{"id":5264,"date":"2023-07-02T07:17:33","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T00:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5264"},"modified":"2023-07-02T07:17:33","modified_gmt":"2023-07-02T00:17:33","slug":"the-case-for-intuitive-eating-while-traveling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=5264","title":{"rendered":"The Case for Intuitive Eating While Traveling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">R<\/span>elaxation, spontaneity and rejuvenation\u2014it\u2019s what we typically hope for when we plan on our vacations\u2014and we all need breaks from the grind and time to recharge our batteries. However, when subscribing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-lies\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-lies\/\">diet culture\u2019s rigid food rules<\/a> and beliefs in favor of practicing intuitive eating while traveling, trips can become fraught with stress, mentally, physically and emotionally.<\/div>\n<p>According to diet culture, vacations bring too much fun, indulgences and being \u201cbad,\u201d so it\u2019s necessary to go to extreme measures (like restricting food and excessively exercising) before, during and\/or after trips to make sure we are \u201chealthy.\u201d But restriction\u2014including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/detox-diet-myths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/detox-diet-myths\/\">detoxes and cleanses<\/a>\u2014create physiological stress and can even be dangerous. Food deprivation also cause side effects like lack of focus, irritability, food preoccupation, and slowed metabolism, while excessive exercise can lead to exhaustion, sleep issues, inflammation and injuries.<\/p>\n<p>When you are learning to practice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-intuitive-eating\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-intuitive-eating\/\">intuitive eating<\/a>, it can feel daunting to leave your routine and be out in the world, but with it often comes more freedom, ease, presence, and joy, plus better access to that R&amp;R we all need.<\/p>\n<h2>Here are 8 tips for practicing intuitive eating while traveling<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Let go of the notion that you get to be &#8220;bad&#8221; on vacation, and that you must be \u201cgood\u201d before and after<\/h3>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-wellness\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/diet-culture-wellness\/\">diet culture mindset<\/a>, we are conditioned to believe that we must earn and make up for taking pleasure in eating and having \u201ctoo much fun.\u201d But this outlook only creates large pendulum swings from restriction before and after trips to \u201ceff it\u201d eating once you\u2019re there, which creates an unstable internal environment and negatively affects metabolism, mood, and emotional regulation. Plus, restrictive practices can lead to missing out on nutritious, cultural, and tasty foods while on the trip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn a recent trip to Mexico, the first night we dined there, my plate was full of curry rice, vegetables, chickpeas, pico de gallo and other things that I just don&#8217;t get at home as often and they were delicious,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fergusonnutrition.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.fergusonnutrition.com\/\">Bethany Ferguson<\/a>, RD. \u201cI may have missed out on that experience if I\u2019d been craving other [\u2018bad\u2019] foods from being \u2018good\u2019 before my trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, ditch the dangerous detoxes and try allowing yourself to have the foods you love regularly, including the \u201cunhealthy\u201d (or what I call \u201cfun\u201d) ones. Research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352250X22000367\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352250X22000367\">eating for pleasure in a balanced way<\/a> is linked to increased contentment, social bonding, and well-being. Before, during, and after your trip, keep your intake adequate, stable, enjoyable, and balanced\u2014chances are high your mind and body will be in a much better place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-while-traveling\/\" current-title=\"How To Practice Intuitive Eating While Traveling\" current-image=\"IMG_2023-7-1-194856-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-01-01\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-while-traveling\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-while-traveling\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-while-traveling\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>2. Be prepared for changes in your hunger and fullness cues<\/h3>\n<p>If you are traveling overseas and\/or changing time zones, expect your body to be out of whack at first, which may mean your hunger and fullness cues go awry.<\/p>\n<p>Though it may sound counterintuitive, we need to eat even when our bodies are not communicating as usual. \u201cEating for practicality while traveling can be a useful tab to prevent getting too hungry later,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carolinethomason.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.carolinethomason.com\/\">Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES<\/a>. \u201cKeep snacks with you, try to eat consistently every four hours or so, and avoid skipping meals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since you will be out of your normal routine, changes in schedule, bowel movements, and activity level can also impact your cues. \u201cIf you&#8217;re more active than normal, or even more sedentary, be sure to cue in and honor what your body is telling you that it needs, even if it&#8217;s not your \u2018normal\u2019 amount of hunger,\u201d adds <a href=\"https:\/\/www.graciouslynourished.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.graciouslynourished.com\/\">Kelsey Kunik, RDN<\/a>. \u201cYou may have to eat when you&#8217;re not hungry because the next opportunity you&#8217;ll have for a meal is several hours away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, staying nourished with regular meals and snacks (even if cues are dormant) and honoring cues even if different than usual, is practicing a foundational part of intuitive eating (honoring hunger and fullness) while traveling.