How to beat those [winter] travel blues — Part 3/3
For the final edition of how to beat those [winter] travel blues, I spoke with Cassandra Patmanidis of For the Love of Me. Cassandra Patmanidis is a motivating Holistic Nutrition Consultant (HBsc, HBSW, CNP) with a background in Psychology and Social Work (H.BSc., H.BSW). Cassandra’s first hand experience of working with food as medicine has fuelled her passion for natural health and desire to share what she knows with anyone who wants to listen. Anybody who knows her well would say that she stands a little bit taller and her eyes get that much brighter with anything nutrition related. Her goal is simply to share what she knows about the power of nutrition on living happier and healthier. Ultimately, Cassandra helps others create and maintain the ability to make conscious and confident choices in managing one’s own health. If you don’t find her working or reading up on the latest nutrition research you will find her spending time with her big Greek family, catching up with friends or cooking up a storm in her kitchen.
Kathleen Killin: What snacks do you carry in your bag?
Cassandra Patmanidis: I will always have 1–2 of these thrown into my everyday bag and/or carry on while travelling:
· Chopped up carrot, celery, red pepper, and cucumber. It sounds like a lot of work but I pre chop them and have them in a small container of water in my fridge so they are easy to grab and go.
(Pro Tip: To keep them from drying out, dampen a paper towel, wrap the veggies and place into a zip-lock bag)
· A piece of whole fruit (organic Gala apple or a firm pear).
· Mixed unsalted nuts (my favourite store bought brand is Prana).
· A clean ingredient, low sugar protein bar. A easy to find nutrition approved bar is by Genuine Health, Fermented Vegan Protein Bar in chocolate chip. If I’m stuck with nothing, most airports have Macrobars and/or Vega protein bars. Just be cautious of high sugar content (try to keep it under 5–9g sugar).
KK: Your complexion is flawless, what advice do you have to frequent travellers to keep their skin fresh?
CP: I have a 2-in-1 trick, water with a greens powder mixed/shaken into it. Water, water and more water! Seems simple enough right? You would be surprised by how few people properly hydrate while travelling! Drinking water is the best way to combat internal and external dehydration caused by the dry air in planes (low humidity in the cabin). A good organic greens powder provides vitamins and minerals that keep not only your skin nourished from the inside out but your whole body too!
Another fresh-faced trick is to use natural oils like pure rose hip oil as a face moisturizer. It locks in the moisture so my skin never looks dull!
KK: What are some workout tips one could do in a hotel room?
CP: Using your own body weight is a great tool. Place a towel down on the floor and do as many burpees as you can, with a push up at the bottom and jump at the top. They are a great total body workout move. Leg raises are one of my favourite to target the lower core. Place your hands under your back, lift your shoulders off the floor and raise both legs up and down (3 sets of 25 reps).
KK: Since it is cold season (as well as conference season!), what are your suggestions on keeping healthy?
CP: Water with fresh lemon is the easiest to implement in your daily routine. It keeps you hydrated and the lemon provides immune boosting vitamin C which helps fight against colds. Although we think of lemons as being acidic, its affect inside the body is actually the opposite, alkaline. Sickness thrives in an acidic environment, which is why lemon juice is a great and easy way to make our bodies less hospitable to germs that make us sick. Eating more fresh vegetables (especially greens), and avoiding sugar and processed foods also contributes to the strength of your immune function.
Probiotics are the ‘good’ bacteria that serve as a line of defence against the ‘bad’ bacteria that can make us sick. Taking a probiotic supplement or eating probiotic rich foods like kefir, sauerkraut, and apple cider vinegar are ways to get more immune protecting bacteria in your daily diet.
KK: What are some general other tips/tricks that you would give to a frequent traveller to remain healthy?
CP: 1. Anything you adopt temporarily will have temporary results. Temporary health is not the goal. Health is a priority. Be mindful of your choices. Just because you are travelling does not mean healthy eating goes out the window.
2. Get to know your surroundings. It takes only 5 minutes to Google near by grocery stores. Grocery Stores are a great stop because the majority of them have a salad bar and hot table. Greens/ veggies and lean protein and you are good to go!
3. Sleep! Sleep is essential for our health. It is the prime time for our bodies to recover, repair and grow. It can be tough getting your 6–8 hours of sleep on a hotel mattress, but there are things you can do to help. You can try reading to help get you sleepy, avoid cell phone use before bed, and supplement with magnesium bis-glycinate to help you relax.
4. Stop concerning yourself with calories! A calorie from an avocado is not the same as a calorie from a candy bar. Calorie counting is not necessary for health!
5. Read ingredients! If you are unable to pronounce an ingredient or understand where in nature it came from, put down the item and walk away! Eat real, whole foods that your body can actually identify and use!
Cassandra, thank you so much for speaking with me and for sharing your pro tips. If you would like to reach out to Cassandra, you can find her here or on Instagram (@fortheloveofme.nutrition) or Facebook. I’ve learnt so much from this series and have already begun to implement suggestions into my daily life. I found the easiest one to do has been to drink more water and carry snacks in my bag. I definitely can see a big difference in my amount of energy, brain power, and getting things checked off the to do list.
