Hello, hello!
I don’t know about you, but I’m still down here in sunny Jamaica 🙂 .
Today, I have two very different posts (a little something for everyone!). I have COASTAL SUMMER STYLE {2025 Edition} as well as this post here…
…INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE TRAVELING.
Over the last 18 months-ish, I have had so many questions about how/do I still intermittent fast when we travel. So, I thought I’d do a little IF update and answer that question.
First up, make sure you…
…catch PART 1 and PART 2 of why I started/why I love IF. This book in particular has the answers to so many of your questions on IF. It is a wonderful resource that I highly recommend. I also have PART 3 which is an update on IF as well.
Needless to stay, start with all of that first.
Okay back to today’s topic…INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE TRAVELING.
Hi, my name is Shay…
…and I love to travel. And I love to eat while I travel. And I find that they go beautifully together.
Here are some of little tidbits/tips/ideas/thoughts to traveling while also “staying on track”:
#1: ENJOY IT
I know that everyone is different and everyone has their own priorities/values/things they want to experience on vacation, but for me, the food is a HUGE part of the experience. I want to be healthy and live as well as I can as long as I can, but I also want to fully embrace life and all of my travel experiences. I do not want to book a vacation months in advance, save for this vacation, plan the details of this vacation, take time off of work for this vacation, arrange dog sitters and maybe kiddo sitters for this vacation, pack for this vacation, go through airport security for this vacation, fly on an airplane to finally arrive at this vacation only to limit/restrict myself. To each their own, but to me, life is way too short. (This is me, you do you!)
#2: THINK “DIGESTIVE REST” INSTEAD
If I’m being honest, I almost never use the phrase “intermittent fasting”. I personally just give myself a longer “digestive rest” every day. We all give ourselves some sort of digestive rest each day between our last bite of that day and then that first bite the next day. It’s natural, we all do it…I just like to give myself a bit more (typically 16 hours) because it makes my gut feel so much better. This is my goal because it makes me feel great, it is not my goal because I’m a slave to this amount of time. If I’m traveling and there is a great breakfast option, my digestive rest will be shorter. I think that reframe is important on vacation. Shorten your “rest” time for the best time on your trip 🙂 .
#3: ENJOY THE SPECIAL THINGS
I treat the holidays and traveling very similarly. When it’s December, I do not mind indulging on gingerbread cookies and egg nog and all of those things that only come around once a year. Those are special, seasonal treats to be savored. A chocolate chip cookie? That’s year around, so I won’t waste my time on those things during the holidays. I say the same thing can be applied to traveling. In Germany? Eat the strudel! In Britain? Fish and chips! In Italy? Pasta! When I’m in any of these places, I indulge in their delicious fare…and skip the stuff that I can get back home on a regular basis.
#4: HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE
We should all be hydrating, but I find it especially important when traveling. No matter how large my “feeding window” is on a trip, water is always a good option. Hydrating helps with everything from flights to car trips, jet lag, lots of walking, being out in the sun, and especially digestion.
#5: GET THAT PROTEIN IN
Just this week, I realized that I needed to have breakfast here in Jamaica every day because I was not eating enough protein at lunch and dinner. I’m at a work conference, and we have supplier meals for lunch and dinner which includes a lot of talking and very little eating. After the first day, I was positive that I barely had any protein, so the first thing I did the next morning after the gym was get breakfast and pile it with eggs, sausage and bacon. If I know that protein won’t be aplenty like it is when I’m at home, then I certainly make sure my feeding window is larger, so that I get enough food.
#6: SHOW YOURSELF GRACE
Always. Always. Always. Whether your goal is to clean up your diet or exercise or get more sleep or drink more water or intermittent fast, when you’re on vacation, show yourself grace. Travel is not tangible. It’s an experience. It’s memories. Try really hard to enjoy it.
So, I’m here in Jamaica eating a big protein breakfast, lunch and dinner with a smaller digestive rest window and feelin’ great about it.
