7 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY

beach relaxing

7 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY

As travel restrictions are being lifted, many of us are starting to think about summer holidays. This year, it’s more important than ever to prioritise our health while travelling. In addition to wearing masks and taking the recommended Covid-related precautions, here are a few ways that I stay healthy on holiday that you can consider.

HOW I STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY

AVOID PLANE FOOD

As a general rule, I normally avoid plane food. Taking my own food onboard means that I can avoid the bloating, starchy carbohydrate based stodge and enjoy fresh, satisfying, nutritious meals instead. I usually find healthy food options at the airport to take on board with me. Sashimi from Itsu or salads from Pret make for good main meals. Pret’s boiled eggs and pots of berries from are ideal breakfast choices. Their dark chocolate dusted almonds or coconut bites make for a healthier sweet treat.

PACK ESSENTIALS

Green tea and protein powder sachets are always on my packing list. I love green tea, so Teapigs Mao Feng tea bags always come away with me. I take my little Pukka tea tin packed with tea bags on board with me. Not only do I really enjoy a good cup of green tea, the antioxidants they provide are of benefit when flying. I also pack sachets of protein powder and often protein bars too. They make for handy snacks if I’m out and about and don’t know whether there will be access to healthy food.

TAKE SUPPLEMENTS

Supplements are important when travelling for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we often have less control over our diet that we would do at home. Secondly, various things we do on holiday can increase our nutrient requirements. Exposure to the sun, drinking alcohol and being more relaxed about our diet can all increase our nutrient requirements.

If you’re likely to be drinking more than usual on holiday, pack milk thistle which has been shown to help protect against the negative effects of alcohol.

Many of my clients report that their bowel movements suffer when travelling. As well as staying well hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially when flying, I advise them to supplement magnesium which help here.

EXERCISE

On trips longer than a couple of days, I always ensure I build in some exercise. When I visit our family holiday home in Italy I have my dumbbells and a skipping rope for home workouts as well as my favourite running route. In South Africa, I have my personal trainer Barney. In LA, I’ve worked out on the beach and attended various work out classes, from spin to functional training. When I can, I get in exercise first thing in the morning to make sure it gets done. Exercise not only helps me maintain my weight, it also has a hugely positive impact on my mood and general wellbeing. However, truth be told, the only exercise I get in Ibiza is dancing.

HUNT OUT HEALTHY FOODS

For many of us, holidays are a time to relax and this can extend to a more relaxed attitude towards food too. Most of the clients that I work with are like me, they can’t just eat what they want and not see the consequences show up on their thighs. Therefore, on holiday I aim to strike a balance between enjoying myself and not returning home having gained several pounds. I advise my clients to do what I do myself: stick to two healthy, balanced meals a day like you would have at home and allow yourself one flexible meal a day. Don’t forget that some of the most delicious local cuisine can also be healthy. Seafood is a great example if you’re visiting somewhere near the coast. You might also like to check out my tips for healthier restaurant dining.

GO WITH A PLAN

We’ve all heard the old saying: fail to plan, plan to fail. Planning really is key in optimising health in any situation. I often encourage my clients to consider their holiday ahead of time and make a plan for how they’d like to balance their enjoyment of their holiday with minimal impact on their health, weight or wellbeing. I do the same myself. Consider the following:
If you drink alcohol, how many days do you want to drink? How many days will you have off? How many drinks will you have on drinking days? What will you drink? Will you exercise? As a minimum, can you build in some good walks? What will the food situation look like? If staying at a hotel, are there healthy choices at breakfast? Are there shops near where you’re staying that offer healthy options? How about the restaurants? Can you check out menus at the hotel / restaurants in advance? If you have control over the accommodation you’ll be staying in, consider an AirBnB with a kitchen so that you have the choice to prepare some of your own meals if you wish. You may not stick to your plan 100%, but having a goal to work towards can certainly help.

READDRESS THE BALANCE

As much as I do to keep healthy while I am away, there’s no denying I am not as healthy as I am at home, so I make sure I have a plan in place to readdress the balance when I get back. Typically, I’ll do a five day ProLon fast which helps refocus me on a healthy routine, as well as addressing any bloating, water retention or weight gain my holiday and the associated travel might have caused. ProLon has numerous proven health benefits, from reducing inflammation and blood sugar levels, to stimulating stem cell production and triggering autophagy (the natural destruction of old or damaged cells). By the end of the five day fast mimicking diet, I’m full of energy and ready to get back on track with my usual healthy routine.



LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

Get weekly weight loss & wellness updates.

Subscribe and receive your free download:

 

7 STEPS TO INTELLIGENT WEIGHT LOSS