Summer Travel Essentials
Over the weekend, we traveled to Boston for one of my best friends' weddings. We had about 7 hours of travel to Boston, some fun dinners, late nights, and a martini (or two 😉). I was a little tired from the plane + car rides and some late nights with friends, but overall felt really great! This got me thinking back to a time in my life when this wasn't always the case and the fact that feeling really amazing while traveling and feeling balanced when returning home doesn't just happen by accident.
With a little bit of intention...it IS possible to achieve balance with travel, special events, etc. AND to fully enjoy yourself and to remain present throughout the experience.
If your summer looks anything like mine, your weekends are already filling up with fun travel plans, weddings, and adventures, so I thought this would be the perfect time to share some of my top tips and go-tos for travel!
Minerals/Hydration:
Something you will always find in my travel bag is minerals/electrolytes + my emotional support water bottle. Minerals are essential for supporting cellular hydration, energy, digestion, skin, and more. I ramp up my hydration + mineral intake while traveling and notice a huge difference. I also love to pack some of my favorite tea bags to bring along and sip on the plane or in hotels. This helps me feel grounded increase my fluid intake, and honestly just feel good (who doesn't love a warm beverage?!) I'm currently loving dandelion, green, and raspberry leaf teas. Grab my favorite teas, minerals & electrolytes here!
Protein:
Focusing on consistently emphasizing protein intake at meals and snacks helps to provide the body with a lot of stability and will keep you off the blood sugar rollercoaster (aka wonky mood, energy, funky digestion, disrupted sleep...). Even if eating habits look a bit different with travel - anchoring your meals/snacks with a great protein source will keep blood sugar balanced and there will be a notable difference in how you feel. When eating out or at events, I always aim to choose protein sources to amp up my plate. I also like to keep some convenience items on hand for snacks/back-up. Some favorites include:
Meat sticks/Jerky - I love chomps!
Single-serving collagen sticks to throw into coffee/tea, oatmeal, yogurt, etc
Pouched salmon or tuna (sounds weird but these are so easy + satisfying with some seeded crackers or a piece of fruit!)
Fiber:
Fiber often takes a hit when eating out and enjoying fun foods while traveling. We're never looking for perfection here - but aiming to emphasize easy fiber sources can help with digestion + bowel regularity while routines are disrupted. Bring some "hand fruit" with you on your trip (apple, pear, kiwi, orange, banana), order a side of fruit at breakfast, and consider ordering a starter salad or a veggie side when eating out.
Keep Your Wake-up Time Consistent:
Say whaaat? I want you to wake up at your normal time while traveling or vacation? YES. Hear me out. Keeping a consistent wake-up time (reducing variability to about 1 hour) helps to significantly reduce circadian rhythm disruption and the fatigue, digestive disruption, and brain fog that follows. Even if you have a later night, aim to get up at your normal time and consider taking a nap later if needed. Trust me - you will thank me later! Read more about circadian rhythm here.
Safe travels!! Keep me posted if you try any of these tips or have questions about how to best support your body while traveling.
