Traveling Paleo Is Not That Tricky
Whenever I’m heading out of town, there’s always at least one client or friend that will jokingly ask me how I’ll possibly stay true to my Paleo regime even amongst all the ‘X’ food (whatever any particular country is known for).
When I headed to Madison for a race one year it was, “How are you going to avoid the beer and cheese?”; to France it was, “What about all the crepes and croissants?” and most recently, “How are you going to turn down all the pasta in Italy?”.
As if those items listed above were all the places had to offer, and as if I would be tempted to eat them anyway.
Gluten is still gluten. It has always and will always make me sick, so making the educated decision to cut it out of my life permanently, nearly ten years ago, was not remotely difficult and continues to be a complete non-issue.
Same with the other foods I ate growing up that I thought were healthy and which I learned later on were actually rather toxic, like beans, organic dairy and soy.
Yes, there are foods I don’t eat. But the focus is not on that because there are endless possibilities to the combinations of beautiful, local, seasonal foods I choose to eat that make me feel great!
And the same goes when I’m traveling.
This morning, for example, when we headed into the breakfast room at the lovely villa we’re staying at in Tuscany, I scanned the continental breakfast options.
I saw the expected breads with nutella, the muesli with milk and several varieties of cheeses.
There was also, however, a large plate of beautiful fresh fruit, soft boiled eggs, and when I asked the chef if there were any veggies available, he served us the plate of zucchini, fennel, red pepper and eggplant, simply grilled then drizzled with olive oil, in about five minutes flat.
No hassle, no problem whatsoever.
Compare this to a lady I met last evening at a dinner we attended. She overheard me telling the server I’d be passing on the pasta course and may I please have some salad instead, which was easily accommodated via a small plate of shredded radicchio and home grown tomatoes.
She commented that she, too, typically avoids gluten, as she has celiac disease, but she decided she’d throw caution to the wind and eat whatever she fancies because, after all, she was on vacation in Italy and didn’t want to miss out.
In her view, apparently, it was worth it to eat that pasta, knowing she’d be sick the next day, and contribute dangerously to her Celiac disease progressing.
I just don’t get it. But then, it’s each individual’s choice.
Even if you haven’t got a diagnosed illness, but have already cleaned up your act enough to let it register that certain foods leave you feel less than great, why would eating them on vacation and creating a situation where you’re walking around with a migraine, with acne and a bloated belly be a good idea when you’re traveling?
There is just a huge disconnect for so many with what we eat and how we feel.
Just thinking about a little in advance can often make all the difference in the world.
And, by the way, when followed properly, True Paleo won’t leave you wanting for anything. If it does, there’s a good chance there is something amiss in your implementation.
Remember- veggies at every meal, a good portion of fat and natural protein. Balanced. Plenty of flavor, color and taste. That’s the ticket!
