Staying Healthy While Traveling

If you travel frequently for work, then you know how exhausting the experience can be.  Often times it includes stress associated with the preparation, multiple modes of transportation, including long flights or time spent in airports, changing time zones and erratic sleep, a disruption of your eating schedule and typical diet, long days and late nights with heavy dinners and alcohol.

So how, with so many factors disturbing your body’s normal routine can you ensure that your trips don't leave you with a depressed immune system, illness, and exhaustion?  Here are some tips to get you prepared for your trip and to keep you strong and healthy even after you get home.

Prepare ahead of time - How your body responds to an event such as flying has a lot to do with how healthy it is before flight.  As difficult as this may be, try to get plenty of rest before your trip and eat a healthy diet at least a week before leaving.  If possible, begin adjusting your bedtime closer to your destination’s a few days before leaving. In addition to eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, take a supplement that includes antioxidants to help protect your cells from radiation.

According to the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and the International Commission on Radiological Protection, a single international flight will expose you to a week’s worth of the equivalent radiation on the ground.  This may not seem like a lot, and for occasionally flying it shouldn’t be a concern.  But consider that with each long trip, you’re exposed to at least an additional two-week’s worth of cosmic radiation.   Add to this wireless internet that is now offered in many flights and it may become significant if you’re a frequent flyer.

Stay hydrated - The dry air in flight can be extremely dehydrating to your skin and mucus membranes, which can make you more susceptible to catching the nearest bug.  Drink plenty of water before the flight and stick with water or herbal teas on the flight as well.  Caffeinated drinks and alcohol will also lead to dehydration and this alone, apart from the other issues with these beverages, will zap your energy and weaken the immune system (among other things). 

Minimize eating on the plane - The lack of moisture in the air and pressure in flight can put stress on the digestive system from dehydration and because, as explained by Jane E. Brody in the New York Times, gas in body cavities expands with increasing altitude.  

The best way to minimize the effects are to avoid eating while in the air, and instead stick with water and decaffeinated fluids with as little sugar as possible.  If you must eat something while in flight, try to avoid the processed airline food and bring along healthier options such as fruit, trail mix, a powdered drink mix that can be reconstituted with water, or grab a salad or veggie wrap at the airport.  The important point to remember is that lighter is better.

Get up and move around while in flight - On long flights, try to get out of your seat once per hour to walk and stretch to keep your blood circulating.   While sitting, take your shoes off and work your feet and ankles with toe crunches and ankle rotations.   Work your arms, abdomen and buttocks by contracting and releasing to give some of your larger muscles an isometric workout. 

Bring along workout gear - If you’re staying at a hotel with a pool or gym, take advantage of them.  Thirty minutes of swimming or weights, cardio, and stretching will do wonders for your energy levels and keep your immune system strong.  They will also keep your mind strong and thinking positively, since, according to John J. Ratey in his book Spark, exercise naturally balances all the chemicals in the brain.

Eat sensibly - It’s always a temptation to try new things or overeat when on the road eating out.  You may be tempted to overdo it at the hotel breakfast buffet.  You may be eating late at night where dinner includes several courses and drinks.  You may be sitting for long hours in meetings.   The combination of excess calories and inactivity will lead to sluggishness and added weight.  To avoid this, be sure to eat a balanced breakfast, which will make it less likely that you’ll overeat later in the day.  In addition, stick with three meals, drink water through the day, and watch portion sizes.

With a little planning ahead and attention to diet and exercise, you can stay physically and mentally strong and healthy while traveling.

Image courtesy of digitalart

All Disease Begins in the Gut

“All disease begins in the gut.” ~Hippocrates

Although it’s been over two thousand years since Hippocrates made this statement, it has never been as true as it is today.  Our digestive tracts are passageways through one end of the body to the other that for the most part, provide a barrier between the outside world and our insides.  It’s only through the digestive process involving specialized cells that the nutrients from food actually enter the body and any disruption in the health, function, or interaction of these cells with each other or their environment can significantly compromise not only the absorption of nutrients but also our overall health.  

Working in conjunction with our intestinal cells are an array of healthy microbes that perform many functions that include out competing pathogenic bacteria and producing anti-bacterial factors, strengthening the intestinal wall, supporting the immune system, synthesis of nutrients like vitamin K, biotin, and folate, and the breakdown of carcinogens. 

