81: How to Eat Anti-Inflammatory While Traveling Without Missing Out

You worked hard to feel good before your trip. Don't let vacation undo all of your progress!

It's time to look at why restricting before vacation sends you into overindulgence mode once you get to your destination. It's a cycle that repeats itself...but once you recognize it you can learn what to do so that you can come home from vacation feeling better than when you left. (Coming home feeling relaxed?! It's possible!)

In this episode:

📌 Why "vacation is the goal" mindset primes you for the crash-and-overindulge cycle
📌 How perimenopause makes your body more reactive to food choices on vacation
📌 How to set a simple pre-vacation intention that supports your progress
📌 A meal-by-meal framework for navigating all the vacation food without feeling deprived
📌 How to be intentional (not restrictive) about alcohol on vacation

Vacation should be a rest and reset for your body, not a source of guilt and shame. This episode gives you a realistic, practical framework designed for moms in midlife, so that you can return from vacation with a true pep in your step!

Links & More Support For You

✈️ Eating Anti-Inflammatory On-The-Go Guide
📆 21-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan
🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Change your mindset and thrive in perimenopause with this unique approach

Transcript

Hello there, my friend, and welcome back to The Family Fork. Today, I want you to think back to the last vacation that you took and think back to that frustration that you felt when you got home. You had worked really, really hard to feel good before the trip, then somehow by day four or five,

You were hiding under a coverup and wondering like, happened? You were bloated, your stomach was puffing out, you were exhausted, you had a headache. And your physical symptoms were taking away from the fun of your vacation. Does that sound familiar?

So I want you to imagine this. Say you've got a trip coming up, spring break, a summer beach vacation, maybe a girls trip or a bonus trip that you earned at work, go you. So you really get serious. You dial in and you clean up what you're eating. You're consistent with your workouts. You have been saying no to the desserts at your family dinner and it's working.

Your clothes are fitting differently. You've got more energy. And when you try on that bathing suit or that pair of shorts the week before you leave, you think, yes, I did it. So you get there on your vacation and day one is amazing. The breakfast buffet, it has these delicious little strawberry crepes with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. So good.

And then you head out on a day excursion and someone that you're with orders a round of drinks with the lunch that you're eating. Then you get to dinner and it's at a gorgeous steakhouse with a bunch of those like shared side dishes. And of course a flaming dessert like banana slombe. It is all so good. And you are living it up. You're feeling those vacation vibes and you're just taking it all in.

but by day three, you're waking up a little more tired than you had anticipated. And by day four, you're feeling really bloated and you're reaching for that coverup. The day trip that you were so excited about now actually feels like a lot of effort and that mental spiral kicks in. ⁓ I worked so hard to feel fit and confident for this vacation. And now in less than a week,

I feel gross.

you come home more depleted and exhausted than when you left. Instead of feeling motivated to keep going, you actually just feel like, ⁓ I'm going to have to start from scratch again. And that uphill climb, it feels just too big. I know you can relate to this feeling and you're probably thinking, just need more willpower, but getting physically ready for a vacation and then

overindulging big time, here's a newsflash for you. That is not a willpower problem. It's actually a pattern. And good thing is that patterns can be interrupted once you understand what's driving them. Today, we're going to dig into exactly why this pattern or this cycle keeps repeating, how to shift your mindset before your next trip, and

a super realistic framework for eating on vacation that lets you genuinely enjoy yourself without undoing all of your progress. Because you absolutely can come home from vacation feeling better than when you left. Wouldn't that be great?

So let's talk a little bit about why this keeps happening because if you have been through this cycle more than once, because I know I have, you probably think, why do I keep doing this to myself? So like I said, I want you to understand that this is not about discipline or motivation. It is simply the way your brain is wired that along with the physical changes that are happening to your body in midlife.

So let's start by pointing out the fact that your brain is always looking to the finish line and it's looking for the fastest way to get there. So when you are getting ready for a vacation, your brain, it locks onto that trip as the finish line. Everything you're doing, anti-inflammatory eating, the workouts, saying no to the things that you actually want, depriving yourself of foods that you love.

Your brain files all of that under the temporary category.

It's saying, you know what, we just have to get to the vacation. And once we get there, the hard part is over. And the moment you arrive, your brain delivers on that promise. The walls come down, the permission slip comes out, and suddenly everything feels like fair game because you've earned it, right? And you're on vacation. So the problem is that your brain doesn't have a plan for what comes

after the finish line, after the vacation. So it just defaults back to whatever was comfortable and familiar beforehand, which is typically those habits that led you to feeling frustrated in the first place. So this pattern, like restricting yourself and then going way overboard, it is really predictable. You can see it.

