Hello, hello!
I’m back home in California after a successful work trip in Las Vegas, followed by 5 days full of family celebrating my brother getting married in New Jersey. It was quite the trip, and as per usual, I’m feeling like I love traveling, but I also love coming home. I’m ready to be home without life being quite so chaotic as it has been the past month!
{Check out my Instagram for more wedding weekend photos!}
On my flight home last night, I started thinking about the healthy habits that I routinely do when I’m on the road. I tend to splurge more when I’m traveling [translation: eat dessert a lot and enjoy alcoholic beverages daily!] than I do when I’m home, and these habits help to offset those extra things & make me feel healthy & happy. Here are 7 of my tips & tricks!
1.) I stay super active. My workouts tend to be different when I’m traveling. I may not have my bike trainer, favorite fitness studios, or workout DVDs with me, but I always scope out my exercise options. At my Vegas hotel last week, I woke up early to get a gym workout in, and it wound up being an awesome workout (and the first time I set foot in a normal gym in 2017). The only negative to that was that I wound up nice & sore for a very long work day on my feet the next day!
Whenever I visit my parents, I take their dogs for walks, since I’m not getting my daily walks in with my own pup. If I’m exploring a city, I try to walk or bike around. Not only does it give me different perspectives than taking a taxi or whatever else, I get my steps in for the day. It’s a win, win!
2.) I bring Vitamin C drinks with me to have daily. As much as I love traveling, I kind of dislike planes in the sense that I’m stuck in a small space with the germs of hundreds of other people. Someone is always bound to be coughing nonstop, and it’s no coincidence that I get sick only during/after travel. So, I bring Emergen-C supplement packets with me to give me a nice dose of Vitamin C and other vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants.
3.) I consciously eat enough fruits & veggies. I definitely treat myself when I’m traveling, especially when I’m back in my hometown – where I like having my childhood favorites. Last week I had ice cream from my favorite joint in town, as well as pizza from a place we frequently ordered food from as a kid. But, I also make sure to eat a bunch of servings of veggies & fruits every day no matter what: I’ll nab a few bananas to eat in my hotel room with single serving almond butter packets I’ve packed for breakfast. If I haven’t had any veggies yet in the day, I’ll order a salad or veggie soup as a dinner starter. If I’m in the mood for a pasta dish at a restaurant, I’ll order pasta with some sort of veggies, or I’ll custom order spinach or broccoli to the dish.
It’s a constant, little habit that adds up to better nutrition! Plus, fruits & veggies have a ton of fiber, which helps to keep things moving in your body – which a lot of people have issues with when traveling and out of their usual routine.
4.) I prioritize my beauty sleep time. Heaven knows this one can be easier said than done, but I notice that my health and mood suffers a lot when I’m chronically lacking in sleep. Sometimes I have to decide between staying out late watching live music wherever I am, and getting up early to squeeze in a workout before my day starts in order to sleep enough. It is what it is, because getting proper sleep is so, so important!
For example, during my brother’s wedding weekend, between picking my husband up from the airport at 2 AM on Friday, then staying out late after the rehearsal dinner the next night and waking up early to get ready in the bridal suite, I didn’t get enough sleep a few nights in a row. I felt fatigued after getting a total of 8 hours of sleep all weekend, so the next night, I didn’t make any morning plans and slept in a bit late.
5.) I stay hydrated. Being properly hydrated can make such a difference in how you feel, so I’m conscious about drinking enough water. When I fly, I always either bring a water bottle to fill up or buy water as soon as I get through security. Whenever the flight attendants come around offering drinks in flight, I get water every single time. I think I had 5 cups of water during my cross country flight last night!
I usually bring water with me whenever I go, and I also bring electrolyte supplements in my luggage to use if I’m feeling depleted from traveling, drinking alcohol, and/or sweating if I’m in a tropical climate.
6.) I use essential oils. I really just got into essential oils last year, but it’s quickly become a go-to healthy habit of mine – especially when traveling. I bring my special anti-viral (for cold prevention), allergy (because different environments make my allergies flair up), and calming blends (to help with jet lag and not being able to sleep) with me in my cosmetic bag, along with melaleuca to use on my face for any breakouts.
7.) I wash my hands a ton. As I said, germs are everywhere, especially when you’re traveling with tons of strangers in close proximity. I wash my hands every chance I get to help me from getting sick – because no one wants to be under the weather while on the road!
Tell me… What are your travel health tips? Any travel plans for you this month?
I should be staying put in Southern Cali the entire month, and at the moment I’m feeling good about that!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
I basically do the exact same things. I’m definitely not about to deprive myself on vacation, but I always get some sort of workout in. Anyone I travel with usually makes fun of me, but it makes me feel better (and less agitated).
Glad you get to stay put for a while! Let’s try to meet up soon… we’re here until I *think* July!!!
foodielovesfitness says
I’ve noticed that we definitely have similar health hacks while traveling. I don’t even care if I’m working out in my parents’ living room when I’m staying there with my siblings sitting on the couch watching & my nephews imitating me haha as long as I get my sweat on! And yessss let’s meet up soon!!
David @ Spiced says
Great tips, Nicole! I am the same way when I travel…I tend to “cheat” a little bit when it comes to what I eat and drink. (Ok, maybe cheat a lot…it’s vacation, after all!) But I love the idea of making sure to get fruits/veggies in along with the other favorites. Oh, and washing your hands! That is so important…especially in the airport. I’m always amazed at the number of people who don’t wash their hands in the bathroom at airports. Ick. Looks like you guys had an amazing wedding weekend. Loved the photos! 🙂
foodielovesfitness says
Ick is right! I wash my hands every chance I get, especially when traveling. My new thing is also bringing wipes to clean my plane seat area & cleanse my hands. I don’t even care if I look like a germaphobe, I’d rather just not get sick!
Cailee says
I love these tips girl! I’m all about sleep! SO important… especially when traveling! Also, yes to enough fruits and veggies!
xoxo Cailee!
foodielovesfitness says
I know that you’re always making sure to get in lots of fruits & veggies with your gorgeous meals that you post on social!