Badger Girl Healthy Traveling Tips

As you are reading this, I am in sunny Arizona.

Arizona is like a second home for us.

Manatee lived there for two years and he still has siblings (and adorable nieces) whom live there.

I have gone there twice with him. The first time we had only been dating for 3 months. When we look back, we are both shocked that we were that ready to jump that far  into a relationship that fast. I didn’t freak out until we were on the plane. This was a little late to raise any alarms which Manatee informed me as the plane descended into the Phoenix airport.

Despite breaking my future sister-in-law’s throw pillow (it doesn’t sound like a catastrophe but it was to me, there were many attempts to fix it, tears over how I would tell her, and fights about how this really was a big deal) and almost breaking up on Camel Back mountain (he RAN up the mountain), we survived the trip together.

And Phoenix has always held a soft spot in my heart.

But before I go into a lovefest with greater Phoenix area, I did have a point for this post.

A healthy point for this post.

Manatee and I have done a lot of traveling and in doing so, we have discovered a lot of tips and tricks for staying healthy while on the road (or a plane or a cruise ship).

Badger Girl Healthy Traveling Tips

1. Pack snacks for the airport. I dare you to find a reasonable priced healthy airport snack. I dare you. Chips will cost 50 cents and veggies with fat laden Ranch dip will cost $5.
   Manatee and I always come armed with snacks. We brought quite a bounty this time.
   
   Hard Boiled Eggs. We were going to throw some eggs away before we left so we decided to hard boil them. Manatee just eats the egg whites so he eats lot at one time. I also brought some Justin Almond Butter packets and a banana for me. This was our breakfast the morning we flew out.

   
   An assortment of Larabars. We will keep these in the car all week. We have a tendency to be on-the-go a lot when we are on vacation.

   
   Single serving packets of homemade turkey jerky. 
   We also have homemade granola and our favorite protein shake mix.

   If you take away any tips from this post, I hope you remember this one. You always need to be setting yourself up for success. It’s way too easy to go through a drive-through or fast food joint. If you have healthy snacks with you, you will be prepared when hunger strikes. Don’t waste your splurges on fast-food because it’s the easiest and most convenient. Take the time to set yourself up for success and have healthy snacks ready.

2. If you are staying somewhere for a few days, go to the grocery store to stock up on healthy snacks and meals. We will be staying with family but we will probably still pick up some of our own fresh fruit and spinach so we don’t eat our hosts out of house and home.
3. Keep water nearby. I never get into my car without a water bottle.
   
   And when I fly, I always bring a reusable water bottle that I can fill up after security. Thirsty Badger Girl = Crabby Badger Girl.
   
4. Plan your workouts for first thing in the morning.Every day we start our day with a workout, whether it’s going for a run and/or going to the gym. This brings me to the next tip…
   
5. Get a travel pass for your gym. Many gyms offer travel passes. We belong to Gold’s and we have been to Gold’s Gyms in Arizona, Florida (Orlando and Fort Lauderdale), and California.
   
   We love seeing other gyms and it feels good to work out.
6. Enjoy yourself, but don’t lose yourself. Manatee and I love good food, good wine, and good beer.
   
   We let loose a little when we travel but we are not eating french fries and red wine (or beer) at every meal. Just like when we are at home, we choose when to splurge. If we know we are going to go out for a nice meal one night, we eat extra healthy the rest of the day or do a little extra in our workout. You never want to come home from a trip and immediately have to go on a diet because your pants don’t fit. But at the same time, you deserve a treat sometimes so don’t totally restrict yourself.