What to Expect:
“How can I make week 2 as successful as week 1?”
You may experience: Cold- or flu-like symptoms beginning to subside.
Your best bet: Stay on track with your daily checklist and meal plan details to be sure that you are ready for week 2 before it starts.
Today's Lesson:
Traveling 21DSD style
While I don’t recommend you tackle a 21DSD over a family vacation, for example, having a work trip or frequent travel for business isn’t a reason not to complete the detox. Work travel is part of your everyday life, so learning how to make healthy choices when you travel is a good idea.
To stay on-track, whether you’re home or away, requires (1) forethought, (2) commitment, and (3) follow-through. But at home, you have the ease and comfort of your own kitchen, and it’s easier to control everything from where you shop to how you cook your food to the time you eat. Here are some practical tips for making your traveling 21DSD easier.
Prep or buy travel snacks ahead of time. Jerky, meats sticks, or pork chicharrones/cracklings; nut, coconut, or seed butter packets; homemade trail mix or nuts; cut veggies with single-serving guacamole packets; and small servings of cheese (for Levels 1 and 2) are great snack options. Check out 21daysugardetox.com/favorite-foods for some recommended products and brands.
Book a hotel room with a kitchen. Lots of hotels offer extended-stay-style rooms with a full-sized refrigerator, a burner or two, plates, glasses, pots and pans, a dishwasher, and a coffeepot. Some even have food storage containers for leftovers! If you’re booking your own room or can make this request, do it! If you aren’t booking the travel and are stuck with a room that doesn’t offer these amenities, then simply call ahead to ask that a mini fridge be in your room when you arrive (see the next tip).
Request a mini fridge. All hotels have mini fridges handy in case a guest needs to keep medications cool. If the hotel asks why you need a mini fridge when you request it, you can say that you have specific dietary requirements , but they likely won’t ask. It’s more common now for hotel rooms to have mini fridge by default, though many are stocked with alcohol or treats—simply remove those or ask housekeeping to remove them. You can also ask that they be removed ahead of your stay. Trust me, the hotel is in the business of accommodating your needs—ask for what you want and they’ll help out.
Identify a local grocery store before you hit the road. When you arrive, time permitting, head to the grocery store before you do anything else. Simply unload your bags and head out to stock up on some items. This plan may involve adjusting your flight time to allow time to go to the store before your first appointment or meeting. Again, if you are in charge of these decisions, make them accordingly. If there’s a travel department or person booking your flights, request that you arrive earlier in the day. Remember, you don’t get what you don’t ask for, so it’s always worth the request!
Prepare breakfast in your room. Whether you bring hard-boiled eggs from home or simply eat ready-made foods that are 21DSD-friendly (for instance, some deli meats or a green apple with nut butter), having breakfast ready to go is a huge help when away from home. If you’ve got a breakfast meeting, it’s easy enough to order some poached eggs with bacon and some vegetables for your meal.
The Dish from Diane:
Sticking to healthy habits while traveling can often make you feel like an oddball, especially if you’re away from home for work and your coworkers couldn’t care less about healthy eating choices. Often, travel is seen as a time to let your hair down, unwind, and not try to maintain squeaky-clean eating habits. But when you’re on the 21DSD, you’re committed. And if you’re traveling for work, then this isn’t a vacation! It’s another workday, and treating it as a vacation and a reason to break your commitment to the 21DSD won’t serve you in any positive way.
Today's Checklist:
- Traveling 21DSD-style? Do your research and make a list of places you can eat, nearby grocery stores, and what you need to prep for the trip.
- Post to social media using the hashtag #21DSD about your day 6 meals and experience. If you travel on the 21DSD, show us how you roll!
Some popular hotel chains that have kitchens include: Embassy Suites, Extended Stay America, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Homewood Suites, Hyatt House, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Residence Inn by Marriott, Springhill Suites, and Staybridge Suites by Marriott.
You can also look generally for chains whose name includes the word “suites” or “extended stay”— those will have kitchens as well.
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