While travelling can be a lot of fun, it may disrupt well-established routines aimed at improving one's health. For example, travelling can make one skip scheduled gym sessions and even force one to gorge on food that is unhealthy, simply because no healthier option is available around.
However, staying healthy is possible even if one is on the road. Some suggestions from various articles are given below that should make one stay healthy even while travelling
1.Research possible healthy dining options at your destination ahead of time.
According to Angela Simpson in her YahooNews article, researching ahead of time is a lot easier these days with food blogs, restaurant review sites like UrbanSpoon, Trip Advisor and Open Table, and even Google. Scout in advance a few places near where you'll be staying so you'll have a short list of possible places to go when you arrive.
2.Some portable but healthy (not junk food) snacks would be handy.
Simpson adds that packing a few healthy snacks would greatly help in case you're too tired to try any of the restaurants on your list when you arrive. In addition, they may come in handy especially during long distance flights where the airline food selection may not be healthy.
However, it pays to be aware just what type of food items are allowed for a particular flight and route. Some destination customs can be quite strict in this area.
3.Buy healthy grocery items when you arrive.
Simpson suggests that this would work best if your hotel room comes with a fridge. Healthy items like fruits, hummus, pre-chopped vegetables, oatmeal, tuna and crackers are your best bet. If you are lucky enough to find a supermarket or grocery store that sells pre-made salads, you can stack on these healthy foods in your fridge as well.
4.If your room doesn't have a fridge, make one.
Buzzfeed writer Mellisa Harrison suggests that you should confirm beforehand if the room you booked comes equipped with a fridge. However, if it has none, there is a simple solution to such a minor problem according to Harrison. A Styrofoam cooler filled with ice would do just fine.
5.Order smart in restaurants.
Being away from home is no excuse to relax your commitment to healthy eating according to Simpson. Just like at home, mind the cooking method used in each menu item. In general, dishes that are baked, braised, steamed, grilled or even raw are healthier than those battered, "crispy", sautéed and fried. And by the way, portion size still matters even when you are travelling.
6.Pack a fitness DVD or store the video on your laptop.
BestHealthMag writer Erin Millar suggests this tip just in case the hotel you are staying doesn't have a gym. While you're at it, you might want to include some easy-to-pack fitness tools too like a rubber resistance bands for example.
7.Explore the city on foot.
Since you are new to the city anyway, why not explore it on foot? This is Millar's suggestion which is actually good as you will be getting your daily dose of exercise while have fun exploring places which you might miss out if you rode a taxi.
8.Bring your meds with you.
This is an important one that should not be overlooked. Millar suggests that you need to remember to bring your health supplements so you can still meet your daily nutritional requirements. But this tip is also important for those who have special medical conditions as well, like asthma or allergy for instance. It is best to bring your medications with you because you can't always assume that your particular medication is available at your destination.