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How to Stay Healthy & Fit While Traveling
By: Colleen Lanin, The Travel MamaJanuary 10th, 2010
I interviewed Carolyn Scott, a.k.a. the Healthy Voyager, to get some tips for staying healthy and fit while traveling. Read on to learn how to win three Healthy Voyager e-cookbooks plus a prize pack of healthful Bellybar snacks. (Total retail value is $57.50.)
Carolyn’s website, HealthyVoyager.com, highlights healthy activities, products, recipes, and restaurant options for travelers of all kinds including those with special dietary needs. Carolyn is working with an agent for her series of 12 books on healthy living and she hosts a Healthy Voyager Radio show on 1680 AM in Los Angeles. A vegan, Carolyn, travels frequently with her non-vegan fiancé, Dan Hamilton. While the couple doesn’t have any children yet, they have embarked on road trips and day excursions with Dan’s school-aged nieces and their neighbor’s tween-aged children.
Here are Carolyn’s tips for keeping the whole family healthy and fit while away from home…
Cheat, in Moderation
While on vacation, Carolyn suggests ordering the sinful dish you crave, but asking for a to-go box or second plate so that you can immediately split the dish in half to avoid over-eating. Or, save calories and money by splitting a meal with your spouse or travel mate. You can also swap out mashed potatoes for a salad or order your meat or fish grilled rather than fried. Then you won’t feel so guilty when you order dessert!
Trick the Kids
Carolyn understands that getting kids to eat healthy can be a challenge, especially when dining out. She suggests you order the food your child loves, but modify the dish slightly to sneak in the fiber and nutrients they need. For example, order a grilled cheese sandwich, but ask the server to add sliced tomatoes. Or, order a bean and cheese burrito and add grilled veggies. Instead of fries as a side dish, request fresh fruit. It’s also a good idea to pack some children’s vitamins because, despite your best efforts, chances are you will be less successful in enforcing a healthful diet on the go than you are at home.
Make Fitness Fun
I admitted to Carolyn that I’ve stopped packing my workout clothes and shoes when traveling because I never, ever make use of them. She advised me to incorporate exercise into my family’s vacation activities instead. For example, skip the bus tour in favor of a walking tour, plan a hike, or sign up for surf lessons.
Select Wisely
Carolyn suggests travelers with diet restrictions purchase Select Wisely food and travel translation cards. These handy cards are available in a multitude of languages to make telling servers in foreign countries about any dietary restrictions you may have, such as diabetic, gluten-free, or kosher.
Stay Hydrated
It’s easy to become dehydrated while traveling, especially when visiting a warm climate or a destination where the tap water is not drinkable. Be sure to stock up on bottled water and juices while away from home!
Think Green
Carolyn admits, “I totally let myself cheat (on vacation) as far as not eating all of my whole grains.” Drinking Go-Greens provides the fiber needed in a balanced diet, which allows her to splurge on a plate of vegan chili cheese fries. Go-Greens, made by To Go! Brands, Inc. is a powder you can add to water that tastes like green apple and comes in convenient on-the-go packets. It is made with 15 organic fruits and vegetables and has the antioxidant power of six servings of produce in one packet.
Pack Healthy Snacks
Rather than filling up on cotton candy and potato chips between meals, Carolyn suggests bringing along some healthy travel snacks. Some of her favorites are:
• Healthy bars, such as Bellybars - All natural bars that come in four flavors: Mellow Oat, Baby Needs Chocolate, Berry Nutty Cravings, and Burstin’ Chocolate. Read on to learn how to win a prize pack of Bellybars and other Bellybar healthful goodies designed for women on the go. (Note that Bellybars are not vegan.)
• Yogachips - Crispy dried apples with no added preservatives, in flavors like peach, strawberry, caramel and Carolyn’s favorite, apple cinnamon.
• Galaxy Granola - A protein-packed, crunchy treat that is baked in applesauce instead of oil and comes in four flavors.
• Healthy Voyager Creamy Pinwheels, a tasty snack that is easy and fun to make with the kids to take along on a road trip or to eat instead of airplane food during a flight.
Healthy Voyager Creamy Pinwheels Recipe
4- 12 inch spinach tortillas
2- 8 ounce packages of (opt. vegan) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 green onions (scallions), minced
1/2 cup diced red, yellow or green pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
1 can pitted black olives, drained and sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh herbs (dill, tarragon, basil or cilantro depending on taste)
fresh black pepper
In a large bowl mix filling ingredients. Spread mixture evenly onto tortilla leaving about an inch of room around the edge of the edge you are rolling toward. After rolling is complete, tightly wrap tortillas in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Remove right before serving and slice into one inch pieces.
