Traveling (Part 1 of 3): Detox Me!

So when it comes to eating well on the road, our culture does nothing to help us out! We traveled this weekend to Baltimore, and I was viewing this trip as a challenge. In the past, I would just give in while traveling and say, "Well, we're on vacation. I'm not going to worry about eating well." This time I was determined to do better. I packed Lara Bars (healthy snack bars with 4 to 5 ingredients and yummy!), apples, clementines, ground flaxseeds, cashews, berries, and our vitamins and supplements. The best way to eat well on the road is to prepare, right? Well, while this was a good strategy, once you run out of good food, it is really hard to find healthy, vegetarian meals in a touristy area. We did our best (ordering sandwiches without cheese or having steamed veggies and tofu at P.F. Chang's) but by the time we got to the airport on the way home, we were left with grilled cheese and fries. The traveling also seemed to take a lot out of us so I caved in and had some sugary coffees in the afternoons while we were there. It certainly isn't the end of the world to eat the SAD diet (that is, the Standard American Diet) for a few days, but my body was screaming for healthy foods when we got home. After we returned and I was thinking about our food options on the road, I realized how important it is to eat at home as much as possible. When you are cooking in your own kitchen, you can load your dishes up with veggies, beans, and fruits and you know exactly what is going into them. What we eat does make a difference and when you go from eating nutrient rich foods to more "standard" foods, your normally energetic body can feel lethargic and deprived. All I can say is, it's good to be home!