Yet today, the lifestyles and diets of many of us have resulted in deficient intestinal flora.   Stress, poor diets, toxic chemicals in our food, water, and environment, consumption of alcohol, and frequent use of antibiotics all deplete our healthy supply of beneficial bacteria and provide opportunities for unhealthy bacteria and yeast strains to take over.   In addition, a weakened intestinal wall can disrupt the normal transport and surveillance of foods from the gut into the body and can trigger autoimmune reactions and lead to such things as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and eczema. 

One way to ensure that your intestinal tract stays as healthy as it can is to regularly repopulate your friendly gut bacteria.   There are several ways to achieve this.  First, and one of the easiest ways is to take a daily probiotic that contains strains such as Bifidobacteria and Acidophilus.  To be sure that you are getting a high-quality product, look for one that requires refrigeration and that assures potency at the date of expiration.

A second option is to eat cultured foods and there are many to choose from.  For example, yogurt and kefir are two distinct cultured dairy foods.  If you’re not familiar with kefir, it's similar to yogurt except that it contains strains of both yeast and bacteria and some believe it has more therapeutic value than yogurt.  Both cultured dairy foods can be found in most grocery stores.  The key is to choose brands that have little or no added sugars or artificial ingredients.  Both yogurt and kefir are fairly simple to make at home too with milk and a starter yogurt culture or kefir grains. 

If you avoid dairy products, there are a number of cultured foods to try, including cultured vegetables, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh, as well as additional fermented legumes, grains, and breads.  I frequently culture vegetables as a source of beneficial bacteria for a number of additional reasons:

- The fermentation process neutralizes any toxins in the vegetables themselves

- They provide the nutrients and fiber from the vegetables

- They are partially digested and easier on the stomach than raw vegetables

Here is how I normally do it using veggies like kale, cabbage, and carrots.  A useful book that explains how to culture a variety of foods, including dairy products, vegetables, legumes, grains, and breads is Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz.   It provides easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

Including a small serving of cultured foods in your diet everyday will help you maintain a healthy variety of beneficial microbes to keep your digestion running smoothly and your immune system strong.   Your gut will thank you!

Image courtesy of Ambro

Round Out Your Workouts

I have been relatively active most of my life.  When I was young, I played on basketball and softball teams, swam, biked, was a cheerleader, and did track and field.  When I got a little older, most of my exercise was transformed into workouts, which is where most of my activity comes from today.  

However, I’ve come to realize that just because I workout almost everyday, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m ‘fit’.  Why do I say this?  Well, after years of running and working out at the gym, it took me months to acclimate into Bikram yoga.  Then, after five years of yoga (which was never easy, by the way), my first few times back at the gym were tough.  Yes, despite the balancing and stretching, and strength work in a very hot room that had my heart beating hard, ten minutes on an elliptical machine had me completely out of breath.   And strength training wasn’t any easier. 

Two months later, I’m fine with thirty minutes of cardio and I can feel myself getting stronger when lifting weights.  However, I was surprised yesterday morning when I went for a walk with my daughter and her dog by a nearby river and after climbing a steep but fairly short, hill, I was completely winded and my heart was pounding.  And our walk through the snowy woods turned out to be more of a workout on my legs than I anticipated.   

I am now convinced that to true physical fitness, like a healthy diet, requires variety for a number of reasons:

It works different groups of muscles

Every time I try a new form of exercise, I wind up with sore muscles, which says to me that I’ve worked some muscles that haven’t been pushed in a while.  This is one reason I actually enjoy having sore muscles - I know I’ve worked hard.  This is also why I take advantage of any unconventional forms of exercise that I can, like climbing stairs, chopping and grating vegetables in the kitchen, or washing the car because the diverse my activities, the more likely I'll hit all of my muscles.  And since we burn more calories at rest when we regularly work our muscles, the more muscles we strengthen, the better able we are to manage our weight.  It all adds up; therefore, I suggest taking advantage of any opportunity to 'workout'.

It works muscles differently

For the most obvious example here, I’ll compare yesterday’s walk with the elliptical machine.  On the machine, I carry out the same motions over and over again for thirty minutes, which means the muscles that I am working are repeatedly moved in the same directions.   During yesterday’s walk, I had to constantly adjust my step to avoid rocks or avoid slipping while climbing the hill, or use a variety of step sizes across different slopes.  All of this had my muscles ‘confused’ and likely working in ways that they weren’t used to.  I was actually tired after a forty-five minute walk!  Although, my guess is that the wonderful, clear, fresh, cool air had something to do with it too.