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Let movement be joyful, natural, and optional on your trip<\/h3>\n<p>Depending on the type of vacation you go on, movement may naturally fit into your trip. Maybe it\u2019s walking around a new city, hiking up a nearby mountain, or kayaking in the ocean. \u201cInstead of holding yourself to your typical exercise routine, find things to do that are enjoyable experiences, and let that count as your movement,\u201d Kunik suggests.<\/p>\n<p>However, not all vacations need to be active ones, and sometimes our bodies and minds need some true R and R lounging poolside all day or hanging out at the spa. \u201cVacations are meant to be enjoyable and spontaneous, and a few days of less movement than usual won&#8217;t derail any health benefits of the movement you have been doing or progress you&#8217;ve made on your fitness goals,\u201d Kunik says.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Give yourself permission to experience different cultural traditions<\/h3>\n<p>One of my favorite parts about traveling is trying new foods and tasting the flavors of other cultures, and it helped me cultivate a healthier relationship to food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you\u2019re healing your relationship with food, traveling could be a source of joy and excitement to experience new cultures and new foods,\u201d Thomason says. \u201cWhen we tap into the fun reasons to experience new foods, we may be able to let go of some of our previous restrictions around them overtime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seeing food as more than just fuel and being satisfied by eating experiences is foundational to intuitive eating and can especially be practiced while traveling. You can try a walking food tour, research travel blogs for tips, or ask a local what to eat.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Set boundaries around diet talk<\/h3>\n<p>In my practice, one of the hardest parts about going on trips for my clients learning intuitive eating is dealing with diet-focused conversations. Comments like \u201cI\u2019m being so \u2018bad\u2019 eating this bread and dessert,\u2019\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m going to gain so much weight\u201d are unfortunately normalized, yet can make eating experiences unenjoyable and difficult.<\/p>\n<p>I always suggest setting boundaries with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/i-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/i-message\">I-statements<\/a> before the trip even starts. For example, if you go on a trip with your mom who is immersed in diet culture, sit her down beforehand and say something like, \u201cWhen you talk about food being bad, it makes it harder for me to enjoy the experience because I am working on intuitive eating. On this trip, please leave that type of language off the table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can also set boundaries in the moment if necessary. \u201c[You can] excuse yourself from the conversation, change the subject, or if you feel like it, state your needs, [by saying something like,] \u2018I actually feel very neutral about my body in regards to weight, my body deserves to be fed in a way that feels good to me and respected,\u201d Ferguson says.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Show your body love and respect<\/h3>\n<p>When packing your suitcase, ask yourself, \u201cHow do I want to feel?\u201d instead of \u201cHow do I want to look?\u201d Bring clothes that make you feel comfortable.<\/p>\n<p>Considering activities and climate, fill your suitcase with clothes and accessories that fit your body well, feel comfortable and express your authentic self. By viewing your body as an instrument requiring care, versus an ornament to be judged, you send your body the message that it\u2019s worthy of care, no matter what.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Practice gentle nutrition<\/h3>\n<p>Since our bodies have a built-in detoxing system (AKA our kidneys, colon, and liver), we do not need trendy (yet unscientific) cleanses to prepare for or to return from trips. With intuitive eating, you may even notice your body asking for produce sometimes, especially if you take a break from eating it (which is totally okay). In fact, intuitive eating is linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8238010\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8238010\/\">increased fruit and vegetable intake<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Before, during, and after your trip, I suggest practicing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gentle-nutrition\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gentle-nutrition\/\">gentle nutrition<\/a> (one of the intuitive eating principles) instead of detoxes, which includes enjoying an eating pattern focusing on health <em>and <\/em>pleasure and adding nutritious foods when it makes sense for you. For example, try adding fibrous blueberries to your morning cereal, vitamin-dense kale to your sandwich at lunch, or packing some heart-healthy nuts for the car ride.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a metabolic condition like diabetes or high cholesterol, I recommend working with an intuitive eating, non-diet dietitian who can help tailor gentle nutrition to your needs.<\/p>\n<h3>8. Try daily embodiment practices<\/h3>\n<p>Embodiment, or being in connection with your body\u2019s present-moment experience, is essential for having interoceptive awareness (or the conscious awareness of bodily sensations), which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6767487\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6767487\/\">positively associated<\/a> with intuitive eating. Traveling, changing time zones and being out of the daily grind can make embodiment challenging, though.<\/p>\n<p>To help enhance embodiment, I suggest taking a mindful moment each day on vacation to \u201cget in to your body.\u201d While it can be a more traditional form of mindfulness like yoga or meditation, mindful moments can also be brief periods of intentionally engaging one of the far senses (touch, sound, taste, smell, see). For example, dig your bare feet into the grass or sand, listen closely to the ocean waves or morning birdsong or truly taste your morning coffee and croissant.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Relaxation, spontaneity and rejuvenation\u2014it\u2019s what we typically hope for when we plan on our vacations\u2014and we all need breaks from the grind and time to recharge our batteries. However, when subscribing to diet culture\u2019s rigid food rules and beliefs in favor of practicing intuitive eating while traveling, trips can become fraught with stress, mentally, physically &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}