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We live for our vacation and travel. And we’ll be you do, too.

But travel can make it challenging for us to stay on track with our healthy habits. Let’s be honest…who here has found herself on the third day of vacation only to find that her jeans feel two sizes smaller than they were when she packed them, that she can’t go for that whole bare skinned/vacation makeup look because of the severe breakout she’s battling and that she’s not really had a complete evacuation in the bathroom (read: constipation) since she arrived at her destination? Oh, the joys of travel.

After experimenting on ourselves over our past few trips and taking great notes about what helps to keep us in line and what sends us off into the weeds with our healthy habits, we compiled a list of our best healthy travel tips to share with you here:

1. DRINK WATER, ALL DAY | Shoot for a goal of about half your body weight, in ounces, of water every day and all throughout the day. Try to start your mornings with 10 to 12 ounces of warm water and add fresh squeezed lemon if you have access. (Tip: if you have access to room service, order up a pitcher of hot water and lemons.) If you can’t get lemons or even hot water, set out a bottle of water the night before so it’s room temperature in the morning, and drink that. Drinking warm or room temperature water, but not cold water, before drinking tea or coffee will help hydrate you from going all night without hydration. It also helps to flush your system of toxins and it helps to wake up your digestive system before eating. The more meals you’re eating out, the more sodium and preservatives you’re taking in which makes you retain water, as does alcohol. Adjust your water intake as needed each day, drinking more if you’re eating out a lot or drinking alcohol. 

2. EXERCISE | Exercising most days while on vacation helps to keep your digestion working better, keeps energy levels high and mood elevated and helps your body to better handle the excess sugar and calories you’re taking in from vacation indulgences. Exercise also benefits circulation, and some people believe that sweating helps to detox impurities from the body. You’ll be more likely to stay in tune with your body throughout the day if you exercise in the morning, potentially helping you to make healthier food and drink choices later on. Tip: try out classes in the area in which you’re traveling that you might not have access to at home. 

3. WORK IN VEGETABLES | You can find more balance in vacation meals by working in as many veggies as possible. Think fresh arugula added on top of your flatbread, hummus and veggie sticks as an appetizer or steamed asparagus on the side of your entree. It shouldn’t be all or nothing when traveling (that would be the opposite of balance), so don’t deprive yourself…have the fries if you want them. But get some plant based nutrition in your day as well, which is better than getting none. 

4. B.Y.O.S. (SUPPLEMENTS) | Our favorite supplements to travel with? A high quality greens powder (we mix ours with coconut water), melatonin to ensure we sleep well each night and Natural Calm by Natural Vitality magnesium supplement drink, which is great for those who tend to constipate when they travel. Hey, it happens to the best of us.

5. FAST WHEN FLYING | For anyone who suffers from digestive symptoms when they fly (air travel is incredibly stressful for our bodies), try fasting while you fly. This is something we recently began doing, and it’s worked wonderfully. If you’d like to try it, eat your last meal about three hours before your flight and have a small snack, like a piece of fruit or a small handful of nuts, right before boarding. Be sure to drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated and to keep your system flushed, and pack your own herbal tea bags (our favorites: peppermint, lemon balm and ginger) to drink during your flight. If you have a layover, have another small snack if you need it.