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OCTOBER 25, 2004
Don't Leave Healthy Habits at Home Business travelers don't have to let their diets and exercise fall by the wayside. Here are some tips for staying disciplined It's so easy to fall into the trap. You've got dinner with clients. There's lobster bisque on the menu and double-chocolate cheesecake on the dessert cart. Another bottle of cabernet? Sure. Then it's up at six the next morning to finish your presentation. No time to stop in the hotel gym. You work on your upper-arm strength by lifting a cruller and coffee before the meeting. Traveling for business can be an easy excuse to ditch your diet and exercise routine. But it doesn't have to be, as hotels and restaurants are increasingly catering to a more health-conscious consumer. And maintaining a healthy lifestyle on the road can actually boost your performance and help you get more out of a trip. AIRPORT DINING. Hotel operators checking into America's desire to eat healthier include Marriott (MAR ), which now flags items on its menus that are low in carbs, calories, or cholesterol, and The Four Seasons (FS ), which is targeting low-carb eaters by wrapping its hamburgers in Napa cabbage instead of buns. Sheraton (HOT ) is even putting low-carb mints on guest pillows. Yet as hotels improve their diet-conscious offerings, airlines are cutting back, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. A report by the consumer group, based in Washington, D.C., noted many airlines that used to offer vegetarian and dairy-free meals have either discontinued such choices or cut back the number of routes on which they're offered. If such meals are important to you, check with the airline before you buy a ticket. For those who eat before getting on a plane, the Physicians Committee also compiles a list of airports with the healthiest food options. Last year, Denver International Airport edged out San Francisco International Airport for the top spot, thanks to preflight choices such as the portabello mushroom sandwich at Lefty's Colorado Trails Bar. PERFORMANCE BOOSTERS. Restaurant dining on the company tab can easily lead to waistline expansion, so travelers need to focus on the small stuff and utilize a high degree of discipline. Shelia Cohn, dietician for the National Restaurant Assn. trade group, suggests ordering salad dressings and other sauces on the side, avoiding creamy soups, and putting salsa on a baked potato. "Ask for your fish or vegetables to be grilled or cooked only lightly in oil or butter," she says. "Opt for sorbet, berries, or fresh fruit for dessert." And tell your waiter to take that bread basket off the table. Portion control is just as important as what you eat. If your dining companion is a colleague or someone you know well, you might want to share an appetizer, entrée, or dessert. If that's not an option, you can ask for a lunch-sized portion, even during dinner. The restaurant might not reduce the price, but you'll likely get a smaller portion. Packing healthy snacks such as raisins and nuts will help you avoid eating junk food in airports and cut the temptation to order too much at dinner. Many business travelers increase their consumption of alcohol and caffeine on trips to help them get to sleep at night or stay awake during the day. But Mark Rosekind, president of Alertness Solutions, a wellness-consulting firm, says the best way to increase your performance on a business trip is to get a good night's sleep and exercise. According to a study he conducted last year for Hilton Hotels (HLT ), travelers who exercised during their trips performed 61% better than non-exercisers on reaction and alertness tests. SCHEDULING YOUR WORKOUT. Finding time for that workout can be tough. Bill Tulin, a partner at Ernst & Young and co-author of Travel Fitness: Feel Better, Perform Better on the Road, suggests booking a flight that arrives in the day so you can exercise before a business dinner. Bring a bathing suit if your hotel has a pool. Walk the stairs instead of taking elevators. And find out ahead of time about the neighborhood your hotel is in so you can see if it's appropriate to walk or jog nearby. "You've got to schedule your workout, just like you would a meeting," Tulin says. Karen Hiser, a software consultant and owner of the informational Web site healthytravelnetwork.com, recommends doing a simple workout consisting of squats, push-ups, sit-ups, or lunges. "You can do it your room, and you don't have to bring gym clothes," she says. Of course, given the tougher security measures at airports, wearing sneakers may even get you through the lines faster. Most of the time guards don't make you take them off.  By Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles
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