It's not that you're not motivated to be disciplined. It's just that your brain is doing what your brain is supposed to do. And when you're in perimenopause, this cycle hits differently when those hormones are really shifting and going crazy. Because in perimenopause, your body is already way more reactive to inflammatory foods. Those blood sugar swings, they're going to give you more cravings

and even bigger crashes and it takes longer to recover from all of that. And you probably keep thinking, you know what, I'll bounce back in a week or two if you really like buckle down after vacation, but that doesn't happen. And then combine alcohol plus lots of rich food plus disrupted sleep in a hotel bed or an unfamiliar bed.

and you have a combination of factors that is literally going to knock you out by the middle of your vacation.

your body, it's sending out signals to say, hey, I need some more support. The bloating, headaches, poor sleep, zero motivation. But when you're on vacation, it's easy to just kind of push aside those signals. And then there's this sense of feeling deprived. When you have been restricting really hard in the weeks before you go on a trip, like cutting calories,

cutting out the foods that you love. You arrive at your vacation already primed to go way overboard. It's physiological and psychological all at the same time. Your body is looking for what it's been missing, like adequate calories, protein, just simply enjoyment around food, and your mind has been keeping score. It's been feeling deprived.

working hard and it hasn't really been getting a lot of rewards. So that combination is incredibly difficult to override in an environment that is designed to be indulgent like when you're on vacation. So of course here's the good news once you can actually see this cycle really clearly you can make different choices and it's not through using more willpower but

through using a smarter approach that starts before you ever leave home.

So here's how that works. If the problem is treating vacation like this end point, like that finish line, the solution or the fix is actually pretty simple. Although simple doesn't always mean easy. It just means you need to change the goal entirely. So instead of going into your trip thinking, ⁓ I need to look so good for this vacation. I want you to try a different question. Ask yourself.

How do I want to feel on day six of this trip? Do you want to have energy for that morning excursion? Do you want to be the person in the front of the photos instead of hiding behind the rest of the group? Do you want to be fully present at dinner with your family instead of bloated and exhausted and just wanting to go crash back in the hotel room? When you shift the goal from how you look on day one,

to how you feel on day six, you can actually make some meaningful changes. The choices that you make at the breakfast buffet aren't about restriction then anymore. It's about protecting something that you actually care about. This is where you can make a powerful mindset shift before the vacation ever starts.

When you have put in the real work before a trip, you've cleaned up your eating, you're moving your body, and you're actually feeling really good, you have built something meaningful. And the last thing that you want to do is tear down all that progress.

The challenge here is that you then walk into that vacation without ever consciously deciding to protect what you've built, all of that progress. You just go into indulgence mode the minute vacation starts and those strawberry crepes appear. So before your next trip, I want you to set one simple intention, not a list of rules, just one

guiding thought that you can come back to the entire time. Something like, I'm going to prioritize anti-inflammatory foods on vacation so that I have energy for everything that I want to do. That's it. Just one intention that something you can hold onto even in that vacation environment. And trust me, this is not about you being the difficult one at the table by

you asking for a bunch of substitutions or skipping out on dessert or watching everyone else enjoy themselves while you sit there and kind of suffer quietly. This is about showing up to your vacation as your best self, energetic, confident, and present so that the memories that you make are actually the ones that you want to keep.

This is what we're building towards and it all starts with what you put on your plate. So you've done that work leading up to vacation, you're now getting into the right mindset and then you arrive. So let's talk about the food and specifically how to navigate vacation eating in a way that feels normal and enjoyable, not like you're following this like terribly restrictive diet.

while everybody else gets to have fun. All you need is a really simple framework, a few anchor strategies that are going to work in any environment, restaurant, in any country without feeling deprived or like you're missing out on all of the fun food.

So let's walk through what your day should look like. Now, breakfast is the most important meal of your vacation. What you eat in the morning on vacation or otherwise sets the tone for your blood sugar, your energy, and your cravings for the entire day. Breakfast is that powerful. A breakfast that is mostly sugar and refined carbs, even those delicious vacation-worthy ones.

It is going to have you crashing by mid-morning, grabbing whatever is available, and unfortunately, making those impulsive food choices for the rest of the day. So the anchor strategy here for breakfast is protein first. I want you to aim for somewhere around 40 grams of protein before 10 AM. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's more achievable than you think, even when you have a buffet to choose from.

