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Hi everyone! Did you get a chance to witness the incredible supermoon?
Here in the Philippines, it was a huge and vibrant orange color. I’ve seen some beautiful full moons in my life, including the red moon about a year and a half ago, but this is the most amazing moon I have ever seen!
Where we live at the moment we have a clear view of the ocean and the orange reflected right back into the water. Just breathtaking!
So today I’d like to answer some responses to my last post and reader questions about what I do in relation to the raw food lifestyle when I travel.
What items do you take with you when you travel? Do you use those mini blenders like Tribest or magic bullet? What about dehydrator or juicer etc?
It depends on the trip. If it is just a week or two I generally don’t bring any equipment. If I am staying somewhere for a few months I might bring my Vitamix.
On this trip, I didn’t bring any equipment with me because the apartment we are renting came with a blender and we wanted to keep down our luggage weight.
I do own a Tribest blender, which is a great piece of equipment, but it has a really small capacity, especially when you are making smoothies. For simple fruit smoothies, a regular blender works just fine.
In Costa Rica, I generally use the Tribest blender for making small batches of dressings and dips or for grinding nuts and seeds and for that purpose it is fantastic. It is much easier to clean than the Vitamix as well.
I don’t own a juicer and I regard the dehydrator as more of a luxury item. I would only take it on a trip if I was going to be somewhere for a long time or was intending to do a lot of raw gourmet food preparation. Personally I like to keep things simple when I travel.
I was wondering how do you get around your allocated luggage allowance Mizpah?
Well, the simple answer is that I don’t. Before a trip, I will check with the airlines regarding their luggage rules and work within them. Most of the time each person can take two suitcases of about 50 pounds as well as a carry on bag and a laptop.
Some of the smaller airlines have more restrictions but in most cases, you can simply pay a fee if you wish to bring extra baggage. But make sure you do your research first!
On one of my first trips, I didn’t know the rules and ended up in a situation where I was at the airport in Bali with way too much luggage. I could have taken it all with me but the airline wanted to charge $1000!
In that case, our solution was to give away some of our stuff so I offloaded quite a lot of books and a few other things. It was lucky that we are not really attached to our possessions.
My husband thinks I have a bit of obsession with my books but what can I say? I love reading and learning. Since then I’ve got a Kindle, so I can carry lots of books with me wherever I go.
On the Gold Coast, they have some blenders called Omni which sound comparable to Vitamix/Blendtec. Do you know anyone who’s used them?
I’m not familiar with these blenders but if it has a horsepower of 2.5 or more I expect it would be comparable.
As regards using dehydrators in warm climates…is there ever any problem with insects accessing them in anyway? I have no outside option for one..and the house is small, so I ‘m considering the fan noise?
I’ve only once had a problem with ants getting into the dehydrator when I tried drying bananas. I’ve made dried pineapple, plantains, and really sweet cookies and never had a problem. For some reason, they just loved the bananas.
The fan noise can be fairly loud. We moved our dehydrator into a room upstairs that doesn’t get used very often. They can also create a lot of heat which is a consideration if you are in a warm climate or in the summer.
My approach to travel on the raw food lifestyle
When I travel I don’t attempt to stay 100 percent raw. I’d much rather relax and enjoy the experience without the stress of trying to conform to a strict diet.
I always eat a lot of fruit, which is usually pretty easy to find, especially in tropical countries. Fruit doesn’t require any special equipment and is one of the best foods to eat when you travel. It keeps you hydrated and provides lots of vitamins and antioxidants, which can help reduce stresses on the body, especially as a result of a long flight.
Before I leave I do a bit of research on where I will be able to find fresh produce in the local area. I also look into what restaurants are available offering healthy alternatives. You may even be able to view the menus online. It really does help a lot to have some idea of the food options in the location before you arrive.
I do generally try some of the local food like the wonderful vegan Ital Food in Jamaica or the salads and curries in Thailand. I like to keep my diet high raw but I’m certainly not rigid about eating fully raw when I travel.
But in actuality the foods I truly enjoy the most are the fresh tropical fruits – especially when I discover something new. In Bali, I had jackfruit, mangosteen, rambutan, and durian for the first time. In Thailand, I especially loved the dragonfruit and young coconut. In Costa Rica, I discovered star apple and mamey sapote.
Here in the Philippines, the mangoes make the most delicious smoothies, we have beautiful yellow “Sungold” watermelon, I’m enjoying the citrus fruits including pomelo and calamansi, and indulging in durian at least several times a week.
If you want to stay 100 percent raw when traveling, I think it would be really easy to do in the tropics, simply because of the wonderful fruit that is also really affordable. But if it’s only a short trip, which may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, then I say it’s ok to relax, take it easy and enjoy the whole experience.
I definitely think it is a good idea to keep it high raw because your body will much better adapt to the demands of traveling. But if you make choices with awareness and emphasize healthy foods you might find a little flexibility makes for an overall more enjoyable and relaxing experience.
Ultimately the decision is yours.
