Home for the Holidays: Tips for Staying Raw While Traveling

By Tina Leigh

We are nearing holiday time, and for many of you that probably means travel is on the horizon. If you are anything like me, you’re already thinking, "How am I going to stick to my raw diet while traveling for the holidays?" Rest assured, it will be a cinch with just a little planning and preparation.

Do Your Research

Hunt down local markets, juice bars, vegan restaurants and raw delis. This will be a godsend for your morning veggie juice fix or to pick up some premade raw foods. You can also find vegan restaurants and markets and vegan-friendly eateries in most cities around the globe. They may not list themselves as "raw," but I have never had trouble finding raw dishes at these joints.

If you’ll be staying in a hotel, check to see if they have a refrigerator in the room where you could store coconut water, fresh vegetable juices, hemp protein, fruits and vegetables, probiotics and nut milk.

Load Up

Prior to your departure, stock up on your favorite packaged goodies and plan for enough to last the length of your trip. If you’re only going for a few days, portion out the amount you’ll need in sealed baggies.

Some noteworthy and convenient selections are:

• A variety of raw energy bars
• Blue Green Coconut Crisps. A tasty, anytime snack packed with vitamins and minerals
• Flax Seed Crisps. The fiber content will help keep you regular while you’re away as a large number of travelers suffer from "Traveler’s Belly" (aka constipation)
• Dried, Pitted Prunes. Also a traveler’s must-have
• Buckwheat Granola. I enjoy this at breakfast with nut milk or as a snack on the go
• Hemp or almond milk for your protein shake and granola
• Nut butter such as Pumpkin Seed Butter. The zinc in pumpkin seeds boost immunity, which is important while traveling
• Raw, vegan and gluten-free bread such as Sunflower Seed Bread. Great for breakfast with a little spread of nut butter
• Hemp Protein Powder. Portion out just enough for your vacation and store in a small, glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
• A variety of raw nuts, seeds and dehydrated fruits like berries and mango
• A green superfood supplement such as Sun is Shining. Portion this out as well in a small glass container with a tight fitting lid.

Come Prepared

Don’t get caught without supplies you count on daily. Some items to check in your luggage are a reliable shake shaker, a teaspoon for measuring green powder, a 1 oz scooper for protein powder, a butter knife for spreading nut butter and spare sealable bags for portioning snacks to take with you for the day. Also, prior to your departure, make individual packets of the supplements you take. This way, if you’re out sightseeing or visiting family, you will have access to your daily supplements when you need them.

Speak Up

Share the delights of your lifestyle with your hosts and assure them you’re good to go without special arrangements being made. Your story will likely be more graciously accepted than if your friends or family are caught off guard when all you order is a salad at a steakhouse. Besides, I cannot tell you how many times this has opened up conversations leading to lifestyle changes of the folks I have visited.

Stay Hydrated

It is so important to stay hydrated during your travels. Airplanes and hotels are especially dehydrating, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be stricken with fatigue, bloating, constipation, irritability and muscle aches. Some hydrating tips I swear by are:

1. 1. At a minimum, drink 8 ounces of water for every hour you are on the plane and make sure to keep a bottle of water with you at all times when you’re out and about.
2. 2. For your plane trip, pack a water-dense meal in your carry on. Include fresh cut vegetables, such as carrots, cucumber, radish, fennel and celery, and fruits like pineapple, mango and citrus.
3. 3. Keep your skin hydrated on the plane and throughout your trip with a mist of Rose Water Body Mist and apply Raw Virgin Coconut Oil to your entire body daily.
4. 4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
5. 5. Bring along a small glass jar of sweet almond oil and a few cotton swabs. Prior to your flight, use a swab to dab a small amount of sweet almond oil inside each nostril to keep your nasal passages moist. Repeat before bed each night if staying in a hotel.

Give Thanks

The holidays are about peace, joy, harmony and sharing. Pat yourself on the back for the commitment you have made to your healthy lifestyle. Respect your healthy and pure body, and thank those who have inspired you. Give the best gift you can this season and share your raw knowledge whenever you have an opportunity with those you love. Happy Holidays!

About Tina:

Tina Leigh is an experienced leader in the fields of integrative health & nutrition and personal transformation. She experiences deep satisfaction from serving as an instrument for leading clients to total mind, body and spirit harmony. She believes with a little support and skilled guidance, all beings can manifest their ideal weight, achieve total self-confidence, restore youthfulness and vitality and release stuck energies, damaging core beliefs and binding addictions.

Using a blend of holistic modalities including Health Counseling, Natural Food Meal Preparation and Nutrition Coaching, She is able to exercise her gifts and expertise to help clients develop the healthy body they dream and achieve optimum health and desired reality. Formerly the President of Urban Cuisine, Tina has been guiding her clientele to achieve their highest and best for over a decade. She has been featured on Fox News, in Cooking Light Magazine and on The Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

To learn more about Tina and Tina Leigh Integrative Health, please visit Tina Leigh Integrative Health

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