Health – Healthy holiday vibes

Planning on heading away for a summer holiday? There’s nothing quite like the excitement of an upcoming trip to get your ‘motivation muscle’ activated again – especially if it involves tropical beaches and togs!

Good nutrition will help you feel your best as you prepare for your trip, as well as while you’re away. Just because you’re out of the house, it doesn’t mean you have to abandon all the good habits and routines. 

Here are some tips to help you stay on track when you travel, and at your destination: • Decide your goal before you go: This is the most important step of all. Make the decision in advance about how you want to feel when you are traveling. How do you want to feel when you get home? Once you’ve decided on your goal, work backwards and determine your actions from there. Making the decision before you even leave will give you a far better chance of staying on track. • Plan ahead: Once you have a confirmed itinerary, get on the web and look for restaurants and cafes with suitable options. This research will be helpful if you get caught out and need to make a decision in a hurry. • Pack snacks: I recently did a road trip of the North Island and my ‘emergency snack box’ was invaluable. A snack can help to keep blood sugar levels stable between meals. Good examples include nuts, protein bars, biltong, dark chocolate, cheese and crackers and high-protein muesli bars. • Stay hydrated: Don’t fall into the trap of forgetting to drink water when you’re away, as dehydration has a big impact on digestion and energy levels. It’s particularly important to stay hydrated if you’re eating saltier restaurant foods. • Balance your plate: Make sure your main meals include protein (eg meat, seafood, chicken, eggs or a vegetarian alternative,) vegetables and a portion of healthy fats (eg olive oil, avocado, cheese, olives). This will help to keep your blood sugar levels stable if you are going longer between meals.  • Make breakfast the most important meal of the day: When you start the day with a healthy meal that includes protein, fruit and vegetables and healthy fats, you will feel satisfied throughout the day and have a much better chance of staying on track and ending the day well.