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Staying Healthy When Traveling
By Dr. Kathy Gruver - PhD, LMT, ND in Traditional Naturopathy

Many people ask me about how to maintain health while traveling, whether it's avoiding illness or losing weight.  Here are some tips for you!

Maintaining a diet plan or not gaining weight while traveling:

- Make sure you control portions, just because it's an endless buffet, doesn't mean you have to try to eat it all. If you skip the bread or wine, you save 150+ calories each. If you do eat it, you will have to walk for almost an hour and a half to burn a roll plus glass of wine.

- Split your meal with your partner or have them box up half before they bring it to you.

- Eat slowly, give your body a chance to know its full.

- Keep exercising: Many hotels and cruise lines have a workout center or gym. Get there and use it, even if you just walk on the treadmill. If they don't have a gym carry theraband and a golf ball with you. It's a traveling gym.

- Remember both artificial sweetner and high fructose corn syrup have been linked to obesity so choose your sweeteners carefully and as always, drink plenty of water.

Its best to take food with you when you travel so you aren't stuck making an unhealthy choice. And make sure you have a good breakfast! Here are some options:

- Nuts, jerky and trail mix are great, sometimes you can find them pre-portioned so you can carry little packets with you. There is also a snack called Paleo Packs which are nutritious and healthy.

- Start with a good breakfast with fats, protein and carbs. Don't just eat carbs, they burn off fast and leave you hungry.

- Take your multi vitamin, B’s, magnesium and other minerals and avoid energy drinks, which rely on sugar and caffeine to keep you going.

To avoid getting sick when you travel, here are some immune boosting and other healthy tips:

- Get enough sleep. If you have trouble with that you can try things like melatonin, tryptophan, or moon drops (a homeopathic). Also, there is a temptation to stay up later than usually or drink heavily on vacations. Don't overdo it or you'll pay later.

- Take your vitamins, especially the B's which are good for energy. And C which helps the immune system.   

- Carry nux vomica with you which is a homeopathic great for the for flu/food poisoning

- Sanitize but don’t get carried away. We need germs

- If you start to feel something coming on try Airborne or Wellness Formula. Two of my favorites

- Change your mind/affirmations. Rather than saying "I'm getting sick." or "I hope I'm not getting sick." Say,"I am healthy and well" or "My immune system is strong and effective."

When trying to maintain a healthy diet while traveling here are some of the things you should look out for:

- Avoid processed foods, fast foods, MSG, GMOs, soda, and artificial sweetener. In fact, avoid those all the time for better health.

- I'm a huge fan of eggs, but scrambled is the worst way to eat them. And if they've been sitting on a buffet exposed to heat and air, they are even worse. Skip the buffet eggs.

- Avoid having just carbs for breakfast as I mentioned above. They don't give you enough energy for the long haul.

Travel can be stressful, here are some techniques to help with stress and frustration:

- It's important to be organized and plan when you travel, but having a built in acceptance of plans going awry and change happening is important too. This is when it's time for a Mini. Concentrate on your breath. On the inhale think "I am" and on the exhale think "at peace." REPEAT! This is also fabulous for folks that get nervous flying or during travel time.

- Stress is often an outside force that we can’t control, what we can control is our reaction to the stress. Have a plan B for everything. Carry extra food, phone numbers and contacts, change or a calling card.

- And as always, affirmations are great. Repeating things like: I am healthy and well, I am calm and relaxed, My body is young and vibrant, are things that are going to help you be well, not only when you travel. But always.

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Big Blend Radio Interview

Dr. Kathy Gruver shares
Travel Health
Tips!

Dr. Kathy L. Gruver PhD, LMT, RM, is a licensed and certified medical massage therapist, Reiki master, natural health consultant, birth assistant and Traditional Naturopath. Owner of Healing Circle Massage & Natural Health in Santa Barbara, Kathy is the author of  'The Alternative Medicine Cabinet' and has produced the DVD 'Therapeutic Massage at Home: Learn to Rub People the RIGHT Way!' Visit: www.TheAlternativeMedicineCabinet.com