Some cities have poor quality water that is not even necessary to warn passengers, "not drink the water." (Mexico City comes to mind.) However, Galway, Ireland? Who would think to drink only boiled or bottled water in Ireland? The rapid expansion and lax supervision have led to massive pollution of sewage from the River Corrib, which has contaminated the city drinking water.
Even what seems a perfectly safe place to visit a destination can be fatal - on the road. Highway 16 in Canada is the nickname of "Road of Tears" in 30 years, there have been at least 43 unsolved murders of women along this road alone.
Naples, Italy: A traveler's dream ... or your worst nightmare? Depends on when you go there. During the reorganization frequent strikes in the past 15 years, garbage piles were found in mass across the city. When these attacks are being carried out, the whole city is a health hazard, with rats, cockroaches and a smell that does not go away - even worse (and more dangerous) the burning of garbage by locals lots of sheer desperation .
NATURAL DISASTERS: The indigenous people of Shishmaref, Alaska, can not even go to your own place, we are on the way out. This 400 years old Alaska village was built on the permafrost, the melting of sea ice is making the area more vulnerable to storms and erosion. A big storm could wipe out the entire community of 600 people, making this small town a story warning of global warming and its devastating effects.
For a list of places that would not be caught dead in, check what you have just emerged from the University of South Carolina in Colombia: a map of death. The researchers analyzed mortality data of the last 40 years and found that in the country who were more likely to die from extreme heat, cold, hurricanes, storms and other natural phenomena. Skip the Northern Great Plains in the summer because it is particularly prone to drought and heat then, and be sure to avoid the Rocky Mountains in winter are no-go any location due to the freezing weather and flooding.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Traveler’s Diet 3
Cruising toward health
This equipment can help you work out even on one of the most challenging trips for those trying to stay healthy. Did you know that, on average, people gain 8 pounds on a seven-day cruise? The culprit is the all-you-can-eat buffets and the eat-any-time-you-want philosophy.
Your best antidote to bulging up here is to be smart and rely on the buddy system. If your significant other or travel companion is interested in staying fit, that built-in support system can help tremendously. After all, along with those buffets, cruise ships also offer swimming pools, exercise classes and even rock-climbing walls. (Have you noticed that onboard gyms on most cruise ships are full for the first two days, and then virtually empty for the rest of the week? People just give up. For you, that means never having to wait to work out.)
Sleep right
Scientists believe that the less sleep you get, the hungrier you are. But it’s not real hunger that you’re feeling in those conditions. When sleep is restricted in healthy, lean adults, leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite and promotes the feeling of fullness, actually decreases. When you’re sleep-deprived, false signals are sent to the brain that say you’re starving. And that’s when midnight minibar madness takes over. (Hint: Call up the hotel and have them empty out the minibar before you arrive. Temptation eliminated.)
The best way to counteract jet-lag-induced hunger is simple: Sleep well and drink lots of water. OK, that first one is easier said than done, but here are some tips on reducing post-flight fatigue and jet lag:
Try to arrange to arrive in the early evening so you can sleep the night in your hotel.
Set your watch to the destination time zone as soon as you get on the plane.
Flying west to east is harder on your body clock, so prepare yourself by waking up and going to bed earlier for a few days before your trip.
If it’s still light out when you arrive at your destination, take a walk to suppress your body’s natural melatonin production and reset your body clock.
Avoid alcohol: It may induce drowsiness, but usually results in fragmented sleep.
Avoid caffeine: It takes a few days to clear caffeine from your body, but definitely avoid it for at least six hours before your bedtime.
Eat high-protein breakfasts and lunches, and high-carbohydrate dinners to increase your levels of sleep-inducing serotonin.
This last one may be tough, but whenever possible, don’t eat your main meal after 8 p.m. That will help not only your sleep habits, but also your waistline.