Enjoy
While on vacation, Carolyn admits, “I totally let myself take a break.” For her, that means skipping her strict daily workout regimen and indulging in vegan cheesecake or, her favorite, tiramisu. She said, “One week is not gonna kill you.”
So, go ahead and splurge while on vacation. Just be sure to get back to healthy habits when you return home!
Win
One lucky Travel Mama (or Travel Daddy!) will win three Healthy Voyager e-cookbooks and a prize pack of healthy snacks from Bellybar. Total retail value of the prizes is $57.50. The contest ends on Saturday, January 23, 2010. The winner will be randomly selected using RANDOM.org and will be announced on TravelMamas.com the following Monday. Healthy Voyager will provide the three e-books and Bellybar will provide the snack prize pack to the winner. Travel Mamas did NOT receive any money or products as payment for this post.
The winner will receive all of the following:
• The Healthy Voyager’s Global Kitchen E-Cookbook Teaser – Mini Greek Chapter
• The Healthy Voyager’s Restaurant E-Cookbook Teaser – Mini Appetizer Chapter
• The Healthy Voyager’s Healthy for the Holidays Preview E-Book - Mini Winter Wonderland Chapter
• 8 Bellybars (2 of Each Flavor: Baby Needs Chocolate, Berry Nutty Cravings, Mellow Oat, and Burstin’ Chocolate)
• 2 Pouches Bellybar Chews (1 of Both Flavors: Chocolate Cuddles and Citrus on Board)
• 2 Due for Chocolate Bellybar Shakes
There are three ways to enter:
1) Make a post-related comment below about which of these Healthy Voyager tips you find most useful, or share your tips for staying healthy and fit while traveling. All generic comments like, “Thanks for the contest” or “I want to win” will not count as entries.
2) Post a second comment below about which Bellybar product sounds tastiest to you and why. Be specific to make sure your entry counts!
3) Tweet this contest! Copy and paste the phrase below into Twitter. Be sure to post another comment with a link to your tweet!
I want to win a healthy travel prize pack worth $57.50 from @Bellybar & @HealthyVoyager on @TravelMamas http://bit.ly/8xV9MF
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Tags: exercise, Healthy Voyager, recipe, travel snacks
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I think the tip about enjoying your vacation and taking a break from your regular routine, even if it means exercising and eating well, is the most useful. After all it is a vacation.
The Berry Nutty Cravings bar sounds the best to me cause I like berries and I really like nuts.
Tweet. http://twitter.com/monkeygrl59/status/7623298072
I love, love, LOVE Bellybars! They have replaced regular granola bars as my go to, travel snack item.
I would love to try the berry nut cravings belly bar. It sounds yummy and it would be easy to bring along with me when I’m on the go. Plus it would be good for me!
While traveling I usually try to stay healthy by drinking a lot of water and I always carry granola bars, diced up carrots, and fresh fruit (bananas and apples) in my bag. If you snack healthy all day while traveling you will be less likely to pig out on an unhealthy meal later. It also keeps your energy. Also, to keep our brains busy we often bring trivial pursuit cards along and quiz each other.
The tip about incorporating fitness into fun trip activities was helpful. I tend to look at vacation as a complete break from diet, routine, fitness, but making fitness part of the fun is a great idea!
Burstin’ Chocolate sounds the most interesting to me…I’m wondering what makes it “bursting” with chocolate, and how that much chocolate can be healthy…and you can bet I’m going to try it to find out!
My tip for staying healthy and fit while traveling: Don’t drink all of your calories, but rather enjoy by eating some of your favorite indulgences. We are going to Club Med Ixtapa next month, and at an all-inclusive, it’s really easy to drink many of those fruity cocktails on the beach. Instead, wait for the buffet, and enjoy dessert!
Which Bellybar product sounds tastiest to you and why: When I was pregnant, I lived on Baby Needs Chocolate bars! They satisfied my cravings, and kept the nausea away.
Packing a small jar of peanut butter makes good sense too. Kids may even think the small size makes it special. It makes a good “dip” for carrots.
I like the tip that a vacation is a vacation. That’s why on vacation, I don’t work out or exercise as much as I do at home. It’s a vacation and a small break!
I think the Baby Needs Chocolate sound the best BellyBar.
My tip for traveling and staying fit is to pack healthy sandwiches and snacks and avoid all fast food.
I would like to try the Burstin’ Chocolate Belly bars because I love chocolate and it is a double plus because it is healthy.
