How an RD Prepares for a Weekend Away
The opportunity to travel to a new place, or revisit your favorites again and again, is unbeatable. Nothing compares to getting away with friends, family, or a significant other, but it can also be stressful. Travel can be particularly stressful if you’re someone who prioritizes health and wellness, because you probably have a routine that keeps your body feeling “normal.”
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself feeling your best while you travel, and all it requires is a little advance planning and preparation.
Pack snacks
This is my number one non-negotiable. As someone who considers herself to have the fastest metabolism in the world, I absolutely cannot be left snack-less while traveling. When I get hungry, I need to eat now.
Look for snacks that are easy to toss into your bag when you’re on the go, and are shelf-stable (or at least can be out of the fridge for several hours at a time). I also try to find snacks that are high in protein and fiber, that way they’ll keep me full until I sit down for a meal. My go-tos are Justin’s almond butter packets, apples, RX bars, unsalted nuts, and Julian’s Bakery Progranola (1/2 cup has 12g of protein and 12g of fiber!). Depending on the situation I also might pack a hard-boiled egg if I know I’ll have access to a refrigerator.
I like to bring a large ziplock bag of a few of each of these snacks so I have some variety to fit what I’m in the mood for over the weekend. I pretty much always come back with extra snacks that I didn’t need, but I’d rather be overprepared than underprepared!
2. Scout out the restaurant scene
Thanks to the growing popularity of sustainable, natural foods, health-conscious restaurants are now the norm. While it’s good to be able to indulge on some meals while you travel and really experience the culture, scoping out a few trendy restaurants that get your whole group excited and have options that align with your health goals can be helpful.
Do your research! Most major cities are now packed with health-focused restaurants, and many restaurants now have an incredible variety of vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or dairy-free dishes, and are more than happy to make accommodations if they don’t have something that meets your needs. Plan out a few places you really want to hit and get your group on board. If someone else has some recommendations, check out the menus ahead of time! If you have food allergies or intolerances, call ahead. Most restaurants are happy to speak with you about modifying their dishes to meet your needs — they’d rather do it on the phone during a low period than during a Friday night dinner rush!
3. Put the active in activities
Everyone who’s close to me knows how cranky I get when I’m not active for a few days. When you travel, it’s not uncommon to get thrown off of your workout regimen. Sometimes you might have access to a hotel gym, but you can’t always rely on that.
An easy way to make sneak in some physical activity is to plan some walking. One of my favorite ways to explore a city or town is to walk around! Plan your itinerary to include walking tours or biking tours, or even just walk from one activity to the next instead of driving. Incorporating activities that keep you on your feet like gallery walks and museums are also a good way to sneak in some steps.
If you’re not traveling with an early rising crowd, wake up early and go for a morning jog! This is a great way to explore a new place in a short time, because you can cover so much more distance than walking. I also like to sneak in some mini workouts if I have time in the morning by either traveling with my circular resistance bands, or finding a youtube video with bodyweight exercises I can follow — no gym necessary!
4. Pack a probiotic
Something I can predict will happen without fail whenever I travel: bloating. Traveling is extremely stressful on your gut microbiome. The deviation from routine, eating out, trying new foods, not getting enough sleep, air travel, and time zone changes can all throw your gut’s balance out of whack.
I always make sure to pack a daily probiotic. While it’s not a fix-all for me while traveling, it definitely helps! My favorite probiotic right now is Seed Probiotics, which has a combination of probiotics and prebiotics (the food that probiotics need to grow), and even comes with a cute travel container to take only what you need!
5. Know that it’s only a weekend (or week, or two!)
It might be a weekend, it might be a week, it might be a month, but regardless, it’s not forever. No matter how long your trip is, it’s short-lived and you’ll be back to your routine soon. You might not have any activity, you might eat totally out of line with your health goals, and if you do, it’s ok! Life is for living and enjoying, not for restricting and obsessing. While some things are non-negotiable (hello snacks!), part of the fun of traveling is to break your routine and get out of your comfort zone. You might feel a little off, and that’s ok! Just remember that it’s temporary and you’ll be back to your routine soon.