Is it difficult to take care of your diet when traveling? U.S. too! And it is that since we lived traveling and even before.
When we only went for 15 days, traveling and eating healthy was not within our plans or even possibilities.
We know that this is not good and that time or money should not be the excuse to eat badly.
When you are traveling because it is all about cultivating the proper habits to take care of your diet when traveling.
Have you also Neglected your Diet
Are you in that situation where you are enjoying time in other countries.
Discovering new cultures and people.
but don’t know how to take care of your diet while traveling?
Take it easy, it ‘s completely normal.
In fact, in my opinion, society is currently experiencing an “awakening”.
I am one of those people who thinks that.
for example, you want to do something when you are 25 years old and you don’t do it at that moment.
At 40 (sooner or later) what you have been repressing appears again and you end up doing it.
We live in a society that lives fast. does not take care of itself. With a lot of stress and negativity.
It is increasingly difficult to stop and enjoy the here and now.
That is, why I recommend that you learn to also value rest and seek more time for yourself and your health.
As the word health is very broad.
I have decided to talk to you today about the relationship it has with food.
I also find it interesting to leave you some tips for you to reflect on how to take care of your diet when traveling.
And put into practice those that really serve you.
Food Intelligence
Unlike mathematical intelligence, intelligence in reading and writing, geography, history, etc.
Nobody teaches us to eat since we were little. Therefore we did not get to develop intelligence on food issues.
Our parents do the best they know how and we learn to eat.
They think we should, but is that what we get used to the best way to feed ourselves?
The problem is that we live in a society where there should be a food culture.
Someone who really explains to us the foods that are beneficial to our bodies and how to combine them.
But just like they taught us about:
- the culture in the country in which we live
- different languages
- play an instrument
- follow a schedule
- respect to others…
This type of knowledge should exist, what I like to call “food intelligence”.
There are more and more cases of overweight and obesity in children and adults.
And, today this problem already exceeds the number of deaths caused by hunger in the world.
Have a balanced diet while Traveling?
It is not an easy task, in reality this issue can get out of hand.
How many times have you traveled and in the hotel. Where you stay there is a super buffet and you end up eating everything?
Or you even stay somewhere where there is no kitchen.
Therefore you cannot make your own menus and you have to eat out all meals.
without keeping track of the establishments you visit and therefore without taking into account the calories you eat.
Normally when we travel, our level of activity is high.
Regardless of the sport that many people keep doing while traveling.
In theory, the average number of steps we should take every day to stay well active is around 10,000.
When we travel it is likely that we give them.
Since we want to take advantage of the days and visit places that we do not know. but is it enough?
Can we do more to collaborate with our health?
I also think it is important to clarify that having the goal of losing weight.
While traveling to a maintenance goal and eating balanced is not the same.
If what you want is to take care of your diet. So as not to gain weight and stay as you are while you travel.
It is much easier than looking for weight loss (or rather, body fat loss).
To talk about loss of body fat. We must bear in mind that we must spend more calories than we ingest.
So when we are outside our comfort zone. it is difficult to have that control (but not impossible!).
If, on the other hand, you are not looking for that and you prefer to learn to eat out.
Enjoying but learning to take care of your diet when traveling.
Finding those foods that give you the energy to continue your trip and also without obsessing. you are in the right place!
I think that in this whole world of food, the most important thing is to have a food consciousness.
And later I will explain why.
Why have a balanced diet?
Do you really know what it is? I ask you this question because I had to ask myself one day.
Generally we tend to think that “we eat well” (or so we want to think), to be calm and calm our consciousness.
The word “balanced” can give rise to many interpretations.
For example, a person who drinks a beer at lunch and dinner.
And then a glass of wine to eat may think, “I drink in moderation.”
However, a person who is not used to doing that and drinks a couple of beers on Saturday afternoon will probably think the same.
Balance is an aspect that depends on how you look at it and how it is interpreted.
For this reason, to learn to be more objective.
I think the first thing we must do is analyze our eating behavior from the outside.
So let’s get down to business, right?
1. To change your habits you first have to analyze them
For this I advise you to start a newspaper.
A kind of road map where you write down every meal you make.
In this way throughout the week, seeing the summary, you will be really aware of what you feed.
When we talk about eating, I like to see it from a “nutritious” perspective. Eating is nourishing your body.
It is giving it what it needs to make it work in the best possible way.
There is only one body, and it is precisely the engine that allows us to be here on earth.
If you are currently traveling the world or you have decided to lose your fears and start doing it.
With the physical wear and tear that this can entail. Or you take care of yourself or you will notice a lot of physical wear.
2. Learn to value your daily needs
Another tip that I find interesting is to learn to know what our body asks of us.
This will depend on several things. But I already tell you that your body does not need the same at the nutritional level.
One day that you are going to do high physical activity one day a bit more sedentary.
Eye! We must learn to enjoy equally. I simply advise you to find your balance precisely at this point.
Each person has individual needs, depending on their age.
the level of stress they have in their day to day. the hours of rest, their physical activity, among other aspects.
In the scientific literature we have been taught by different techniques to calculate our BMI (Muscle Mass Index). The ideal weight to know how many calories to consume.
And I find it interesting, but only as an approximation.
I tell you that the days that are going to be more intense at the level of activity.
You eat more carbohydrates and proteins and the days.
You move less look for more healthy fat and quality protein (whether vegetable or animal).
However (I know I may seem a burden), as I say, this is a general approach.
Each one has their needs. So if you really want to delve into the topic, seek help from a professional.
3. Enjoy the local food
In all parts of the world we can find “typical food”.
I am one of those who vote to try those things. They are native to the country in which we find ourselves.
In this way we get to know new flavors and textures and incidentally we get more into the culture we are in.
