With portions growing and obesity rates on the rise it’s encouraging to know that with a growing awareness positive changes are happening all over.  Hotels are reporting that many travelers are becoming more focused on their health goals while on the road. 

“Probably fitness equipment is the biggest request we get from guests,” said Vivian A. Deuschl of the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. “It’s the biggest preoccupation of business travelers besides getting their work done, so we try to make fitness available on any basis they ask for.”

In room fitness options are available upon requests for guests who prefer not to work out in the hotel gym.

The Kimpton chain of boutique hotels has provided guests in-room 24-hour yoga channel classes and a basket of yoga gear since 2003, according to president and COO Niki Leondakis.

Leondakis believes the modern business traveler’s focus on wellness coincides with the aging of the baby boomers.

“Twenty years ago it was wine, dine and work, not about maintaining a healthy lifestyle on the road,” she said. “People today are looking at work/life balance in a more integrated way.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/13/hold-pillow-mint-send-yoga-mat/#ixzz1Yt36ESaW

Sometimes we have to eat in a restaurant that doesn’t really offer the kind of food we like to eat. You know; you’ve been in those restaurants. The cooks are not chefs, most of the food is prepared off-site and reheated, and the greenest thing on the menu is iceberg lettuce.

Here’s what we like to order in those places – sides. Combine a couple of these and you’ll have a meal you can live with.

• A baked potato (dry)
• An order of the vegetable of the day (no sauces, and preferably no butter)
• A side salad (no cheese, no croutons, oil and vinegar)
• A scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad
• An egg (and maybe some salsa on the side!)
• A scoop of rice (if it’s brown rice, even better)
• A side of salad dressing (look for dairy-free options like vinaigrette, or maybe even thai peanut!)

It’s also kind of fun to see your server’s expression when you move food around – putting the vegetables on the potato and topping it all with salsa or a sprinkle of vinagrette; moving the tuna salad to the top of the side salad and adding the vegetables around the edge, mixing the egg and vegetables and topping with salsa, rice and vegetables topped with peanut salad dressing….

Be creative. Look at the menu as though everything is a la carte, and then order that way.

Remember our member Kim in IN who shared the directions for making a hula hoop?

Kim is industrious. And smart. She’s created a Healthy Life Bag, which is basically a portable fitness program with reminders on healthy eating and healthy habits.

During vacation season we get a lot of questions about taking healthy living and the Total Health Makeover® on the road. Or in the air. Or on a boat. Or to a campground. You get the idea. Healthy traveling is not hard; it’s just different from what you may be used to. Look over Kim’s bag – what would work for you? What would you change to make it work for you? (No excuses – look for ways to make it work – thank you Tim Gunn – not ways it won’t work.)

In Kim’s bag, which is a yoga mat bag *

• Yoga mat
• Resistance bands
• Jump rope (doubles as a yoga strap)
• MP3 player (with her own exercise playlists)
• Reminder cards (see below)

Reminder cards *

• 10 steps of the Total Health Makeover® (avoid chemicals, avoid caffeine, avoid sugar, avoid red meat, avoid dairy, food combine, eat healthy fats, exercise, sleep, gusto!)
• Personal healthy living habits (these are often discussed in classes – Kim’s list includes skin brushing, flossing, drinking enough water, taking her supplements, a 12-hour food fast from dinner to breakfast, prayer and meditation, and Bible reading)
• Power plate (what Kim eats in a day – “eat a rainbow” reminder, fruit x1-2, veggie x5-9, nut/seed x2, bean x1-2, grain x2-3, plus 1 mini-Luna bar – your list may vary)
• Daily exercise (30 minutes of walk/bike/hike + mini-workouts of yoga, push-ups, jumping jacks/jump rope/rebounder, hula hooping, stairs – your list may vary)
• Lower body strength training for Mondays and Thursdays (the exercises change every two months for variety)
• Upper body strength training for Tuesdays and Fridays (the exercises change every two months for variety)
• Core strength training for Wednesdays and Saturdays (the exercises change every two months for variety)

Now get busy and make your own Healthy Living Bag. You’ll be ready for any travel adventure, and you’ll have everything you need in reach even when you’re home.

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Confused about the 10 Steps? Check this out, and ask questions on our message boards. If you need help implementing the 10 steps, we have a great 30-day online class with amazing coaches to help you each day. All recipes and menus provided, along with tips for healthy living. Become a member and take the 30-day class any time.

With the cost of checking luggage, more people are carrying their suitcases on the plane. Which makes for a very.crowded.plane. But we don’t blame those folks – no, if we could get all our shoes and toiletries and potential outfits in a small suitcase, we’d do it, too.

What do we carry on the plane? We like a small bag that will fit under the seat (because those overhead bins are stuffed to the gills). Here’s what we consider essential on the plane:

• Travel documents * your ID, passport, tickets, boarding passes, itinerary, destination address and phone number, contact info, etc.
• A bottle of water (or two) * yes, you have to ransom it from a vendor after you get through security – do it. The little cup they’re happy to give you on the plane is not enough to fight the drying cabin environment.
• Food * whole food bars (like Organic Food bars or Lara bars), small bag of trail mix, fresh fruit (apples and grapes do well), raw vegetables, crackers, a wrap. You never know how long you’ll be on that plane. Always carry food. Note that some food cannot cross international borders – that is, you may be able to take it on the plane, but not into your destination country.
• Audio player * iPod or mp3 player and headphones. Noise-canceling headphones are especially good on planes, to block out that incessant engine droning. Load up the player with your favorite songs and a podcast or two.
• Book/magazine/newspaper * whether you use an electronic reader like Kindle, or have an actual book/magazine/paper is up to you. Something to read is good, though, or you’ll find yourself browsing the SkyMall catalog, and bursting into loud guffaws at inappropriate times.
• Medications * any prescription meds should be with you at all times.
• Valuables * if you want to make sure it doesn’t get lost, carry it with you. That includes jewelry and your camera.
• Toiletries * remember that liquids are limited to small sizes that fit in a quart-size zipper bag. If you’re not checking a bag, sample sizes and powder products are your best friends. Include hand sanitizer – travel is dirty.
• Scarf/pashmina * a lightweight scarf/shawl/pashmina/wrap will keep you warm in a cool cabin, help block the light if you want to sleep, and even cover your face to block germs if the person next to you is coughing.

Sign up now for the Dear Diary class that starts TODAY, and get updates from Marilu on the road each day! Learn more about the members-only SPArty, too.