Part 2 - Welcome to my blog. Thanks for coming back

In my first post, I promised to share with you some of the new habits I am trying to create for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling on the road. So here it goes. The first thing I decided to do, and the biggest change, was to pack my food so that I wasn't eating out every meal of every day while traveling. I don't know about you but every time I eat out, I feel so bloated and inflamed. Is it the salt ? And I don't really want to know how much butter and other fats they use to make the food taste good. Many years ago, I went on a weekend yoga retreat where they served vegan food. I was scared out of my mind. How am I going to get my proteins just eating vegetables ? I've had low blood sugar issues my whole life. Wasn't I shocked and pleasantly surprised to find so many delicious options that kept all my levels stable. I felt great ! I'm not ready to live the life of a vegan but it did make me turn to a whole foods diet. I love tasting the flavors of the food as it was intended. And now when I eat anything processed, yuck !!! So I cook on Sundays and pack my food for the week. It's key to make sure you find hotels with operating refrigerators and microwaves in the room. I sometimes have to reserve a suite to get this but I save the company money by not eating out so it all works out. The toughest challenge was finding a good cooler to hold the food. I tried many attempts at getting an electric car cooler that would easily convert to the hotel room but never could find one that stayed cool enough throughout the day. Now I just use a regular soft sided cooler with lots of freezer packs. Does anyone have any recommendations on a good, electric car cooler ? Next tip is to find good workout options. There are gyms in most hotels so that helps but they are typically limited and small. I always feel confined in these rooms. I do have a membership with Anytime Fitness that is national so I can typically find a gym in the locations I travel to. On the days I don't want to go to the gym - which is often - I will find a local yoga studio or a good Pilates video on YouTube. The local yoga studios are always fun. It's interesting to see how different studios operate and if you are a yogi you know that you are always welcome. My favorite YouTube workouts are Yoga with Cat Meffan and Pilates with Katie at Dynamic Pilates. They are both these cute little Aussie girls (I think) that come across as sweet, little things but then kick your ass with the workout. Their accents make them sound like it's all good though and they encourage you along the way. The last tip is around sleep. It's so hard to get a good night's sleep in a hotel with people stomping overhead, doors slamming at all hours, snoring from your neighbors room. The best tip I have for this is first and foremost, get the top floor so no one is overhead. Big difference. Then I try to get a room away from the elevator, stairs and ice machine. If you are a member of a hotel chain, you can typically choose your room via their App in advance so I try to do this whenever possible. White noise Apps are always helpful as well. I personally listen to Bed Time Fan but I know there are lots of options out there for other types of white noise. So these are the new habits I have picked up so far.

Do you have other suggestions for living a healthier life on the road ?

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. In future posts, I plan to share with you Mindful moments from the day, new yoga studios I find, healthy food options, etc. I travel in Northern Ohio, Northern Indiana and Michigan. If you are in these areas and would like to share your favorite yoga studio, farm-to-table restaurant or other healthy options, would love to hear from you ! Peace, Linda