If you're concerned about jet lag, do what I do: No matter what time you arrive, stay up until midnight local time. If you succumb to the temptation of a 3 p.m. nap, you won’t feel like yourself for three days. So stay awake. Take a walk. Shoot hoops. Do anything you can not to sleep until midnight. By the second night, your body will be back on its regular cycles. Then, repeat the same process before your flight home so you can adjust back to your normal routines of working out and eating right. Do that and you won’t gain back any weight you’ve lost by following healthy habits on the road.
This equipment can help you work out even on one of the most challenging trips for those trying to stay healthy. Did you know that, on average, people gain 8 pounds on a seven-day cruise? The culprit is the all-you-can-eat buffets and the eat-any-time-you-want philosophy.
Your best antidote to bulging up here is to be smart and rely on the buddy system. If your significant other or travel companion is interested in staying fit, that built-in support system can help tremendously. After all, along with those buffets, cruise ships also offer swimming pools, exercise classes and even rock-climbing walls. (Have you noticed that onboard gyms on most cruise ships are full for the first two days, and then virtually empty for the rest of the week? People just give up. For you, that means never having to wait to work out.)
Sleep right
Scientists believe that the less sleep you get, the hungrier you are. But it’s not real hunger that you’re feeling in those conditions. When sleep is restricted in healthy, lean adults, leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite and promotes the feeling of fullness, actually decreases. When you’re sleep-deprived, false signals are sent to the brain that say you’re starving. And that’s when midnight minibar madness takes over. (Hint: Call up the hotel and have them empty out the minibar before you arrive. Temptation eliminated.)
The best way to counteract jet-lag-induced hunger is simple: Sleep well and drink lots of water. OK, that first one is easier said than done, but here are some tips on reducing post-flight fatigue and jet lag:
Try to arrange to arrive in the early evening so you can sleep the night in your hotel.
Set your watch to the destination time zone as soon as you get on the plane.
Flying west to east is harder on your body clock, so prepare yourself by waking up and going to bed earlier for a few days before your trip.
If it’s still light out when you arrive at your destination, take a walk to suppress your body’s natural melatonin production and reset your body clock.
Avoid alcohol: It may induce drowsiness, but usually results in fragmented sleep.
Avoid caffeine: It takes a few days to clear caffeine from your body, but definitely avoid it for at least six hours before your bedtime.
Eat high-protein breakfasts and lunches, and high-carbohydrate dinners to increase your levels of sleep-inducing serotonin.
This last one may be tough, but whenever possible, don’t eat your main meal after 8 p.m. That will help not only your sleep habits, but also your waistline.
If you're concerned about jet lag, do what I do: No matter what time you arrive, stay up until midnight local time. If you succumb to the temptation of a 3 p.m. nap, you won’t feel like yourself for three days. So stay awake. Take a walk. Shoot hoops. Do anything you can not to sleep until midnight. By the second night, your body will be back on its regular cycles. Then, repeat the same process before your flight home so you can adjust back to your normal routines of working out and eating right. Do that and you won’t gain back any weight you’ve lost by following healthy habits on the road.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Traveler’s Diet 2
Power walk
Here’s another airport tip: Keep moving. So many of us get lazy when we travel and sit around when we could be exercising. So get to the airport early and start walking. Its inexplicable layout is one of the reasons I dislike Miami International Airport so much, but at the same time, getting from Terminal C to Terminal D is a great mile-long walk. Or, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, skip the skylink train and you can pack in as much as 2.5 miles of walking.
Even better, try to find a gym near (or in) the airport: The Hilton Hotel is located inside O’Hare, and you can get a day pass to its fitness center for $10. At Las Vegas’ McCarran International, a 24-Hour Fitness gym is located just above the south baggage claim. It’s free for members and $10 for everyone else. Want to find out if there’s a gym in your city’s airport? Check out http://www.airportgyms.com.
On the plane
Just because you’re in a confined space doesn’t mean you should stop moving. Not only will that help you stay fit, but it can also help prevent a serious medical condition. Deep vein thrombosis is sometimes called “economy-class syndrome” due to its association with a lack of legroom for long-haul coach passengers. (It can also arise even on shorter flights — anything longer than two hours and you should start moving.)
