Traveling and Paleo – an oxymoron?

(Me and the majestic Thai crossfitter)

Hello Nutritionizers! I apologize for the disappearing act, I spent the last month in Thailand and Taiwan and was hoping to blog from there but internet was hard to find on the beach. I and my taste buds had a great time trying local foods, exploring the Asian culture, and staying as Paleo as possible from head to toe (the Vibrams were a success!) You may ask “WHY? You are on vacation, eat and be merry”. This was the common response I got from my fellow travelers as well. But nutrition is a lifestyle and if you travel it does too. Surprisingly it wasn’t hard and it wasn’t boring! Many countries and cultures believe in eating seasonally, organically, and freshly (that’s not a word). In Thailand breakfast consisted of a wide spread of fruits (jack fruit, guava, lychee, mango, and more) and proteins (eggs, cheese, smoked salmon, and salami). Meats, fish and poultry were readily available for all meals and it was easy to pass on the rice. Salads and veggies were a little hard to find especially in large quantities, I usually ended up eating those that were used for garnish. Taiwan was a different story and a bit more challenging for me where breads, pastries, dumplings, fried foods, and pork were the norm. After a few days of sushi and Kung pao chicken I found myself having a quesadilla explosion salad at the ever popular American hot spot – Chili’s! It was the first time I had this salad and it took going halfway around the world to appreciate it, haha. I definitely experimented and tried my share of local delicacies including oyster omelets, stinky tofu, and chicken butt, and duck blood adventurous and unappetizing! My non paleo indulgence was Swenson Taro ice cream… it was dairyly delicious and I had it every day I was there (more ice cream than I have had all year!)

There were times I overate, times I splurged, and times I got back on the plan and felt great! So, traveling and paleo- an oxymoron? I think not! But I will let you be the judge of that, next time you travel for a day, a weekend or a month challenge yourself to stick with your nutrition lifestyle.

Glad to be back! I will post on Cholesterol next week to finish of the silent killer series.

Nutritionize!

Ritu Riyat