Unfortunately there are many places where local food is quite fatty, or nutritionally uninteresting.
Even so, if you are going to do it in a timely manner.
As a way to make the most of your experience there, do it!
Be careful with the typical food of some countries where it is bought in street vendors.
In many occasions the hygiene is poor and if you are not used to it, it can feel bad.
4. Try to buy in reliable markets and supermarkets
Personally, the markets drive me crazy. That mix of colors, smell.
I think it has a lot of charm. I really like getting lost seeing different posts and I think they have a special essence.
In addition, the markets are usually full of local seasonal food.
So this is not always the case, it can be cheaper.
The industry many times strains us well, announcing a product as healthy, or “low fat”, “free of added sugars”.
And they really find a way to make it more palatable by sneaking it in with other harmful ingredients.
For what? Well precisely so that we consume it more.
So, if you know how to make a good reading of the ingredients (although at first it is heavier).
Then, you are a beast finding the best options in the supermarket.
5. Find the best restaurant options
There are always healthy food options, we just have to know how to look.
Or even ask the local people, they can surely recommend us very interesting options.
In this case, surely we can find a lot of appetizing and balanced dishes.
This option may not be the first on your list if you are traveling the world.
As it is one of the options that will probably cost you the most money.
But if from time to time you allow yourself to eat in a restaurant.
Take care of your diet when traveling, this is my advice 😉.
6. Choose an accommodation with an equipped kitchen
One of the tips I can best give you in this article is this.
The fact that you can cook your own food is the best. Whether you are in China, Guatemala or Alaska.
When you cook, you decide.
It will depend on the quality of the food you buy but the way of cooking it also matters.
I recommend that you use the oven, steam and cook with little oil (if you have it).
To do this, buy some Tupperware (if they are made of glass better than plastic, although they weigh more).
And plan your weekly meals to find a place to cook.
You can always freeze, take advantage to make a lot of it and look for easy and healthy recipes (there are many).
7. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
I am a faithful defender of fruit and vegetables. And although they always tell us that we should take 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
I insist again that these are general recommendations and each one has her personal needs.
However, fruit is always a good choice as a snack or as a dessert. it is actually a good option when you feel like it or feel hungry.
You can choose fresh fruit or dried fruit, although I prefer fresh.
But it is true that dehydrated is better preserved.
You can carry bags with specific closures. so that they do not spread throughout the backpack.
Thus use them when you feel something of appetite.
Although there are many myths about fruit fattening.
I consume several pieces a day because I have long since dismantled this false belief by myself.
The fruit provides us with simple sugars (but very very beneficial).
They give us energy a little time after consuming them and they are also a pump of vitamins, fiber, minerals. super necessary for the proper functioning of our body.
If you are traveling the world you will find thousands of different fruits that surely you have never tried.
Or you will even rediscover the flavor of some.
The best coconut I tried was in the Dominican Republic, freshly picked up by a guy from there! What a treat…
Of course, better consume them by removing the skin or making sure they are washed with drinking water.
8. Drink plenty of water
This is general advice, but more so when you are visiting different places. Because in reality without realizing it you are doing many kilo meters a day.
Water, in addition to quenching thirst, we must consume little by little throughout the day. Although we don’t feel the need.
When we move, our body regulates its temperature through sweat.
That is why we release this substance and also allow us to eliminate toxins.
With water, what we do is re-hydrate ourselves. allowing there to be a balanced balance of necessary fluid in our body.
The ideal is to always carry a bottle with us that we can fill (I usually use a two-liter bottle. so I know when I have drunk that exact amount).
Make sure that the water you drink is drinkable. Try to avoid ice from restaurants or bars on the street.
The waters are not the same and our stomach is not used to it. So it can sit badly and need a doctor and several days of rest.
9. Be careful with salads
The same goes for washing fresh vegetables for salads. We are not used to other types of water.
So perhaps at first our stomach will have a hard time processing it.
I advise you not to eat a lot of salads. Unless you make them yourself at home and know that the water you use is fine.
In addition, in many street stalls or even in restaurants, vegetables come into contact with insects.
10. Put aside junk food
Junk food or fast food has one thing in its favor: it is accessible wherever you travel.
Rare will it be to find a country full of healthy food places, but fast food … reaches any corner of the world.
Another point in favor? It is too cheap.
And it is precisely so cheap because its quality leaves a lot to be desired …
Beware of falling into the trap of eating junk food several times a week. so that the month is cheaper.
it will be expensive for you in terms of health.
Plus, it’s addictive. The moment you stop consuming it and you get used to it not being part of your diet.
Then you go through the door of a restaurant like that and you don’t feel like entering. I assure you.
I do not consider myself an extremist person with regard to food.
I also like to eat a good hamburger and a pizza or a good ice cream.
But I keep in mind that this is a whim and I consume it in moderation.
Conclusions to take care of your diet when traveling
To finish, I would like to remind you. That, there are always options when your goal is really to learn to take care of your diet when traveling and eat a balanced diet.
It can be made more complicated but of course it is possible.
Wanting is power! And although many times this does not depend 100% on us.
Because perhaps in the place where you are there are not so many healthy products. We can always find good options.
Learn to have a food conscience.
Choose the products that best suit you. Learn to listen to your body and know its needs.
Because they will have nothing to do with the needs of other people’s bodies.
If you have any questions I will be happy to help you.
It is a pleasure for me to answer the questions you have. Also to lend a hand while you travel to different countries.
Lastly, remember that taking care of your diet will contribute to your health improving.
That you have adequate energy levels to perform while traveling and that you enjoy trying typical foods.
Don’t forget to enjoy that process.
There is a very fine line between taking care of your diet when traveling and becoming obsessed.
So far my contribution, I hope that these 10 tips to take care of your diet while traveling help you.