10 Travel Hacks For Traveling This Summer.

Jun 22

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Traveling opens up a world of new experiences, allowing us to immerse ourselves in different cultures, explore breathtaking landscapes, and create cherished memories.

Amidst the excitement of venturing into the unknown, it's essential to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to our dietary choices and staying lectin-free.

In this article, I will share 10 simple hacks for ANYONE who is traveling and wants to stay on track with their health goals. These practical tips and tricks are strategies for embracing nutritious eating habits while on the go, ensuring that your travels are not only enjoyable but also nourishing for your body and mind.

10 Simple Travel HACKS for this Summer! Let’s GO!!!

Get ready to navigate the world of healthy eating while traveling, one delicious and nourishing bite at a time.

Hydrate.

This one might seem obvious, but it is very easy to get dehydrated when you fly. Pack a reusable water bottle. My Hydro Flask is always the first thing I pack in my carry-on bag. If you are traveling to a location where the water quality may not be so good, then you can opt for a water bottle with a filter.

The water bottle brand I carry is Hydro Flask. It is made with stainless steel, BPA plastic-free, and keeps my drinks cold all day. Something fun I add to my bottle is stickers from each destination. It has become a part of my travels to keep me hydrated, but I also love looking back at all the stickers of the cool places I’ve traveled.

2. Say “no” to airplane snacks.

Repeat after me, “Airplane snacks are not my friend.” Yall, these little bags of airplane snacks, i.e., pretzels, peanuts, and cookies, are a sure way to start your trip off on the wrong foot. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “It’s only a little bag; what’s the harm?” Not only are these snack options full of lectins and sodium, but they will also spike your glycemic index, making you lethargic. Airlines give you these snacks for a reason, and it is not to fill you up— because, let’s be honest, who could get full on 9 1/2 mini pretzels? The airlines are giving the minimum amount of effort to keep you in your seat, uncomfortable and bloated. Don’t do it!

*El Calafate International Airport, Argentina*

3. Pack Healthy snacks.

Having healthy snacks is always a good practice. Since going lectin-free, my eating habits have changed a lot, especially in the snacking department. Turns out that when you get your gut’s micro biodome in order, you have fewer cravings, but having healthy snacks on hand is always a good practice.

Olive snack packs by Gundry MD — *These* *Gundry MD Olive Snack Packs* *are always in my bag!*

One food item I always pack these olives by Gundry MD. These olives are individually packaged in strong packaging, which makes them perfect for throwing in your travel bag. You don’t worry about the package accidentally opening. Another thing I like to pack is a few tea bags of my favorite night-time tea. This is a part of my usual evening routine before bed, so when I’m away from home, sleeping on a plane/hotel, or outside of my usual nighttime routine, it’s comforting to have a familiar cup of tea to help me unwind from the day’s travels.

PRO TIP: If you are flying to another country, keep in mind the immigration guidelines when it comes to packing food. Once I packed my entire snacks for a trip in my carry-on, only to have it confiscated at immigration when I arrived at my destination. (Would you like a post on healthy snacks? Let me know in the comments if you’d like a list of snacks that are great on the go.)

4. Pack your medications and supplements, and then pack more.

Stay on a routine when you are traveling by taking your medicine and supplements at your regularly scheduled time. Set the alarm if you need. Don’t forget to pack extra medicines and supplements in case you get stuck at an airport or end up staying away from home longer than expected. This has happened to me more times than I can count, be prepared for the worst.

PRO TIP: Buy these small 2x2 zipper bags for your powdered supplements and pills. Label them with a marker. I take several powdered supplements like Vital Reds and Vital Recharge Lemonade, but there is no way I would pack those entire tubs of supplements because I’d have no room for anything else in my luggage. Measuring one serving into a bag makes it easy to grab one on the go. I do this hack even when I’m not traveling. It’s like “supplement meal prep,” and when I’m ready for a lemonade in the middle of the day, I just pour it into my Hydro Flask with water, shake and enjoy!

5. Lectin shield before eating.

Lectin Shield at Starbucks — *Lectin Shield by Gundry MD*

My diet is lectin-free, so I always carry a bottle of Lectin Shield with me when I’m away from home. Lectin Shield is a supplement from Gundry MD, that can help save your digestive system when you are eating foods with questionable ingredients or contains accidental lectins.

