As many of you know I just returned from a 2 week trip to Tanzania. It was a trip of a lifetime and I feel privileged to have been able to experience it with my family. Before we left everyone kept asking me, “are you worried about the food?”. Truthfully I was more excited about trying new foods than the worry about what I would eat. The beauty about being in Africa was that there isn’t any fast food and very little processed packaged foods. For 2 weeks we ate was what locally grown and what was caught or raised locally. That meant fresh mangos, pineapples, bananas, peppers, eggs, fish, pork and chicken. My daughter loves ice cream and was excited to eat fresh, homemade mango ice cream (no preservatives or artificial color!). 

We were able to come home from vacation appreciating locally grown unprocessed foods even more and the best part is we didn’t gain any weight and we got to try new things!

I know it isn’t always that easy. When you are away from home you lose some control of what food you have access to and what food is served to you. When you are staying with friends and family they don’t understand that you aren’t eating wheat or dairy and feel insulted that you don’t want that pecan pie they spent hours making. The key is to let them know in advance that you are trying to avoid certain foods because they make you feel bad. That way your host doesn’t suddenly feel put on the spot and scrambling to plan a new menu for you! If you are on a very restricted diet and you think you won’t have access to good foods then pack some of your own. I packed protein bars with me in case the food was not good and being in the middle of nowhere we didn’t have access to a grocery store.

If you are traveling and know the restaurants that you are eating out at, then look at the menu before you go and chose what you are going to have before you get there. That way you are not tempted by other foods when you get there. Restaurants will always make substitutions for you as well.

If you are traveling out of the country especially where water and food borne illnesses are a concern be sure to take a really good probiotic everyday to help combat the bad bacteria. You may also want to ask your Doctor for a general antibiotic to take with you in case of sudden onset of travelers diarrhea. If you stick to cooked foods over raw in a third world country then you will reduce your exposure to bad bacteria.

My best advise it to really try to stick to your nutrition when you travel so that you don’t feel terrible while you are away and you don’t have to struggle to get back on the right track when you get back. It can be hard, but don’t use “I’m on vacation” as an excuse to eat poorly. Use it as an excuse to try new foods. Vacation should be a time to replenish your entire body not pollute it with junk. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your margarita on the beach or that bottle of red wine at dinner. It just means remember to enjoy it all in moderation so you don’t regret the extra pounds when you get back.

If you need help planning for a trip coming up feel free to email me with any questions. I am happy to help guide you.  

Happy and safe travels everyone.

Healthy Regards,

Cathy Falk

BA, Holistic Nutritionist

National Association of Nutrition Practitioners

cathyfalkholisticnutrition@gmail.com