At the end of the month Scott and I are heading to Roatan, Honduras. I am beyond excited and thought I would share some tips I use to stay healthy while on vacation.
Come Prepared
I recently wrote a post on all of my travel essentials. Make sure to bring your non-toxic bug spray and suncreen.
The first year I really traveled, we went to Panama and I neglected to bring my own bug spray and sun screen. We needed bug spray, I mean it was a necessity. We ended up buying the spray that contains DEET, as well as regular old toxic sunscreen. When people think of staying healthy on vacation, they often forget that what is applied to the skin is absorbed by the skin and can be a huge source of toxins. Come prepared!
Call Ahead
We are staying at an awesome little beach resort right on the water. They have three restaurants on site so I quickly sent an email asking if they were able to accommodate a wheat, soy and canola allergy.
OKAY. I don’t actually have a wheat, soy or canola allergy; but I’ve found that most places take you more seriously when you say that you do!
I’ve never encountered a place that wasn’t helpful about this kind of thing. Do you know how common allergies are these days? The kitchen manager emailed me back and told me what kind of oils they use, as well as the food items that contain wheat and soy.
We always travel somewhere tropical, so it’s actually really easy for me to stick to fish, vegetables, potatoes, rice and the other local foods. But I definitely suggest contacting them beforehand to know your options. I do not stress about what I eat on vacation, but I also don’t want to feel like crap on vacation either.
Bring Snacks and Supplements
Here are some of my favorite snacks:
- grass-fed jerkey
- smoked oysters
- boiled eggs
- mixed nuts
- avocado oil potato chips
- organic dark chocolate
- paleo granola
- raw, paleo cookie bites (Scott actually loves these)
I bring these on the plane so I can opt out of the free pretzels and nuts. If you are feeling snacky, you can just grab one of the above. It also saves a lot of money, food in airports ain’t cheap!
I also always bring digestive enzymes and probiotics. Since we’re going to Central America, I know I’ll be eating foods I don’t normally eat, like tacos and corn chips (and that’s okay!). But to make sure I effectively digest, without stomach upset, I always bring digestive enzymes. And knowing that my diet will be radically different than it usually is, I come prepared with probiotics to help keep my gut in check.
Eat What You Want!
Lastly, eat what you want on vacation! You get to go on vacation, what, a few times a year? For me, vacation is not about eating 100% squeaky clean paleo. It’s about enjoying everything the local cuisine has to offer, it’s about trying different foods and immersing myself in the culture. And if that means a taco or two, bring it on!
That being said, it’s important to not eat terribly on vacation either. There really is no need to eat deep fried food constantly, or to have food with no nutrients for every meal. I haven’t done a ton of traveling, but I’ve been to several different countries. I’ve found that if you’re eating the traditional food, it is actually pretty damn healthy. In France I ate liver and rich butter sauces, in Mexico I ate fresh fish with veggies and rice, in Panama I ate lobster with fresh salsa. Immerse yourself in the local and traditional cuisine, not the typical food for tourists like French fries, deep fried fish or boring old sandwiches.