***Lectin Shield is my helper to stay on track when I’m traveling.***

For the most part, I try to order food that I know is low in lectins, but sometimes that’s not always possible due to language barriers or lack of information printed on the menu. That’s why I always take a couple of Lectin Shields any time I eat outside of my home. (Gosh, it sounds like I have trust issues.)

I pop a couple of these with a large glass of water before eating. Lectin Shields is a supplement that helps block lectins and reduce digestive discomfort lectins may cause, making a great backup plan. Lectin Sheild should not be used as a “eat anything you want and feel no pain” kind of situation. These should be used to complement a lectin-free lifestyle, I find it helps reduce belly bloat when I’m traveling and on the go.

6. Focus on eating whole foods and staying away from fast food chains.

When choosing a restaurant, lean into establishments that offer whole foods. While fast food can seem like an easy solution when we are on the run, I urge you to stay away from these options. Fast foods are full of preservatives and offer very little nutritional value. You also may get a grumbly/runny tummy. Sitting in the middle seat of an airplane with diarrhea isn’t the best way to make friends. Shift your focus to eating at places that offer whole foods options like fresh vegetables, eggs, fish, and meat. These places may not offer “pasture-raised eggs,” but they are guaranteed to be a better alternative to fast food.

PRO TIP: Make sure you have a copy of the YES/NO list to see if the foods you want to eat are lectin-free. Bonus: Get the YES/NO food list on your iPhone before you travel with this tutorial.

PRO TIP: If you are in Phases 1, 2, or 3 of the Plant Paradox diet, be sure to take your food lists with you on the go with our digital download from our shop HERE. This way, you can access your food list no matter where you are in the world.

*Digital download of Phase 1,2,3 foods lists in our shop now!*

7. Save big by practicing intermittent fasting!

Intermittent fasting is not only a healthy way of living, but it can also save you big bucks when it comes to eating out on travel. Depending on your fasting window, you may be able to skip "breakfast and lunch.” I recommend starting this practice before you travel. It takes time to get used to this type of eating schedule.

8. Chemicals and food additives are banned outside the US.

Depending on where you are traveling, you may find you don’t have a reaction to certain foods, like bread, as you did in the United States. This is because the food standards are much stricter in other parts of the world. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that you may be able to enjoy items like pastries or cheeses that you couldn’t in the States. Start off small and see how you feel, don’t dive into eating unlimited pastries. It’s much more pleasurable to savor a pastry every once in a while. Knowing this is a limited experience makes it that much more enjoyable.

9. Cook when you can.

When you are staying for an extended period, opt for housing that has access to a kitchen. This tends to be the most economical option for our family. Cooking for yourselves allows you to control ingredients and cost at the same time.

PRO TIP: Book a cooking class at the beginning of your trip. This way, you can ask the chef about the best markets to get the freshest ingredients. Some cooking classes will even offer to take you to the local markets so you can shop for the ingredients together.

10. Visit the local markets.

Thalang- Thep Krasattri Market, Thailand

Try visiting a farmer’s market or fruit stands in your new destination. Depending on where you are traveling, there may be some very cool open-air markets. Visiting local markets is a culturally immersive experience, and it costs you nothing to see the unique things people are eating on the other side of the world. When I say visit the local markets (For those traveling within the USA), I’m not talking about heading to the local supercenter Walmart or Kroger…. Unless you are in TEXAS, then you should absolutely visit HEB. Otherwise, skip the megastores and look for weekend farmer’s markets. Stateside, at a small-town farmer’s market, you can meet the most interesting, creative people selling organic products that you never knew existed. No matter where we are traveling, taking trips to the local markets is often a highlight of our trip.

Even on vacation, you need to clean your veggies! Here is a blog post on 3 ways to wash your Veggies

Those are my 10 travel hacks! Did you enjoy it?

I love hearing back from you. If you like these hacks or would like to suggest some of your own, please leave me a note in the comments section at the very bottom of this page. I also am curious; is anyone interested in snack ideas or if there is another topic that you want to hear more about, please let me know!