My 5 Healthy Essentials While on a Road Trip

As most of you know by now from my previous post (or from my Instagram feed: @deliciouslyvibrant), I have embarked on a brand new and crazy adventure: road tripping across Australia for a few weeks before the end of my visa stay in this massive country! Yes, it is a beautiful experience with lots of breathtaking landscapes and new discoveries. But there was one thing I promised myself before deciding to go on this journey: I will do my best to stay healthy and to eat healthy! It can be so easy to rely on canned foods and instant noodles (yikes) while being on the road for so long. But of course, the healthy junky that I am was not gonna allow that! I want my body to remain strong, healthy and fit even if I am on the road and my routine is completely thrown off balance. So today I wanted to share with you my 5 Healthy Essentials while on a road trip across Australia (or any road trip for that matter).

Keeping in mind that even though I am doing my best to eat healthy options, prepare healthy meals and keep up with my healthy routines, I have had to remain open-minded and flexible as well. So, on those days where I do not feel so great about the food options available to me or the level of my physical activity: these 5 healthy essentials do help me while on this road trip.

So without further ado, here are my:

5 Healthy Essentials While on a Road Trip:

1/ Get a Re-Usable Water Bottle

This was the first thing I knew I needed to get my hands on. My previous and trusty glass re-usable water bottle had to stay back in Belgium and so I needed to find a new one for this trip. You see, drinking water is a major health tip. It allows you to stay hydrated first (duh!), but most importantly, water is an essential component for healthy body metabolism. This means that you need water for every single vital body function you can think of. Water is essential for healthy digestion, assimilation, elimination, skin health, cellular metabolism, energy and overal body health. Especially while on the go for such a long period of time, staying well hydrated is crucial. And since water will not be readily accessible (as in no more filtered water from my house), a re-usable water bottle was important to get in order to make sure I refill whenever filtered water is available and I always have some clean water to drink wherever we go (camping, hiking, sightseeing, driving, etc). After investigating on a few light-weight options, I chose this : Klean Kanteen 27 oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle (Sports Cap 3.0 in Black) – Pink Anemone. It is stainless steel, light-weight and does not leave any metallic taste to my water. I love it! I usually drink at least 3 bottles (which is close to 3 liters a day, perfect for my own body weight and needs).

2/ Have Some Lemons or Apple Cider Vinegar

Following up on our little discussion about water, just as staying hydrated is primordial on this trip, drinking clean water is another one. Now hear me out, because I am travelling in a mini-van, filtered water will NOT always be available and has NOT always been available. Most of the time, we have to rely on tap water (sometimes straight from a clean source in the middle of the forest or mountains) but sometimes, it’s just “drinkable” tap water that most likely has NOT been filtered the way that I would love. So, when life gives you lemons… héhé. No, I am not gonna make lemonade. But I am going to use my trust lemons (or ACV if lemons are not available). Lemons are a great way to alkalize your water and give it a nice refreshing taste. It is also a great way to promote healthy digestion and to help my liver detox whatever is in that tap water that my body won’t like. So yes, filtered water might not always be available to us, but at least I have my lemons to help improve the health of my body while on this road trip. Note: ACV will have the same effect, just use 1TBSP for your bottle to dilute it as it has a very strong flavour and taste.

3/ Take Your Probiotics

SO excited about this! Probiotics have been the only supplement that I constantly go back to no matter what. Sure, eating probiotic-containing foods is another great way to help replenish your gut in healthy bacteria… But as you know, while on this road trip, coconut kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha (though I had the pleasure to get my fix in Byron Bay), and the likes will not always be accessible to me. Therefore, my trusty probiotics capsules will do the trick just fine. Just make sure you keep them in a cool and dry area. If travelling in hot and humid temperatures (which we have not gotten to yet), a cooler WITH ice will be a must to keep your little guys alive. If not, a cool, cold and dark area in your vehicle will do the trick. It got so cold throughout the first 3 weeks of our trip that I was not worried at all, even without a fridge. My probiotics help keep my digestion on point and my immune system strong while on this road trip. Another healthy essential in my book!

4/ Have Some Vitamin C

Just for the same reason as my trusty probiotics, I chose to get my hands on a healthy vitamin C supplement. I usually do not necessarily use vitamin C supplement on the daily as I get plenty of vitamin C from my fruits and veggies. But once again, on this road trip, smoothies and salads will not always be readily available. Smoothies and healthy juices are definitely not something I am able to consume regularly anymore. And though, I do my best to get my hands on fresh fruits and vegetables as often as possible, I have to remain flexible and find a way to boost my immune system for the days when eating 2 apples and 2 mandarines just do not feel like enough to give my body the amount of vitamin C that it needs. So, this is the brand that I chose as it also contains Echinaccea, another powerful immune system booster. Vitamin C is always very essential for energy, which I shall need a lot of to drive long hours under the sun.

5/ Use a Good Lip Balm

I know, I know. You may not think that having a lip balm is anything essential… But if you are like me, chances are you do. You see, my lips are extremely sensitive to harsh weather conditions: whether it is too much sun or dry winds or extremely cold temperatures, you name it and my lips will crack or get super dry if I did not have a good and healthy moisturizing lip balm. It is my number one beauty essential actually. I make sure to hydrate from the inside out first (i.e. drink plenty of water) and then seal in that moisture with a nice moisturizing lip balm. No petrolatum or nasty chemicals on my lips, thank you very much. In the past, I have used different healthy brands or even raw shea butter, but for this trip, I went back to my favourite healthy and natural body cosmetic company in Australia: Perfect Potion and chose this: Perfect Potion – Lip Balm – Sublime – 4.4g/0.15oz . I mean,I worked for them so I know how good and trustworthy their products are.

I hope these 5 tips help you stay on top of your health game even when your routine gets thrown off balance. There is always a way to remain healthy and to keep your body vibrant!

In great health,

Sarah.