|
Get
Road-Ready!
Travel-Health
Articles & Resources
|
Travel-Health
Links:
Click
here for sites to
help you
prepare for a trip,
stay
well on the go, and find medical help on the road |
|
MY MISSION:
To provide road
warriors with travel-health information, resources, and inspiration to
ease the stress and strain of life on the road and encourage healthier
life choices |
Copyright© 2002, 2003, 2004
Marlene R. Fedin
|
|
|
September 9, 2004
Welcome Back to the Road!
Part 1: Pack Your Bags—and Your Lunch!
By Marlene R. Fedin, The Wellness Concierge®
Whether you're new to the road or a veteran frequent traveler,
it's time to recommit to a healthier on-the-road lifestyle.
In Part 1, we revisit the basics of healthy eating on the fly.
Healthy Eating
Articles, Resources •
Health Alerts •
Search This
Site
|
The temptations—from junk food to multi-course, gourmet dining and
late-night noshing—remain. But there's good news for travelers:
Fast-food, family restaurant and hotel chains are adding low-carb,
low-fat, and lower-calorie menu items.
Many eateries are also providing nutritional data on-site—and
online—so diners can easily select items that meet special
dietary requirements or the dictates of the popular Atkins and South
Beach regimens.
Bottom line, it's getting easier for
globe-trotters to find healthy food options almost everywhere they roam.
But there's more to
healthy eating on the road than menu selections. Here are a few
suggestions to help you stay healthy and feel good on any itinerary:
Plan to Eat: Schedule
time—as close to your normal routine as possible—for meals. Eating
something, if only a small snack, every four to five hours maintains
your energy and stamina.
•••
Don't Fast or Skip Meals (Especially
breakfast):
Eating provides needed
energy, ensures peak mental and physical performance, curbs junk-food cravings, and improves
overall metabolism.
Starving yourself during the day and overeating at night
(when you're ravenous) adds pounds, interferes with digestion, and
disrupts sleep.
•••
Bag It:
There's no excuse for being hungry or
thirsty if you prepare (or purchase) and tote your own faves. Given
today’s travel landscape with numerous delays and uncertain food
availability, it’s even more important
to tote your own edible-sans-utensils food and beverages.
Pack your favorite salad,
sandwich, or entree (sans perishable ingredients such as eggs and
mayonnaise) in an insulated bag or thermos so you're not dependent on what is—or
isn't—available in-flight or at the airport.
TIP: Hate
traditional portable food carriers or anything that screams "I'm
carrying my lunch."? Consider the array of new insulated totes that
are functional—and stylish. Check home furnishings and storage
retailers such as The Container Store and travel catalogs for the latest
offerings, available in a wide range of sizes, materials, and colors.
Raya insulated containers and the new
Thermos FUNtainers
are fun and sleek options for keeping your take-along and take-out
foods appropriately cool or warm.
One of the most intriguing new items is the
byo lunchbag
(left). The two-compartment, nylon-covered neoprene rubber pouch
features two separate compartments for hot or cold foods. It's
great for odd-shaped food or beverage items. Best of all, it can be
rolled up or stored flat (and does double-duty as a placemat).
Machine washable. 866-878-4281;
store locator;
info@builtny.com
•••
Avoid Dietary "Landmines":
Bypass vending machines, unhealthy snack-filled hotel-room mini-bars,
fast-food outlets, and buffets, salad bars, and all-you-can-eat menus.
•••
Pack Healthy Snacks:
Fresh or dried fruits; nuts; nonfat yogurt; mini-boxes of whole
grain, high-fiber cereal; power/energy bars (Select those with a
high-fiber, low-sugar, low-calorie content.), or a vacuum-packed bag
of tuna and some raw veggies can quell your hunger until mealtime.
Check out Fight Fat and
Win: Light Meals and Snacks, by Elaine Magee, PhD, RD. The author
lists her
favorite healthy snacks in a WebMD article.
TIP: Your focus
may be on low-carb, low-fat, or even low-calorie items, but you should
also nix snacks that contain unhealthy trans-fats. A September,
2004,
Prevention magazine article noted that some common snack foods
(cereal and energy bars; chips and crackers; dried soups; fast food;
nondiary creamers and whipped toppings; and packaged cookies, candy,
doughnuts, cakes and pies) are among those with the highest trans-fat
content.
Need a quick course in selecting trans-fat-free foods? Read
The Trans Fat Solution: Cooking and Shopping to Eliminate the Deadliest
Fat From Your Diet (Ten Speed Press) by Kim Severson and Cindy
Burke.
Caution!
