Author: Lenette Nakauchi
Source: ezinearticles.com

Whether you are traveling for work or leisure-planning and preparation is key!

You’ve discovered that the raw food diet and lifestyle definitely allows you to feel your best. Now you need to maintain that level of energy as best you can while enjoying life in another city. It can be easy to fall into bad eating habits while traveling, so you need to make your raw lifestyle and personal health a priority when you’re away from the comforts of your home kitchen. I’ve found that bringing along dried, portable foods and supplements, as well as some fresh foods can be the difference between staying raw and completely falling off the wagon and experiencing a wave of regret. Planning ahead, some internet research before you leave, and getting to know the local natural food stores will help you enjoy the healthiest trip of your life.

These are all things I do and doing all of them allows me to never be apprehensive towards travel. I would hate for my diet to hold me back from traveling. I don’t think it would be worth it if it did! A couple days before you leave, start thinking about what raw snacks, superfoods, and supplements you’d really love to have with you. I portion my superfood snacks into small plastic baggies, and keep them in a larger zipped bag (for example: handful of almonds, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, dried figs, etc). I usually bring at least one raw food snack bar for each day I’ll be on vacation. Other handy (and super-nutritious) travel snacks could be sea vegetables (such as whole leaf dulse), bee pollen, and an old vitamin jar full of superfood powders (green powder, maca, a little stevia for sweetness). I always bring a glass jar with a screw top lid to shake up the green powders in water. I never go anywhere without my Celtic sea salt shaker bottle either. All this, believe it or not, will fit in a large plastic zipper bag.

If you take multivitamins and other supplements, bring those too! Most of us will need this kind of nutritional support the most while traveling because we may not have access to all the foods we’re used to. I love reusing the tin cases mints come in for toting around vitamins, enzymes, and other supplements. They’re the perfect size!

A couple more things you may want to pack: a thin plastic cutting board, silverware (including a butterknife or something similar-packed in your checked in luggage, please), and some herbal laxatives–a change in diet plus travel makes for constipation-you’ll thank me!

You’re almost set! If you’re staying in a hotel, be sure to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your room. There is usually no charge for one, especially if you say you have a special diet. If you’re staying at a friend’s place, let them know about your diet and ask them if they don’t mind you having a special area in their fridge for your foods. If you’re going to be in a car for a while, maybe think about bringing a small cooler. The bottom line is, you’ll want to keep your salad greens, vegetables, and fruit cool so they don’t go bad.

Also, before you leave, be sure to spend some time online checking out all the raw vegan, vegan, vegetarian, and/or organic restaurants near you. Write down the addresses and phone numbers before you leave. Find out where the nearest natural food store is and see if there are any farmers markets in town. These should be some of the first stops you make when you reach your destination. Natural food stores will be essential in supplying your greens, organics, and other fun snacks you’d like. Many times you can find a raw food section with prepared gourmet raw entrees as well!

Here are some great websites that will help you:

rawfoodrestaurantguide.com/blog/ (Enter your email on the website and the guide link will be emailed to you. )
sunfoodtraveler.com
.HappyCow.net (lists all vegetarian, vegan, and raw food restaurants)/li>

The key is to not feel nutritionally deprived at any point during your trip. The people you will be traveling with may have to make an extra stop just for you, but as long as you have what you need, you can hang out with them from that point on.

Some people have asked me if I travel with my Vita-mix blender or Magic Bullet mini-blender. I don’t. But I usually don’t travel for more than one week at a time. If I was to travel for two weeks or more, I would definitely consider bringing a blender with me because I love green smoothies in the morning. I could also make juice with the Vita-mix using a nut milk bag. But for trips of only a week or less, organic fruit in the morning is perfect.

I usually make a salad for the plane flight, or long car ride, too. I do this for several reasons:

I usually can’t go for more than three hours after my typical fruit-only breakfasts without eating.
I usually have plenty of greens, veggies, and ripe avocados in my fridge that will go bad while I’m gone, so why not use them?
I like to get one last awesome meal in before switching to more dried foods and possibly non-organic meals.
I like saving money on meals and snacks.
I need a couple of reusable plastic containers for salads I’ll make in my destination city anyway, so why not start using them now?Now you’re set! You have most of the non-fresh things on you and you’ll be buying your organic fruit, greens, salad veggies, and avocado (great to use for dressing) when you get there. Enjoy your trip, stay raw, and have the best time ever!

