Complimentary Analysis

Carry a Controlled Substance

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

Elite Road Warrior Group Research shows that this one simple bad habit takes down many road warriors. You find them everywhere. In the airport, flight, gas station, board room, the bar, and on and on.
What is it?
Snacks.

Now, Russ loves snacks. The problem is, he eats them on the road at the worst times, not to mention he eats the wrong things.  It starts with plane snacks (and I don’t mean plain), whether at the airport or on the actual plane.

Then there are snacks offered during a meeting or a conference.

And how do you resist “snacky” things at the bar? (You know, the ones that have had who knows how many drunk hands touching them?)

Russ wonders why he feels like he never really eats a full meal yet he is overweight.  C’mon Russ, seriously?

Why You Must Carry a Lunch Box to Work on the Road

One of the smallest yet most effective energy habit changes I made on the road was learning to carry a controlled substance. I know, most of the time that’s illegal, but as most things, there’s a way around it.

In this case, it’s carrying the correct controlled substance: a healthy and sustainable snack.

The power behind the concept is two parts and in the name.

1. Carrying – You bring it with you/carry it along with you. I can already hear the whining (and I don’t mean vino):

  • I’m trying to pack light.
  • I already have too much to carry.
  • What if it needs to be refrigerated?
  • I have small hands and it will bring attention to them (okay, I may have pushed it on that one).

These are all easy issues to overcome, and we’ll address them later, but for now, you need to carry – packing some heat, my friend.

2. Controlled – This is the opposite of Russ because it is not reactionary but controlled.

  • You bring it – You literally bring food with you from home (it’s possible and we’ll talk about what and how).
  • You buy it – This requires a little more effort on the road, but you literally find a healthy store to buy controlled substances for you to have on hand to eat on the road.

Carrying a Controlled Substance is YOUR Lunch Box you must carry with you on the road.

The point of this article is minimizing and ultimately eliminating being caught off guard. When I don’t Carry and Control my supplemental nutrition, I get reactive and lazy.

Not a good combination on the road.

You may be asking, “But what do you put your food, your controlled substance, in while traveling?
Well, it’s not an old school or a “carrying booze” paper bag, but a well-thought-out item.

And full disclosure, I tried one of those old school metal lunch boxes but I couldn’t fit everything I wanted in it. Just goofin – although, that would be cool and a great conversation starter in an airport.

The one I finally landed on I found on Amazon (imagine that) it’s called the OPUX Premium Insulated Lunch Box

This OPUX lunch box has:

  • Black Fabric with two zippers
  • 10 x 8 x 5.5in
  • Two handles – one on top and one on the side. The side handle has a clip to attach it to anything you want
  • Optional strap if you so desire to use it
  • Insulated inside as well as an insulated pouch
  • 10 Different color choices

What I love about the one handle is I can attach it to my carry-on handle. I put it on top of my computer bag so it’s easy to get around and not “one more thing” to carry.

 

THREE WAYS YOU CAN CARRY A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

1. YOUR FIRST MEAL

So many road warriors become victims right out of the gate (literally and figuratively). They leave the house and decide to get a quick breakfast at the airport. I meet a certain guy often on the plane and have even given him a nickname: Egg McMuffin Man.

Let me tell you his story…

He sits down (we’ll call him Ed McMuffin), opens up his McDonald’s bag, and pulls out his two Egg McMuffins, hash brown, and his extra-large Diet Coke. (Pause) Of course.
As he’s scarfing down his food like someone is going to try and steal it or something, he looks over at me.
Let me set the full picture: I’m eating a controlled substance. I brought my own breakfast called the Anchor Day Casserole through security and even on to the plane (I know, crazy, right?!). I feel stoked to have my clean and green meal, and in this case, it is the first meal of the day on the first day of my business trip.

Egg McMuffin Man looks at me, looks at my controlled substance, looks down at his food, then the justifications begin.

Ed: “Yeah, I was in a hurry this morning.”
Me: “Really?” (With just a touch of sarcasm leading him to tell me more…)
Ed: “Had to grab something quick.”
Me: “Hmmm.” (Long pause for dramatic effect.) “In that long McDonald’s line?”
Ed: “Yeah, it took like 20 minutes.”
Me: “Bummer,” (then with a sense of pride and joy,) “this took me two minutes to warm up and 30 seconds to put in this Tupperware to take it to go.”
Ed: (Quickly responds) “I used to be THAT guy. Now I’m THIS guy.”
Me: “Why don’t you get back to being THAT guy again?”
Ed: (Starts talking again as ketchup drips on his dress shirt)

and the excuses begin all over again…Give it a rest, Ed. Make a healthier choice.