Don't fill up on snacks, even healthy ones. They're not a
substitute for a regular meal. A small handful of
heart-healthy nuts, for example, is about an ounce, or a recommended
daily portion.
•••
Eat only When You're
Hungry—and not because you're stressed, bored, tired, or angry. It's
a challenge but you can always pop a few sugar-free mints or chew gum as
a distraction. And if you drink water instead of chewing on starchy
carbs or sugar-filled goodies, you’ll fill up without the benefit of
added calories. Most of all, you can save room for something you really
want.
•••
Track Calories, Carbs, and
Fats: The Doctor's Pocket Calorie, Fats & Carbohydrate Counter
(Family Health Publications, 2004) lists nutritional data (including
guides and counters for fiber, salt/sodium, calcium, protein, and
cholesterol) for almost anything you can consume, including menu
items from over 150 fast-food and restaurant chains. The 4.25 by 6
inch book is easily carried for quick reference.
•••
Research Healthy Food
Venues: The new and excellent Healthy Highways: The Travelers' Guide to
Healthy Eating (Ceres Press, 2004), a labor of love from healthy
food advocates Nikki and David Goldbeck, lists almost 2,000 healthy food
venues including natural food stores and health-conscious
eateries in 50 states. The broad
spectrum
(in terms of price and menus) includes upscale eateries, wine bars,
and ethnic restaurants, as well as vegetarian food carts and restaurants
that specialize in organic and/or vegetarian fare. Divided by state, the
book includes directions and maps so there's no excuse for not seeking
out healthy venues. The Healthy Highways
Web site offers
updates on
listings and comments from fellow road warriors on additional outlets.
Check out The Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
annual rating of available healthy food options at airports.
•••
Identify Healthy Menu
Items at Your Favorite Eateries: In the Get With the Program
Guide to Fast Food & Family Restaurants (Simon and Schuster, 2004),
Bob Greene (Oprah's fitness guru) navigates ethnic restaurant menus
and details what to pick—and what to pass—at popular national eateries.
•••
Downsize Portions:
McDonald's may have bid adieu to its super-sized offerings but most
eateries continue to serve oversized portions. Many of us are eating
servings that are two to four times the recommended portion size! (Want
an idea of healthy portion sizes? Check out what you get in a typical,
not he-man sized, frozen food entree.)
TIP:
Check out portion
sizes for different foods at CalorieKing.com's
Portion Watch
page.
TIP:
Counting calories?
Watch out for specialty beverage drinks. The ubiquitous Starbucks
chain provides nutritional data for its beverages and foods on
its Web site. It also offers an interactive tool that lets you see
how you can save calories by changing sizes and add-ons.
•••
Order Off the Menu:
Don't see anything you like? Ask the chef to prepare a special order.
•••
Manage Stress: The calmer and less anxious you feel, the
less likely you'll reach for high-carb, high-calorie "comfort" and junk
foods.
•••
Stay Motivated: Need
help battling fast- and junk-food cravings or overeating? Web sites such
as ediets.com and calorieking.com provide articles, strategies, and
tools (portion size pix, food counters, etc.) as well as
inspiration and support via e-mail and e-newsletters. ◄
This column was adapted from an
article originally published in the July/August, 2004, issue of Frontier
Airlines' in-flight magazine,
Wild Blue Yonder.
|
ARTICLES,
RESOURCES
Wellness Concierge Articles:
•
Top Ten Road Rules for Healthy Eating
•
Healthy Eating 101
A
Review of Popular Diets (American Dietetic
Association)
FAST FOOD EATING:
Educate Yourself About
'Healthier' Options
Let's be clear. I am,
by no means, suggesting that you regularly
frequent fast-food restaurants, no matter how many
'healthy' options they add. However, there may be
times when you'll find yourself with no other
available option. So know what the "healthier"
choices are--check out Web sites in advance to
familiarize yourself with menu options.
Once you step inside,
it's a rare traveler who can resist those
high-calorie, trans-fat-filled, artery-clogging
french fries and other tempting-but-not-healthy
items and focus on the low-calorie, low-fat
choices! So don't put yourself in temptation's
path when you know
you can't resist.
To their credit, many have taken
the time to list ingredients and nutritional
information either on their Web sites or on signs
posted on-site. (But keep in mind that
"nutritional value" is relative and a true
oxymoron in some cases.)
Fast Food
Finder: Search by restaurant; menu item;
maximum calories, fat, or sodium content
Fast-Food & Restaurant Chain
Links
to Nutritional & Ingredient
Information
for Menu Items
|
|
ABCNews.com: Food Portion Sizes Have Grown, a Lot!
|
Approximate portion sizes per the
American Dietetic Association:
• A deck of playing cards =
one serving (three ounces) of meat, poultry, or fish
(can also use the palm of a woman's hand or a computer
mouse).
