Healthy Holiday Travel Essentials
Millions of people will travel across the country to visit friends and family this holiday season. Plan ahead to ensure you have all the essentials to stay lean and healthy during the holidays.
Holiday Travel Essentials
- Workout Gear – Pack workout gear before anything else. Think about when you will have time for fitness, rather than if you will have time.
- Healthy Snacks – Bring along healthy snacks to keep your hunger under control. Fruit, such as apples, are great snacks. Apples are great to fight off hunger and have lots of pectin on the skin. Kashi GoLean bars and trail mix also make great snacks.
- Sleep – Sleep is essential to get energy for working out and to stay in a balanced zone. Many find it difficult to sleep in strange environments, hence melatonin or other natural products can help with sleep and improving sleeping patterns.
- Water Bottle – Although you can’t bring liquids through airport security, you can bring an empty reusable water bottle. Fill up the bottle at a drinking fountain after passing through security to stay hydrated. Read out blog post about the importance of staying hydrated: The Importance of Staying Hydrated to Manage your Weight
Holiday Travel Essentials for Kids
- Comfortable Walking Shoes or a Stroller – After a big holiday meal, you will want to take a walk to burn calories and to help digest the food. If you have a stroller or comfortable walking shoes for your kids, bring them along.
- Healthy Snacks – If there is one thing you can count on during the holidays, it’s travel delays. Keep your children’s health in mind. Have healthy snacks accessible for your children so you don’t end up racing to the nearest fast food restaurant and eating garbage. Some ideas for healthy travel snacks include: dried fruit, granola bars with low sugar, whole grain sandwiches and whole grain cereal.
- Drinks – Sodas are a temptation for kids when you travel and juice is usually more expensive. Avoid these issues by packing your own juices and water, even if you have to check them in with your bags to take them out later.
- Portable Electronics – Although portable electronics are not a health essential, they will help you maintain your sanity! Keep kids entertained with movies or games to make holiday travel an enjoyable adventure.
Find ways to add fruits and vegetables on the road. It’s always a challenge, so if you are traveling abroad or just can’t get them , you can buy in pill form as on over-the-counter in pharmacies and grocery stores. Juice Plus is always a good brand to trust.
For More great tips, read Tips for Choosing the Right Foods at Holiday Parties
Is Dr. Oz the only picture of health out there?
Smart breakfast for the business traveler
Road Warrior – what do you eat?
lean snacks
Beat the Beverage Ban. Many airlines restrict what beverages you can take onboard, so focus on getting well hydrated the day before a flight. Once on the plane, limit the amount of tea, soda, alcohol or coffee you consume, as experts say these drinks can cause dehydration. Stick to bottled water while traveling, to avoid contamination.
Pump Up the Protein. Prior to boarding your flight, eat a meal high in protein. This will stave off hunger pangs longer than a meal high in carbohydrates.
Focus on Fiber. Fill up on foods that are high in fiber, such as old-fashioned oatmeal, advise the experts. But steer clear of the instant oatmeal cereals, which are loaded with sugar.
Pack Snacks. Carrying on healthful snacks, such as raisins, almonds and low-fat granola, can prevent you from packing on the pounds. To comply with federal aviation rules, put your snacks in a clear plastic sandwich bag (this also serves as a way to control portion sizes). Other snacks that are healthy and easily portable include grapes, trail mix, baby carrots, whole-wheat muffins and oatmeal cookies, all of which appeal to children. A word of caution: Never take a jar of peanut butter onto a flight; this food is prohibited, owing to the high risk of allergic reaction among other passengers.
Staying motivated to stay on track..on the road
As travelers it is easy to fall off track with healthy eating or exercising or both. Easy to lose motivation or to find excuses or to grab that extra donut on the run or drink that extra beer at the airport to take the edge off of a crazy busy day. It all comes down to finding our why, our what or whatever you need to call it. At the end of the day it might be wanting to control your diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol. At the end of the day it all comes down to the mind. The body achieves what the mind believes. The most important weight loss muscle in your body is your brain. Change your mindset in order to change your body. It works!
What have we learned from the Olympics
What do all Olympic athletes have in common? Perseverance, dedication, commitment and love of the sport. They wake up thinking about exercise and go to sleep thinking about exercise. Why is it that the rest of the world can’t get off the couch? Simple, these athletes crave it. They have made their bodies ask for it and when they don’t get it, their bodies revolt by making them feel ill. This is why even when injured they still want to do it. The pressure of competition is part of it but anyone who exercises and works out frequently will tell you they feel awful when they can’t exercise. It’s similar to people with a food addiction, you programed your body to crave food, where athletes program their bodies to crave exercise. We can all crave exercise by doing it on a regular basis. It becomes part of us and our bodies demand it. Become an exercise craver, it does the body and mind good.