I want to do everything I can to make sure the very first meal of my trip or the very first meal of any day on the road is clean and green, and I’ll go to great lengths to make that happen.
You have control. Step up and take it.
This principle can also apply for your last meal, and I don’t mean “dead man walking” on Death Row.

I’m talking about before your flight home.
Often, I’ll purchase a healthy meal and take it to-go so I can eat at the airport or on the plane so I’m not left with minimal options and maximum justifications.
This can be done and carrying a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box makes it possible.

2. YOUR GREENS

The road offers “greens” and I don’t mean cold hard cash, but they’re often hard to come by on the road.
I mean nutritional greens that you intentionally add to your daily nutrition. Well, it is difficult if you leave it to chance.

Do you get a sense I don’t leave this to chance anymore? Nor should you! You need to have a plan for making sure you’re getting proper fuel in your system on a consistent basis, and this begins with your greens.

HERE ARE THREE QUICK WAYS TO KEEP THE GREENS COMING DURING YOUR DAY:

  • ASK

There are certain hotels that will have greens with their breakfast. If you are at a hotel that has a breakfast buffet and an omelet bar, they most likely have spinach. I’ll request a large side of sautéed spinach, which is a perfect way to add greens to your breakfast.  At every restaurant, I ask for more greens than what’s on the menu, but here’s the difference: I ask for one now and one to go. I want to have them later, even if later never comes (but somehow it always does).

  • BRING

This is my master evil plan all the time. I make sure I have at least enough greens for my 1st day of travel and not leave it to chance.

Again, in a pinch (literally), you could use a high-quality greens powder to keep all your options open.

  • BUY

Begin to get in the habit of stopping somewhere to stock up on your snacks, especially your greens, so you can have them when (not if) you need them. I’ll buy a bag of spinach, kale, or spring mix to have and can keep in the hotel fridge. It’s only a few dollars and worth having on hand.

Now, the 3rd way to carry a controlled substance in your Work Lunch Box is…

3. YOUR GO-TO SNACK

All of us tend to have a snack we prefer. We eat it by default and we choose it regularly.
On the road, we need to make the healthiest choice and choose a healthy go-to snack.
Mine is mixed nuts (peanuts and fillers sold separately and for the record, I used to work for peanuts, so I don’t need to eat them!). It’s one of two fuel foods I purchase every time on the road (the other being mixed greens). Here are my choices of mixed nuts confirmed by the research of Dr. Axe

  • Almonds
  • Walnuts
  • Brazilian Nuts
  • Cashews
  • Pistachios

Nuts are rich in fiber and smart fats. Since your brain is approximately 60 percent fat, you need good fat in your diet to nourish it, and nuts are one of the most brain-nourishing choices you can make.

I’m a huge fan of mixed nuts because of their big punch of nutritional value and how easy they are to take on the go.  Not all nuts are created equal. While there are plenty of nuts jam-packed with nutrients, some types of processing may diminish the health benefits of nuts.
Pre-shelled nuts, for instance, leave the natural casings of the nut exposed, causing the natural fats and oils to break down and become rancid more easily. Pre-seasoned or flavored nuts can also be high in added sugar or salt, reducing their health properties. Even nuts that are roasted can be unhealthy because they are roasted in harmful hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats.

You don’t have to choose my go-to snack (although I highly recommend choosing at least a couple of mixed nuts that you like).

Here’s the Key: Find something low in sugar and high in protein every chance you can.

PRO TIP: Stop at a grocery store (healthier the better like Whole Foods or TJ). But I hear often, “I don’t have the time!” You’re right, you never “have time” you must “make the time.”

If you plan for it, it’s amazing how quickly you can get in and get out. But again, this is a pro trip, not an excuse tip.

Lastly, what do I actually put the food in and how do I eat it?