DVT occurs when blood clots form in the leg, usually from poor circulation; if it isn’t treated, it can be fatal.
The most common symptoms of DVT include:
Cramping or aching in the legs, particularly when moved
Elevated skin temperature in the area
Surface veins that become particularly noticeable
Swelling of the feet and legs
The more mobility you have on your flight, the better your circulation. So, try getting up and walking up and down the aisle, flexing and pointing your feet and rotating your ankles. Another technique is to sit straight up and take deep breaths; focus on a muscle group (such as abs, glutes or calves), and as you exhale, tighten those muscles for a count of 20. Release and repeat 10 times, in between drinking those bottles of water you brought along with you.
Exercising on the road
It’s not easy to stick to a workout routine when you’re away from home, especially in a hotel gym that boasts nothing more than a broken treadmill and a set of dumbbells. In fact, in a survey of 300 business travelers for Westin Hotels and Resorts, 64 percent said that hotel fitness rooms “seem like an afterthought,” and 55 percent said they avoided hotel gyms altogether because of their bad condition.
It wasn’t an easy adjustment for me, but I’ve learned over the years to rely on some easy-to-use, portable equipment that allows me to exercise in my hotel room on my own time. Here are the three essentials:
Inflatable weights: AquaBells (http://www.aquabells.com) are made of heavy-duty vinyl and weigh only 24 ounces when deflated. When you’re ready to work out, fill them with water to make them as heavy as 32 pounds per pair. You can also get lighter ankle weights, which make for a great workout when you’re walking through the airport or around town. A set of two dumbbells costs about $60, and smaller ankle weights cost about $30.
The Stick: This device (http://www.thestick.com) is less about burning calories and more about staying pain-free. It’s made of flexible pieces that help massage sore muscles and knots. Simply roll the stick along your muscles, and if you feel tender spots, keep rolling for 20-30 seconds. If you feel any knots, hold the stick at that spot for 20 seconds or until you feel the knot release.
A jump rope: Take a trip back in time and get yourself this gym-class essential. It gives you an all-over workout, working muscles throughout your body and getting your heart rate up. If you’re not the coordinated type, try something called a ropeless jump rope (http://www.jumpsnap.com) . Its battery-powered handles have balls at the end that spin around, creating the illusion that you’re jumping with a real rope — without getting tangled up in your hotel room.
Here’s another airport tip: Keep moving. So many of us get lazy when we travel and sit around when we could be exercising. So get to the airport early and start walking. Its inexplicable layout is one of the reasons I dislike Miami International Airport so much, but at the same time, getting from Terminal C to Terminal D is a great mile-long walk. Or, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, skip the skylink train and you can pack in as much as 2.5 miles of walking.
Even better, try to find a gym near (or in) the airport: The Hilton Hotel is located inside O’Hare, and you can get a day pass to its fitness center for $10. At Las Vegas’ McCarran International, a 24-Hour Fitness gym is located just above the south baggage claim. It’s free for members and $10 for everyone else. Want to find out if there’s a gym in your city’s airport? Check out http://www.airportgyms.com.
On the plane
Just because you’re in a confined space doesn’t mean you should stop moving. Not only will that help you stay fit, but it can also help prevent a serious medical condition. Deep vein thrombosis is sometimes called “economy-class syndrome” due to its association with a lack of legroom for long-haul coach passengers. (It can also arise even on shorter flights — anything longer than two hours and you should start moving.)
DVT occurs when blood clots form in the leg, usually from poor circulation; if it isn’t treated, it can be fatal.
The most common symptoms of DVT include:
Cramping or aching in the legs, particularly when moved
Elevated skin temperature in the area
Surface veins that become particularly noticeable
Swelling of the feet and legs
The more mobility you have on your flight, the better your circulation. So, try getting up and walking up and down the aisle, flexing and pointing your feet and rotating your ankles. Another technique is to sit straight up and take deep breaths; focus on a muscle group (such as abs, glutes or calves), and as you exhale, tighten those muscles for a count of 20. Release and repeat 10 times, in between drinking those bottles of water you brought along with you.