It prevents boredom

Like with anything else, once the novelty wears off, it’s easy to get bored and as a result, lazy with something.  I compare it to driving the same route to work or home everyday.  You know what to anticipate and may not give the ride as much attention as you would if you were driving to someplace new for the first time. 

This was true for yoga class and I’ve already allowed myself to get into a rut at the gym, so to avoid this, I’ve decided to mix it up a bit.  My last few times there, I’ve tried some new exercises with free weights and some machines that I hadn’t tried since joining, like the rowing machine.   A variety of yoga classes and more activity outdoors, like hiking and riding my bike more are additional ways to keep my workouts fresh, interesting, and fun.  And all of this will ensure that I don’t neglect any part of my body in my quest to keep it strong and healthy. 

Image courtesy of Master isolated    

Why Diets Work - and Don't

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, then you’re probably familiar with the vast number of dieting books on the market.  Every author promises that you will lose weight on their diet.  And in many respects this is true.  In fact, every diet can be backed up by people who have shed weight while on the diet plan.  So in this regard, diets work. 

However, there are a couple of important things to consider about diets.  First, while all diets will work for some people, not every diet will work for everyone and if you’ve ever failed on a diet (and felt like a failure), it’s probably not your fault.  Finding the right plan can sometimes be a challenge. 

Second, and more importantly, diets may work when followed, but how you feel when you’re on the diet and what happens afterwards are the true tests of a diet’s success.  With that said, here are five reasons why most diets do not work:

1. Diets mean deprivation. Naturally, when we think of losing weight, we think “diet”.  And it takes some mental and emotional fortitude to actually commit to the diet. Does this sound familiar? “I’ll start on Monday, bracing myself for feeling uncomfortable, knowing I’m going to be hungry and knowing I’m going to be thinking about all the foods I won’t be able to eat.” 

And then after the days or weeks of deprivation, what inevitably happens? When you “go off” the diet, you will naturally compensate for what you missed out on while you were on the diet.   You may gain the weight back and then some.

In fact, may I suggest that if you have wanted to lose weight but have been unsuccessful, that you are already feeling deprived and have been trying to cure those feelings with extra food that is not fulfilling your needs and is only making things worse?

Most often, successful weight loss requires a healthy, sustainable eating plan that helps create a positive feedback loop.  Why?  Because a healthy, balanced diet will not only give your body what it needs to function, it will help your weight normalize, provide lots of energy, and improve your mood.  As a result, you’ll feel motivated to take better care of yourself consistently. 

2. Diets are temporary. So, you finally get up the strength and determination to go on a diet and you assure yourself that it’s only until you reach your goal - it’s only temporary! If you’re anything like I was in the past, you start to imagine all the situations coming up where you won’t be able to enjoy yourself because there will be lots of food and drinks that you can’t have. 

Maybe you’ll even avoid social invitations because of a diet.  So now what happens?  You associate going on a diet and losing weight with deprivation in other areas of your life as well.  You actually find yourself on a life diet.   What are the chances of success?  They’re very low.

When you think you can’t be happy or have fun until you lose weight, then you completely miss out on the journey.  In fact, losing weight and getting healthy is part of a journey and you can make it as enjoyable as you wish! Granted, if your weight is causing significant health issues and causing significant pain or difficulty getting around, then weight loss will certainly make life more enjoyable.  That said, none of us know how long we have here and you can learn a lot about yourself as you adopt new lifestyle strategies to get healthier. 

3. They’re all about the food.  How often do you reach for food to fill an unmet need or suppress uncomfortable feelings or emotions?  Maybe you use it to deal with sadness, stress, or boredom, or after a bad day. In all of these situations, when you reach for food, it conveniently gives you something else to obsess over.  In addition, the excess weight may provide a safe place to hide from the real you that wants to express itself.

When you use food to deal with your emotions, you’re not actually comforting yourself at all, you’re really punishing yourself. Most diets don’t address the emotional component of eating at all.  They stress willpower.  And trying to practice willpower is just another opportunity for feeling bad about yourself. In fact, depriving yourself of food when you’re already feeling deprived in some other way will only make the problem worse.