So here's what you do. Before you pick up your plate, I want you to walk the entire buffet first and check out what is there. What are your options? Then go back and build a base of protein. So eggs, smoked salmon, maybe Greek yogurt, chicken if they have it, and then add some veggies or fresh fruit or both. And then go back for the one fun thing that caught your eye when you did your first pass.

Maybe it is that crepe with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, or maybe it's a really decadent pastry. One fun thing balanced against a solid base of protein is going to give you a breakfast that actually fuels your day instead of completely derailing it before it ever even starts.

Now lunch, those vacation lunches, I get it. They typically happen in the middle of an outing or an excursion when you're probably already tired and hungry and the options in front of you are whatever happens to be nearby. So this is prime time for impulsive decisions because your blood sugar is dropping and at that point everything looks good, right? The strategy here is really simple.

Protein and produce are your anchor, with one addition that can make your meal feel like a vacation meal. So most restaurants, even fast casual ones, can accommodate a really easy modification. So maybe you ask for a burger without the bun and get a side of grilled veggies instead of the fries, or order a sandwich and eat it open-faced. Ask for dressing on the side.

And let's be clear, you don't need to suffer through like a sad, wilty salad while everyone else is eating normal food, real food. You're all sitting at the same table at the same restaurant, enjoying the same experience. You are just making one or two small adjustments that are going to make a huge difference in how you feel at 3 p.m. and whether or not you have all of the energy you want to finish out the day.

It's also helpful to keep in mind that lunch on vacation should be functional. It's going to fuel you for the afternoon. So save a real indulgence for dinnertime when that experience is actually built around the meal.

Speaking of dinner, this is where you can really relax strategically. This is an experience, the ambiance, the people across the table from you, the occasion, you get to lean into all of that. Now, the thing that gets most people at dinner isn't actually what they order, it's all of the sauces. Restaurant kitchens use significantly more butter and cream and oil.

than anything you would ever use at home. And those sauces are layered on top of proteins that have already been cooked in fat, like they've been grilled and sizzled on butter. It adds up so fast. So your simple solution is just to ask for sauces on the side. You're still going to get that delicious flavor. You'll get the experience. But you get to control how much of that extra sauce actually ends up on your plate.

I want you to look for freshly grilled proteins as an anchor. And then for salads, you can ask for oil and vinegar instead of a cream-based dressing. And keep in mind that restaurant portions are typically sized for two or three people, so you don't have to finish everything on your plate. I encourage you not to. Now here's the yes and approach to dinner indulgence. Yes, share the dessert. Yes.

Try the thing that looked amazing on the menu. And because you fueled well all day, that one indulgent dinner, it's gonna be really enjoyable and it's not gonna send you into feeling guilty. It's not a setback, it's just a delicious meal and a wonderful experience.

Now, if you've listened to previous episodes, you will know that snacks are a must. And I think that they are like a secret weapon on vacation. And it's really easy to overlook them. That mid afternoon energy crash can come on so quickly. And it can lead you to the worst food decisions of the entire day. You're tired, you're dehydrated, your blood sugar is dipping. And suddenly that

ice cream stand or all of the candy bars that the airport kiosk that just looks exactly like what you need. So the fix here is really simple. Do not leave this to chance. You need to pack snacks or plan exactly where you're going to get them. So before you leave home you can throw in some roasted nuts, some wide cut coconut, and some dried fruit. Tuck that into your bag it travels perfectly.

and it is going to save you more than one time, I promise. If you're picking up something on the go, like at a convenience store, a gas station, one of those airport kiosks, look for fresh fruit, ⁓ dried fruit bars, like the That's It bars, maybe hard-boiled eggs or jerky.

These are all available almost everywhere and they're always going to be a better choice than what is hanging out in the chip and candy aisle.

Having a snack in the middle of the afternoon doesn't just save you from a bad food decision, it actually helps to keep your energy really steady. It reduces cravings going into dinner. And honestly, it just makes your whole vacation feel way more manageable because you don't have that desperate, hangry feeling driving your choices.

When it comes to snacks and meals, I have this really incredible resource for you. I call it the Eating Anti-Inflammatory On-The-Go. It's a guide and it has over 20 travel-friendly snack ideas, more than 20 options for what to grab at a convenience store or an airport kiosk,

and very specific recommendations for what to order at more than 20 different restaurants and fast food spots. Because sometimes on a family vacation, I get it. You just end up at Chick-fil-A or Chipotle or McDonald's, and that is completely fine. You just need to know what to order. And all of that information is in that eating anti-inflammatory on the go guide. So I'll link to that in the show notes.

