We Went Road Trippin!

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My hubs and I recently went on a road trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. While going to Alabama isn’t the international travel I love and adore, it still provides the sense of wonder and the spirit of adventure.  Experiencing the world from different perspectives runs deep in my blood.  I love  the excitement of all the possibilities we might experience, exploring new areas, meeting new people and trying local cuisine. Most of all, adventure is one of my deepest values and if it’s not met, burn out hits hard. 


Even though travel is something that sparks my soul, traveling can be difficult when healthy living is a priority. Add on food sensitivities and a chronic illness and traveling all of a sudden is no longer as free spirited as it once was. However, staying true to food needs and healthy habits isn’t impossible and doesn’t have to stifle the free spirit flame. 

The key is to plan ahead, stay disciplined, pick foods that are easily prepared and packed with fiber and nutrients and get lots of natural sunlight to support your wake/sleep cycle. 

Here are some tips and tricks I have learned over the years that allow for healthy living while traveling: 

  1. Stay in vacation rentals: This allows for you to have more control over food choices and continue your daily routine as closely as possible. Plus it’s cheaper! Because grocery rentals typically have a kitchen you can make your own meals. We purchase groceries and eat in at least 2 meals of the day, leaving 1 meal per day to experience local cuisine. 

    If you’re camping, take a portable stove top! Cooking your own meals when traveling is often much cheaper as well as healthier. It’s also a great excuse to get down to the local markets and check out the traditional delicacies!

  2. Stay hydrated with clean water: Staying hydrated with clean water is always important, but it’s especially important while traveling. Hydration is critical for all bodily functions including nutrient transportation, energy levels, and temperature regulation. This is especially true in hot climates. While you may be tempted to not drink much water while on the road or in the air as to avoid bathroom breaks, dehydration can lead to fatigue, brain fog, sugar or salt cravings, constipation, toxicity and more.

    1. Hydration travel tip: airports have water bottle fill stations - fill up a reusable water bottle with filtered water and continue to sip on that. If traveling by car, stop every few hours to get bottles of filtered water and have at least one bottle drank by the next stop. Or purchase gallons of water and refill your reusable bottle at each stop.

    2. Hydration Tip: Thirst is the first sign of dehydration. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink! 

  3. Pack healthy snacks: It’s important to not be caught in a food emergency where you’re left to get cheap, “food like substances” at a convenience store or fast food restaurant. Having snacks that are nutritious, full of fiber, protein or healthy fats will ensure your digestion stays on track, hormones are balanced and your energy high. Here are some of my favorite travel snacks: 

  4. Use apps to find healthier food options: For help finding healthy local eateries, try the VegOut app, which offers listings of vegan, vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants. Food Tripping is another useful app that will point you to farmers’ markets, healthy eateries, juice joints and more. Or choose restaurants that have healthier options or that allow you to pick and choose such as Chipotle, Noodles & Co have a great zucchini noodle bowl. 

  5. Get outside often!! Our bodies are regulated by the sun. The sun cues our bodies circadian rhythm, which is our biological clock. Our biological clock is physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, microbes and humans. To support great sleep and energy while you’re traveling, get outside first thing in the morning to cue cortisol secretion which is critical for energy production. Getting outside throughout the day including the evening, will cue your body to the time of the day allowing your body to produce the appropriate hormones for energy and sleep. Imagine how helpful this would be when traveling to different time zones!

  6. Sleep: Sleep is an important time for your body to generate vital white blood cells for immunity and eliminate the effects of stress. This means you’re more likely to get sick when you’re rundown, so don’t skimp on sleep while you’re traveling. Being on the road is also more physically and mentally exhausting than being close to home, so be sure to listen to your body and rest when you need to. Additionally, getting ample sleep gives you energy helps you feel better which is important for warding off cravings and thus preventing poor food choices. If you’re crossing time zones, taking Melatonin can be helpful for regulating your circadian rhythm. You definitely don’t want to be sick while traveling! 

  7. Poop Regularly: Being regular means having at least one bowel movement every day. Pooping is one of the key ways our bodies excrete toxins. If we’re not pooping on a daily basis, toxins get reabsorbed into the blood stream and can recirculate throughout our body. It’s like letting a full kitchen garbage can fester. When we’re traveling, one of the first systems that can become out of balance is the digestive tract, often leading to constipation. Staying hydrated, being active, eating healthy fats, and taking magnesium citrate are all great ways to support regular poops. 

  8. Keep your blood and lymph flowing. Sitting all day isn’t great for your body. Your blood and lymph flow can become restricted, which can create muscle pain and headaches. Boost circulation by regularly stretching your legs, doing seated yoga poses, using a small self massager or using compression socks. While road tripping, my hubby and I stop every 3 hours to get out and walk. On flights that are longer than 3 hours, I typically get up every 3-4 hours to walk around the cabin and do some stretching.

  9. Stay Active: As much as you can, stay active by walking or incorporating physical activity into your days. At the destination, we like to keep our morning and evening walking routine and incorporate some exercise each day whether it’s a bike ride around the new area, yoga on the beach or going for a light jog. Staying active helps keep your blood sugar levels in check (hello energy and happy moods!), keep water retention down, and boost our energy and endorphins. 

  10. Not planning too much. I used to over extend our time away - trying to do everything in a short amount of time. We ended up feeling more stressed and exhausted on vacations than we did in our normal daily lives. Now we plan one fun thing to do per day and allow the rest of the day to flow as it’s meant to while leaving time to rest. 

Lastly, to help with common symptoms while traveling, here are some supplements that can be helpful: 



Lastly, relaxing isn’t just a physical reaction, it’s a state of mind too. Some studies have shown that meditation is more relaxing than a vacation and as Jason Mraz states in his song, Everything is Sound: “you don’t need a vacation when there’s nothing to escape from.” 

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This blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.

Always be sure to work with your healthcare practitioner. I highly recommend trying all new recommendations and/or supplements slowly to make sure they are ok for you