How to avoid the weight-gain ‘souvenir’ when traveling

With the holidays around the corner, travel may be on your horizon. And whether it’s planes, trains, or automobiles — or work or leisure travel — getting out of dodge can cause some challenges…

Some things that many of us inevitably encounter include digestive problems that crop up, perhaps from stress or the kink that’s thrown into your regular routine… your sleep and energy levels can suffer…  and your fitness routine gets interrupted or completely left behind.

That means you can wind up back home stressed, exhausted, ripe for illness… and heavier than you want to be.

But with a little forethought you can make your travels more enjoyable, lessen your mental and physical stress and survive them without bringing home an unwanted souvenir — excess baggage around your middle…

• First, if you regularly exercise at home, make sure you plan ahead to exercise when you’re away. Your body will be shifting routines as it is so keeping this constant in your day is important. That alone can decrease digestive nightmares that can spoil a trip.

• To combat fatigue that can come with travel, make your exercise consistent but short. You’ll have far more energy to enjoy the trip and accomplish the biggest goal of staying consistent.

• Get outdoors instead of hitting the gym whenever possible. Travel is full of so much time spent in places with stale air. Expose yourself to sunshine and fresh air if even for a short jaunt.

Getting outdoors exposes you to negative ions. That helps to decrease the toxic exposure that comes with being in places where there is constant connectivity. Airports, hotels, and everywhere you go to get to your destination offer Wi-Fi now. Seems convenient but your body and energy can suffer from all the electronics.  My video explains more about the effect of negative ions…

• Give your body a break from electronics. Keep your phone and tablets away from your head. Unplug the lamps. Even though you do this you’re near the electronics plugged in on the other side of the wall, but it helps.

• Get acclimated to the time zone by getting exposure to sunlight first thing in the morning. Again, outside is best, but if that’s not possible, throw the curtains back. If you land late in the afternoon, get outdoors for a walk and that too will help you get on the right time zone.

Dr. Robyn Benson, author of Travel with Vitality, has seven tips that have taken her personally to over 70 countries with vitality.

She includes in her list these tips:

• Take food with you
• Begin to boost your immune system before you go
• Take some specific supplements to help with sleep and digestion