Exercising on the road
It’s not easy to stick to a workout routine when you’re away from home, especially in a hotel gym that boasts nothing more than a broken treadmill and a set of dumbbells. In fact, in a survey of 300 business travelers for Westin Hotels and Resorts, 64 percent said that hotel fitness rooms “seem like an afterthought,” and 55 percent said they avoided hotel gyms altogether because of their bad condition.
It wasn’t an easy adjustment for me, but I’ve learned over the years to rely on some easy-to-use, portable equipment that allows me to exercise in my hotel room on my own time. Here are the three essentials:
Inflatable weights: AquaBells (http://www.aquabells.com) are made of heavy-duty vinyl and weigh only 24 ounces when deflated. When you’re ready to work out, fill them with water to make them as heavy as 32 pounds per pair. You can also get lighter ankle weights, which make for a great workout when you’re walking through the airport or around town. A set of two dumbbells costs about $60, and smaller ankle weights cost about $30.
The Stick: This device (http://www.thestick.com) is less about burning calories and more about staying pain-free. It’s made of flexible pieces that help massage sore muscles and knots. Simply roll the stick along your muscles, and if you feel tender spots, keep rolling for 20-30 seconds. If you feel any knots, hold the stick at that spot for 20 seconds or until you feel the knot release.
A jump rope: Take a trip back in time and get yourself this gym-class essential. It gives you an all-over workout, working muscles throughout your body and getting your heart rate up. If you’re not the coordinated type, try something called a ropeless jump rope (http://www.jumpsnap.com) . Its battery-powered handles have balls at the end that spin around, creating the illusion that you’re jumping with a real rope — without getting tangled up in your hotel room.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Traveler’s Diet 1
The new year is always a good time to start a new routine, particularly if you’re concerned with losing weight, like so many Americans.
Despite your best intentions, however, travel is the great enemy — no matter what shape you’re in or whatever your exercise program. The minute you leave home, your routine takes an immediate vacation. That’s because when we travel, many of us give ourselves permission to go off the wagon when it comes to diet and exercise. It’s understandable: Long wait times at airports, unexpected delays, hotel minibars stocked with nothing but junk food, and out-of-whack sleeping and eating schedules stack the odds against us.
No one knows how difficult it is to keep healthy habits while traveling more than I do. I fly 400,000 miles a year, which means I've had a rather intimate relationship with airport food, airline food and hotel minibars. I used to snack on the run and became almost addicted to Diet Pepsi (up to 20 cans a day), peanut M&M's, Snickers and Pringles. And does the word Cinnabon ring a bell for anyone?
I soon reached a point where I needed to make a radical change in my eating habits — and my travel habits as well. The two were too closely intertwined.
Here’s what I learned along the way that helps me — even to this day — stay healthy on the road.
Brown-bag it
Carrying your own food is the best way to control your eating, no matter how, where or when you’re traveling. If you’re driving or taking a train, do what I do and lug along a six-pack of 8-ounce water bottles. Then bring your choice of apples, baby carrots, sliced peppers or a bag of dried fruit. If you’re flying, buy as much water as you can carry from the airport newsstand, along with easy-to-transport items like pretzels, trail mix or raisins. Or try one of the most overlooked snacks, beef jerky — low in fat, high in protein and tasty, too.
Terminal addiction
The one place where it’s really difficult to be a healthy traveler is the airport. Most airports offer either fast food or shockingly calorie-laden meals at sit-down restaurants. And when it comes to the food you can buy on the plane, why bother paying $8 for a soggy sandwich that isn’t good for you anyway?
So your first move should be a defensive one: Don’t leave home with an empty stomach. That especially applies to business travelers who seem never to have enough time to eat a decent meal, which often results in unhealthy snacking on the road.
But there are some diet-friendly choices out there. In the atrium of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, you’ll find Atlanta Bread Company (known as Panera in other locations), which sells items like a veggie sandwich (just hold the cheese and mayo), fruit salad and garden vegetable soup. At Chicago’s O’Hare, Burrito Beach offers a healthy black-bean-and-rice burrito — but, again, be proactive and ask to hold the cheese.