Key Items to Maximize the Lunch Box

1. Spork – but wait, there’s more. The one I use has a knife option as well. I know, right?
I used to bring crappy plastic wear from home or picked them up at the airport but often forgot them or they were just so flimsy. I invested a few dollars and bought a camping style spork with a knife – 12 Pack Sporks, Durable & BPA Free Tritan Sporks, Spoon Fork & Knife Combo Utensils

I carry two with me at all times and put them in the inside pocket of the Work Lunch Box

2. Tupperware – I geeked out on this one after thinking any kind would do.
But I wanted to maximize my space in my lunch box and I also wanted the Tupperware to stay sealed.
So, I use one that is: “8.5 x 2.5 x 6
Then two that are: “6 x 2.5 x 4
So it maximizes space and can stack right on top of each other
Ironically, I found mine at Pavilions in Southern California. Go Figure. I haven’t been able to find the exact ones on Amazon just yet.
I did find something close here

You just have to experiment with whatever you chose as your Work Lunch Box.

3. Pink Sea Salt / Pepper Grinders – I’m a big fan of pink Himalayan sea salt due to the incredible trace minerals found in it and it’s the healthiest salt you can eat. I also like ground pepper so I have two small grinders that easily fit in my Work Lunch Box. I found mine at Trader Joe’s.

4. Individualized Wet Wipes – Why? Have you seen me eat? Just kidding.
But I want to stay as healthy as I can on the road and one of the most germ-infested locations is a plane and specifically the seat tray.
How many times have you seen someone sick rest their head on the seat tray and hack all over it.
And I’m going to put my Work Lunch Box and healthy meal on THAT? Not a chance.
So, I have these individualized wet wipes to wipe down the tray AND seat
I have them on the road in a pinch.
I bought off Amazon: Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand and Face Wipes Singles, 24-Count (Pack of 5)

Note: I also carry tea bags in my Lunch Box (I’m not a coffee guy but a tea freak, okay snob) and both the Individualized Wet Wipes and tea bags easily fit in the front zipped pocket.

Packing your own healthy food may be a new concept for you. So, your baby step to carrying a controlled substance may simply be to bring your first meal or bring some healthy snacks at home. Or it may be to get the suggested lunch box.

Do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life.
Go and get your Fuel Edge on today!

This article is brought to you by the Sleep Score Labs where you can find all types of sleep resources such as blue-blocker glasses and eye masks that I endorse and actually carry in my Road Warrior sleep kit.

Five Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

One of the best parts of being a business traveler is the food experience.

It’s great not having to cook or clean up.

Then there’s the ability to chose the type of food you want:

  • Steak
  • Seafood
  • Italian
  • Mexican
  • Thai
  • …and the list goes on.

But wait, there’s more!

Then you get to choose what you want to order off the menu.

Oh the choices.
Oh the temptations!

And the best part of all? You’re not paying for it!

Or at least not yet, right?!

The nights you’re with a customer or client or team dinner, there are no limits.

Choose that appetizer or wine you’ve always wanted to try but never could afford.

Order that top-shelf liquor – heck, make it a double!

But on the company card, of course.

Bring it on!

Yet there is a cost. A heavy cost. And too many road warriors literally carry that cost with them all over their body from flight to board room to hotel. The travel triangle. The weight is literally weighing them down and the scale only goes up.

However, each decision can be easier if you view eating out on the road with the following lenses:

  • Food is Fuel
  • Fuel is Energy

This mindset is critical because it’s not based on the here and now “oh that looks or smells good” but on how I will feel later when we oftentimes need the energy.

The energy to….

  • Finish that proposal
  • Review the presentation
  • Get to bed at a decent time

I not only made the wrong decisions for years, I had the weight to prove it.

You’ve heard of the Freshman 15.
Then there’s the Travel 20.
And being the over-achiever I was on the road, I doubled it and earned what I call “the Entitled 40”

The reality is I could justify my choices and behaviors all day long and night for that matter.

And who was going to argue with me? The business traveler who struggling with the same issues? They’re my biggest supporter!

The point is you need to come to a point in your Road Life where you begin to think about your health along with your work.

We focus too much on the work aspect of the road in general when our health and our home life suffer just as much if not more.

This is why Elite Road Warrior has three focus areas:

  • Work
  • Health
  • Home Life

You do have choices.

And your choices have consequences.

I used to be the guy who said,

“Wow, that looks good. Oh, that looks good, I’ll try that too.”

“Another drink, please?”

“Look at that dessert! I’ll just try a bite”…. until it’s gone.

Leader of the pack! So, I get the battle of eating out on the road ALL-THE-TIME.

I’ve since lost the Entitled 40 in pounds and have kept it off.

