Pete Alexander gained weight and ended up in the ER during business trips, then learned to eat better while traveling. Restaurant meals are higher in calories and fat than home cooking, and travel stress makes you crave high-calorie foods. Skipping heavy late-night meals on trips reduces stress and protects your health.
Chapters
One of the perks that I enjoy when I travel to different cities is the variety of food that I get to experience. However, that used to come with an unexpected cost that I couldn't expense to my company. I noticed that my waistline tended to expand when my trips lasted more than 2 days. I realized that I had to be more mindful of what I was eating while on business, especially after my emergency room visit, and I suggest you do the same to limit unnecessary stress on your body. First, you simply need to be aware that business travel can predispose you to making poor nutritional decisions. The steak and fries and the late-night cocktail at the hotel might seem justifiable as a reward for acing a long day of client meetings or a long trade show. But research finds that restaurant food contains more calories per serving, is higher in total fat and saturated fat per calorie, and contains less dietary fiber than meals prepared at home. No wonder they taste so good. Research also suggests that that the higher calorie content of restaurant food is compounded by chronic stress like that caused by frequent business travel, which is linked to preferences for even more high-calorie foods. It's a vicious circle, isn't it? So if you think twice about having that late evening heavy meal, your body will appreciate it, and your long-term benefits will compound.
