A health coach on the road

Healthful living is greatly tested during traveling times. And staying committed to healthy living while traveling takes more preparation to fight the urge to give in to convenience. While recently traveling to St. Augustine for a music festival, I made it a priority to actively engage in this uncommon way of taking a vacation. So we (my A-man and I) made a list of the things that taste great, travel well, and provide nourishing nutrients. This is what we came up with (I’d love to hear from you about your tricks of the trade):

• homemade granola (gf oats, liquids like coconut oil/honey/applesauce/pb/molasses, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts/seeds)
• apples & bananas
• carrot sticks
• homemade pasta salad (brown rice pasta, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, artichokes, feta, basil, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper)
• dried fruit
• candied ginger (in case of icky tummy)
• herbal tea
• coconut water

We realized that throughout the trip, we will have to eat at local restaurants a few meals and so researched ahead of time for the best fits for us. Now add another layer to the puzzle, traveling with a group of people. So, we ended up eating out a bit more than we’d hoped but were always able to find something enjoy. (One night we split a grilled mahi mahi dinner with vegetable sides; lunch we found a delicious taco place with the freshest guacamole; and a breakfast/lunch place with tofu scramble and incredible veggie sandwiches which I highly recommend! http://www.manateecafe.com) We’d hoped to visit a local juice bar yet with a strict concert schedule that we didn’t want to miss and the ocean calling, we sacrificed and ate our snacks instead. We had thought of bringing our juicer or blender to hotel yet decided not this trip. But what a great tool to have if you have electricity where you are staying!

So next time you hit the road via plane, train, or automobile utilize these tips to stay on track:

• prep ahead of time
• pack snacks
• if you know you’ll be eating out, research your destinations options
• be prepared to be flexible, especially if traveling in a large group. now this doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your health and well being

The music was unbelievable! To hear the work of such artists is truly something to witness. A couple surprises were from Bear’s Den, The Walkmen, Justin Townes Earle, and Thao and The Get Down Stay Down. Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros, The Vaccines, and Mumford & Sons were of course off the charts!

And a few shots of the amazing music from festival:

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

Gentleman On The Road

mumford & sons! they did 2 songs like this…coming together on one mic!