Have you ever wondered that frequent traveling is spoiling your health? Have you ever thought on how to manage weight and stay healthy while traveling?
When going on a trip, somewhere between picking destinations and checking off itineraries. Between booking tickets and buying souvenirs. It is easy to forget about our usual healthy routines. Also, indulge into sumptuous breakfast spreads, brunches and lavish dinners. Or, eat a lot from those road side stalls for a bargain. And give a miss to the regular exercises.
After all, most people take vacations to relax, indulge, and let loose. However, because of this, most people end up gaining weight during vacations. While a few pounds may not be concerning, additional weight with each trip or through the years can add up. Leading to what is called creeping obesity or a slow accumulation of excess weight and body fat. And when they return back home, they struggle to get rid of this excess weight. Or, even fall back into their regular healthy everyday habit.
So, how can you keep on the right track and stay healthy and fit even while travelling? Read on for some tips on how to manage weight & stay healthy while traveling. These are the tips we go by when we travel frequently. So, let’s get started –
Prepare Yourself Medically for your trips
An important part of trip planning is to consider special health needs. When it comes to infants and children, you have to consider their formula or organic meals, vitamins, and even trip duration because of their developing bodies. Also, the needs of the kids can vary depending on the climate, destination and type of activities you have selected. Are you planning for a summer hike with your kids? Or, traveling with a small baby or a toddler? Are you going on a relaxing resort stay or planning to explore places throughout the day?
For those with medical conditions, you have to think of bringing extra medications, supplies, or equipment.
PS: A relaxing staycation at Jim Corbett National Park
Make sure you are healthy to travel by setting an appointment with your doctor. Ask for extra medications and travel precautions you need to know. For instance, a special disease management or weight management program such as a GLP-1 program can make it easier to keep track of your weight by using food and activity trackers and monitoring on the phone or computer. Also, check that medical equipment or gadgets have backup power sources or parts. And, don’t forget to pack all medicines and first aid kit with you.
We traveled to Europe with our 3 years old kid. It was a long distance travel and her first international trip to a very different climate than what she is used to back home. So, before the trip we met with her doctor. And took a prescription with all her general travel medicines. So that we could legally carry the medicines with us without any issue. And also have them handy anytime we needed.
One other time on our trip to Singapore, my father forgot to pack his insulin shot to manage his diabetes. And we had a really hard time finding the same medicine in Singapore. That also without a Singapore doctor’s prescription. So, long story short, it’s all the more important to travel to remote and international locations with full medical preparation.
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Plan and Plan Some More for your food
Yes, we know travelling involves a lot of planning already. But we need to remember to plan our food as well. While most people already think about bringing snacks especially for kids. Some tend to be more spontaneous with other meals.
When choosing destinations, consider the food that will be locally available. Make sure to do your research on what restaurants and eateries might be at or near your hotel or the places you want to visit. Decide early on the places you want to eat at. And browse websites for ideas on their menu offerings. This way, you can see if there are dishes there that would fit your specific dietary needs.
Also, anywhere you go, there are usually both healthy and not so healthy options available at most of the eateries. Make conscious choices to pick the healthy options.
Indulge to a Point
Let’s face it, some of us travel to eat. It is exciting to try out exotic cuisines. Or go to well-known restaurants at your destination. Then there are dining experiences like luaus, cruise buffets, or dinner theater. It can be easy to forget that these splurge meal calories can add up.
A great way to enjoy tasting those dishes while staying healthy is to manage your portions by sharing dishes and choosing smaller servings. This way, you can get a taste of everything without ending up overeating. Consider food preparations when ordering, not only to avoid getting sick such as when eating undercooked or raw foods, but also to pick healthier options such as steamed or grilled. Also, focus on filling your plate first with healthy options such as vegetables.
We use the following tips to keep ourselves from over indulging during our travel –
- Always start with loading our plates with lots of fruits from the breakfast spread.
- When choosing drinks and juices – lime, fruit juices, etc. we always try to go for the fresh ones instead of canned ones. And those with no added sugar. For example, choose fresh cucumber or beetroot juice over other juices if possible.
- Spreads always have both healthy and not so healthy options. We go for salads, baked beans, Indian food like idli, upma etc. And avoid deep fried, fat loaded food. Avoid mayo, cheese, sweeteners etc.
- For lunch or dinner, we try to go ala carta and choose lighter options.
- Try to have each meal on time. I have observed that if we get over hungry, we often end up ordering more, and choosing not so healthy options.
Keep Active
While it’s tempting to spend the whole day lounging around, we must not forget to exercise even on vacation. Physical activity is very important in staying fit and healthy, as well as in keeping us energized during the trip. For those with kids, exercise can also help them spend their energy in meaningful ways, and start healthy routines at an early age.
Include in physical activities in your itinerary. Check out offerings in your hotel or resort such as water sports, yoga sessions, or hiking trips. Make use of an available gym for easy access to exercise equipment. You can also take family walking tours as part of your vacation plans as a way to explore and to bond. Walking tours, that also, self planned walking tours are our favourites. We always love to explore places via walking tours as much as possible. Also, we try to choose nature related activities over everything else.
Early morning walk through the jungle bird watching, going on a jungle trail, an easy mountain hike with kids, or, exploring historical places and towns on foot are some of our most favourite activities that we tend to indulge in when traveling. This helps keep us fit and fine during the travel.
Conclusion
Staying healthy means to keep our healthy routines and goals in mind, even on vacation. Preparing yourself physically and mentally involves planning ahead, mindfully watching what you eat, and staying active. This way, you can better enjoy your trips without sacrificing your health.