Don’t forget, I really like this book…
…The Complete Guide to Fasting as well as…
…Delay, Don’t Deny too!
If you have any IF questions for me, feel free to drop them in the comment section today. Don’t forget, I also have… COASTAL SUMMER STYLE {2025 Edition} as well today too!
See you all tomorrow! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
Such a good reminder and i love the mindsets of a digestive rest instead of intermittent fasting!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Dana says
Silly question… can I ask what the extra protein levels are so important? Is it that women need more protein as they age? Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well please listen to the experts (and not me!), but everything I read and every podcast I listen to about health for everyone (especially aging women) is the more protein the better. It aids in so many different ways (muscle and bone health, cognitive health, pretty much any metabolic disorder…). There are so many books I would recommend (Outlive by Peter Attia is a great start!). For me personally, changing my diet to be centered around protein has been a game-changer.
Brandi says
Can you still have coffee (with cream) during your “fast” or is that considered breaking the fast?
Mix and Match Mama says
The experts (so clearly, not me!) would call that a “dirty fast” (adding things to your coffee. I learned to drink my coffee black to keep mine clean. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it all the way 🙂 .
Kristine G. says
Just an FYI I recently learned that drinking coffee on an empty stomach (which I always did) drains your adrenal glands. I agree with giving your digestive tract a break but for women, skipping breakfast is a stressor on our bodies and messes with our hormones. It’s much better to eat your dinner earlier if you want to intermittent fast. Many of the books on this topic base their research on men and women’s bodies are much different. Just wanted to share what I’ve learned on my health journey!
Nicole says
Love this!! What would a normal, routine day of eating look like to you? Thanks!!
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m going to do a post on that too!
Eliza says
Great post! So when you are in DR do you drink coffee, water or sparkling water? Or is it usually a 100% complete DR?
Mix and Match Mama says
I only drink black coffee or regular water when I’m giving myself DR. 🙂
Bren says
Interesting timing for me as today I am back to giving myself a larger window for digestive rest. I had been doing it and in complete transparency, fell off with back-to-back vacations and in reflection I can see that I definitely felt better during that time period. Anxious to see how I feel when I look back in a few week again. Thank you for the book recommendations!
Katie Stewart says
I’m SO green to all of this, but in the three months I’ve been doing IF (or DR!), I have noticed how *completely* aware I’ve become about everything I’m eating or drinking. It has really made me consider the pros and cons of everything I’m consuming! Zero sodas, lots of water (mostly sparkling because I’ve gotta feel that burn 🥴), and I’ve eliminated most junk food. And truly, I don’t even miss it.
Mix and Match Mama says
I love everything about this comment. I’m excited for you, Katie!
Kacey says
DR/IF has been a game changer for me! I started about a year ago and feel so much better! I’ve never been able to eat super early in the morning, it would always make me feel sick, but I’ve come to learn that eating after 7pm really effects my sleep AND stomach in the morning. I find it super interesting and fascinating how everyone (every body) is SO different!
Stephanie P says
I read the book and found it thought-provoking. I also completed a 16-hour fast for nearly four months, and I did feel a bit lighter and gut clean (if that is a term?) as a result. However, I am someone who is an early workout person, and I got into lifting heavier vs. I used to be a morning cardio person, where I could only run on an empty stomach, so the fasting was fine. I found that w/o eating before I worked out in the gym, I was overly sluggish. I went to a nutritionist who was very clear that if you are lifting and trying to gain muscle mass, you must eat a mix of carbs and protein beforehand, and then eat something immediately after you lift. Otherwise, you could be negating the gains you are trying to get from the gym as you are throwing your hormones out of whack. Upon reflection, the book didn’t extensively discuss the combined effects of exercise and fasting, or the impact of fasting on gaining muscle mass. It was more about the benefits to gut health, flushing your system, and weight loss. Just providing a different perspective, everyone’s body is different in how it reacts to things.