The bottom line across all of these meals is this, you are not on a diet when you are on vacation. You are simply making intentional choices that keep you feeling good enough to actually enjoy this trip that you planned and paid for. That's it. That's the whole goal.

and one other thing I want to talk about alcohol. So you know me, I'm not here to tell you not to drink because that's not what this conversation is about. But I do want you to understand how alcohol impacts your body when you're on vacation.

because this information can help you be a little bit more intentional about it. Not restrictive, just intentional.

So here's the reality. We know that alcohol is inflammatory. It disrupts your sleep. It spikes and then crashes your blood sugar. And it amplifies the effect of all the other inflammatory food that you ate within that same meal. So when you're having drinks with lunch, a glass of wine with dinner, and maybe a cocktail for dessert for seven days in a row,

that cumulative effect is really significant.

And unfortunately, that is a big part of why you feel so run down by the second or third day of vacation. When you're in perimenopause or menopause, the alcohol, it hits even harder. Your liver processes alcohol more slowly. Your sleep disruption is more severe. And sad but true,

Alcohol is a trigger for even more hot flashes. Your body is just less forgiving than it used to be. It's not your fault, but it is the way that it is now. So here's the strategy I want you to use. Choose your moments. Decide in advance which meals or occasions are outing where it feels worth having a drink rather than...

just defaulting to like drinking at every meal or all the time because that's kind of the rhythm of vacation. When you do drink, have one full glass of water for every alcoholic drink. That's a hands down non-negotiable. And when it comes to what you're drinking, dry wine and clear spirits like vodka or tequila with a soda water, that's gonna be much lower in sugar and a little bit easier on your system.

than sweet cocktails and those like frozen drinks.

So I want you to enjoy the drinks that are actually worth it. Just be choosy about which ones those are.

Okay, let's bring this all together and talk about what it actually looks like to go on and then come home from a vacation feeling amazing. Imagine that it is day seven of your trip and you are getting your suitcase packed. And instead of that really familiar feeling of guilt, like the bloating and the weight gain, trying to calculate how long it's going to take you to undo this damage. Imagine

just feeling amazing. You feel like yourself, maybe actually even a little bit better because you actually rested and you were present and you enjoyed every single day. You were in the photos. You had the energy for those that you had the energy for that early excursion on day five. You shared the dessert at that amazing dinner.

and was so enjoyable and you didn't feel guilty about it. You had a drink that was worth having

You made memories that had absolutely nothing to do with what was on your plate and everything to do with who was sitting across the table from you. That, that is what a winning vacation actually looks like. Not perfection, not having to deprive yourself, just feeling good and being present and coming home with your momentum intact.

And as a mom, as a woman in midlife who's juggling a career and a family and a body that is changing in ways that are frustrating, you deserve a vacation that actually restores you, not one that requires its own recovery period when you get home.

When anti-inflammatory eating becomes your lifestyle, not a pre-vacation emergency plan or a temporary fix, vacation stops feeling like a threat to your progress. It's just part of your normal life. Lived somewhere beautiful for a whole week.

That my friend is absolutely available to you and it starts with the very next choice that you make.

So before I let you go, I wanna make sure that you have everything that you need to put all of this into practice before your next trip. So if you're getting ready for a vacation and you wanna go into it feeling your absolute best, I want you to start with the 21-day anti-inflammatory guide. It's free, it's in the show notes, and it will give you almost a month of nutrition that reduces inflammation, boosts your energy,

and helps you to feel really confident before you ever leave home. A lot of women who use this guide find that in the first seven to 10 days alone, the bloating starts to go away and they start to feel lighter and more like themselves. Some women have even lost three to five pounds. That is a really great place to start. And for the trip itself,

Be sure to grab the Eating Anti-Inflammatory on the Go Guide. It's also linked in the show notes. This one is a travel essential. It has over 20 snack ideas that are gonna travel really well with you, whether you're on an airplane or a car or anywhere. You'll get options for what to grab at airport kiosks and convenience stores.

And then very specific recommendations for exactly what to order at more than 20 different restaurants and fast food spots.

can pull it up on your phone anywhere and links for both of these guides you'll find that in the show notes.

Here's the vision I wanna leave you with. You, think about you on day seven of your next vacation, feeling so energetic, confident, coming home proud of how you showed up for yourself and for the people that you were with. That version of a vacation, it's not out of reach. It's just one decision at a time.

Thank you so much for spending time with me today. I will see you back here next week on the Family Fork.