Food For Your Soul: Dawn McGee
Let’s stay healthy on business trips.
Have you ever planned a business trip and resigned yourself to abandoning your healthy lifestyle for the duration? Stuck in a boardroom, eating cardboard food, unable to go through your normal routine; missing out on all the things that are good for you, the things that make you feel better and bring you joy?
I’ve been there. But here’s the thing: I’ve learned I don’t have to accept this reality. Today, I want to share with you how I balance my business trips with health and joy!
3 Ways To Balance Business Trips With Health And Joy:
1. Plan Ahead:
I talk a lot about the role of planning in a healthy lifestyle, and that’s because it is so important! Intentional planning makes all the difference in creating a sustainable lifestyle full of health and joy.
When you’ve done the work in advance to plan for the typical challenges, you get to enjoy the stability in your lifestyle. That stability gives you the freedom to live joyfully!
“Intentional planning makes all the difference in creating a sustainable lifestyle full of health and joy.”
While planning your business trips, don’t focus solely on food, exercise, and business activities. Schedule time for something fun, too! Recently, I was traveling for a conference in Northern California. It was great to see everyone and have those important discussions.
But I didn’t spend my whole trip working. I made sure to plan some fun and nourishing activities. Knowing that I would be near Napa, I planned a visit to my favorite winery. As luck would have it, they were hosting a fantastic event that Saturday, so I extended my trip to attend! Having something to look forward to at the end of the week was a great motivator for making it through the less exciting parts of my week.
2. Embrace Spontaneity:
One of the best parts about planning ahead is that it leaves room for you to embrace the spontaneous! Sometimes, unplanned opportunities can be the highlight of your trip. While in California, we discovered that the Rolling Stones were performing nearby. We scored last-minute tickets and caught the last 45 minutes of their show. It was an epic, unforgettable experience — definitely a story for the ages!
Remember: creating a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about your physical health. It’s not about losing weight or getting in shape. It’s about setting yourself up for a life filled with joy and being able to enjoy every moment. So seek out the joys in life, even on your next business trip!
3. Balance Workouts And Rest To Stay Healthy:
Balancing work and wellness on a trip can be tricky. You want to exercise enough to maintain your energy throughout the day rather than leaving yourself tired when you have a long day ahead. It’s a delicate balance. But with practice, you’ll learn your body’s limits.
“So seek out the joys in life, even on your next business trip!“
On my recent trip, I had a busy schedule – early morning meetings and long days. I had to choose between extra sleep or a morning workout. I found a balance by splitting my time: some days I hit the gym early and felt fantastic, while other days, I opted for a bit more sleep, did some stretching, and went straight to my meetings. It’s always about finding the right balance.
Stay Healthy On The Go:
The first day I arrived in California, I made a beeline to the local Whole Foods (it’s my preferred store – but choose your own fave). I stocked up on bottles of water, fresh fruits, and snacks that I could stash in the mini-fridge back at my hotel. This ensured I had the ingredients for a PFC3 snack (protein, fat, and carbs) at the end of each day. Going to bed with stable blood sugar meant I woke up feeling great and ready for the next day.
This really goes back to planning. I knew that I would need to make this grocery trip, and I planned ahead for it. These small things make it so much easier to have a healthy, joyful trip. As you plan future business trips, I hope that these tips will empower you to focus on the health and joy in your travels!
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About The Author:
Dawn McGee is a Nutrition Evangelist and Lazy Cook. She is super passionate about putting the fun back into being healthy and does that by teaching women how to eat to serve their body, brain, and soul so that they can get off the sidelines and back to doing all of the things that bring them joy. She works with women who are ready to make their health a priority and just need someone to help them get started and guide them through the process.
Dawn has been coaching clients in person, online, in groups, and in a 1:1 capacity for more than a dozen years. Prior to becoming a nutrition and fitness coach, she spent over 25 years in the high-tech industry, so she truly understands the life of busy professional women.Â
Join her free group www.facebook.com/groups/NeverDiet and follow her on IG @dmnutrition and on FB @dmnutritioncoach to hear about all the other fun stuff she has (and get a ton of free + valuable info) If you’re ready to cut through the noise, grab her free guide to 7 Nutrition Lies here –> Free Guide: 7 Nutrition Lies We’ve All Been Fed