Olympics 2012
Changing habits – one habit at a time
Some statistics we all can benefit from:
Adopting one new habit at a time: 85% chance of success
Adopting two new habits at once: 35% chance of success
Adopting three or more habits at once : less than 10% of success
Habits need to be clearly defined and easy to measure. We need to simplify things by translation. Hence “eat more veggies” = eat two servings or more per day. “Incorporate exercise” = exercise three times per week = 30 mins per session. Much more achievable.
ESPN NY Station Features the L.E.A.N. Guide for the Business Traveler and leantraveler.com
Interview with Jodi McDonald on Sunday July 15th
Seasoned ESPN radio host Jodi McDonald interviews Dr. Veronica Tomor on smart eating on the go for ESPN NY 98.7
ESPN Radio show – L.E.A.N Traveler Featured on 7/15
The Weight of the Nation: Part 4 – Challenges
Today, LeanTraveler.com brings you the fourth and final installment of The Weight of the Nation series. We hope you have been keeping up and watching all of The Weight of the Nation films from HBO! If not, you can view them at:
The Weight of the Nation: Part 1 – Consequences
The Weight of the Nation: Part 2 – Choices
The Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis
Check out the fourth, and final, installment in this series of films. The Weight of the Nation: Part 4 – Challenges.
read moreThe Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis
We hope you have been keeping up and watching all of The Weight of the Nation films from HBO! If not, you can view them at:
The Weight of the Nation: Part 1 – Consequences
The Weight of the Nation: Part 2 – Choices
Check out the third installment in this series of films. The Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis:
read more
Meal Plans on the Road
Remember, success comes with a realistic plan of action and small steps can lead to big changes over time!
1) It’s critical to leave the house with a plan as even the most organized business person will be tempted to eat garbage on the run.
2) Don’t arrive at your destination starving. Stuff all your bags with smart snacks (protein bars, nuts, dry fruit or just fruit) so you are guarded when hunger strikes and you can make a smarter choices when you have a chance to eat a full meal. Free morning buffets in hotels and working lunches while at company meetings can make you put on all those pounds without even realizing it.
3) Keep reminders in your Blackberry® or iPhone® during the day to stay on track. Download Apps to keep your targets. The more you are reminded the more likely you are to stick to it.
4) In addition, be guarded, eat small meals five or six times a day and fill up with protein, avoid starches and carbohydrates and drink tons of water. Go for the yogurt and fruit during meeting breaks.
5) You sit all day, drink a lot of coffee or tea and have alcohol at dinner functions or restaurants. No wonder you are so dehydrated! H20 is what we are usually so depleted of and many times our bodies confuse thirst with hunger!
6) Read labels! Become fluent and well versed in reading labels. It will become a habit if you make it and it will protect you from eating extra fats, carbohydrates, sugars and calories. Labels are important and is now being required in most restaurant menus.
Healthy Holiday Travel Essentials
Millions of people will travel across the country to visit friends and family this holiday season. Plan ahead to ensure you have all the essentials to stay lean and healthy during the holidays.
Holiday Travel Essentials
- Workout Gear – Pack workout gear before anything else. Think about when you will have time for fitness, rather than if you will have time.
- Healthy Snacks – Bring along healthy snacks to keep your hunger under control. Fruit, such as apples, are great snacks. Apples are great to fight off hunger and have lots of pectin on the skin. Kashi GoLean bars and trail mix also make great snacks.
- Sleep – Sleep is essential to get energy for working out and to stay in a balanced zone. Many find it difficult to sleep in strange environments, hence melatonin or other natural products can help with sleep and improving sleeping patterns.
- Water Bottle – Although you can’t bring liquids through airport security, you can bring an empty reusable water bottle. Fill up the bottle at a drinking fountain after passing through security to stay hydrated. Read out blog post about the importance of staying hydrated: The Importance of Staying Hydrated to Manage your Weight
Holiday Travel Essentials for Kids
- Comfortable Walking Shoes or a Stroller – After a big holiday meal, you will want to take a walk to burn calories and to help digest the food. If you have a stroller or comfortable walking shoes for your kids, bring them along.
- Healthy Snacks – If there is one thing you can count on during the holidays, it’s travel delays. Keep your children’s health in mind. Have healthy snacks accessible for your children so you don’t end up racing to the nearest fast food restaurant and eating garbage. Some ideas for healthy travel snacks include: dried fruit, granola bars with low sugar, whole grain sandwiches and whole grain cereal.
- Drinks – Sodas are a temptation for kids when you travel and juice is usually more expensive. Avoid these issues by packing your own juices and water, even if you have to check them in with your bags to take them out later.