I’ve stopped “getting by” on the road and chosen to “get better” and that means every time you eat out on the road.

There is hope and you can learn to leverage the road to get better. And I’m here to be your guide.

All five key decisions are in full effect the most at dinner when we’re much more relaxed potentially after a long travel day or a stressful day on the road but these apply to lunch too.

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

These five decisions are naturally in order. They shouldn’t surprise you but somehow we act surprised when the server comes by and asks us these five questions.

Every.
Single.
Time.

And the nicer the restaurant, the more choices you’ll have right before your very eyes, oftentimes even presented to you on a literal silver platter.

Decision One – What I Will Drink

At dinner time, “the entitled me” always seems to show up ready to go no matter how last night went if you know what I mean.

And depending on if ‘I’m alone for dinner with my laptop lover or entertaining guests or being entertained, I enjoy the wine part of the “wine and dine”.

This is where the slippery slope begins and we have to “know thyself.”

For me, the more I drink, the sloppier I become on my nutrition, especially after a long day.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always and I mean always order a glass of water if one is not already provided for you. Then here’s the key: drink as much as you can to start. Why?
    • Most of us are more dehydrated than we even think so getting some water into your system is always a smart decision
    • 2. Water fills us up and hopefully detours us from over-eating
    • Join the Free WMP – water match program so whatever drink you do order, make sure you match it 1:1 with water. This will keep you hydrated the rest of the night and especially save you from waking up overly-parched and feeling like you’ve swallowed cotton balls that seem to multiply throughout the night
  • Think about what you’re really drinking and how much you plan to or should drink. Are you going to stay with one type of drink or hop all over the place? For me, when I start hopping, I start paying for it and I don’t mean the tab. Through the years, I’ve become a vodka tonic guy and it’s served me well.

Decision Two – Will I Order an Appetizer

This decision doesn’t come far behind the 1st decision of What I Will Drink.

I never order an appetizer when I’m by myself but somehow am overly tempted with other people.

It’s like each person is waiting for the other one to say “no thanks” or “sure, what looks good to you?”

The appetizer can be the “gotcha” to the meal. When I give in to something especially unhealthy, I get lazy at everything after that point.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always pre-decide – this means don’t base your decision on what looks and/or smells good. If you do, you’re going down like a Mike Tyson punch.
  • If you choose, eat the cleaner and greener appetizer.
  • If you’re a moderator, which means you can take just one bite and stop, stick to the plan
  • If you’re an abstainer, which means if you start, hide the women and children, it’s going to get ugly quick and the appetizer will disappear, Know Thyself, and don’t start.
  • Order a dark green salad – this is my go-to-choice for a few reasons:
    1. I avoid the tempting and fattening appetizer
    2. It allows me to get in healthy clean greens – just be smart with the toppings and dressings

Remember, Clean and Green is the 2nd element of FUEL after Continually Hydrate. So, use this time to get the good stuff in early – meaning the clean and green stuff.

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Ah, the featured presentation. This is why we’re here eating out, well, at least as far as food is concerned.

And depending on the restaurant, this may not be top-secret. If you’re at a chophouse, duh. If you’re at a seafood place, you get the point.

There are two main choices here:

  1. The main course needs to be Clean – look for the cleanest meat possible whether beef, chicken, eggs. If it’s really clean, it will list “grass-fed or organic” which means this is your easiest choice. If not, your 2nd main choice becomes all the more important
  2. What goes ON the main course – we can make a great clean decision with the main course then go five steps backward by all the heavy sauces, etc.

You may fight back and say, “but that’s what gives it all the flavor! And there is truth to it. But it doesn’t mean going ALL or Nothing.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always do your research – most restaurants now have online menus, so do some intel. Why? Avoid impulse choosing.
  • Put the sauce on the side – sometimes when it’s doused all over the place, you’re forced to eat ALL of it. But if you can just try it, maybe it’s not as good as advertised. Sometimes just a dip here and there is all you need and a better choice in the long run.
  • Add First Then Reverse – first and foremost, get the healthy in. Start there if this is not natural yet and feels like too big of an ask. Add the good stuff in first then begin reversing by taking the bad stuff off. For example, the sauces all over the meat or salad.

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

This may seem like a default decision from your choice of the main dish. But not always.

You can go rogue and choose a side other than what the menu suggests or compels you to choose.

