How to Eat Healthy while Traveling

The holidays are here already! A lot of people are planning to explore new places, go sightseeing, travel and soak up the vibes of Christmas and New Year festivities.

The relaxed vibes of Christmas makes it so easy to indulge in one too many snacks and Christmas treats.

And it's even worse for those traveling!

Which is why we came up with these awesome proactive tips on how to eat healthy while traveling this Christmas.

1. Eat a Hearty Breakfast

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I
t's no news that breakfast is the most important meal for the day. For holiday  travelers, breakfast becomes even more important because of the unpredictability of holiday flights.
This means breakfast may be the only meal holiday travelers have control over. These breakfast tips are just what you need this season:

• Load your Breakfast with Fiber - fiber has complex carbohydrates that are hard to digest. This characteristic makes  fiber rich foods the number one option for controlling hunger, and of course curbing the tendency to binge on sugary foods.

Fiber options for breakfast include: oats, maize and other grain cereal, and of course green vegetables.

• Don't forget to Add Protein - protein rich breakfasts are just as filling as fiber rich foods. They stave off hunger and of course provide the necessary amino acids to replenish worn out cells. Mix fiber foods with wholesome protein options like meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Vegans can opt for wholesome vegan options like soy, nuts and vegetables.

2. Travel with Home Made Snacks - Home made snacks are less in salt, sugar and fat than their fast food counterparts. With the rise in sales of happy hour fast foods this festive season, home made snacks make it less likely for you to fall for the processed snacks sold in most fast foods and restaurants.

Some snack options include; granola bars, dried fruits, fruit jerky, meat jerky, roasted nuts and seeds, chips, yogurt, fresh fruit, fruit juices, cheese and salad.

3. Eat Frequent Small Portions - it's no news that a cardinal law of healthy eating is to spread out meals into 5-6 portions a day. Eating frequent small portions controls hunger, stabilizes blood glucose levels, and reduces the urge to binge on sugary and over processed foods.

To space out your meals do these:

• The first portion is breakfast which is typically the largest portion for the day. The ideal breakfast is packed with fiber and protein for satiety, digestibility and nutrition.
• The second portion is a light snack which ideally includes; yoghurt, nuts, fruits or vegetable salads.
• The third portion is a carbohydrate lunch to fuel you through a busy day.
• The fourth portion is a light snack of dairy/vegan substitutes, vegetables and fruit snacks.
• The fifth portion is dinner with a large protein: carbohydrate ratio.

4. Plan your Meals 

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Planning meals ahead of time saves you money and reduces the possibility of binging on unwholesome roadside foods when you travel.

A food journal may just be what you need to cut down on those excess calories, save money and prevent food poisoning.

5. Stay Hydrated

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Water is life. Everyone knows that. But how many adults drink the recommended 2-2.5 liters a day?

Water maintains the internal environment of the various body systems.

This festive season, it's pretty easy to splurge on the numerous drinks available; whisky, soda, beer, eggnog, ice cream, yogurt and forget the most important liquid.

Here are some tips to help you stay hydrated this season:

• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.
• Drink a glass of water with every meal.
• Drink generous amount of water if  you spend most times outdoors.

6.  Be Mindful of Food Allergens - as you travel far from home, be cautious of food allergens. Food allergens differ from person to person; lactose, peanuts, gluten, chocolate, eggs, the list is endless.
Simple tips like; crosschecking food items for food allergens, buying mostly organically grown foods and eating in good restaurants go a long way in preventing food allergens.

7.  Think Quality not Quantity - if you have to eat out, eat in quality restaurants known in that area for the type of food sold. If you are traveling on a budget it's quite typical to eat at restaurants that sell large meals for cheaper prices, for example most fast foods.

Don't fall for this trap. Fast food meals are loaded in sugar, salt and oil and have little nutritional value. These foods are quick to prepare, require less food ingredients with nutritional value, loaded with artificial flavors and sugar to make them tasty and therefore cost less than food with nutritional value.

8.  Eat Food while it's Hot - eat food while it's piping hot.  Hot foods contain less toxins and bacteria than cold ones. Be sure to preheat canned foods before eating.
Also remember to thoroughly heat leftovers before eating. When eating at restaurants request to have your meals heated and served piping hot.

9.  Think Fresh 

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A quick way to make healthy food choices is to eat foods while fresh. Fresh foods are rich in water and necessary nutrients required for your body.