• Half a baseball = one
serving (one-half cup) of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or
rice (can also use a small fist).
• Your thumb = one serving
(one ounce) of cheese.
• A small hand holding a tennis
ball = one serving (one cup) of yogurt or fresh
greens.
|
On the Newsstand, In the Library:
Shape magazine, October, 2004:
"Size Matters"
"The real secret to weight loss is portion
control. Here's how to guesstimate!"
Small wallet = 1 serving (1 cup) of raw fruits or vegetables
Cellphone = 1 serving (3 ounces) of meat or fish
Ring = 1 portion (teaspoon) of butter
Apple iPod = 1 bread serving
Compact powder case = 1 serving (1/2 cup) of rice or pasta
Also in the October issue of Shape:
"Restaurant Shockers"
Devin Alexander interviews culinary insiders
to uncover how chefs are sabotaging your diet! Example: Why
some steamed veggies are still high-fat options.
Lifetime magazine, September, 2004:
"Is Your Sandwich a Fat Trap?"
The stats on the most popular sandwiches and
tips on how to cut calories and fat
Caution! "Most processed deli meats are
full of binders, fillers and other nonfood items that pump
up the sodium and chemical content while reducing the
protein count. ...many processed meats are loaded with
saturated fats."
Natural Health magazine, September,
2004: Quick Solutions, "Quantity Control: Trim Food
Portions Down to a Healthful, Satisfying Size"
Tip: Rethink what's truly healthy:
"...yogurt-covered pretzels can be enormously high in fat
and calories, while dried fruit is bursting with
concentrated sugar."
|
|
|
|
Copyright© 2002 to 2004, Marlene
R. Fedin; no reprint or reuse, on or offline,
without
express permission of the author
UPDATED
LINKS
Every effort is made to provide current, working links. However,
given the nature of the Web and the frequency of change on
individual sites, some links may not be available. If you can't find
a noted resource or you find an error, please
e-mail
The Wellness
Concierge®.
I'll correct errors and
provide you with updated information, where available.
SOURCES
Information is compiled from medical and scientific journals and
related professional publications, which have vetted the research
data that they present. Additional information resources include
medical and other professionals that I have interviewed.
DISCLAIMER
The material you
see here is provided for information purposes only and is not a
substitute for consulting a healthcare professional.
TOP |
|
| |
 |
|
Please read the following
All material on this site is copyrighted
and self-syndicated. All rights reserved.
Article Excerpts, Re-Use, Reprints
Any individual or organization wishing
to excerpt and/or re-use (in any form) any material (in part or
whole) from this Web site, on or off the Web, must
contact the author
for permission and reprint requirements.
Content on this site may not be
archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any
commercial purpose or personal use without the express written permission
of
Marlene R. Fedin.
|
TOP |
| |
|
|
|
"The
greatest problem in communication is the
illusion that it has been accomplished."
—Daniel W.
Davenport |
|
TOP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Got a health or wellness product, service,
or message of interest to business and leisure travelers, and others
interested in healthy living on and off the road? The content-rich Wellness
Concierge®
site reaches an audience of men and women with an expressed interest
in every aspect (food, nutrition, fitness, spa and wellness
getaways, health and spa treatments, etc.) of healthy living and
travel.
For more information, contact
Marlene R. Fedin, The Romaine Group (212-864-0826).
TOP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CONTACT THE WELLNESS CONCIERGE® |
Got a question, suggestion, or solution?
Do you have a road-tested strategy or solution for a
healthier life that you'd like to share? Got a travel-health
challenge or question?
E-mail
The Wellness Concierge®
and I'll answer your questions and share your stories,
suggestions, comments, and feedback on travel-health issues and
topics.
Note:
This site was designed for viewing on Internet Explorer. Some items
may not appear as designed on other browsers.
AOL Users: The
newest pages may not load when using the internal AOL IE browser.
|
|
|
|
|
Home | Road-Ready
Columns
| News | Column
Archives
Travel-Health
Links |
Travel-Health & Wellness Products
Web
Sites
|
Wellness
Resources
|
Reading
Room
Sleep Strategies
| On-the-Road
Fitness
| Eating
on the Go | Stress
Relief
About
This Site |
Who is
The Wellness Concierge®? |
Reprint/Re-Use Info
Contact The Wellness Concierge® | Newsletter |
JoeSentMe.com
SEARCH THIS SITE
http://www.WellnessConcierge.com
|
|
|
THE WELLNESS CONCIERGE®