5 Tips for Maintaining a Diet During Travel
By Chris Brown
Sticking to a diet is hard enough, but it can feel nearly impossible to maintain while traveling. The stress of jet lag and strange surroundings alone exacerbate the difficulty of controlling eating habits. Not to mention, traveling with others adds more pressure to eat out -- and indulge in high-caloric cocktails while you're at it. Though it is not always easy, sticking to a diet while enjoying your summer travels is possible with these five vacation diet tips.
Start Off Each Day With a Healthy Breakfast
The power of a hearty and healthy breakfast to start the day right cannot be understated. Eating healthy early sets a mental pattern of good food behavior for the day and satisfying your morning travel hunger reduces the risk of binge eating later.
Have a Set Diet Plan Before You Arrive
Establishing structured rules for your diet before travel can help you stick to your plans upon arrival. These rules also counterintuitively give you more flexibility to adapt your diet to foreign culinary environments. For example, a ketogenic diet might require a certain percentage of carbohydrates to fats, which can be achieved through endless food combinations.
Cook Your Own Food Whenever Possible
Although it can be tempting to experience the restaurants of a new location nightly, cooking your own food allows complete control over what is going into your body (and the ability to avoid sugary sauces). Plus, experimenting with local ingredients could add a different element of culinary adventure to your travels.
Hydrate
Drinking loads of water is important for travel health regardless, as it often includes a lot of walking in weathered or hot environments. Water also serves to satiate hunger and reduces the desire to overeat or snack. Additionally, hydration helps your brain regulate hormones and emotions, which allows greater self-control.
Plan Meals and Pack Diet-Approved Snacks
It is true that plans, and especially meal plans, on vacation rarely go as expected. But planning meals in advance at the very least gives an idea of the diet-breaking temptations or nutrient intake amounts to be expected. Similarly, packing healthy snacks allows you to maintain your strong will for eating healthy.
To further put your body and mind in optimal shape before embarking on travel, make a pit-stop at The Joint Chiropractic. The Joint offers affordable chiropractic manipulations to correct spinal dysfunctions which could be reducing the efficiency of your central nervous and immune systems. Walk-in sessions are welcomed, so you can start your trip healthy by getting adjusted on the way to the plane.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Knoxville, Tenn.