The Business Traveler's Diet Problem: Staying Fit When on the Run
Despite the fact that accurate nutrition information can be accessed by almost anyone with an Internet connection or a library card, the 21st century has picked up where the last one left off: one dominated by poor eating habits. The reason for this national dietary deficiency is not due to any single source or kind of nutrition misinformation. Nor can it be said that a lack of interest or effort on the part of health-conscious Americans is to blame. Actually, there are more health-conscious Americans than ever before. The problem of poor eating habits is not a strategic, idealistic, or tactical one it is a logistical dilemma. Americans of all ages live such busy, fast-paced lifestyles, that eating nutritious meals is seen as something of a luxury to be enjoyed on special occasions or when one rarely has a few hours to prepare a complete meal. Seldom is this healthy eating challenge more pressing, however, than for the typical business traveler[i]. The second biggest source for unhealthy food in the life of a typical business traveler begins at the airport. The vast majority of these hubs of transit activity offer travelers a selection of fast foods or snack foods that are usually very high in carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and loaded with calories. Yet if the airport or station is the second biggest source of unhealthy eating, then what is the first? Without doubt, it is on the airplane itself. In the past, the criticism levied against airline food was its sheer tastelessness and lack of variety. Yet as the overall awareness of nutrition - and lack of nutrition - in some food sources has grown over the past decade, a related distress has grown over the nutritionally flawed food that most business travelers are subjected to while en route. Indeed, according to a study by the American weight-loss program organization Nutricise[ii], the average meal served by airlines in all service classes tops 1000 calories. This high number for a single meal is more than half the daily total number of calories for "average eaters". Yet this problem goes beyond calorie counting. Almost 45% of the 1000+ calories in an airline meal come from fat which is a full 15% more than some experts recommend as the 30% optimum daily fat-from-calorie level[iii]. In response to this challenge, some airlines are offering more eating options for business travelers, including vegetarian and vegan meals that are typically (though not always) lower in saturated fat, calories, and sodium. However, a 2003 study[iv] by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) regrettably noted that of the 10 airlines surveyed, only 1 of the 10 was observed to provide easily available healthy eating choices. 3 of the 10 airlines offered some degree of healthy eating options, though planning ahead was necessary -- something that is not always feasible for business travelers. The remaining 6 airlines surveyed were criticized for providing little or no effort at offering vegetarian (i.e. low-fat, low sodium, low calorie) in-flight eating options. On top of this, business travelers are faced with yet another eating challenge that those not in the air are not forced to address. Whereas most people "on the ground" can physically leave a restaurant or deliberately choose to purchase food that conforms to a healthy eating regimen, those "in the air" are often forced to accept what they are given. Most business travelers are typically short of time and running from meetings to airports and back again. Therefore, the decision to eat the high-fat, high-calorie, high-sodium, and altogether unbalanced airline meal is often better than the alternative of not eating at all. While some awareness is creeping into the world of business traveler nutrition, thanks in part to the work of the PCRM and others, this awareness is not spreading quickly enough. Business travel in the US comprises over 200 million person-trips per year[v] and this means that a lot unhealthy meals are awaiting a lot of business travelers who, quite frankly, need more nutritious food. There have been some attempts to respond to this massive business traveler need, including a halfhearted effort by most airlines to revise menus. There have also been several "nutritional supplement" options, typically in fluid or bar form, that have proposed to help fill this business traveler nutritional gap. Unfortunately, like the revised airline meal effort, the vast majority of these supplements fall short of providing a high-protein, low-calorie, low-carbohydrate nutrition that travelers need. Furthermore, the handful of products that have in some sense met these protein, calorie, and carbohydrate requirements are usually devoid of essential nutrients. However, a small number of nutritionally wise products are generating positive feedback from business travelers, both for nutritional value content, and for traveler-friendly fluid containers that can take a great deal of airport bag handler abuse. Furthermore, since these products are liquid, they can be ingested easily without needing to be diluted, mixed, or taken with large amounts of water or other fluid. Taken as either a supplement or a meal on its own, these intelligent and scientifically validated nutritional products - which offer a complete range of essential vitamins - help business travelers stay healthy in ways that fit into their busy, time-conscious lives. About Protica Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at www.protica.com. You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com. References [i] Source "Tips for Eating Healthy Away from Home". BetterHeathUSA. http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/267.cfm [ii] Source: "Healthy Eating on the Road". Business Traveler Center Magazine. http://www.businesstravelerusa.com/articles.php?articleID=291 [iii] Source: "Fat Lowering Tips". Ask The Dietician. http://www.dietitian.com/fatlower.html [iv] Source "Doctors Rate Airline Food for Healthy Options". The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. http://www.pcrm.org/news/health031117.html [v] Source: "Travel Statistics and Trends". The Travel Industry Association of America. http://www.tia.org/Travel/traveltrends.asp Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Gaga over yogaCalgary Herald, Canada - 6 hours agoNot that an activity that is this much in vogue needs me to defend it, but I've actually heard people slagging yoga. There is no shortage of Garfield types ... |
Johnson turns to yogaThe Press Association - 3 hours agoManchester City midfielder Michael Johnson is having yoga sessions in a bid to cure his nagging pelvic problems. Johnson, who signed a new five-year ... |
Stressed out execs seek relief in YogaEconomic Times, India - Oct 12, 2008Corporates too are becoming proactive and invite yoga consultants to hold workshops and classes in offices. “Such activities help build a good working ... |
New yoga studio opens in FentonFenton Tri County Times, MI - 49 minutes agoWhether or not you have ever tried yoga, there’sa yoga class just waiting for you at Dibbleville Yoga. Located at 302 S. LeRoy St. in Fenton, this new yoga ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Calorie Deficit
I am sure you have heard you have to build more muscle so you can burn more fat. I'm sure you have also heard that you have to put your body into extreme calorie deficit in order to lose weight.
