything that I possibly could. When we would travel, the hardest part was me being able to find gluten free options and just trusting that it would all be ok. I definitely had to learn faith over fear and this still is a practice that serves me well! : ) I know not everyone is dealing with ill health, some are just wanting to be the healthiest they can be. But for those that are dealing with something more serious, I am writing to let you know that you can travel and have fun and be healthy!!
Here are some things we do when we are planning a trip and while traveling.
Details of your trip will of course affect how you do things but here are some things I always make sure to do. Since traveling in and of itself can be stressful, I always fuel really really well the morning we are leaving. I eat a very hearty breakfast so that my body and brain have extra nutrition for the added stress and my blood sugar stays balanced. We will pack a small cooler with snacks and take as a carry on. Once we get to where we are staying, we can refreeze our cooler packs and refill what we've eaten. Having snacks around can save you a lot from just giving in and eating whatever
because you are so hungry! I always purchase a good bottle of water at the airport to stay hydrated. They now have organic snack options at airports and even some restaurant options are actually pretty decent. The word about health is catching on and people want it! Once we get to our destination, we find the closest Whole Foods grocer or natural/organic grocery store and get what we think we will need. If you are staying with someone, hopefully they won't mind to let you use a small space in the fridge and if you are in a hotel, many rooms have a small fridge now. You can keep just enough on hand while you google search for what restaurants you want to try. So many places these days have gluten free options. There are also many that are utilizing local produce and local farm raised animal products. Thankfully, it is so much easier than it used to be.
If you are with a group of people and you end up in situations where it is not optimal..because, it does happen, then we just recommend to simply do the very best you can with your options. Keeping your stress level in check is the most important thing you can do so just know that this one meal isn't going to kill you...unless of course, it is..then don't eat it. I say that jokingly, but it is true, if you have celiac or true allergies then by all means you must find ways to take care of that. Most places have information online so you can look to see if you will be able to eat allergen free.
My absolute must is gluten free. Anything else I can deal with temporarily for the sake of the trip but my preference of course is organic and local is a bonus!
We also like to do activities that keeps us feeling good and healthy while we travel so Keith will usually find a Crossfit location and get in on a WOD and I'll find a yoga place and a spa!!! Our favorite wkout while traveling though, was our own..on the beach! yes, thank you, more of that please!
I just returned from Dallas for a belated holiday trip to see my family. Two great things happened on this trip that were different than the norm and things I hope to continue. I do not come from an active family and usually I do not get any exercise while I am there. But this trip I teamed up with Keith and created a body weight wkout to do in the house while I had a minute alone. It was perfect and it helped me to create a new experience there. Sometimes we have to just make something different happen in order for things to change. For me, exercising while visiting my family is a change I welcome. I am so thankful I did this finally and will continue this new endeavor.
The other new thing that happened is my sister and I went to a Spa. Not just any spa, we went to King Spa and Sauna. This place was like nothing I've ever experienced! Truly a Korean set up. They have 9 different saunas, plus a cold one so you do hot, cold, hot, cold, etc..They are all different so the benefits range from digestion improvement, energy balancing, mental clarity, auto immune health, detoxification, etc.....it was AHMAZING! They have in the ladies area a steam room, HOT water soak and COLD water and I hope you are not shy about your birthday suit because you will be in it! What an exerperience! I did love the steam and the saunas. They also have pools and jacuzzis...I was not really interested in that personally...I just didn't want to be in the same water with everyone..but don't let that stop you! Everyone seemed like it was delightful, this was just my personal preference.
Then we signed up for a body scrub my sister had told me about. So, I worked at a day spa and I've had a body scrub before..in a private room, very relaxing and nurturing. That is what I had in mind. But that is not what happened! This was a true Korean body scrub and I tell you what, if I was modest before this, I wasn't afterwards! Holy Moses and I didn't know I could get scrubbed so much and still have skin on me! wow! It was an experience to say the least! We had a great day, I would do it again for sure. I loved the sauna therapy and I would do the scrub for the benefits. Fair warning though, if you need privacy and relaxation, do the regular day spas for that. Do the King Spa and Sauna for a truly different experience. It is family friendly. Moms, Dads and kids were there, singles, couples, whatever. I recommend it for sure. My only suggestion is to eat well before because you are not supposed to bring snack in, and the menu is not gluten free by any stretch!
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