how to travel healthy

It's that time of year when many of you are heading off overseas to enjoy the beautiful European summer. I wish I was one of those people (#jealous). But last year, I spent 8 months travelling around Europe (the photo above is me in Makarska, Croatia aka heaven on earth).

I am often asked how I managed to stay healthy thoughout my travels. It can be a bit of a challenge. You want to enjoy all the local food, wine and treats, but you also want to feel fit and healthy and have the energy to make the most of your days. So I have put together this post of my top tips for a healthy (but still fun) trip. As usual, it's all about balance.

Before I left on my trip, I�d been eating real, unprocessed foods and limited sugar (thanks to the I Quit Sugar program) for a while and felt great. But during the first couple of months of the trip, I got a bit excited on the sugar front and ended up tired, puffy and sluggish. That�s when I decided I had to come up with a way to enjoy myself in a more balanced way. Unfortunately, moderation is not my forte. I really have to work at it. My solution was to start my Instagram account in the hope that sharing what I was doing would motivate me to make healthier choices. And I put the following points into action. 

Keep a healthy and filling snack on you at all times. 

You don�t want to get caught out hungry with no decent food options around. I kept things like shredded coconut, raw nuts, cacao nibs or dark chocolate (at least 85% cocoa) in my handbag. These things keep well and fill you up, as they�re high in good fats. They�re also a great supplement for the dreaded plane food. When it came to the in-flight meals, I would just pick out the best bits (if any), leave the processed crap (they can serve up some seriously weird sh*t) and eat my snacks if I was hungry.

Plane snacks: dark chocolate and raw walnuts.

When eating out, fill up on protein, good fats and green vegetables first. 

Get some goodness into your body so that when it comes to dessert, you�re either full or less likely to overdo it. The more nutrients you consume, the less hungry you feel and the less likely you are to crave sugar.

Do a quick workout in your room when you can. 

There are definitely better things to do while travelling than working out. But I found if I just did 10 � 15 minutes of something to get my heart rate up, I felt great for the rest of the day. Mix a couple of movements together for maximum effect, i.e. a few rounds of 10 squats and 10 push-ups, or jumping lunges with a handstand hold every time you break in the lunges. The benefit of doing it in your room is that you don�t need shoes (so you don�t need to pack runners) and you can wear minimal clothing (to save on washing).

Jumping lunges and handstand holds in Copenhagen.

Walk everywhere. 

It�s the best way to explore a new city. Before you know it, you�ve walked for about 6 hours.

Feeling stale after a long flight (or big night)? Stretch. 

Just going through a couple of basic stretches to release any tight spots and get the blood flowing can do you a world of good. Going through a few yoga sequences will have the same effect. You can download yoga apps for your phone or just Google �yoga� to find some demonstrations.

Downward dog in my (tiny) room in Makarska, Croatia.

Stay hydrated. 

This is a given, and particularly important if you�re travelling in summer. Sometimes we confuse thirst with hunger, so if you�re craving something, have some water first to see if you�re actually just thirsty (obviously, if you�re still hungry after the water, eat!). Just make sure the water is safe to drink where you are � otherwise buy some bottles of water at a supermarket (it will be much cheaper there than near tourist attractions or on the street).

Consider packing some supplements to offset less than ideal choices. 

I took travel sachets of Vital Greens powder with me (it's a multi-nutrient packed with goodness). In the mornings, I just tipped the sachet into a half empty bottle of water, shook it up and downed. I didn�t get sick the whole trip, and I reckon this helped.

Taking my Vital Greens in Nice, France.

But most importantly, give your body time to relax and enjoy yourself! 

Have you been travelling recently? What are your tips for a healthy trip? I�d love to hear!