Even the big chains have smarter options. At TGI Friday’s, stick with the grilled shrimp skewers and salad and get your dressing on the side. Or try the spaghetti with marinara sauce at Sbarro or the black-bean burger at Chili’s.
And here's a big surprise: Remember that dreaded Cinnabon? A lot of us, myself included, are initially seduced by its fabulous smell. And if we have the discipline as we approach the counter, we might decide to pass it up for a turkey wrap sandwich from the kiosk next door. We might think we’re making a healthier choice. But guess what? In order to keep that sandwich moist, which may sit in a refrigerator display case for eight hours or more, the bread is coated with so much high-cholesterol/high-calorie sauce that it might actually be worse than the Cinnabon. My advice: Skip them both!
By Peter Greenberg
Despite your best intentions, however, travel is the great enemy — no matter what shape you’re in or whatever your exercise program. The minute you leave home, your routine takes an immediate vacation. That’s because when we travel, many of us give ourselves permission to go off the wagon when it comes to diet and exercise. It’s understandable: Long wait times at airports, unexpected delays, hotel minibars stocked with nothing but junk food, and out-of-whack sleeping and eating schedules stack the odds against us.
No one knows how difficult it is to keep healthy habits while traveling more than I do. I fly 400,000 miles a year, which means I've had a rather intimate relationship with airport food, airline food and hotel minibars. I used to snack on the run and became almost addicted to Diet Pepsi (up to 20 cans a day), peanut M&M's, Snickers and Pringles. And does the word Cinnabon ring a bell for anyone?
I soon reached a point where I needed to make a radical change in my eating habits — and my travel habits as well. The two were too closely intertwined.
Here’s what I learned along the way that helps me — even to this day — stay healthy on the road.
Brown-bag it
Carrying your own food is the best way to control your eating, no matter how, where or when you’re traveling. If you’re driving or taking a train, do what I do and lug along a six-pack of 8-ounce water bottles. Then bring your choice of apples, baby carrots, sliced peppers or a bag of dried fruit. If you’re flying, buy as much water as you can carry from the airport newsstand, along with easy-to-transport items like pretzels, trail mix or raisins. Or try one of the most overlooked snacks, beef jerky — low in fat, high in protein and tasty, too.
Terminal addiction
The one place where it’s really difficult to be a healthy traveler is the airport. Most airports offer either fast food or shockingly calorie-laden meals at sit-down restaurants. And when it comes to the food you can buy on the plane, why bother paying $8 for a soggy sandwich that isn’t good for you anyway?
So your first move should be a defensive one: Don’t leave home with an empty stomach. That especially applies to business travelers who seem never to have enough time to eat a decent meal, which often results in unhealthy snacking on the road.
But there are some diet-friendly choices out there. In the atrium of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, you’ll find Atlanta Bread Company (known as Panera in other locations), which sells items like a veggie sandwich (just hold the cheese and mayo), fruit salad and garden vegetable soup. At Chicago’s O’Hare, Burrito Beach offers a healthy black-bean-and-rice burrito — but, again, be proactive and ask to hold the cheese.
Even the big chains have smarter options. At TGI Friday’s, stick with the grilled shrimp skewers and salad and get your dressing on the side. Or try the spaghetti with marinara sauce at Sbarro or the black-bean burger at Chili’s.
And here's a big surprise: Remember that dreaded Cinnabon? A lot of us, myself included, are initially seduced by its fabulous smell. And if we have the discipline as we approach the counter, we might decide to pass it up for a turkey wrap sandwich from the kiosk next door. We might think we’re making a healthier choice. But guess what? In order to keep that sandwich moist, which may sit in a refrigerator display case for eight hours or more, the bread is coated with so much high-cholesterol/high-calorie sauce that it might actually be worse than the Cinnabon. My advice: Skip them both!
By Peter Greenberg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)