Lenette Nakauchi is a raw foodist who is passionate about teaching, coaching and demonstrating to others how to go and stay “raw” in a fun, healthy, sustainable way. Learn more about the raw food lifestyle and about superfoods by visiting her websites http://www.gorawchicago.com and http://www.eatsuperfoods.com.

Author: Darlene Berkel
Source: articledashboard.com

Vacations are what everyone dreams of as they pass through the drudgery of everyday life. Vacation is a term used in English speaking North America to describe a lengthy time away from work or school, a trip abroad, or simply a pleasure trip away from home, such as a trip to the beach that lasts several days or longer. The term derives from the fact that, in the past, upper-class families would literally move to a summer home for part of the year, leaving their usual family home vacant.

However, a quality vacation requires a considerable amount of preparation in order to ensure a leisurely time away. The most important tip before you go on vacation is to ensure that the mail, paper and package deliveries are rerouted prior to leaving your home. The fastest way to alert a burglar that your home is unattended is to allow the daily newspaper to pile up on the front step or in the newspaper box. Taking a few moments to contact the postal delivery person and newspaper delivery person could make all the difference.

Responsibility Before Play

Another important tip before you go is to visit your local financial institute and purchase travelers’ checks. There is no other way to insure that the money you have been saving for your vacation will be will remain yours and not a pickpocket’s. A very important tip before you go on vacation is to prepare appropriate and accurate travel documents. If you don’t have a passport and think you might need one, now is the time to get it. If you have a passport, now is the time to renew it — even if it’s not set to expire anytime soon. Travel abroad and you’ll notice how often you have to show your passport: at hotels, banks, Internet cafes. So securing your passport before you go is an absolute must!

Many countries are specific in their requirements. Make sure that you have all necessary travel documents gathered into one place, generally keep them with the airline tickets, and ensure that everything is properly dated, signed and notarized. Without the proper documents, you can be denied entry to another country or be unable to return to your own.

It is always valuable to research the climate of the destination when organizing your travel wardrobe. Before you go tips are many but the need to pay close attention to the weather is an absolute must. The weather has been suggested as an environmental factor affecting physical activity. Particularly in temperate climates, the weather varies considerably by season and even day-to-day. Weather or time of year apparently impacts all socioeconomic groups as a barrier to physical activity.

A well-prepared wardrobe will make your vacation run smoothly. Always pack neutral colors and basic items to insure that you are covered for all situations. For women, a black cocktail dress is always a saving grace. Men should always pack a button down shirt and dinner jacket and slacks for those special nights. It is taking the time to pay attention to the details that will save you time on your vacation.

Before you go, Remember your goal is Fun

There are so many different ideas and suggestions when traveling, everyone has an idea of what works best. Before you go tips are as plenty as the options for travel locations. However, it is most important that you secure your home, your identity, and your finances prior to departure. Everything else has a way of working itself out in the end. Once you have ensured that the most important security items are organized and taken care of, remember that the final part of a vacation is to enjoy it.

Author: James Kronefieldbr
Source: articledashboard.combr
br
Ive got a hot Hawaii travel tip for you.

If youve never been to the Big Island of Hawaii, youve just got to go and see it for yourself.

There are two distinct sides of the island, each with its own unique flavour and topography.

The first time we went to Hawaii, in the late 1970s, we stayed for two nights in a hotel in Hilo and then rented a motor home for the remainder of the two weeks there.

It was a great way to go.

Wed never been to Hawaii and had no idea of where we would want to spend time. The purpose of the motor home was to allow us to travel all around the island seeing all the sights, beaches and deciding where we would like to visit on future trips.

Before going on the trip, we hadnt done any research and we traveled across the northern part of the island, through the Parker Ranch. (its huge and its just one great big pasture)

The next thing we came upon were cactus! What? Cactus on the island of Hawaii? The Kona side of the island is desert like and the lava thats strewn around makes it look like youre on the moon.

It was a total surprise to us.

We stayed on the Kona side a few days enjoying the most perfect weather you could ask for along with getting to know some of the Hawaiian people.