Also, fresh foods aren't contaminated by bacteria, toxins and spores found in stale, spoiled and preserved foods. A quick way to eat fresh foods is to do your grocery yourself and prepare your meals yourself. 

10.  Don't be Afraid to Reject Foods you aren't Familiar with - as you  travel to new places, locals may try to persuade you to try new recipes and delicacies. Don't be afraid to turn down foods you are skeptical of their preparation, ingredients and source.

Local cuisine are always exciting to try. However be mindful of potential food toxins, allergies and other contaminants that cause food poisoning.

A  good option is to try local foods prepared at quality restaurants rather then eating them from road side vendors.

11. Hand Washing

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Most people hardly think of hand washing as a practice of healthy eating. A hand washing lifestyle reduces the transmission of feco-oral toxins and bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Wash your hands before every meal. Wash hands immediately after handling animals, after using the toilet and after handling objects and artifacts displayed by locals.

So there you have it, practical tips on how to eat healthy while travelling. Which of these tips do you plan to implement this festive season? We will love to hear your answers in the comment section below. You can get more touring tips from Dylan's Tours. Happy touring!

This is a guest blog entry.

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Your Mental Health Solution?

A lot of the time, some of the issues people have with anxiety and depression stem from our minds taking us to dark places when confronted with certain issues. According to Joyce Marter, a therapist in St. Louis Mo, “I see a number of young adults struggling to face disappointment. In general, our society does a poor job of preparing young people for the inevitable disappointments in life – even more so for those born with “bright futures.” Expectations for these individuals have always been high, whether self-imposed or inflicted by peer pressure or parents.” A lot of the time, while we can’t always change some of these events that happen to us, we can work to reframe them in a healthier way. Cognitive behavioral therapy is built on this idea, and its success is part of the reason why it is picking up steam in the psychology world.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that is based on working with a psychologist for a set number of sessions. During these sessions, the psychologist works with the patient in order to help them determine moments when they go into negative thinking or inaccurate thinking that could help them approaching challenging situations in a new manner. In some cases, CBT is used as a versatile tool to accompany other forms of mental treatment. Here are some key examples where it can be flexed in.

•    Managing major symptoms of mental illness.
•    Avoiding a relapse of mental illness symptoms.
•    Serving as a replacement for medication for treating a mental illness.
•    Coping with stressful life situations.
•    Finding ways to manage difficult emotions.
•    Helping find better ways to communicate and handle relationship issues.
•    Dealing with loss and grief.
•    Working through trauma stemming from abuse or violence.

In addition, some people use CBT outside of the mental health realm. It’s not unheard of for people to recommend CBT for those who are dealing with chronic physical health symptoms, in order to keep mental health problems from developing as well.

So, this is the various uses of CBT, but how exactly does it work out in practice? For example, let’s say that a person struggles with anxiety and constantly feels that every time they are in a social situation, that they are somehow going to end up bungling it or embarrassing themselves. What CBT can do is give them a set of tools and questions to go over with in their head when these situations pop up. For example, where are your feelings that you would somehow embarrass yourself coming from? What’s the likelihood of these things actually happening? Your therapist will help you put together these different ideas so you are able to slowly decipher the roots of your negative feelings and be able to essentially “think them” away.

Some of the major advantages of using CBT are that it is relatively easy to incorporate into situations where traditional medication isn’t necessarily working out. In addition, compared to other therapies, you can see results relatively quickly. It’s also versatile by nature of being talk therapy. People have applied CBT principles to a variety of settings, even using apps and books to easily distribute actionable advice.

As far as disadvantages go, CBT has minimal risks, but in some cases, it may not be the best fit for more extreme circumstances. For example, the moments where your therapist teaches you about your CBT procedures requires a set of extremely structured meetings. People with extreme mental health issues or learning difficulties may not be able to use this as they are not able to deal with the necessary structure. In addition, CBT won’t necessarily address outright family or other outside issues that may impact your mental health, mainly focusing on your own reactions to those. Other than that, to borrow a cliché, CBT is often what you make of it as far as results are concerned.

Ultimately, while cognitive behavioral therapy is growing in popularity among a lot of people seeking mental health support, no one strategy is going to be completely effective every single time. The best mindset to have is to try to have tempered expectations at first, so you don’t end up dumping it immediately if you don’t see massive results right after you get started. However, if you’re not happy after prolonged use of the concept, it may not be a bad idea to talk to your therapist to see what other options are on the table. Just be ready to explain in detail what your problems are so they can give the best answers possible.

This is a guest blog entry.