Healthy Travel Hacks

1 Sept

I recently went on an amazing Euro trip with my fiancé, we had an absolute blast exploring cities and adventuring deep into euro’s rich history. It really made me realise just how lucky we are to have our health and the capability to adventure the way we do. Health is a priority for me, and this is still the case when I travel.

So, I’ve decided to create this little healthy guide for travelling. It’s actually inspired by my beautiful friend Libby, who shared a bunch of tips with me after her travels from a few years ago (which I saved in my phone notes). Thanks Lib for the inspo, here’s how I expanded on your hacks:

Flight Hacks

Cook your own Food for the Flight
I wasn’t this organised, Libby did it and it’s a fantastic idea to ensure you continue eating nutritious foods. Plus, are you even travelling If you don’t complain about the airplane food?? Check your airline/custom’s allowances, I believe you can take most foods with you, but you just can’t arrive with fresh food. Definitely pack some healthy snacks.

Request Hot Water with Lemon
From the flight beverage service and inhale the steam through your nose to keep your sinuses happy before drinking it. LOVE this one lib. I also sort of cupped it around my face for a bit of a flight facial. Very refreshing.

Beat Jetlag
Get on their hours as soon as you arrive… so stay up if you need. Get in the sunshine and ground your feet in the earth as soon as you can. This will obviously depend on what time you arrive.

Stay Active
Get up and walk along the plane as often as you can. Do some quality stretching, make sure you get in some movement, so you don’t arrive completely stiff.

Get Comfortable
I always take a small soft pillow and move it around to get comfy, whether that’s behind my head, against my partners shoulder or up against the wall… makes such a difference!

Travel Hacks

Take Reusable Cutlery, Water Bottles & Bowls
I was a gifted a cutlery pack from Seed & Sprout for xmas, this can be so handy for sightseeing days. Having the cutlery, you can opt for healthier options such as salad, fruit, veggies and also you can enjoy baguettes and cheese under the Eiffel tower (doesn’t get much better than that!). Plus, you’ll save money too. But, make sure to pack it in in your checked luggage, or risk it being confiscated!

Save money, the environment and your thirst by taking your own water bottle. Refill it once you’re though customs and stay extra hydrated on the plane (even more so if you do have an alcoholic beverage). Fill up your bottle before heading out for the day (hotel gyms usually have cool filtered water – great tip Lib!). I also asked hotel bars and they would usually add some ice too! I used my hydroflask bottle to stay cooler for longer.

We took two light bowls (plastic - which I wouldn’t usually buy but needed it to be light). We bought muesli and plant based milk and had this most mornings as a healthy, quick, cheap breaky. We simply put the milk in a plastic bag and carried it along our travels.

Stretch, Roll out… do what you need to do!
Depending on the type of holiday, depends on your activity levels. If you’re lounging by the pool, beautiful, you deserve it! But, do try to get some movement in, you’ll feel better for it. For my most recent trip, I was walking all day, every day (mountain hikes in the Lofoton Islands included), so I was one active gal. But I did find it helpful to stretch of a morning and do a little yoga flow. My fiancé and I actually kept in a routine of doing a small workout most mornings to maintain our strength training. I took my resistance bands as a lightweight but effective tool.

At the end of the day I used my tune up balls to massage out all my kinks. These balls were also fantastic on the plane and at stop overs, they will get your lymphatic system moving again, especially after being sedentary for so many hours. To relax my muscles, I took my a roller bottle of essential oils that I massaged in, as well as my magnesium spray. Magnesium creams & powders are also a great option.

Nutrition

Supplements (seek individual advice from a health professional)
-Vitamin C & Zinc (for increased immunity)
-Magnesium Powder (relax muscles & assists good quality sleep), learn more about magnesium here.
-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (boulardii) (prevents traveller’s diarrhoea & prevents bacterial overgrowths, ensure it is shelf stable & does not require refrigeration. You will probably need to get prescribed this from a health professional, if you need brand recommendations I provide consultations here.

Food
I enjoyed all the deliciousness that each country offered (so much amazing food). But I was also intuitively eating whilst travelling, listening to what my body was craving & choosing foods accordingly. Most meals consisted of at least a side of vegetables or salad. I opted for fresh fruit & veg for snacking along the way too, as opposed to just packaged goods (but they were also delicious to try!). Literally one of my favourite things to do is walk the isles of foreign supermarkets.

In the past I would have felt guilt for indulging in croissants, macrons, Dutch pancakes & sangria etc etc.. but not anymore. I know that I can intuitively listen to what my body is needing & satisfy it. Developing a healthy relationship with food is SO important! ⁠The last thing you want to be worrying about is food guilt on holidays!

So, from a nutrition perspective here are my top tips:

Try local seasonal food (amazing diversity for our gut microbiomes + so much yumminess)
I packed my fave protein powder and a shaker bottle, for a quick filling snack (also great if you’re on a budget).
Choose veggies/fruit for nutritious snacking.
We always had a bag of nuts in our backpack for a filling snack.
Order entrees/sides of salads & veggies at main meals to balance meals.
Supermarket meals are cheap & a handy way to ensure you get real food ingredients. There are so many convenience options available these days. I was SO impressed with europe’s salad options.
Tune into your body, listen to what it needs and eat accordingly.
Keep hydrated, always have a drink bottle on hand (especially when drinking alcohol)
Enjoy! Let go of all guilt, it’s not every day we are lucky enough to experience such culturally rich food.

Extra Goodies to Pack

Herbal Tea (I took some organic Pukka Tea Bags), I love starting my day with a green tea so this was a must. I also had chamomile of an evening.
Pack Bone Broth Powder (NutraOrganics have individual sachets, so handy)
Natural Hand Sanitiser (Dr Bronner’s) honestly I hardly used this, but it is nice to have.
Castile Soap (Dr Bronner’s travel mini’s are amazing, I keep one in my handbag and one in my luggage, I use it as a handwash, body wash, shaving cream, dish wash)
Natural Makeup Wipes (I used WotNot, so handy at the end of the day)

Let me know any of your essentials in your packing below! Or do you have any healthy hacks to add to this list? Let’s chat below.

Happy travelling!

Want more?

My Low Tox Food Program is my signature program and honestly my true passion. It will help you get back in touch with REAL food. I go through every food product imaginable, giving you the confidence that what you are adding to your shopping trolley is free of nasties, additives and is actually going to nourish your body.