And most restaurants will allow you to easily make the change and sometimes with a very small upcharge. Not a big deal and worth the cost to eat clean and green.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always have at least one vegetable and preferably with not a ton of processing – steamed broccoli/asparagus / green beans, sautéed spinach, cauliflower, etc.
  • Choose a sweet potato over a baked potato or fries
  • Choose double veggies – another way to sneak in more “Green” of the clean and green.
  • Take a healthy side to go – I do this very often since almost every hotel I stay at has at least a mini-fridge and a microwave.

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

You know they always ask if you want dessert, and if you’re not prepared, you go back to the awkward moment of deciding on the spot.

I tell this story in the Elite Road Warrior book about how at a dinner of 12, a one-pound brownie with a gallon of ice cream covered in whipped cream came out and after hundreds and hundreds of dollars were put on the table as a bet of who could eat it, I took on the challenge (mind you, this was during my Entitled 40 days…).

Impressively and sadly, I finished it then couldn’t digest it, lie down, or sleep for 48 hours. Brutal. Stupid (at least I donated the money).

All that to say, I’ve been the freak in the freak show so I understand the power of decision five: If I will have dessert.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to say “no” upfront so others know where you stand
  • Know if you’re a moderator or abstainer – I know the “wanna be moderators” whose “just a bite” is the gift that keeps on giving or should I say taking. I’ve eaten with you people.
  • Choose a fruit bowl – this is my go-to when I want something sweet but not go down heavy with the dessert. I love anything berries and you can’t go wrong.
  • Carry dark chocolate with you – my wife and I are huge Trader Joe dark chocolate lovers. I carry a bar with me – far healthier choice and less ugly in the long run.

If you follow these five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road in the healthiest form, you will win with nutrition in business travel.

And you will have the energy to prove it along with fewer pounds to carry.

I get you because I am you!

References

10 Business Travel Hacks Guide

7 Early Warning Signs for Companies to Avoid Business Travel Burnout

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

One of the best parts of being a business traveler is the food experience.

Who doesn’t like not having a meal from home that you really didn’t want?

Or not having to cook or clean up.

Then there’s the ability to chose the type of food you want:

Steak
Seafood
Italian
Mexican
Thai
…and the list goes on.
But wait, there’s more!

Then you get to choose what you want to order off the menu.

Oh the choices.

Oh the temptations!

And the best part of all? You’re not paying for it!

Or at least not yet, right?!

The nights you’re with a customer or client or team dinner, there are no limits.

Chose that appetizer or wine you’ve always wanted to try but never could afford.

Order that top-shelf liquor – heck, make it a double!

But on the company card, of course.

Bring it on!

 

Yet there is a cost. A heavy cost. And too many road warriors literally carry that cost with them all over their body from flight to board room to hotel. The travel triangle.

The weight is literally weighing them down and the scale only goes up.

However, each decision can be easier if you view eating out on the road with the following lenses:

Food is Fuel
Fuel is Energy

This mindset is critical because it’s not based on the here and now “oh that looks or smells good” but how I will feel later and often times when we need the energy.

The energy to….

  • Finish that proposal
  • Review the presentation
  • Get to bed at a decent time

I not only made the wrong decisions for years, but I also had the weight to prove it.

You’ve heard of the Freshman 15.

Then there’s the Travel 20.

And being the over-achiever I was on the road, I doubled it and earned what I call “the Entitled 40”

The reality is I could justify my choices and behaviors all day long and night for that matter.

And who was going to argue with me?

The business traveler who struggling with the same issues? They’re my biggest supporters!

The point is you need to come to a point in your Road Life where you begin to think about your Health along with your Work.

We focus too much on the work aspect of the road in general as our health and our home life suffer just as much if not more.

This is why Elite Road Warrior has three focus areas:

You do have choices.
And your choices have consequences.

I used to be the guy who said, wow, that looks good. Oh, that looks good, I’ll try that too.

Another drink, please?

Look at that dessert! I’ll just try a bite…. until it’s gone.

Leader of the pack!

So, I get the battle of eating out on the road ALL-THE-TIME.

I’ve since lost the Entitled 40 as in pounds and have kept it off.

I’ve stopped “getting by” on the road and chosen to “get better” and that means every time you eat out on the road.

There is hope and you can learn to leverage the road to get better. And I’m here to be your guide.

All five key decisions are in full effect the most at dinner when we’re much more relaxed potentially after a long travel day or a stressful day on the road but can apply to even lunch.