- Portable Electronics – Although portable electronics are not a health essential, they will help you maintain your sanity! Keep kids entertained with movies or games to make holiday travel an enjoyable adventure.
Find ways to add fruits and vegetables on the road. It’s always a challenge, so if you are traveling abroad or just can’t get them , you can buy in pill form as on over-the-counter in pharmacies and grocery stores. Juice Plus is always a good brand to trust.
For More great tips, read Tips for Choosing the Right Foods at Holiday Parties
Is Dr. Oz the only picture of health out there?
Smart breakfast for the business traveler
Road Warrior – what do you eat?
lean snacks
Beat the Beverage Ban. Many airlines restrict what beverages you can take onboard, so focus on getting well hydrated the day before a flight. Once on the plane, limit the amount of tea, soda, alcohol or coffee you consume, as experts say these drinks can cause dehydration. Stick to bottled water while traveling, to avoid contamination.
Pump Up the Protein. Prior to boarding your flight, eat a meal high in protein. This will stave off hunger pangs longer than a meal high in carbohydrates.
Focus on Fiber. Fill up on foods that are high in fiber, such as old-fashioned oatmeal, advise the experts. But steer clear of the instant oatmeal cereals, which are loaded with sugar.
Pack Snacks. Carrying on healthful snacks, such as raisins, almonds and low-fat granola, can prevent you from packing on the pounds. To comply with federal aviation rules, put your snacks in a clear plastic sandwich bag (this also serves as a way to control portion sizes). Other snacks that are healthy and easily portable include grapes, trail mix, baby carrots, whole-wheat muffins and oatmeal cookies, all of which appeal to children. A word of caution: Never take a jar of peanut butter onto a flight; this food is prohibited, owing to the high risk of allergic reaction among other passengers.
Staying motivated to stay on track..on the road
As travelers it is easy to fall off track with healthy eating or exercising or both. Easy to lose motivation or to find excuses or to grab that extra donut on the run or drink that extra beer at the airport to take the edge off of a crazy busy day. It all comes down to finding our why, our what or whatever you need to call it. At the end of the day it might be wanting to control your diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol. At the end of the day it all comes down to the mind. The body achieves what the mind believes. The most important weight loss muscle in your body is your brain. Change your mindset in order to change your body. It works!
What have we learned from the Olympics
What do all Olympic athletes have in common? Perseverance, dedication, commitment and love of the sport. They wake up thinking about exercise and go to sleep thinking about exercise. Why is it that the rest of the world can’t get off the couch? Simple, these athletes crave it. They have made their bodies ask for it and when they don’t get it, their bodies revolt by making them feel ill. This is why even when injured they still want to do it. The pressure of competition is part of it but anyone who exercises and works out frequently will tell you they feel awful when they can’t exercise. It’s similar to people with a food addiction, you programed your body to crave food, where athletes program their bodies to crave exercise. We can all crave exercise by doing it on a regular basis. It becomes part of us and our bodies demand it. Become an exercise craver, it does the body and mind good.
Olympics 2012
Changing habits – one habit at a time
Some statistics we all can benefit from:
Adopting one new habit at a time: 85% chance of success
Adopting two new habits at once: 35% chance of success
Adopting three or more habits at once : less than 10% of success
Habits need to be clearly defined and easy to measure. We need to simplify things by translation. Hence “eat more veggies” = eat two servings or more per day. “Incorporate exercise” = exercise three times per week = 30 mins per session. Much more achievable.
ESPN NY Station Features the L.E.A.N. Guide for the Business Traveler and leantraveler.com
Interview with Jodi McDonald on Sunday July 15th
Seasoned ESPN radio host Jodi McDonald interviews Dr. Veronica Tomor on smart eating on the go for ESPN NY 98.7
ESPN Radio show – L.E.A.N Traveler Featured on 7/15
The Weight of the Nation: Part 4 – Challenges
Today, LeanTraveler.com brings you the fourth and final installment of The Weight of the Nation series. We hope you have been keeping up and watching all of The Weight of the Nation films from HBO! If not, you can view them at:
The Weight of the Nation: Part 1 – Consequences
The Weight of the Nation: Part 2 – Choices
The Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis
Check out the fourth, and final, installment in this series of films. The Weight of the Nation: Part 4 – Challenges.
read moreThe Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis
We hope you have been keeping up and watching all of The Weight of the Nation films from HBO! If not, you can view them at:
The Weight of the Nation: Part 1 – Consequences
The Weight of the Nation: Part 2 – Choices
Check out the third installment in this series of films. The Weight of the Nation: Part 3 – Children in Crisis:
read more