It was a wonderful experience seeing Black Sand Beach, Green Sand Beach and eating breakfast at the Volcano House. (that was our first taste of the wonderful Hawaiian Sweet Bread that weve grown to love so much)

When we turned in the motor home and flew off to spend the rest of the vacation in hotels, we thought this would be a great Hawaii travel tip to pass along to others.

Rent a motor home and see all you can take in during your first trip so youll know where you really want to spend time the next time you return…and you will return, I guarantee it./pbr
br
br
br

Author: Kristine Polleybr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
br
Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Short on money? Wondering how youre ever going to be able to take your dream trip? One way to get closer to your goal is to create a trip fund.

A trip fund is a tool to help you turn a dream into a reality. You dont have to give up on your dreams simply because of a financial challenge you may be having – you can start a trip fund with a penny. Try this when youve decided that nothing will stop you from reaching your dream destination, no matter how far it is from where youre currently sitting, or how long it will take you to get there. Start today. Youll find your spirits lifted because youve started the process and have a goal to work towards.

If you want to turn up the fun factor by a notch, this is a great activity to do with your friends – not to mention a fantastic opportunity to catch up with each other. We all need a good gab fest every once in awhile. You could even turn it into a potluck lunch and ask everyone to bring over a dish of something – or can you say wine and cheese party? Fun!

Try to set aside a couple of hours to complete your project.

Set your supplies on the kitchen table/dining room table – any flat surface where youll be comfortable. (If youre getting together with your friends, ask them to bring magazines and other supplies with them.)

Heres what youll need:

• A jar or other container

• Scotch (adhesive) tape, a glue stick, and/or liquid glue

• Scissors

• A selection of old magazines

(Need some magazines? What about going to local travel agencies, beauty or nail salons, or doctors or dentists offices to see if they have any magazines they no longer need, or will trade for?)

• One dollar

• Decorations – If youre really into decorating, you could also decorate your trip jar with ribbon, stickers, sparkles or labels. The choice is yours! Make it personal and unique. Have fun with it!

• Refreshments and snacks – treat yourself to a nice hot cup of tea or coffee, a refreshment of some sort – and some of your favorite snacks.

• Put on some zippy music. Get nice and comfortable and youre good to go!

Look through your selection of magazines, cut out all the pictures you find of your dream destination, and set them in a pile on the table.

After youve gone through your last magazine, sort through the pictures youve cut out and pick the ones that you love the most – the ones that really catch your eye.

Now, decorate your container with all those stunning pictures youve found of your destination.

Next, find a home for your trip jar. Set it on your dresser or kitchen table – somewhere you will see it every day.

Put your dollar in the jar to get you started. Keep adding whatever spare cash you have to your jar – $100, a penny – anything. Every week, add something to it.

If youd like to get there even faster, throw in all the change from your pocket at the end of every day. Youll be surprised how fast your trip fund will grow, once youve got it going.

At the end of the month, take all that money and put it into a separate account at your bank, until youre ready to go on your trip. Keep track of how much youve saved as you go along. Make sure you dont use it for anything but your dream trip – thats essential!

Youll want to make sure your trip jar is never empty – always leave at least one dollar in it, and continue to add to it. Repeat the process until you reach your goal. Easy, right?

Whats crucial is that you start and then keep the ball rolling!

After youve got your trip fund going, try and check in with your friends along the way to cheer and support each other as you all make your way through this empowering process and reach your goals.

Are you traveling like a nomad but want to take your trip jar with you? When I travel, I have limited luggage space, so heres what I do.

I find some gift bags and decorate them with my goal destination. Then, when I move on, all I have to do is fold my bag up and take it with me. Its light and takes up hardly any space.

Dreams are illustrations…from the book your soul is writing about you.
Marsha Norman

Dream big and explore the world!

By Kristine Polley
© Adapted from Lipstick Luggage: Ease Your Pain When Traveling! How To Get Organized Stay Safe

br
br
pThis is an excerpt from a new womens travel book, Lipstick Luggage, by Kristine Polley. Packed full of goodies to make every trip fun and hassle-free. A must-have accessory for the woman on the go! Buy your copy today at: a target=_new href=http://www.lipstickandluggage.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.lipstickandluggage.com/a/pbr
br