So, what are the five key decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road?

 

Five Key Decisions You Must Make at Every Restaurant on the Road

These five decisions are naturally in order. They shouldn’t surprise you but somehow we act surprised when the server comes by and asks us these five questions.

Every.

Single.

Time.

And the nicer the restaurant, the more choices you’ll have right before your very eyes often times even presented to you on a literal silver platter.

 

Decision One – What I Will Drink​

At dinner time, “the entitled me” always seems to show up ready to go no matter how last night went if you know what I mean.

And depending on if ‘I’m alone for dinner with my laptop lover or entertaining guests or being entertained, I enjoy the “wine part of the wine and dine”.

This is where the slippery slope begins and we have to “know thyself.”

For me, the more I drink, the sloppier I become on my nutrition, especially after a long day.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always and I mean always order a glass of water if one is not already provided for you then here’s the key: drink as much as you can to start. Why?
    Most of us are more dehydrated than we even think so getting some water into your system is always a smart decision
    Water fills us up and hopefully detours us from over-eating
  • Join the Free WMP – water match program so whatever drink you do order, make sure you match it 1:1 with water. This will keep you hydrated the rest of the night and especially save you from waking up overly-parched and feeling like you’ve swallowed cotton balls that seem to multiply throughout the night
  • Think about what you’re really drinking and how much you plan to or should drink. Are you going to stay with one type of drink or hop all over the place? For me, when I start hopping, I start paying for it and I don’t mean the tab. Through the years, I’ve become a vodka tonic guy and it’s served me well but only paired with the free water match program.

 

Decision Two – Will I Order or Eat an Appetizer

This decision doesn’t come far behind the 1st decision of What I Will Drink.

I never order an appetizer when I’m by myself but somehow overly tempted with other people.

It’s like each person is waiting for the other one to say “no thanks” or “sure, what looks good to you?”

The appetizer can be the “gotcha” to the meal. When I give in especially something unhealthy, I get lazy about everything after that point.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always pre-decide – This means don’t base your decision on what looks and/or smells good. If you do, you’re going down like a Mike Tyson punch.
    If you choose, eat the cleaner and greener appetizer.
  • If you’re a moderator, which means you can take just one bite and stop, stick to the plan
  • If you’re an abstainer, which means if you start, hide the women and children, it’s going to get ugly quick and the appetizer will disappear, Know Thyself, and don’t start.
  • Order a dark green salad – this is my go-to-choice for a few reasons:
    I avoid the tempting and fattening appetizer
    It allows me to get in healthy clean greens – just be smart with the toppings and dressings

 

Remember, Clean and Green is the 2nd element of FUEL after Continually Hydrate. So, use this time to get the good stuff meaning the clean and green stuff in early.

 

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Ah, the featured presentation.

This is why we’re here eating out, well, at least as far as food is concerned.

And depending on the restaurant, this may not be top-secret. If you’re at a chophouse, duh. If you’re at a seafood place, you get the point.

There are two main choices here:
The main course needs to be Clean – look for the cleanest meat possible whether beef, chicken, eggs. If it’s really clean, it will list “grass-fed or organic” which means this is your easiest choice. If not, your 2nd main choice becomes all the more important

What goes ON the main course – we can make a great clean decision with the main course then go five-step backward by all the heavy sauces, etc.

You may fight back and say, “but is what gives it all the flavor! And there is truth to it. But it doesn’t mean going ALL or Nothing.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always do your research – every restaurant now has an online menu so do some intel. Why? Avoid impulse choosing.
  • Put the sauce on the side – sometimes when it’s doused all over the place, you’re forced to eat ALL of it. But if you can just try it, maybe it’s not as good as advertised. Sometimes just a dip here and there is all you need and a better choice in the long run.
  • Add First Then Reverse – first and foremost, get the healthy in. Start there if this is not natural yet and feels like too big of an ask. Add the good stuff in first then begin reversing by taking the bad stuff off. For example, the sauces all over the meat or salad.

 

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

This may seem like a default decision meaning your side dish is a direct decision from your choice of the main dish.

But not always.

You can go rogue and choose a side other than what the menu suggests or compels you to choose.

