"Failing to plan is planning to fail"
It's so easy to make excuses during the holidays or while we are traveling. But based on my own experience with traveling a sh*t ton over the past three, I know for a fact that you can make it work if you want to. But you have to want it. And when you want it, you have to plan ahead. We make sh*tty decisions when we are frantic and have no other options available. But if you plan ahead, you'll always have something available or a game plan to keep you on track. Your health is still most important, so act like it! Even when families or friend's feelings are involved, remember that your health is the most important and you should treat it that way.
I'm working on getting transcriptions for each one of my previous podcasts, including this one, so I'm writing a bit more in detail in the description until then. And that way, if you don't want to listen, you can quickly scan this! But know that transcriptions are coming! Hope this topic is helpful!

When heading out to travel - do your research:

Download the yelp app (searching gluten free and paleo)
Google (duh)
Ask friends
Look at blogs and social media

My favorite restaurants while traveling
Nom Nom Paleo


Plan some of your meals

Restaurants
Grocery Shop - Make meals for yourself


Drink a ton of water - take a water bottle with you
Pack snacks for emergencies

Rx Bars
Larabars
Larabar bites
Mammoth Bars
Fuel For Fire Protein Packs
Nut Butter Packets
Plantain Chips
Jerky


Work with what you have

Eat the meat off of a sandwich (when I have no other option, I'll get a breakfast sandwich at a coffee shop and just eat the egg and sausage patty without the bagel/croissant)
Get a shitty salad with no dressing or croutons


Look up the ingredients at McDonald's before you go there. Look at just the sauce ingredients alone!

This is the ingredients in just the Habanero Ranch Sauce alone: Water, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Distilled Vinegar, Buttermilk Powder, Egg Yolks, Maltodextrin, Dried Cayenne Red Pepper Sauce (Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Vinegar, Salt, Garlic), Sugar, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Contains 1% or Less: Salt, Spice and Spice Extractives, Natural Flavor (Dairy and Animal Sources), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Lactic Acid, Habanero Pepper, Red Bell Pepper Powder, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives), Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Apple Cider Vinegar.



When dealing with the holidays:

Follow all the steps above

Plan ahead
Get to the grocery store
Plan some of the meals


If you're heading to a holiday party

Bring a couple of your own side dishes
Load up on meat and vegetables first and then get smaller portions of the heavier food that you don't want to miss out on since you only get it once a year
Don't forget that you don't HAVE to feel uncomfortably full on Thanksgiving or other holidays
For dessert - bring something you know you can have or have smaller portions of the dessert you truly love
Drink lots of water



Reader Questions:

How to explain your healthier choices to your friends and family:

Questions usually stem from insecurities (when it's not just curiosity) so I just explain what paleo is, where it came from, and how good I felt when I started eating paleo. Explain paleo in a positive light instead of what you can't have. And the more you stick to your guns, the more people will back down.

How to take part in family traditions (such as cinnamon rolls) and you don't want to hurt their feelings:

Remember first and foremost, your health is most important.

Be able to explain yourself why you aren't having something
If they love you and respect you, they should respect your healthy choices
Come up with an alternative for yourself - gluten free cinnamon rolls! (I've seen them in the frozen food isle in Whole Foods)