Healthy Tips for Business Travel

Traveling for work has become so much a part of the norm these days. With technology allowing us to virtually work from anywhere and at any time, many employees are traveling more and more for the job. Chances are, you have too. While traveling can be fun and exciting, or dreadful depending on your outlook, traveling can be demanding on our bodies and knock us off kilter. That’s why, today, we are sharing with you healthy tips for business travel.

For the Airport

Nowadays, we are all paying for our meals on airplanes. While there are some healthy options to choose from, if you’re anything like me, you will buy all the snacks out of sheer boredom and eat your way cross-country. It also adds up financially and if your per diem is not high, you could end up owing.

So, what should you eat? Pack with you foods that are filling and healthy. Proteins such as jerky, nuts, cheese and crackers are great options as well as a healthy sandwich or veggie sticks. If you are bringing you own food through security, the food must be wrapped or contained, unless it is a whole, unpeeled and uneaten fresh fruit. Be mindful, however, of the type of food you bring on the plane. No one wants to be seated next to someone eating a tuna fish sandwich or a hard-boiled egg, trust me, I’ve sat next to both and it was not fun.

Keeping Clean

I’m a big fan of regular soap-and-water hand washing over hand sanitizers, but when I’m traveling, I’m using that sanitizer like crazy. Airports and airplanes are constantly being rotated with new batches of people over and over again all day and night and the reality is that there are going to be germs spread. Use your sanitizer when you can’t get to a sink and watch what you are touching. Imagine your mother standing over your shoulder yelling “DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING” or reminding you to wash or sanitize your hands before eating.

Good Eats

Getting out to eat is great. I love eating at restaurants, especially trying new ones. If I do it too many times in a row, however, my body feels it. I start to feel sluggish and I start to crave veggies and salads. This is because; I’m usually overdoing it every time I’m out to eat. To keep yourself in check, here are some things you can try:

• Substitute where you can. If the lunch sandwich comes with a side of fries, ask for a side salad instead. And while you’re ordering that side salad, make sure they put the dressing on the side – you don’t want them drowning your healthy salad in fat when you could have just had the fries anyway.
• Go for a balanced breakfast. Eat a breakfast that is high in protein such as eggs and include fresh fruits and whole grains. Oatmeal is a great option as well. Having a balanced breakfast will sustain you until lunchtime and prevent you from unnecessarily snacking.
• All-day meeting? Pack your snack! Opt out of the donuts and pastries and pick up some fresh fruit or nuts and cheeses on your way to the meeting to snack on.

Good Drinks

Since we’ve discussed a lot of food, it’s only fair to address drinks. Keep yourself hydrated and drink plenty of water whether it is on the airplane or during your meetings, chug your water. It will help you stay hydrated and help you stay full.

Water aside; mind your alcohol intake. Alcohol packs in sneaky calories. A glass or two is fine, but you don’t want to go chugging wine at dinner and blow all of your hard work staying healthy!

Keep Moving

Who says that just because you are working that you can’t keep up with your fitness? Most hotels will have a gym to check out or a pool to swim some laps in. You could even get yourself up a little earlier to get out for your morning run or walk and check out the area you’re staying in. Even simple things like getting up from the meeting table and taking a 5-minute walk are better than doing nothing.

Do you have any other healthy tips for business travel that you use? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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