Thursday, September 17, 2009

Staying Healthy On The Road

Some of you may know that aside from writing and consulting on travel and food and an array of other topics, I'm also trained as a nutritionist, exercise physiologist and medical writer. That background has been invaluable in terms of keeping me fit and healthy when I'm traveling. This can mean researching nearby jogging paths, carrying healthy snack items on the plane, selecting a reliable sunscreen and knowing the best ways to prevent the array of traveler's illnesses that could plague any trip.
I just returned from many weeks of traveling where I met people who were either waylaid because they contracted traveler's diarrhea, suffered from motion sickness on a yacht or wished they hadn't gained weight on their business trips. So I thought it was time to turn you on to a guest blog I had written that addresses these and many other questions regarding staying healthy when traveling.

3 comments:

Emily @ Maiden Voyage said...

I really enjoyed that guest post. It's easy to ignore your health when you're caught up with traveling, but it's easy to get sick when you're eating so many new foods, drinking water from a different source, and not in your same routine.

I definitely agree with your advice about not being shy about asking how the food is served. In Florence this summer, I ordered a dish at a restaurant that was described as salmon over rice. When it arrived, it was completely soaked in a creamy sauce that was so rich and creamy, I just couldn't eat it. I sent it back and they brought me a new dish without the sauce. I felt bad that they had to take a hit financially, but I am very health-conscious and knew that fatty sauce would give me a stomach ache! I wish I had asked ahead of time -- you never know how things are served in foreign places.

J The Travel Authority said...

Hi Emily, I totally relate to your story about thinking you're ordering one thing and getting something you don't want. Happens here in NYC not infrequently when I'm eating out with friends -- they don't ask and assume the sauce is one thing and it's not. Thanks for your comments.

canvas print said...

Thank you for the post, I think it's really important people know its good to have a good time but they do need to stay fit and healthy or they'll ruin there trip.