4.  They focus on weight.  Are you addicted to your scale? Do you let that slab of metal decide whether or not your day starts off on a positive note? Besides the power it has over your mood and how you feel about you, another thing to consider here is that the number staring back is only part of the picture. 

Your body composition, that is, the percentage of fat to muscle and other tissue is equally, if not more important than the number on the scale.   If you’re attempting to lose weight, obviously, the right way to do it is to lose the fat and preserve the muscle.

If you’re now exercising and especially if you’ve added in resistance training, then you may be gaining muscle as you lose fat.  This is a good thing but may make weight loss slower than you expect.

Instead, ask yourself, “How do I feel?”, “Do I have more energy?”,  “Do I feel stronger?”,  “Are my aches and pains disappearing?”, “Am I thinking more clearly?”, “Do I feel less stress?”, “Am I getting sick less often?” These are all important questions to consider rather than the number on the scale.  If you answer yes to any of them, then you’re on the right track and the number on the scale is not so important. 

5. They require you to eliminate whole food groups. This is very common, I think, particularly today with all the low carb diets out there. Have you decided to completely cut carbs out of your diet?

Please know that long term, all three groups of foods:  proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are necessary to looking and feeling your best.   They are all needed for healthy brain function, a strong immune system, strong bones, strong muscles and functioning organs, and glowing skin.  Also, studies have shown that when whole food groups are left out of meals, that it can cause cravings for the missing foods. 

In fact, a study in the journal Appetite found that when people ate meals that were either high in protein, or high in carbohydrates (so there was very little of the other nutrient), the participants did in fact crave the foods that had been missing, but the people who ate the low carb meal had more significant cravings for carbs than the people who ate the meal low in protein. 

What often happens when people go without carbohydrates for too long is that they will begin to reach for the junk foods, loaded with sugar and the worst kind of carbohydrates that will relieve their cravings the most quickly.

When you include all three food groups in your diet and incorporate them into your meals, you’ll likely be choosing healthier choices from each food group, you will be more satisfied with your meals, and be less likely to crave the foods you think you need to avoid.

Are you wondering how to incorporate a healthy eating plan into your schedule that won’t feel like a diet but that will improve your health and help you release excess weight?  Contact me and see if working with a health coach is right for you. 

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles

Color Me Healthy

Have you taken a good look at the food on your plate lately?  What color is it?  Is it mostly brown, tan, and white or are you seeing colors found in the rainbow?  If your answer was the first choice, then you’re likely eating a diet consisting of highly processed foods that lack fiber and a wealth of nutrients.  On the other hand, if you’ve got bright colors on your plate in the form of fruits and vegetables, this is good news because you’re giving your cells a workout that’s going to keep them fit, healthy, and young. 

The color I’m referring to is the pigment in fruits and vegetables.  Besides the abundance of vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in vegetables and fruits, they all contain unique compounds termed phytonutrients.  More than simply antioxidants like vitamin C, phytonutrients provide information to our cells that help to regulate our genes.  What’s fascinating, is that they do this by hitting our cells with small amounts of stress that cause them to undergo an adaptive response called hormesis.  I like to think of it as keeping our cells on alert so that they don’t fall asleep on the job.

According to America’s Phytonutrient Report, 76% of Americans have a phytonutrient gap, meaning that they are getting below the median levels of fruits and vegetables determined to be prudent as set within governmental guidelines.   

Numerous studies have shown that eating the recommended 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday can reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, and dementia.   And certain colors will target certain tissues or organs in the body.  For example:

Red phytochemicals protect the heart and circulation, lower the risk of prostate, breast, and skin cancers, protect the liver and gastrointestinal tract, and strengthen the immune system. Sources include tomatoes, watermelon, red raspberries, strawberries, cherries, beets, red beans, salmon, and trout.  

Orange foods target the immune system, vision, reduces the risk of cancer and heart attacks, as well as healthy skin, bones, and teeth.  They include carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, mangos apricots, oranges, lemons peaches, pineapple, and nectarines.

Yellow-green helps with vision, cell growth, and reduces the risk of cancer.  Sources include leafy green and cruciferous veggies, honeydew melon, kiwi, green peas.

Blue-Purple foods lower the risk of cancer, age related memory loss, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes complications, and Alzheimer’s disease.  They include blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, prunes, raisins, and eggplant.

