So many of my clients tell me that traveling is one of the hardest things for them, now that they’ve embraced the alkaline lifestyle.
Foods you find in airports and rest stops are usually processed and highly acidic, and restaurants aren’t much better.
Hunger is more likely to strike when you’re traveling and off your usual schedule, making it really easy to give into temptation and order up those yummy looking French fries or pizza.
And if you’re like my clients and me, you travel semi-regularly.
Even if you don’t, you’re probably on the go a lot of the time, and that can have the same challenges when it comes to eating well.
Whether you are travelling, at home, or at work, what you do IN BETWEEN MEALS can be the game changer in staying healthy, alkaline, and full of energy!
As always, preparation is the key to your success. When I look at the points in my life when I was off my game, it is hands down because of a lack of preparation, and ultimately, the acidic snacks that sabotaged my health.
And on the flip side, when my day is full of energy and vitality, there is one common denominator…
My bag, my office desk, and our home are filled with healthy alkaline snacks that keep my metabolism going all day long, leaving me fully energized and not hungry. I also become much less tempted to go for the empty calorie, carbohydrate packed acidic snacks.
So this is an issue that I know you need solutions for.
Today, that’s what I’m going to bring you – nutritious snack solutions for your on-the-go lifestyle!
Let’s get started.
1. Take good options with you.
Chelsea and I joke about half our suitcases being filled with food, rather than clothes. We do bring along several healthy snacks, even if we’re just out and about for the day here in New York City.
I like to bring washed and cut veggies in small BPA-free reusable containers and snack size servings of hummus for dipping. You can do the same with green apple slices and raw almond or cashew butter.
Tip: No one likes a brown apple! Squeeze a little lemon juice on the cut fruit and it’ll stay fresh longer and up the alkaline factor at the same time.
Do your homework before you travel and try different kinds of nutrition bars. Be sure to read the ingredients because it might look healthy but be far from it.
However, there are good options out there like Chia Bars. Look for bars marked vegan to make sure the flavor you choose doesn’t contain dairy and steer clear of peanuts, chocolate, and be sure to pay close attention to sugar and carbohydrate levels as well.
Once you find something you like, buy a box so you’ll be fully stocked for your next trip.
I also keep pre-made trail mix in the pantry at all times for grab-and-go moments, which includes raw almonds and cashews, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and goji berries. Easy to make, highly nutritious, and gives you good energy all day long.
2. Drink more water.
Travel will make you even more dehydrated than normal, so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Drinking more water will not only keep you hydrated and neutralize any acid you consume, it will help fill you up so you’re less hungry. Add a slice of lemon if you can.
This is true especially when flying.
Did you know that you get 10% more radiation from the sun when flying during the day?
Flying is very dehydrating, and rule of thumb, for every hour in the air you should be drinking a liter of water.
Now, that is a ton of water and I don’t even do that.
But what is the point?
You should be VERY well hydrated before you leave, and try to sip as much as possible when travelling, and be sure to hydrate up when you reach you final destination to make sure you have your best trip possible.
Tack on dehydration, time change, acidic food options, and that can be a recipe for disaster.
Anticipate that and don’t let it be!
I try to avoid all of the options in the airport – soda, juices, carbonated water, and even bottled water. Bottled water is almost always acidic, in part due to the BPA contained in the plastic. Instead, I bring a glass water bottle that includes an internal filter, or I bring my Get Off Your Acid Shaker Water Bottle and will fill up as I go along.
I’ve also seen more and more airports installing filtered water stations right past security, so if you spot one, you can fill up your bottle with filtered water.
3. Just say no to processed foods.
If you keep a general rule of not eating processed foods, you’ve already won half the battle. It’s a lot easier to eat alkaline if you’re avoiding chips, candy, baked goods, cereals, and most of the snacks available at the airport.
The good news is that airports and rest stops are responding to consumer demands for healthier options, so I’ve noticed even the grab-and-go places offering nuts, trail mix, hummus and veggies, sunflower seeds, dehydrated coconut, and even whole washed fruit.
The goal should always be my GOOD – BETTER – BEST philosophy and what you can apply from the Swap This For That chart!
4. Make the best choices you can.
Remember, the alkaline lifestyle is not about perfection. It’s about making choices that will set you up for success, and focusing on progress.
The goal is PROGRESS!
So even if you make one or two healthier choices on your next trip than on your last one, you’re moving in the right direction.
Find the airport vendor that offers salads or green smoothies. Choose the restaurant with a few nutrient-dense options on the menu. Avoid the ice cream stand. These small choices add up in a big way for your energy while you’re on the go and your long-term health.
It might seem like a good idea in the moment, but don’t fall into that mousetrap where you get 2 minutes of instant gratification only to feel like crap for the rest of the trip (trust me, guilty as charged, and I have been there MANY times over!)
5. Make your own smoothie.
Although you will find the rare diamond in the rough smoothie joint offering greens even in airports these days, most of them only offer smoothies with sherbet, fruit juice, or sweetened yogurt.
Instead, I bring the easy tools to make my own.
• My Get Off Your Acid Shaker Bottle, which has an internal shaker ball to mix any powder you want to add.
• AlkaMind Daily Greens Single Serve Packets, which is rich in chlorophyll, vitamins, alkaline minerals, and antioxidants. Plus it has a light, refreshing peach taste.
• AlkaMind Daily Minerals Single Serve Packets, which delivers calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium bicarbonate with an all-natural lemon flavor.
The new AlkaMind single-serve packets makes being healthy when on the road SO much easier! All I have to do is add my water, and I’ve got a perfectly alkaline smoothie ready to go.
