Grokkin' on the Go: Road Trips

If you're not following  primal lifestyle, road trips may not be all that difficult, especially if you're not a picky-eater.  Before my Primal days, my go-to pit stop was Subway since they're one of the "healthier" fast-food chains...at least calorically speaking.  Once I transitioned to the Primal WOE, road trips required a bit more planning.  I'm on the road quite often, so I've been able to hone my Grokkin' on the Road skills quite a bit.  Hopefully, my lessons-learned will be helpful for you, too!


Food Options

• Intermittent Fasting: Okay, obviously this isn't really a food option.  It's a lack-of-food option.  Road trips do, however, provide a great opportunity to get in a good IF.  If you're going to be sitting on your butt for hours on end, you don't exactly need tons of fuel.  However, IFing simply isn't for everyone, nor does it work in every situation.  Personally, I have been on road trips where an IF is not a big deal, and I've been on others where even attempting to IF has made me miserable.  You have to decide what works best for you.  If you do plan to IF, make sure you keep plenty of water handy so you remain hydrated!  Remember, if you're not comfortable with IFing, then don't do it!

• Pack Snacks: This option is probably the most budget-friendly, but it requires that you plan in advance.  Of the three different options I describe here, this is the one I use most frequently.  But what type of snacks should you pack?  Well, that really depends on your own personal preferences.  Most often, I'll pack veggie sticks (carrots, peppers, and cucumbers) and some high-quality deli meats.  The key here is high-quality.  Most deli meats are full of icky ingredients like nitrates and fillers, so you'll want to avoid those.  The brands I trust most are Dietz & Watson and Applegate Farms.  Both of their websites provide full ingredients listings for all of their products, so do a bit of research before you head to the grocery store.  Fruit is another great option, but I typically don't pack fruit because it makes my hands sticky!  Depending on the length of the road trip, I sometimes also stock up on Primal-friendly convenience foods such as snack bars.  Here are some of my favorites:
• Tanka Bar - 12 Pack
• Larabar Blueberry Muffin -- 16 Bars
• Clif Kid Twisted Fruit Ropes, Variety Pack, 8 Strawberry, 8 Mixed Berry, 8 Grape, Pack of 24
• Fried Pork Rinds Plain 12-2 oz pkgs.
• Golden Valley Natural Organic Beef Jerky, Original, 3-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 8)
• Health Best Almonds Whole Raw, 15-Ounce Packages (Pack of 2)

• Eat at a Restaurant: This is a tough one when you're Primal, especially if you're looking for somewhere that's cheap and fast.  Still, it can be done!  Here's a list of my go-to places and the meals I choose there:
• Jimmy John's: You can get anything on the menu as an "unwich" meaning that it's served wrapped in lettuce instead of on bread.  All of the meat at Jimmy John's is natural, unlike the franken meats at Subway.  You can read a bit about JJ's dedication to fresh, real food here.  I most often order the "J.J. Gargantuan" which, as the name implies, is gigantic.  It's very satisfying!
• Chipotle: Order a salad or burrito bowl without the rice and beans.  Load up on the fajita veggies and your meat of choice.  Spring for the guacamole- it's worth it.  The only real drawback to Chipotle is that they use soybean oil in many of their foods, including the fajita vegetables.  Still, there are worse options out there, and eating a Chipotle once in a while will not kill you, I promise.  If you want to cut back on your expose to soybean oil, the pork is the only meat option that's not cooked in it.
• In & Out Burger: You can order your burger "Protein Style" which means that they wrap it in lettuce instead of bread (similar to JJ's).  I always order mine with two times the meat.  One skimpy burger just doesn't cut it.  You decide if you want to splurge on the sauces, but I order mine dry.
• Carl's Junior- I've actually never eaten here because this chain isn't in my area.  They do offer a similar option to In & Out's, except theirs is called the Low Carb Six Dollar Burger.  Same deal: a burger wrapped in lettuce with some fixings.
• In addition to the above, I also recommend non-chain restaurants that make Primal-eating easy such as sushi bars (order sashimi), Mexican restaurants (order fajitas sans the tortillas), and burger joins (just ask them to hold the bun).  You can also opt for places that serve salads, but be wary of ingredients!

Fitness Options

If you're stuck in a car for an eight-hour drive, fitness isn't exactly easy to come by.  Personally, I try to fit in a good Grok walk both before and after my drive, and I don't concern myself with much else.  Again, one day of low fitness will not be the death of you, and the Primal gods are very forgiving.  Still, if you simply need to get more activity in, it's possible!

• Plan regular breaks: Stop every hour or so at a rest area and walk around for 15 minutes.  Of course, this will make your road trip last much longer, but if fitness is super-important to you, take regular breaks.
• Squeeze your butt: That's right, I said it!  It's very easy to work your glutes while sitting around all day.  Just tense your hiney muscles for about 10 seconds, then relax for 10 seconds, and repeat as often as makes you happy.
• Tighten your abs: You can also do a mini-abs workout en route to your final destination.  Engage your abs for 10 seconds, relax for 10 seconds, rince and repeat.
• Other car exercises can be found here.

And that's that!  With a little bit of planning, staying Primal on the road is totally doable.  But don't forget...if you go off-track for one day, it's not the end of the world!  Car trips are torturous enough without worrying about food and fitness, so don't stress yourself out trying to be 100% Primal!

(Have some great ideas of your own?  Please share in the comments section!)


**This post is part of a blog carnival, hosted by Primal Toad here.**