Healthy Hotel Eating: A new perspective

Today is part 3 of our Healthy Living for Traveling Executives series and we're looking at how to eat healthily in hotels.  It's something that people we work with often raise as a challenging issue but I'd urge you to keep the solution as simple as possible.

All you need to do is remember that, even though you may be eating in a hotel, you still have control over what you choose and how much you eat.  In fact, healthy eating can be easier in this environment than it is at home or in the office given that someone else has made all the effort in planning and preparing the options that are available to you.  All you have to do is make the right choices from what's available or request anything additional that you'd like to eat.

So rather than focusing on the possible limitations or challenges posed by eating healthily while traveling for business, think instead about the healthy eating opportunities afforded to you while on the go.  These include:

1) The opportunity to try new foods
Different colours, tastes and textures will all provide you with a variety of energy, vitamins, minerals and nutrients.  Take advantage of the fact that someone else is planning the menu and experiment with foods that you wouldn't buy or prepare at home.

2) The chance to experiment with different recipes and combinations
As well as trying new products, make an effort to sample foods that are familiar to you but that are prepared in new ways and presented with different combinations of side dishes or accompaniments.  This will give you inspiration for future home cooking and / or restaurant eating.

3) An environment to practice planning your food and making specific requests
You can use your stay at a hotel to get into the habit of planning what you'll eat in advance.  Making a plan ahead of time and asking a hotel to set this up for you is easier than planning and preparing food for yourself, and will get you into the routine of not leaving it until the last minute to figure out what's best to eat.

4) A forum to practice portion control
The key to healthy hotel eating is to moderate your portion sizes.  Just because you're away from home, busy with work and there's plenty of food on offer, don't be tempted to eat too much or too frequently.  Continue to follow the schedule of regular eating focusing on the right things in the appropriate quantity throughout the day.

With a little bit of thought, your stay at any hotel will make following a healthy eating routine easier than during your regular office based routine where you have to think more about what you have access to and also spend time acquiring what you need.

Adopt a mindset where you view business travel as a chance to take your healthy routine to the next level rather than thinking of it as an obstacle to healthy eating and you'll find your energy levels and your effectiveness for the whole trip will take a turn for the better.

If you think people in your business would benefit from targeted wellbeing advice we can help you set up a wellness programme that will have a real positive impact.

Visit www.the-tonic.com to download your copy of our new guide “Successful Corporate Wellbeing Programmes: How to create a dynamic, energised and engaged workforce and boost business results”

Click here to read 'How to eat well on a plane'

Image by Flickr: jessicafm

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How to Eat Well on a Plane

Continuing our 'Healthy Living for Traveling Executives' series, today we're looking at how to maintain a good food routine while traveling by plane.

I've often heard executives say their trips get off to a bad start simply because airline food is so poor.  My response is the same as it would be for any area of healthy eating.  The more you leave things to chance and make decisions at the last minute based on how others are catering for you, the greater the likelihood of you having to settle for something that isn't right for you and your energy levels.  

So don't leave anything to chance.  Plan ahead in the following areas and you can step off the plane feeling refreshed and energised:

1) Check the airline's catering options at the time of booking your ticket and make specific requests if necessary.  Remember you don't have to be a vegetarian to eat the vegetarian option of the meat based meals don't appeal to you.  You'll probably be surprised at the range of options available from most airlines for those who do a quick bit of research before take off.

2) Decide in advance what you'll do with each section of your journey.  What will you do at the airport and what will you do with each hour on the plane?  This includes how much time you'll spend working, dealing with emails, making calls, reading for research, leisure reading, listening to music, eating, drinking and sleeping.  Then plan your food routine accordingly.

If you want to minimise the disruption of your travel, aim to follow a food schedule that's similar to your regular routine.  If you don't plan ahead, you may not be as efficient with your time which can lead to stress which can in turn lead to poor food and drink choices.  Also, without prior planning, you run the risk of mindless eating where you are grazing while attending to other tasks.  This can lead to overeating and too much alcohol.

3) Pay attention to the quantity of food you are consuming.  People often eat to relieve the tedium of travel or eat more simply because of the proximity of so much food.  There's no need to eat in the lounge and then eat everything that's on offer on the plane.  Be selective and choose fresh options that your body can process easily while you are stuck on the plane in a less than ideal position for comfortable digestion.

4) Decide on an alcohol strategy.  A little alcohol may help you relax and sleep but, given that the effects of alcohol are magnified on a plane, it's likely to be just a small quantity that will do you good.  Too much and you'll feel dehydrated, sluggish and make poor food choices.  Regardless of how much alcohol you drink, pay special attention to staying hydrated.  Always drink more water than alcohol or coffee.

Follow these guidelines and you'll get your trip off to a great healthy start which will set the tone of the days to follow.

If you think people in your business would benefit from targeted wellbeing advice we can help you set up a wellness programme that will have a real positive impact.

Visit www.the-tonic.com to download your copy of our new guide “Successful Corporate Wellbeing Programmes: How to create a dynamic, energised and engaged workforce and boost business results”

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