I've been on trips where I ate and drank with reckless abandon, anything that struck my fancy or was currently available at the time. This was before I knew anything about macrobiotics or the Unique Principles of Yin and Yang. Back then, I never made the connection between what I was eating and how I was feeling on the trip, but now it's so obvious!
Then, it was almost always guaranteed that I would get sick with some kind of flu bug or virus either during or after the trip, or maybe I'd get a bladder infection, or constipation, or "the runs." Other problems that occurred I would just chalk-up to being female and resign myself to their inevitability.
Well now, after this most recent trip, I know what a difference it truly makes to eat healthy. I had zero ailments, zero problems, high energy, and I was able to thoroughly enjoy the experience of everything around me! I made the following self-imposed rules and now I'll surely use them again for next time!
- Carry miso, gomasio, and kukicha teabags with me. Have a cup of miso broth once a day whenever possible.
- Do not eat anything with sugar in it.
- Do not drink any alcohol.
- Avoid coffee; especially don't drink it more than twice (two days) in a row.
- Never indulge in the same thing more than twice in a row.
- Chew every mouthful of food 100 to 200 times. (This is really important.)
I think that because I tried to eat healthy all the time that I was traveling, I was able to draw on my powers of intuition, make wiser decisions, and find more healthy food along the way. If a little voice in my head said "Don't eat/drink that!" or "Eat/drink that; it'll be good for you!" I not only was able to hear it, but I acted on the advice as well.
At first I thought that I'd feel deprived, unhappy, or unable to enjoy myself if I didn't indulge in the food and drink that I considered as pleasures, and then I was surprised that I actually enjoyed myself more than I would have, had I indulged. So there you have it. Every day is a new experience, something new to learn, something new to appreciate. I am just so grateful for the tools I have now that help me keep in balance during my travels through life!
Related blog articles:
Adapting To The Road
Eating On The Road
No More Sugar (Saturday, January 1, 2011)
The Importance Of Chewing
Adapting Our Diets To The Situation
Lessons From A Coyote