White phytochemicals target high cholesterol and blood pressure, lower the risk of heart attacks and cancer.  They can be found in garlic, onions, leeks, onions, and chives.

There are numerous ways to get your phytonutrients, including the recipe below for confetti quinoa.  Just remember, as long as you’re eating from the colors of the rainbow, you can’t go wrong… 

Image courtesy of Michelle Meikleljohn

Eat the Cheese

Not long ago, I was on an online forum where someone who had given up dairy products was talking about the fact that she was craving cheese.  But what struck me about this was that she was feeling bad about it. I very seldom eat dairy either and about a month ago, I had a craving for cheese.  So what did I do?  I bought a chunk of sheep’s milk Manchego (my favorite cheese ever) and enjoyed it.  I would shred a bit in my frittata, or add a bit to a salad, or use it to garnish a soup.   

We all have cravings at one time or another and cravings are something I work with my clients to eliminate.  But let’s face it, there are times when you need to satisfy a craving with what you’re craving.  Why am I OK with this?  Because if you’re craving a ‘forbidden’ food, there’s usually a very good reason for it.  For myself, many of my cravings are seasonal.  I naturally crave heavier foods when it’s cold and cheese fits that bill.  In addition, I didn’t satisfy my craving with just any cheese.  I chose a good quality cheese that I love and I thoroughly enjoyed it without guilt. 

Something else I’ve noticed with clients, is that as their diets improve, their cravings will change to healthier foods.   For example, one client that used to crave fast food was at one point craving seafood.   If you are craving something you’re trying to avoid though, here are a few strategies for satisfying the craving without derailing your healthy eating:

Choose a healthier version of the food.  For example, rather than the local fast food burger, bring home some good quality, grass-fed beef and make your own burger.  Put it on your favorite bun, or, if it’s simply the burger you’re craving, have it without the bread with a big salad on the side.  

Eat one serving out.  Have you been craving ice cream?  Rather than bring home a half-gallon that you know you’ll eventually polish off, go out to a local ice cream shop and have a cone or a cup of your favorite flavor.  Sit and relax and eat it slowly, savoring every bite.   Even if you splurge on a hot fudge sundae, accept that you had it and move on.

Integrate your craving into your healthy diet.  With my cheese craving, I bought a block of it and included a little bit in my healthy meals and when the cheese was gone, I was so over it.  This also works for some people who crave chocolate.  A small piece of good-quality, dark chocolate after lunch is enough to satisfy their chocolate fix.  I probably wouldn’t recommend integrating double pepperoni pizza into your everyday diet, though!

The good news is, often most cravings can be satisfied after having one serving of a food, but if cravings persist, then there may be a significant underlying cause that needs to be further addressed.  This is where someone like me comes in.  I can help clients deconstruct and get to the root cause of cravings and establish alternative methods for satisfying them. 

Image courtesy of Suat Eman

Free Teleclass - Diet is Not a Four Letter Word

 

Does this sound like you or someone you may know?

Have you tried every diet out there, only to feel unsatisfied, deprived and a failure for either quitting almost before it began or losing weight, only to gain it back?

Are you tired of dieting and being a slave to food?

Do you want to enjoy eating without worry or obsession?

Do you want to understand how to lose weight while feeling energetic, fulfilled, and happy?

Would you like to understand how to manage your weight the right way and never have to diet again?
 

Then you’ll want to hear this!

On Monday, January 23^rd at 7 pm, I’m hosting a free teleseminar entitled: 

“Diet is Not a Four Letter Word; Seven misconceptions about diets and why they don’t work.” 

This high content call will identify the common beliefs held by many of us surrounding diets, how they may be holding you back and what you can do to eliminate diets from your life for good.
 

I’d like to sign up for the call!

If you have a friend that would be interested in the call, please let them know about it too!

Can’t make the call on January 23^rd?  No problem!  If you sign up anyway, you’ll receive the link to listen to the call at your convenience.
 

So sign up today!

We’d love for you to be there,



Linda DiBella, Ph.D., is a nutrition and lifestyle mentor and a First Line Therapy Practitioner with a background in Biomedical Sciences who helps clients gradually change their diet and lifestyle habits so they can lose weight, eliminate their dependency on stimulants, have more energy, and improve their moods. She works with clients in person, over the phone, or Skype. For more information, visit her website at http://www.getreal4health.com or email her at getreal4health@gmail.com.

Image courtesy of isolated images