And most restaurants will allow you to easily make the change and sometimes with a very small uncharge. Not a big deal and worth the cost to eat clean and green.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Always have at least one vegetable and preferably with not a ton of processing – steamed broccoli/asparagus / green beans, sautéed spinach, cauliflower, etc.
  • Choose a sweet potato over a baked potato or fries
  • Choose double veggies – another way to sneak in more “Green” of the clean and green.
  • Take a healthy side to go – I do this very often since almost every hotel I stay at has at least a mini-fridge and a microwave.

 

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

You know they always ask and if you’re not prepared, you go back to the awkward moment like the appetizer but more at stake after a few drinks.

I tell this story in the Elite Road Warrior book how at a dinner of 12, a one-pound brownie with a gallon of ice cream covered in whipped cream came out and after hundreds and hundreds of dollar were put on the table as a bet of who could eat it, I took on the challenge (mind you, this was during my Entitled 40 days…).

Impressively and sadly, I finished it then couldn’t digest it, lie down, or sleep for 48 hours. Brutal. Stupid (at least I donated the money).

All that to say, I’ve been the freak in the freak show so I understand the power of decision five: If I will have dessert.

 

Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to say no upfront so others know where you stand
  • Know if you’re a moderator or abstainer – I know the “wannabe moderators” who there “just a bite” is the gift that keeps on giving or should I say taking. I’ve eaten with you people.
  • Choose a fruit bowl – this is my go-to when I want something sweet but not go down heavy with the dessert. I love anything berries and you can’t go wrong.
  • Carry dark chocolate with you – my wife and me are huge Trader Joe dark chocolate lovers. I carry a bar in my Carry a Controlled Substance work lunch box (episode 037 of the Elite Road Warrior Podcast) – far healthier choice and less ugly in the long run

 

Let’s Land This Plane

Our energy habit focus is FUEL which is the 2nd of the physical energy habits.

Here’s a quick review of the five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road:

Decision One – What I Will Drink

Decision Two – Will I Order or Eat an Appetizer

Decision Three – What Is My Main Course

Decision Four – What Are My Side Dishes

Decision Five – If I Will Have Dessert

If you follow these five decisions you must make at every restaurant on the road in the healthiest form, you will win with nutrition with business travel.
And you will have the energy to prove it along with fewer pounds to carry.

I get you because I am you!

 

Prefer Audio…?

If you’re interested in the audio version of the five decisions you just make at every restaurant, check out the Elite Road Warrior Podcast episode #043.

Four Foods That Will Ruin Your Business Trip

Most of what we hear these days are what we have heard and been taught most of our lives, (with a few people who claim THEY HAVE that NEW, ONE answer for EVERYTHING,) but it seems like for some reason we FORGET about one particular topic quickly – eating healthy. And that’s before we even get on the road.

Unless we are very ill or extremely disciplined, we start our day with good intentions, something happens to throw us off, then… down the drain we go, grabbing whatever seems easy and quick.

Ten minutes after eating that packaged corn dog from the vending machine, we are slowed down to that carb coma, asking ourselves, WHY DID I JUST DO THAT?

And that is the beginning of feeling sluggish for the rest of the business trip.

 

 

I am probably not going to be giving you earth-shattering news about what four things will ruin your business trip, BUT if you take in just these few things and begin to implement them into your life, maybe you can have the energy you want to be the BETTER you!

Four Foods That Will Ruin Your Business Trip

 

  1. SUGAR

No brainer? You are right. But why is it that we are still talking about it and struggling with it in our own world?

Because we can’t seem to get this issue licked yet! This would be the number one food that will ruin your trip.

If you want to start your day with sugar, you will find yourself more hungry throughout the day, a roller coaster of emotions and energy, and ultimately be finding yourself falling flat sometime throughout the day.

Two Tips…

  • Instead of saying you will NOT eat sugar, start with a protein and veggie breakfast to help combat those cravings and help with that spur of the moment issue later on in the day.
  • Drink lots of purified water throughout the day.

Sugar is in almost everything. It’s hard enough to monitor it at home but on the road? So do your best to minimize but preferably eliminate what you KNOW has sugar in. Give your road day a chance!

 

2. PROCESSED FOODS

Another energy suck throughout the day is processed foods. They are high in sugar, virtually no nutrients, no fiber, usually high calorie, and act like a pure sugar giving us that need for the next high.

On the road, it’s so easy to just reach for something processed. It’s all around us, especially at the airport and gas station.

