MS Diet Hits The Road

 

Here is an outstanding blog post by Laurie Erdman, our health superhero, who gives us great tips and advice on holistic living, renergizing the mind and body, eliminating fatigue, and all around wellness!

Healthy, energized travel. Is it really possible? Or is it a fiction of some holier-than-thou health guru?

For years, traveling (whether business or vacation) meant finding the richest most filling food possible (i.e., seeking comfort from the discomfort of travel), eating at odd hours, eating more than I normally would, over-caffeinating and many other energy draining, health zapping practices. The result was lots of afternoon naps and copious amounts of coffee to make it through the day. Not exactly a fun experience.

When I changed my diet a few years ago to eliminate gluten, dairy and industrial meat and instead fuel my body with nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory foods, I was scared to travel.

There was no way I could stay healthy AND travel, I thought. This made me sad because I love to travel. I’ve traveled to the majority of U.S. states and a half dozen countries. Surely that had to come to an end if I was to continue this healthy lifestyle and stay symptom-free.

NOT!

I love my travel and wasn’t about to give it up. Over the last two years, having traveled from Vermont to Costa Rica, I have discovered some tricks to stay on track. The result has been even better travel experiences where I’m alert, present, energized, active and able to see and do far more than ever before. I no longer spend my travel time chasing the next cup of coffee (although if in Italy, I would scope out the best espresso). I no longer feel bloated and blocked by the time I get off an airplane. Travel is so much better now

So how do I do it? More importantly, how do you do it? Many of my clients are busy, working gals who travel a lot for business and pleasure. What strategies do I teach them?

5 Ways to Stay Happy, Healthy And Energized In Your Travels

1. Stay hydrated. Ok, you’ve heard this one before but that’s because it works. Travel, whether by train, plane or automobile is dehydrating. So keeping yourself hydrated is important for healthy, energized travel. Staying hydrated will also help avoid the travel bloats (you know what I’m talking about – when things just don’t move).

In addition to water, find green juice (co-ops are often a great source) or make your own smoothie. To learn how to easily hydrate and energize with a road trip green smoothie check out this quick video.

2. Pack some easy energizing foods to prepare on the road. Let’s face it, some places don’t have great food choices. I find it best to pack quick easy foods to prepare on the road. From chia seed porridge to granola to green smoothies, it’s easy to be and live your best. Check out this quick video I put together on how to pack food for safe travels.

3. Take time out to de-stress. I can’t count the number of business trips I’ve had where it’s been stress-filled from the minute I left for the airport to the minute I dropped my bag in the living room. To minimize the harmful effects of stress, I like to take some time during my travels to find a location that will feed my soul and allow me to remember what life is all about. Check out this quick video I shot on how to find peace in the chaos of travel.

4. Get online. Getting away often means disconnecting. I’m a huge advocate of getting off the grid while on vacation. . . with one exception – Google and the many websites out there that help you locate a healthy rest stop. If you’re looking for gluten-free, dairy-free meals I find a quick Goggle search of “gluten-free restaurants [insert town name]” will yield at least one restaurant where you can dig in without worry (just ask them to hold the cheese if you’re dairy-free like me). Also check out these great sites: Happy Cow (includes restaurants outside the U.S.), Gluten-free registry (they also have an app) and Urban Spoon (allows you to search by gluten and vegan friendly). Healthy travel is just a click away.

5. Be flexible. Unfortunately best laid plans can go awry on travel. This can send your cortisol levels through the roof and ruin a perfectly good trip. But before you blow your top, ask yourself how you can find the humor in the situation or how you can make lemonade from these lemons. If there is just no way (say you’ve lost your luggage), then check out this quick video on how you can handle the unexpected with ease and grace.

Healthy travel is absolutely possible. In fact, I can’t imagine returning to my old caffeine, coma-inducing, fatty food fueled travel of the past. Travel is just more fun now.

Laurie Erdman, speaker, writer, coach and founder of Chronic Wellness Coaching has the singular mission of helping people double their energy and thrive. She is a recovering lawyer and corporate vice president who left her successful career to pursue her passion – training superheroes – those guys and gals who are sick and tired of being sick and tired. As a certified holistic health coach, raw food chef and life long personal growth junkie, she plays at the intersection of nutritional counseling and life coaching to transform fatigue into fabulous. You can learn more about the range of programs Laurie offers – self-study programs to private coaching – designed to help you get more energy at Chronic Wellness Coaching.