Being Proactive With Your Health Decisions
In today's world, there's a definite need to be proactive in protecting our health. But that assumes there's something you CAN do to protect it.
An Open Letter to Mankind
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body of research has been carried out into the role of the sugars that are an essential part of glycoproteins. These sugar-protein complexes are the building blocks of our immune system, and are the method by which cells "talk" to each other.
Adding to Your Level of Health is the Key
Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor: a bucket of water. The bucket represents you.
From Cell to Super Cell - with Glutathione
Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that creates life itself.
You Are What You Eat
You really are what you eat. You are also very much affected by the lifestyle you live.
Why Fad Diets Don't Work
Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years and no matter how many come and go, we are always intrigued and excited by the next one feeling almost sure this will be the one to work. And they do work.
Refrigerator Water Filters vs. Bottled Water: Round 1
Water is the single most important element for human existence, yet many people do not know much about water. Water comprises 60% of a human's body weight, counts for 80% of our blood, and comprises over 65% of our brain and muscles.
Bathing Suit Season - A Nutritional Guide
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around the corner! I know a lot of people have been contacting me about getting themselves and their bodies ready for da-da- DUM ?BATHING SUIT SEASON.For those of us who live in the more northern part of the country and did not go anywhere tropical during the last six months, this can be an intimidating time.
The Wonderful Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the healthiest in the world consisting as it does of large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, nuts, seeds, omega-3 rich oily fish, olives, and olive oil and being comparitively low in dairy products and red meats.The people of the Mediterranean region, particuarly Greece and Spain, are very fortunate to live in an area where naturally healthy food is readily and cheaply available.
How Can I Uncover Hidden Sugar And Prevent Carb Creep?
Many low carb dieters fall victim to "carb creep," which is triggered carb binges, caused by creeping intakes of carbs. This is particularly a problem after finishing the stricter early phases of their plans.
The Truth About the Meat You Eat
There are so many topics to discuss which affect our health that it is hard to choose just one at a time. My motto is Unhealthy Soil = Unhealthy Plants and Animals = Unhealthy People.
Artificial Sweeteners - Are They Safe?
To research the health risks Sweet 'N Low and other artificial sweeteners I examined both sides of the story. There seems to be no neutral position on any of these sweeteners.
Nutrition Know-how: Seven Simple Ways to Eat Healthier (with Strawberry Orange Sorbet Recipe)
The key to better health is learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy nutrients. The choices we make greatly affect our health.
Beware of Eating Too Much Protein
The typical American diet already provides plenty of protein and there is no point in adding any more, unlike fat cells, there is no place in the body to store protein so the excess is eliminated or is seen as fat rather than muscle.So what you need to do is to consume just enough protein to allow your muscles to be healthy, perform work and grow.
Why People Get Sick
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion machine, constantly burning fuel, disposing of the waste products of combustion, and constantly rebuilding tissue by replacing worn out, dead cells with new, fresh ones.Every seven years virtually every cell in the body is replaced, some types of cells having a faster turnover rate than others, which means that over a seven year period several hundred pounds of dead cells must be digested (autolyzed) and eliminated.
The Cost Of Being Sick And One Possible Alternative: Glyconutrition
A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements usually are coming from about the same place - you know: "been there, done that." People are tired of hearing about the latest and greatest and - for the most part - figure that all supplements are pretty much the same.
Seafood - the Healthy Alternative
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are not a healthy way to eat. Seafood on the other hand offers you a great tasting alternative.
Its Not That Bad - The Biggest Lie We Tell Ourselves
Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that bad. If you want to believe this than good luck.
The Benefits Of Drinking Herbal Teas
Herbal teas have long been known to have medicinal benefits as well as being tasty to drink! Some of my favorite teas are chamomile tea, jasmine tea and ginger tea. Each of these has a distinctive taste as well as health benefit.
|
