wellness
FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 17, 2018 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
The travel warrior’s nutrition guide:
5 easy steps to be healthy on the go
U.S. residents logged 1.7 billion trips
for leisure purposes in 2016, according
to the U.S. Travel Association, and
this number will likely grow in 2018.
Whether you’re traveling for leisure
or business, you shouldn’t lose sight of
nutrition. It’s common to think, “Hey,
I’m on vacation, so I can throw my
healthy diet out the window.” Wrong.
Traveling can throw the body for a
loop with time zone changes, shifts
in sleep schedules and the availability
of fast, convenient and highly processed
foods.
Use these fi ve easy steps to make sure
you stay healthy on the go this year.
1. Pack healthy snacks.
Dining while on the go usually translates
to getting a quick hunger fi x that
involves processed, high-fat foods. Make
a conscious eff ort to pack healthy snacks.
Apples and nut butter, pretzels and hummus
and dried, no-sugar-added fruit are a
few healthy options.
2. Lighten your luggage.
It’s all too common for travelers to try
to max out the weight of their checked
luggage, which oft en weighs in at 50
pounds. Carting around heavy luggage
and bags can take a toll on the body.
One easy way to lighten your load is
to condense cumbersome toiletries. For
instance, look at the prescription medications
and dietary supplements you’re
packing. A 2018 Wakefi eld Research
study, conducted for Vitamin Packs,
found that more than half - 51 percent
- of respondents tote along fi ve or more
diff erent types of pills when they’re traveling.
And with age comes ailments. Baby
boomers are the pill pack mules, with 64
percent taking fi ve or more types of pills
along for the ride when they travel, compared
to only 35 percent of millennials
who bring the same amount.
Th e good news - you can leave dietary
supplement bottles and days-of-the-week
pillboxes at home. Look for personalized
vitamin subscription services, like
Vitamin Packs (www.vitaminpacks.com),
that combine customized dietary supplements
into individual daily packs that can
easily tuck into your carry-on luggage.
3. Don’t forget essential
nutrients.
Th e introduction of personalized nutrition
has made it much easier (and lighter)
to bring your vitamins and supplements
with you when you travel. It may
not always be convenient to grab a bright
orange pepper or a bowl of fresh spinach
while on the go. Th erefore, your body
may be craving folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin
A, lutein, and just about every other
phytonutrient.
“We shouldn’t sacrifi ce our nutrition
simply because we’re away from our kitchen,”
commented Elizabeth Somer, registered
dietitian, author of “Eat Your Way
to Happiness” and Vitamin Packs medical
advisory board member. “I always
pack nutritionally rich go-to snacks when
I’m away from home and pack a multivitamin
that delivers the essential nutrients
my body needs to perform at its best.”
4. Keep your blood fl owing.
If you’re planning a U.S. cross-country
fl ight this year, direct fl ights can leave
you sitting for fi ve hours or more. Th ese
long periods of sedentary travel can lead
to blood clots. Before you go, check with
your doctor about adding an omega-
3 supplement to your diet to maintain
healthy blood fl ow.
5. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.
Water should be your No. 1 travel companion.
Pack a reusable water bottle, so
you can quickly fi ll up at water fountains
located in many airports, train stations
and bus stops.
As you take to the air, road or track this
year, make nutrition a top priority. Your
body will thank you and it will give you
the energy you need to enjoy your time
wherever your travels take you.
Courtesy BPT
/www.vitaminpacks.com
