35: Vacationing and Food: Staying on Track While you Travel

There is only one way to reach a place of consistent success in your metabolic health journey. And if you’ve been with me any amount of time, you know that I spend most of my time here on the podcast and through my courses, clinic and coaching handing you the tools you need to reach this place of relative consistency. We know success isn't a straight line, and consistency isn’t necessarily linear. But the only way to reach any level of consistency in your health is through routine.

This is especially true when traveling and over the holidays; when things get crazy and nothing is how it normally is. These are the times when habits and routines will be the difference between long-term success and feeling discouragement while playing catch up. 

This week’s episode is full of tools I have developed over years of trial and error. I share with you what has worked for me, as I travel a lot and have had to come up with systems that support me and my health, even while on the road or in the sky. Traveling is full of unknowns and new experiences, but nutrition isn’t something that you should leave to fate or whim. Making room for new food experiences while making sure that you’re supporting your body and health is a sustainable and enjoyable way to vacation while banishing guilt and health repercussions. 

Here are my top three tested and true habits for traveling:

Make sure there is an element of planning involved

I just spent some time on this, but planning doesn’t mean scrambling to find something on the menu that has some sort of vegan protein option at the Mexican restaurant the night-of. Support yourself by having options and making plans where it makes sense. Bring an apple on the plane with you like I do, and that way you’re not tempted to buy the snack box that’s all processed sugar. Spend time beforehand making plans that will bring you success, so that when it matters, you can incorporate the foods you want to eat too. 

When you work to implement routine, those routines will work for you

Routines are hard to build, but they’re also hard to break. But when you spend time and energy before traveling creating healthy habits, those habits can serve you so well. We are naturally creatures of habit. And so especially in times full of travel and vacationing, where everything is strange and new and nothing is normal, falling back on the habits you’ve created can provide you not only with health benefits, but can also be comforting and grounding in their own way. 

Create a fail-safe re-entry plan

It’s late, you’ve just driven home from the airport after a long flight, and all you want to do is fall into your familiar bed and SLEEP. There is no way you’re going to take 15 minutes to boil eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast, or pop into the grocery store on your way home. So create a plan that’s minimum effort for maximum effect. Freeze some leftover veggie soup that you can thaw the next day, or order some groceries to have delivered to your house with same-day delivery. There are options, and now is the time to use them. Your body will thank you later. 

One final thing that I talk about in this episode and I want to share with you here, is that I want you to feel empowered in the decisions that you make for yourself. If the best option for you is to take your meal-prepped food with you while everyone else is eating out, I want you to do that. I want you to ask for those menu options that are healthier, or dairy free, or whatever it is that helps you. Feel empowered to take up space in that way. Because I guarantee you there are more options out there for you than you may think, but you won’t know until you explore them. So make those smart decisions with confidence and knowledge that doing what’s best for your body and your health is worth the effort. Until next time!