Simple travel tips for your next vacation…

5 Healthy Travel Tips You Can Use Today! 

Stay Hydrated. As you know, hydration plays a vital role in overall wellness. Your body thrives on it and needs at least 2 liters (64oz) on a typical day. If you’re traveling by plane, the elevation and recycled air can have quite the drying effect for your body and skin. Drink water before the flight is essential to lessen this effect – but if you want to decrease the amount of trips to the on-flight lavatory, try drinking 11oz of coconut water before the flight. Coconut water is a beverage that is a rich source of electrolytes, is low-calorie, nearly fat-free, low in sugar but pleasantly sweet.

Pack Snacks. Even when you’re not traveling, having ready-to-go and healthy snacks available can make all the difference. There are some prepackaged nuts at Trader Joe’s that are great or grab some snack bags and create your own trail mix (peanuts, walnuts, cashews, corn puff cereal).

Plate Portions. When traveling, most of the time you’ll be eating at restaurants or with friends and family. Be confident with making healthy choices for your plate and don’t shy away from asking the waiter for tips on the healthiest menu items. At someone’s house, politely offer to serve yourself so as to alleviate any undue excess of portions and request for heavy dressings and unhealthy options to be served on the side.

Get in Some Workouts! When on the road and traveling, there are some simple ways to get some exercise in without a gym. Here are some ideas:

• Tie up your shoes, amp up your speed and check out the scenery with a brisk walk outside.

• Use your hotel chair to do some squats (1 minute squatting, 30 seconds rest, repeat 6-7x).

• Do some lunges by alternating legs (1 minute of lunges, 30 seconds of rest in-between, 5-8 sets).

• Find some stairs and do 30-seconds to 1-minute bursts up and then take a 1-2 minute slow (and safe) walk down the stairs to catch your breath before the next set (do 5-8 sets).

Make Time for You! Let’s face it; sometimes vacations can be stressful. For your overall wellness, remember to make your relaxation a priority too. Take time for you – book a spa appointment, sleep in, read a book or maybe even try a class you’ve never taken before like yoga!

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Derek Johnson is a holistic nutritionist at New Metabolism, his Santa Monica, California-based practice, and also serves as the executive nutrition director of The Biggest Loser Resorts. He is board certified in integrative health, holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, completes continual CE courses and is a member of numerous nutrition associations. Follow him on twitter @DerekJohnsonNM and become a fan on Facebook!