You Really are What You Eat...and Drink

There are some things that after 55 years, I will probably never give up.  However, by eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and getting lots of sleep, I can indulge myself once in a while.

Whether I was flying a trip or at home for a few days, I always kept to the same routines.  I am a firm believer in starting the day with a good breakfast.  Every morning, I have a BIG bowl of fresh fruits-consisting of whatever fruits are in season, a bowl of whole grain, high fiber cereal (my favorite is Good Friends by Kashi), with 1% reduced fat milk, one piece of buttered cinnamon toast and black coffee.  I do not slather my toast with butter (not margarine).   If I have time, then I will also have a poached egg with pepper, no salt.  If I go out to breakfast, then I usually have an omelet (with lots of veggies and cheese) or buckwheat pancakes.  Keeping in mind, the latter does not taste good without syrup, so instead of dousing my pancakes in syrup and butter, I get a little ramekin of syrup and dip.

For all of you "Seinfeld fans" I too am a fan of Elaine Benes' "BIG salad."  For lunch, I like to "junk up" my big salad with lots of stuff.  I put in broiled or grilled chicken or salmon, garbonzo, red or black beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, endive, walnuts, almonds or hazel nuts, dried cranberries, carrots and sometimes capers for a little zip.  Since I am not a big fan of creamy dressings, I use some type of vinaigrette.  I also love the sesame ginger or cilantro based dressings.  Keep in mind that with so many ingredients in a "big salad," all that is needed is a light touch of dressing.  Just like the syrup dipping, using that ramekin for your salad is ideal to maintaining a healthy diet.  If I want to make lunch my main meal of the day, this big salad is a great idea.  But if I want to have a hot meal, then I go with a broiled, baked or grilled fish or poultry with green veggies, a baked sweet potato or brown rice.  And as boring as this may be, I drink water or iced herbal tea with mint and lemon.

On days or evenings that I crave "junk" food, I eat whatever I want, with no guilt and lots of pleasure.  I will eat Taco Bell's fiesta bowl (without the dressing), McDonald's french fries,  the jumbo chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket, See's candies or the chocolate brownie ice cream.

In all honesty, when I was flying, I would not succumb to my junk cravings before a trip.  Because I flew internationally, I made sure that my body eased into time zones without too much trauma.  And so, the night before a trip, I made sure I got at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I followed the above dietary regimen and because there was a 12 hour rule for flight attendants and pilots of no alcohol, I didn't have my glass of merlot or shiraz.  And speaking of alcohol, a glass or two of wine is a terrific enhancement to a meal.  I have never been a great proponent of alcohol.  However, I appreciate good wines including sparkling wines, champagnes and beers.  The alcohol that is classified as "hard" is just what it is...hard.  Too much alcohol will speed up the aging process in rapid fashion.  And all of the greatest habits to maintain your healthy, beautiful and youthful appearance will go down the drain if alcohol plays a major role in your life.  I am also very adamant about not taking "something" to help me sleep or help me wake up.  Their claim may say, "not habit forming," but who wants to take that risk.  Chamomile and lavender have always been successful sleep aids for me.  While I'm on the subject of alcohol, just because it is a long flight doesn't mean that you have to drink the whole flight.  In fact, 1 drink inflight is equal to 2 drinks on the ground.  The cabin is already dry, alcohol will only enhance dehydration.  If you must have a drink, then have it during pre-departure or during the cocktail service.  And then drink water the rest of the flight.  It's not fun, but it's better for you all around.

Once onboard, as I mentioned previously, I drank water or green tea.  Green tea is outstanding.  It is rich in antioxidants.  And remember, antioxidants help maintain healthy skin.  When it came time for my rest break (or nap), I would lightly clean my face.  The area in which we slept was even drier than the cabins, if you can imagine.  So, I would soak a refresher towel with water and place it directly on my face, before going to sleep.  The rest breaks were usually no more than about 2 or 3 hours.  Needless to say, by the time I would get up, the towel would be bone dry!!  But my face and sinuses would be refreshed.  I would dab a little moisturizer on my face, brush my teeth and be ready for the rest of the flight.  Speaking of moisturizers, keep a small container of lotion in your purse.  Since I have "lived" in many hotels over the years, I have enjoyed a number of their lotions.  And when I've used up the lotion, I refill the bottle with more lotion.  I have lotion in EVERY purse I own.  I am never without lotion and therefore, I have NO excuse for not washing my hands after using the facilities. And, my hands stay soft, supple and young looking.

Whatever I ate on the airplane, I made sure that it was low in fat and high in protein.  I do eat meat.  But, I eat meats without sauces.  If I could, I would eat mostly the salads and vegetables that were part of a passenger meal (that obviously was not eaten).  More often than not, I "brown bagged" it.  After more than 25 years of airline food, bringing food from home seemed more appealing.

Upon arriving at my destination hotel, I would wash my face and neck give myself a facial while I sat in the tub and let the shower water steam up the bathroom.  I would pat my face and neck dry and put a heavy moisturizer on them.  Moisturize the rest of my body while it was still a little damp, cover up-including socks and get right into bed.  I slept when I was sleepy.  Ate when I was hungry and exercised when my body craved it, no matter what time of night it could be.  I always carried my cereal, fruit, hard boiled eggs and some sort of a healthy snack in my flight bag.  Depending on the country, I could bring in fresh fruit, so long as I claimed it on my entry form.  Overseas, there is usually a hot pot in each room, so I could either have tea or instant coffee with my breakfast.  One of my favorite things to do on my layovers was to go to the supermarket.  There was nothing more fun for me than to peruse the aisles and try to identify the product if there was no illustration.  In countries like Japan where the people love healthy foods, I would buy salads, or pickled veggies or fish.  Sometimes, I would buy fresh vegetables and would steam them in the hot pot in my room.   And if I had steamed rice in a baggie, then I could do the same with the rice.  I would end up with a complete vegetarian meal in minutes!  I made sure that wherever I was, I maintained the same health and beauty routines that I exercised at home.

Whatever is done while at home can be done away from home.  If running is your thing, then remember to pack running shoes.  If you're  a gym rat, then pack your gym clothes.  Just about all hotels either have onsite facilities or have access to a complete gym in their vicinity.  If you forget to pack these items, then stretch or do push-ups in your room for about 10 minutes.  That's better than nothing at all.

If you've noticed in this article, I have not mentioned smoking.  Smoking is bad for your health, whether at home or away.  Period.

Though this has nothing to do with health and fitness per se, I also personalized my hotel room with pictures from home and lots of scented candles.  These are great for the health of the soul.

As always, everything mentioned is just plain common sense and costs virtually nothing.  So, for those of you who travel frequently, try some of my suggestions or create some of your own and share them.