Travel Kit

 One of the biggest issues many of my clients face is life on the road. That comes in various shapes and sizes. From simply a long daily commute to regular coast to coast travel or even internationally. How can you survive in the land of food courts, fast food and overall poor nutritional options?

Here’s a short list of my travel survival kit. Having had a previous career in the performing arts I know quite well what life on the road means. I feel these habits not only kept me healthy during years of performance tours but also led to solid lifestyle practices.

Listed from the preparation phase to the arrival phase.

• Practice fasting beforehand
• Eat a low glycemic index meal prior to travel
• Pack a bag with essentials
• Stay ahead of the game to not be too hungry
• Avoid sugar & carbohydrates
• Stick to real coffee not Frappuccino or faux coffee drinks
• Stand up a LOT
• Always pack walking shoes and a swimsuit
• Lay on the floor upon arrival
• Use your smartphone to access real foods

Fasting

I would encourage you to do your own research on intermittent fasting. While personally I am NOT a fan of calorie restriction or rather starvation diets I’m a believer in what I call “light fasting.” For example, we (husband and I) eat an early dinner on Saturday night and avoid all foods until noon on Sunday. This adds up to approximately 18 hours of fasting.

The benefits I have gained from this are multiple. One is an overall appreciation for allowing the body to completely digest foods eaten before putting more into the system. Also you gain a bit of mental strength to see that it’s actually easier to avoid eating junk in order to wait until the options are better. And you realize that if you are not expending much energy, as in sitting when traveling one needs very little food to sustain the body.

Low-glycemic pre-travel meal

I consider this something akin to a “pre-game” meal. Prepare yourself for a day that might have few to little positive options. One of my favorite pre-travel meals is steak and sautéed spinach with a glass of red wine. Little urban myth, the meal I just described was supposedly Rudolf Nureyev’s go to food.

In general low-glycemic foods, low carb, low sugar and high fat foods from a performance perspective I find the most effective. Eating a meal the night before that does not play havoc with your blood sugar makes for a better start the next day. In other words you don’t wake up hungry and are not starting in the deficit for a long day of travel.

The bag

Anyone who knows me understands the importance of “the bag.” Travel options in my mind are nothing less than toxic. When you understand this and pack a bag to avoid dangerous foods, travel is much more pleasant. It’s also often a talking point with individuals sitting next to me (I’m famous for sharing!).

These items are staples in my carry on bag:

• Nuts; raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts or a mix
• Hard cheese, cut in pieces easy to grab
• Hard boiled eggs
• Dark chocolate, darker the better, without soy lecithin or soy ingredients
• Instant coffee (before you criticize let me explain)

OK all the food items are self-explanatory and provide sustainable energy and above all don’t mess with blood sugar. You can last a long time with real food than having to succumb to food like items available in any travel situation, be it an airport, bus station, gas station or train.

As far as the instant coffee in my bag here’s why. I love to exercise in my hotel room early morning. I desire a decent cup of coffee prior to working out. At times rooms will have a coffee maker but lately it is all the coffee pods like Keurig and others, they contain too many chemicals for my taste. Right now the instant coffee du jour is Starbuck’s VIA Italian espresso. So again options, the whole purpose of “the bag.”

Foods to avoid

Similar to the low-glycemic pre-travel meal, avoiding sugar and carbohydrates during travel is the easiest way to manage blood sugar. This management means you are not taking your body on the highs and lows that play with hunger. Having healthy snacks in the bag means you have options available.

The choices available in the majority of travel areas, airport, train and gas station are primarily fast or junk food. Often we select something purely out of boredom or lack of travel preparation.

Staying clear of sugary drinks is an absolute must in my book. The deluge of soda, frozen yogurt, juice, faux coffee drinks and all sorts of sugar bombs is overwhelming. My personal preference during travel is an espresso, black coffee or just plain water.

Stand up a lot

We’ve all heard about the negative effects of sitting. If not or need a review check out my blog post here and white paper on the detrimental effects of sitting here. As far as concerns travel just stand as much as your body can handle it.

If waiting in the airport I stand most of the time prior to boarding. I entertain myself with the newspaper and look for places where I can possibly lean forward once in awhile like the charging stations with high stools and bar type counters. What I like about standing is then when you do finally have to sit you are somewhat tired.

If it is airplane travel I always look for the aisle seat. This allows one to get up on a regular basis. If by some stroke I end up with the middle or window seat I still get up a lot. I never feel bad about asking folks to stand up to let me out. Hey it’s good for them also to stretch their legs and spine.

If you’re talking about a commute by car or train it can be rougher. Yes tough but not impossible to find moments of non-sitting. For example, we all know the rule park far away from the train or place of commute to get a bit more walking in.

With the car, it means the rest of your day needs special attention. By that I mean more standing and way less sitting to compensate for time in the car. Organize standing meetings, stand up when talking on the phone and get out and about at lunch.

Suitcase priorities

I consider my running shoes and swim suit non-negotiable items in my suitcase. While I don’t run but walk these days the shoes never get left at home. Whether it’s just walking on the treadmill or a quick swim before a long day of work it’s the best part of travel for me.

I try at all costs though to get outside with my walking shoes. I love to see the immediate surroundings and get some fresh air (not sure I would call it that in Shanghai) it does get one acclimated to the area. You know at least where you are! Plus it helps immensely with jet lag.

Make friends with the floor

The above is a huge tagline of mine with clients. There is something graciously humbling and stress relieving about lying on the floor. It’s like the weight of the world just sinks into the floor.

My favorite place is generally to put my legs up on the wall, close my eyes and just drift off. If the wall is too big a stretch for your hamstrings find a chair that you can lie on the floor and let your legs rest on the chair.

Use your phone to see what is nearby

In addition to the previously mentioned bag items I enjoy having a few extras in my room. I search around sometimes prior to the trip to see where the nearest grocery store is. I’ll pick up a few bananas or berries, whole milk yogurt and an avocado.

These few items give me the chance either to make my own breakfast if so desired or at least have a healthy snack. Everyone has experienced that after work or event late night hunger, so better to have something healthy around than resort to a vending machine nightmare.

At the end of the day if you have to travel, planning and a few minutes of preparation is everything. Here’s hoping we meet up one of these days and you can share with me something from your bag!

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.”

 Danny Kaye