You’re a busy professional, so it goes without saying that you’re “on the go” a lot. Whether you’re in and out of airports flying from city to city for different meetings, on the road traveling between offices, or constantly meeting business partners and clients out for lunch, it feels almost impossible to keep on track with your health. You’re at the mercy of whatever food is available to you, which is oftentimes not the most nutritious options. You have no time to grocery shop or choose the “healthiest” local restaurant. And trying to stick to a fitness plan? Forget about it. Hotel gyms leave a lot to be desired. You just can’t focus on improving your health when you’re on the go so much. I mean, what’s the point of even trying when there’s so much you can’t control while out on the road?
But not only are you noticing your physical health suffer because of your busy lifestyle, but your performance at work is as well. When you’re traveling, your sleep is horrendous. It may be due to the hotel bed, sure. But it may also be due to the different dietary patterns you are following, several of which may be impacting your ability to fall and stay asleep. Your energy is non-existent, which may be due to the lack of sleep, but could also be the result of on-the-go breakfast choices. You have brain fog, and just overall unclear thinking, which makes it tough to be sharp for your presentations and meetings… you know the whole reason you’re so busy in the first place? You know that in order to show up the way you want to professionally, you need to find a way to prioritize your health even with such a busy schedule.
My main mantra for busy professionals looking to improve their health while on-the-go is to make the BPO; Best Possible Option, at any given time. Any decision that you make, no matter how seemingly “small”, will be much better and healthier than completely pushing your health to the side. The following tips will help you to make the BPO when it comes to your health in a way that is quick and easy so that you can feel more energetic, sharp, clear, and productive for your whole trip.
- Start the Day Off Strong: the quality of your breakfast is one of the most important factors when it comes to the quality of your performance throughout your day. When you’re at home, it’s easy to make a filling and nutritious breakfast. In a hotel…not so much. When you consume a breakfast that’s high in high glycemic carbohydrates (like the typical “continental breakfasts” found in hotel lobbies), you’re putting yourself on an energy roller coaster for the rest of the day. Instead, you want to start your day with foods that are high in protein, fat, and fiber. These types of foods will help you to feel satiated through lunch (not starving come 10am), with sustained energy and thus improved performance for your whole day. You know what they say, breakfast IS the most important meal of your day, especially when it comes to improving your performance!
- Avoid Hunger Emergencies At All Costs: we’ve all been there…when you’re so hungry that you must stop at the closest lunch spot to avoid early death. When hunger strikes (if you haven’t trained yourself to respond appropriately..), it’s much much easier to make less nutritious decisions. That’s why it’s important to make sure you never find yourself in this type of hunger emergency by packing the “essentials.” Having high quality, nutrient dense snacks on hand will allow you to make better choices when you’re hungry in the middle of your traveling, and less likely that you will feel the need to stuff your face at the closest rest-stop Denny’s. Common, easily portable, highly nutritious snack items that I suggest to my clients to pack are things like: grass-fed beef jerky, wild caught salmon packs, DIY nut and seed mixes, dark chocolate, and single serve almond butter packets. All of these options are high in either protein, fat, or fiber (or a combination of any!) which will help to keep you satiated until you can make a smarter nutritional choice. And they’re carry-on friendly!
- Choose Nutrients Over Calories: this is a theme I see with many of the clients in my MINDPEAK program whenever they go out to eat. In an attempt to stay “healthy” they choose the menu item with the lowest amount of calories. Although well intentioned, I have a few concerns with this approach. First, low calories do not equal “better for you.” For example, a “low calorie” flatbread may contain very little nutrients for its very little calories. Sure you might be eating only 150 calories, but you’re also eating very little protein, healthy fats and fiber, but probably plenty of high glycemic, low nutrient carbohydrates. This spells a recipe for performance disaster. Second, these low calorie meals won’t keep you satiated very long. Many of the menu options with the lowest calories are salads. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love salads. But, they often are small, and only include a bed of greens and a few vegetable toppings. This is a great ADDITION to any meal, but it shouldn’t count as your meal. There are very few satiating nutrients in those salads. After eating such a meal, you’ll find yourself reaching for the dessert menu, or in a “hunger emergency” a few hours later because you didn’t fill yourself up. Instead, scan the menu to see what options they have that will offer you the most nutrients, especially fiber, fat, and protein (are you sensing a theme here??). Many times this will look like a form of grilled protein with a side of veggies or a dinner salad topped with salmon, chicken, or shrimp. It could even be…dare I say…a steak with steamed veggies on the side (*gasp* red meat doesn’t have to be feared when it comes to your health!). Even though these options are “higher” in calories, they’re also more nutrient dense and satiating, allowing you to have sustained energy and the nutrients your brain needs to optimize your performance throughout your work day.
- Think on a Continuum: this is a main tool I help my clients to master so they can beat this perfectionist trap of all-or-nothing thinking trap while they’re on the go. My clients, like you, think that because they can’t eat 100% “healthy” or what they view as such, while on the go, there’s “no point. I’ll just get back on the wagon when I get home.” This type of thinking causes them to go overboard with their eating while traveling, eating things they know aren’t serving their health and performance goals just because if they can’t do it 100% of the way, why bother? The idea of thinking along a continuum is a skill I help my clients to build, so they can go into situations where they know they’re not going to be perfect with their nutrition choices, but they’re still choosing the BPO. They know that any small healthy choices they make are better than doing nothing, or being completely “off” with their health. They are able to find the balance between enjoying the local fare, eating foods they enjoy, and going completely overboard to the point where they feel sluggish, foggy, and physically unwell throughout their trip. Once they develop the skills needed to think about their actions along a continuum, they have the trust in themselves, the interoceptive awareness, and the mindset necessary to make choices consistently that align with their health and performance goals.
Let me tell you a story about one of my clients. She traveled often, multiple times a month, for her job. When at home, she found it easy to make healthy dietary and lifestyle choices. But when she was on the road, her job was so fast-paced and unpredictable that she felt that she had no choice but to eat the quickest, most convenient options, which were oftentimes not the most aligned with her goals. During her trips, her energy was completely drained, she felt physically sluggish, bloated, and unwell, and she knew she wasn’t optimizing her performance and showing up for her colleagues the way she wanted to be. She came to me for help figuring out a way to continue her healthy eating habits while she was traveling, in a way that was quick and easy and didn’t require much preparation or “time” during these fast-paced work trips. We applied some of the above tips to help her design a travel-lifestyle that still allowed her to make healthy choices. She started making the best possible choices she could, while still allowing herself to enjoy local fare (like, lobster rolls in Maine!). We worked together to come up with a plan so that she could prioritize high nutrient dense foods whenever possible so she could feel her best physically, and perform optimally.
Contrary to popular belief, “healthy” does not always mean time consuming and complicated. The most important thing to remember is that any choice that puts your health first, even if it’s not the “perfect” option, will help you to optimize your health and performance. My MINDPEAK program is designed specifically for busy professionals, to help them create a diet and lifestyle pattern that fits their needs, their lifestyle, and their body. In this program, we will help you develop the mindset and tools necessary to always find a way to put your health first. To find out if you’d be a good fit for this program, sign up for a free 30 minute consultation here.
Next time you’re on the road for work, make sure to put your health and performance first by making the BPO with some of these tips! Your colleagues, boss, and health will thank you.