Two Tips…

  • Take your time to pick out something that resembles fresh food at the airport, grocery store, or restaurant.  It may take time to feel better if you are used to eating processed foods, but watch your natural energy return as you eat REAL food.
  • You can still get packaged food with a minimal amount of processing.  Which may mean to load up on nuts, seeds, fruit, protein bars, and the like BEFORE you travel.

 

3. HIGH AMOUNTS OF CAFFEINE

Caffeine is not the enemy that some will tell you.

BUT, the average person consumes more than double the recommended amounts of caffeine that we should consume especially, coffee, and that is during the mornings alone!

Most caffeine can give you the same ups and downs that sugar does throughout the day.

And road warriors consume caffeine all day and evening. It’s our “go-to” for the afternoon meeting and often “just a splash” in our mixed drink later.

Sooo, what you say?  You are sending your energy production, blood sugar, and cortisol up and down,

Which in turn contributes to BELLY FAT over time.

Two Tips…

  • My favorite pick-me-up-go-to is MATCHA TEA!  You can find this at almost any of the big coffee chains nowadays and in any store in powder packets ready to hot or cold water.  This will not give you as much of a crash and has a TON of antioxidant support.
  • If you are going to have coffee have half decaf and go without all the extra sugar.  Try a little stevia for some sweetness.

 

4. TOO MANY CARBS IN THE MORNING

I know this sounds redundant because again, you have heard it before, BUT when you start your day with a carb-heavy meal, even healthy ones, you will NOT feel your best the rest of the day.

Our bodies really need more protein in the AM and carbs in the later afternoon when our bodies are calling for more energy.

Two Tips…

  • Start paying attention to what you’re putting in your system for food in the morning. Change starts with awareness.
  • Whether you are intermittent fasting, keto, paleo, or fast food dieting (LOL), start your day off with MORE protein and fats and a very slim amount of carbs.

One Example

Eggs with turkey bacon, half of the avocado, with two tomato slices.  Total time is about 10 min of prep.  EASY! AND, this is always available on the road.

I always say, when you don’t have your health, you have NOTHING.  These four suggestions are small changes that can make a big difference in the physiology of your energy, health, AND focus on your business travel.

Travel is stressful on our bodies.  Even though our bodies are resilient, that excuse only stretches so far until the stresses of your world start to eat away at living your potential.  Start small.  It will help you make permanent changes.

 

About the Article Author…

Treva Thompson is a holistic health practitioner and a Functional diagnostic nutrition specialist working primarily with people who struggle with energy depletion, GI struggles, and autoimmune diseases through functional lab tests, food as medicine, targeted supplements, and lifestyle management.

This is a mouthful to say that she loves to help people get back to when they felt their BEST! She is passionate about watching people thrive in their lives!

She lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her new husband of six months (but high school and college sweetheart,) where they share seven children, two dogs, and a VERY crazy but fun life!

If you would like more information on how to start feeling better, reach out and we can have a complimentary consultation on how to get your energy back. I use a comprehensive approach through functional lab testing, nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle management.  treva@livingtree.co

025 – How I’m Learning How to Do KETO on the Road in Five Challenging Ways

 

Welcome to the Elite Road Warrior Podcast Episode 025 show notes! This week we discuss adding the KETO diet in the process of becoming an Elite Road Warrior.

 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

2:00 – How you eat affects so many aspects of your road life.

Food is Fuel and Fuel is Energy!! #EliteRoadWarrior Click To Tweet

4:00 – Intro to KETO diet.

9:05 – a whole food is “something that eats a plant, grows on a plant, but never manufactured in a plant” – Megan Blacksmith.

9:35 – The Buckley KETO way.

11:05 – Assessment and Book Promo.

12:44 – Present day update.

13:30 – 5 Challenging ways to do KETO on the Road.

13:47 – 1) Hotels with Kitchens.

15:11 – 2) Grocery Store.

Fresh stuff not the box stuff! #KETO #EliteRoadWarrior Click To Tweet

18:20 – 3) Add the Highest Quality Supplements.

19:03 – 4) Intermittent Fasting

20:11 – 5) Stop Drinking on the Road.

Breaking from alcohol – It is a challenge but it is good for you! #EliteRoadWarrior Click To Tweet

23:22 – Let’s Land This Plane.

Links and Resources:

Lunch Box to Carry a Controlled Substance
Road Warrior Assessment
Elite Road Warrior BookHigh Quality Tupperware
Travel Blender
Dr. Axe
KETO Diet