Feel good when you travel - and when you return home
People ask me all the time how to stay on track with nutrition and habits when you're out of town, on vacation, or traveling outside of your normal routine. It can be a challenge, but a few simple shifts can make it much easier.
1. Love Your Routine at Home
This is key. If you don’t enjoy your daily routine, it’s easy to resist returning to it. But when you love the food you eat, the way you move your body, the rest you get, and how you feel day-to-day, it’s much easier to ease back in.
When you’re doing things that help you feel your best, you’ll naturally want to return to them. The more sustainable and enjoyable your habits are, the more grounded you’ll feel—even after time away.
2. Find Balance While You’re Away
Travel doesn’t mean you have to throw balance out the window. Instead, aim for a mix: enjoy the food and experiences you want to have, while still honoring the things that make you feel good.
For example, on our recent anniversary trip to Hotel Domestique in Travelers Rest (highly recommend if you’re ever in the area!), we had fresh, delicious meals, and I tried to stay in tune with how my body felt.
One morning, I ordered the chef’s special—oatmeal with berries, sweetened nuts, and an English muffin with jam and Nutella. I tasted the Nutella and found it too sweet, so I left it and enjoyed the rest. That kind of gentle selectiveness helps align your choices with how you want to feel.
Since that breakfast was filling, we skipped lunch and just had some fresh fruit. For dinner, we ate early and shared a cheese board with fresh bread, followed by entrees of salad with fresh greens, pickled veggies, nuts, and shrimp. It felt balanced—plenty of fiber-rich foods that left me full and satisfied. And yes, we shared a dessert :)
During the day, we made time for the gym, sat in the sun, and relaxed in the sauna—all of which helped balance out a few more indulgent choices.
The bottom line? Stay mindful of your body’s needs. Tune in to how food makes you feel, notice when you might want a break from alcohol, and check in with whether your body wants movement, sunshine, or rest.
A Few Travel Tips
Pack snacks: fresh fruit, dried fruit (like prunes and figs), almond butter, and soda water or bottled water are great for road trips or plane rides.
Be intentional with food—but remember that health includes physical, emotional, and mental well-being. You don’t need to be perfect.
Think about your values. The food you eat can reflect what matters to you. You can prioritize health and still enjoy new experiences. And when one compromises the other, it’s okay to adjust.
3. Support Yourself When You Return
If you come home not feeling your best, don’t feel guilty. Travel often brings changes to your routine— and that’s not just okay, it’s necessary. Time away gives you perspective. It helps break patterns, shift your mindset, and bring clarity to what’s working (and what isn’t).
When you return, ease back into your routine. Sometimes it just takes a few days to feel the benefits. Start with the basics:
Hydrate.
Get good sleep.
Make simple meals with produce and fiber-rich foods.
A bowl of vegetable soup, a fresh salad, a smoothie, or something light can help reset your taste buds and gently bring you back into balance.
Remember: Balance — not perfection — is the goal.
If you need help creating a routine you love coming back to after traveling, I’d love to support you through 1:1 coaching.
Learn more or email lauren@laurenbenser.com
Married to a Dietitian.
Still forgot to eat a vegetable today.
From the Desk of Josh Benser, RDH (Registered Dietitian’s Husband)
If you live with a mechanic, there's a good chance your vehicles are in top shape. Well, my wife is a registered dietitian, which means I have access to an endless supply of nutrition wisdom, balanced meals and five kinds of healthy seeds. And yet somehow, I still find myself staring into the pantry wondering, “Are Cheez-It calories the same as broccoli calories?”
(P.S. They're not.)
Here’s the truth: I want to eat well. I really do. But I’m also a creature of convenience and sometimes find it difficult to resist wings and beer.
Here are three things I try to keep in mind when I’m aiming to make better choices without completely losing my mind:
Uno - Know my why
Let’s be honest. When kids say, “My dad can beat up your dad” on the playground, I don’t want to be the one everyone silently agrees is going down first.
Dos - Have a plan (because willpower is a lie)
You have to get ahead of it. Stocking the fridge and pantry with foods I actually like, that also happen to be good for me, is the only way I stand a chance. If it's not already in the house, it's probably not happening. If it is, I’m much more likely to eat it especially if it doesn’t require a YouTube tutorial to prep.
Tres - No self-shaming
If lunch was a disaster (something I definitely didn’t read the nutrition label on and maybe didn’t mention to Lauren), I treat dinner like my comeback tour. One off meal doesn’t mean the whole day’s a wash. It’s not a test I failed. It’s just lunch.
If you're like me, doing your best but far from perfect, you’re in good company. I live with a dietitian, and I'm still figuring it out. The struggle is real, but so is the progress. You can do this. I can too. And we’ll both keep showing up, one better choice at a time.
Josh Benser, RDH
Learn more about how Lauren can help you make a plan to get healthier and feel better.
Little Shifts, Big Wins
Quick ideas to feel better, one small decision at a time.
🛏️ Start your day with light instead of a screen.
Open a window or step outside within 30 minutes of waking. Early morning light helps reset your circadian rhythm, supports sleep the following night and may even reduce cravings later in the day.
🥗 Eat something green before 3 p.m.
It doesn’t have to be a kale salad. Throw spinach into eggs, blend it into a smoothie or snack on snap peas. You’ll get fiber, antioxidants and a blood sugar buffer that supports afternoon energy.
🧠 Take your stress for a walk.
Even 10 minutes of walking outdoors can help lower cortisol and promote clarity. Bring a podcast, your dog or your overwhelmed thoughts and just move.
Group programs kicking off soon
June 24
Women’s Health Nutrition Program
A six-week group experience for perimenopause and menopause
This program helps women in perimenopause and menopause build nutrition habits that support long-term health. Over six weeks, you’ll learn how to eat in a way that supports your energy, metabolism and bone health — without restriction or overwhelm. With weekly structure and guidance, you'll create a routine that works for your body now and in the years to come.