My tips for staying healthy during travel is to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and to take frequent stretching breaks.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by bellybar, Amy @ The Q Family, Colleen Lanin, Colleen Lanin, Colleen Lanin and others. Colleen Lanin said: Want to win a healthy travel prize pack from @Bellybar & @HealthyVoyager worth $57.50? Just comment on blog &/or tweet! http://bit.ly/8xV9MF [...]
I think the Stay Hydrated tip is the most important
I want to try yogachips
Staying fit and healthy while traveling can be tricky. However, there are many ways to do it. First, do not skip the workouts. You can do MANY workout routines from the comfy hotel room you are staying in! Pushups, crunches, stretches, leg lifts, jumping jacks, swimming pool (if they have one), arm lifts, and much much more. You do not need workout equipment to stay fit while traveling. If you are not familiar with non-workout equipment exercises, do some research online and make notes for future traveling. Thanks for this giveaway. It’s awesome.
The Berry Nutty Cravings Belly bar sounds the most delicious. Usually berry’s and nuts make an outstanding combination of tastes, just like in granola bars, cereal, and healthy finger snacks. I think these belly bars are no exception. I am sure the taste is just as good and they are super healthy and gives you energy. Yummy! Thank you.
Thanks for all of the great tips, everyone! Keep ‘em coming!
Staying healthy and fit while traveling requires planning. you need to evaluate and provide for the unknown by bringing it with you.
I like the tip about cheating and only eating half..I stay on track with my eating but every once in a while I eat something I am not suppose to.
Definitely the best tip/idea in this post is the recipe for pinwheels. What a great way to make food healthy, look fun, and be perfectly child-size!
I can’t wait to try the shake. How could that not be amazing? I just finished eating a chocolate bar actually but would totally slurp down a shake right now if I had one
Her tips on exercise and water are extremely helpful. I try to walk every where when my hubby and I are on vacation, even if it’s a 3-4 mile distance. Additionally, I always have to remind myself, as she reminds us, to carry a bottle of water with me because unlike at home, I won’t remember to drink it otherwise!
I always try and take a snack when I drive/fly that is high in protein but low in fat, like string cheese or beef jerky so that I feel full longer and am less tempted to eat junk food!
I LOVE the berry nut cravings bar, I craved those like crazy while I was pregnant, so for some reason they just remind me of how satisfying it was to eat one then!
We have created a modified hotel room workout if there is no gym facility available at the lodging.
I eat only a salad for lunch and split an entree with my husband for dinner.
I love that recipe for pinwheels! I have been looking all over for my pinwheel recipe. I never noticed that it would be a good plane snack before reading this tip though.
The baby needs chocolate belly bar sounds perfect for me. I get cravings, try to ignore them, then pig out all the time when traveling. PLUS – I tell myself it’s vacation and go pig out some more.
Something healthy that satisfies that craving is what I really need.
I like the Pack Healthy Snacks tip best.
My tip would be dont take or pack anything while travelling that contains saturated fats or trans fats.
The Bellybar Chews sound tastiest to me because I like anything that’s chewy and gives u that chewing/eating sensation
I like the idea of ordering what you want to and splitting it immediately! Almost every time we go out to eat- I am so full after! Ugh!
The Berry Nutty Bar sound so yummy! And since I am pregnant- these would be perfect!!
The one thing I love about traveling is the exotic food! I love all kinds of fruit and after indulging in a special treat the next meal is normally and fruit and veggie mix! It’s Vacation! You have to indulge a little! lol
Making fitness fun is the key – sets them up well for the future.
The granola bar sounds very good!
I think that of all the tips, making fitness fun is the one that related to me the best!
My favorite tip of hers is the one about cheating a little. It definitely helps when you are traveling.
I would love to try the Due For Chocolate Shake. Chocolate, in a healthy form, is sooo loved here.
I tweeted-http://twitter.com/litefoot873/status/8119334156
Tweet – http://twitter.com/vegan4now/status/8120237880
Taking a 30 day vegan challenge and have found Carolyn’s show to be so inspirational. Would love to try some of her recipes!
I love the pinwheels tip, and admit I had no idea that vegan cream cheese existed!
The citrus on board chews sound the best to me. I love citrus things!
http://twitter.com/soluckyducky/status/8123868070
I haven’t gotten to try the Belly Bar yet, but they look so good! I just got through the nausea phase of my pregnancy and my hunger is going into overdrive now. I love the recipe suggestions, as well as the healthy travel eating tips. Thanks!
I found Stay Hydrated to be most useful.It is very important to stay hydrated but it is very easy to become dehydrated.