Not deviating from your nutrition and exercise routine is
hard enough on an ordinary day for some. Enter the ultimate malevolence, air
travel and hotel rooms and you have enough despicable elements to derail your
hard work. We prepare by packing our shoes, clothes, underwear and reading material why is nutrition forgotten?
If you plan in advance you don’t need to sell your soul to the mini bar devil himself! The good news is that a rough spot doesn’t have to derail all
your efforts to stay on track with your health & training goals. When my hotel is being booked for me I have one request - a gym. Your runners also double as pretty neat protective housing for snacks in your bag. You take your food wrapped yeah? So quit thinkin about shoes and food and STAY FOCUSED!
My
aims when travelling are be prepared, for when you’re ahh not prepared duh. It’s not rocket science, it’s not even religion
studies actually but it’s amazing how many humans just don’t do it. I always
try to have food on hand for meal times, also snacks in case I'm craving. That
way I don’t have to rely on will power as much, I have free passes through each
gate. I am absolutely frothing over these new raw bars from Freshness Fine
Foods. When you open the packet, each slab is positioned against cardboard
backing, once you peel away from backing the bar is a chewy flexible mass. The
way real food is when its blended with other wholesome natural ingredients! I
buy mine from Macro Wholefoods in Dank Street – look how cheap they are,
perfect for those ‘unprepared’ moments.
 |
| http://www.freshness.com.au/bars.php |
Major
rule - don’t hit that mini bar – instead of just one fruit and nut bar
disappearing it will be the whole god damn contents of the fridge. In the
morning when checking out of your room the youngest, most inexperienced
concierge makes a beeline to serve you. The words ‘trainee’ emblazoned on their
name badge screams with the attention of vivid red light district fluros.
Instead of discreetly offering an itemised list to check off the previous
nights sins, the trainee, with the volume of a foghorn invites you to be the
lead role in the broadway show ‘Concierge Confessions - Last Night’s Indiscretions’.
Together with battling grim memory demons now the public speaking demon whispers
satanically, the foyer turns opportunely noiseless, the stage is now yours to perish
upon. For the record this is hypothetical, it’s never happened to me. Ever.
This
past Sunday afternoon I was at ANZ stadium proudly watching the Bulldogs
whitewash the Sea Eagles. I’d been training since 10am, showered at practice
and went straight to the game. Chatting in Star City’s corporate box with my
manager and injured Frank Pritchard we are offered meat pies. Hello enticement,
we meet again. I politely declined the dutiful waiter not before receiving
witty jabs from the boys about having ‘just one’. Does the consumer of pies
feel less guilty if the health nut agrees to one? Is the consumer of pies merely
upholding Aussie tradition of mockery amongst friends? Most likely the latter. The boys had more pies on demand, edible and
piping fresh direct from the chefs private kitchen out back. This was no mass
serving tray strewn with remnants of party pies turning stone hard and frosty. Medium
sized meat pies on an individual plate just for you. Was the chef out back
kneading his own pastry or what? Does pastry even get kneaded? Damn, these puppies
smelt like the business!
 |
| The ex Coca Cola Employee is not pictured here! |
That morning whilst packing for the days outings I had two choices.
1.
Roll out empty handed, rely on willpower and the best of
intentions to get through the day eating clean
2.
Whip up Raw Monkey Choc Protein Smoothie (below) jammed with loads
of ice to keep cold, pack BREAKFAST BALLS (recipe) baggie of mixed raw activated nuts, nashi pear, mandarin & apple
 |
 |
| Breakfast Ball mix pre mould |
The
reality is I’m not a superhero, I have just as much on my agenda as the next
person. I chose option 2, even smart people make bad decisions when they’re
rushed.
I
digress, back to the corporate box. I whip out my breakfast balls and begin to
unwrap, the boys and waiters intently wondering what monstrosity could arise
from the foil. I break open one of the little pearlers, revealing a slight
tinge of green from spirulina which poses questions about ingredients. One of
the lovely waitress’s wasn’t even sure what spirulina was. If I hadn’t been
training all day and was ready to knaw my own wrist off perhaps I would have
offered them a taste. Actually nah they were fine with their pies. What I am conscious
of is not being that ‘health nut’ that looks down on others for eating their
pies – tuck in champ, go for your life! I would only pipe up if over several
meetings you smashed numerous pies then whinged about being a slob. I’d also
strongly disagree if you told me Coca Cola is wait for it - healthy to drink every
now and then because of it’s ‘cleansing properties’. Cleansing like Ajax on the
floor, like Exit Mould on tile grate. The same person went on to tell me he
used to be an employee of Coca Cola for many years. In the factory they kept a huge
waste bin where damaged products unable to be sold were discarded. When the bin
was emptied they discovered Coca Cola had CORRODED A HOLE IN THE EARTH! Over
the course of a month fluid had leaked eating through the base of the bin and rotting
a ditch in the asphalt! This persons profile will remain anonymous, perhaps the
consumption of the beverage has impeded his brain function over the years. Nice
bloke though, I ain’t judging each to their own. You do your thing I’ll do
mine.
Perhaps
if the night previous I hadn’t been at a Christmas in July party and eaten my
far share of impure goodies I would have indulged in a pie. My life is
relatively structured yes, but every now and then I free myself from the
pressure to stay perfectly on track which I think helps in my long term goals. But
the free reigns gates don’t stay open for longer than necessary.
Jennifer Thompson Detox
Expert, Health Coach and Iridologist put it well- ‘We have to look at the body
as a whole, not just focus on one food, one additive, one organ or one symptom.’
This great quote guides each 24 hours I am alive and well.
Be well too! Au revoir.
No comments:
Post a Comment