10 Ways I Keep Healthy When I Travel

I travel about 70 days a year which is intense for a mom of a young-ish, close-knit family. I mainly travel to North America and Europe although I have been invited to Asia and Africa. When I land I hit the ground running (racing really) and it’s not uncommon for me to go a full 36 hours before sleeping in a real bed that first night.

I adhere to a few tried and true techniques for staying sane, keeping up my energy and protecting my health when my schedule is crazy!Here are my top 10 tips for staying healthy when I travel.

1. Be a Water-aholic – I literally drink between 2 to 4 liters of water a day, sometimes more when I’m flying. Not only does it ward off dehydration (which can easily happen without even realizing it), it reduces puffiness, exhaustion, headaches and keeps your skin glowing. (It’s important to hydrate from the inside out.)

FLAVORED WATER

2. Opt for the Early Bird Special – Don’t laugh, but I eat early! When my schedule allows, I eat dinner no later than 4:00 pm. It’s sometimes hard to schedule a dinner that early, but I make an effort to conduct all business meal meetings for breakfast and lunch. Going to sleep on a full stomach makes me wake up feeling heavy and icky as my body works overtime to digest while I’m trying to rest. I sleep much better with early din-din.

3. Ready for a Workout – I live in sneakers, especially when traveling. They’re practical, comfortable, inspire me to workout (when I have the chance) and give an extra bounce to my step when I’m running between flights, appearances and meetings.

4. S-T-R-E-T-C-H – I dedicate at least 20 minutes a day to stretching. Sitting for hours on a plane or in a car when traveling can be uncomfortable, so to keep me from cramping and generally feeling tired and achy, I enjoy my “yoga” time. It’s super meditative and relaxing too.

5. Snack Right – When I travel for business I have no time to cross off my restaurant bucket list. Lots of my meals and most of my snacks happen at the airport, in between flights. While not very glamorous it’s still great to know that loads of good-for-you snacks can be found in airport cafes and kiosks. My faves are protein packed, energy bursting ones like Greek yogurt, vegan chickpea puffs, nuts, pressed fruit and chia bars, super juices and green tea.

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Red white and blue parfait

6. Get My 5 a Day – When I’m on the road, I still eat light (no one wants to go to a business meeting or TV studio all stuffed and bloated), which means I eat mostly vegan and vegetarian, lots of fruits and vegetables keep me going. 

7. Always Praying – My goal is to pray formally, at least once per day. And then throughout the day (in the form of psalms or straight out pleas to G-d) I pray for success in everything I do. It’s always important to remember we are not in control and to have that special intimate relationship with the master of the universe, our father in heaven.

8. Goodnight Moon – I fall asleep listening to motivational and inspirational classes on TorahAnytime.com. Even if I don’t stay awake for the whole class, I’m hopeful the messages seep into my subconscious and become my reality.

9. Glowing Skin – When you travel, you can see it on your face. That’s why I’m all about natural skin care products to make me feel and look refreshed like cooling cucumber detox eye patches, essential oils + candelilla wax + shea butter “night” cream (slathered everywhere from my face to my feet) and my vegan, organic foundation.

10. Giving Thanks – When I’m on tour there are so many people working so hard behind the scenes to make things happen for me both back at the office and at every stop across the country (or continent). Giving thanks verbally and effusively is good for the soul. It reminds us that we are not alone, that we have support, and keeps us humble, grateful and inspired by the hard work, generosity and efforts of others on our behalf. The exercise of being grateful makes us want to give even more in return. And after all – that’s how we make this world go round. 

Now it’s your turn. Share your tips for healthy, wholesome, holistic, spirit-centered, soul-balancing, inspirational travel. Or… just let me know your fave airport snacks.