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

---

Serious About Wanting To Improve Your Familys Healthy Eating Lifestyles?

Dr. Christine Wood, M.D, a practicing pediatrician in Encinitas, California,... Read More

Healthy Food Tastes Better!

How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More

The History of Ambrotose® Complex

Ambrotose® - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More

Heart Health ? Fish Oils To The Rescue

In a world where heart disorders and diseases are becoming... Read More

Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease

Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More

The Role of Nutrition in Martial Arts, Police, Military Personnel

For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played... Read More

Correct Your Acid / Akaline Balance by the Water You Drink: What the Experts Say

In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More

5 Ways to Get the Best Out of Radishes

They sit left behind on relish trays. They're often by-passed... Read More

The Two Faces of Chlorine

If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More

Feeling Tired? Cant Lose Weight? Tap Into Protein Power!

You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More

Try a Slow-Carb Habit

Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More

Ayurvedic Nutrition: Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More

Brown Sugar is Not Brown Rice

Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers... Read More

What You Need To Know About Inflammation

Inflammation is not a disease.Inflammation is best described as a... Read More

Meal Planning: Your Ticket to Freedom

It's 5:30 p.m. and you're heading home after a long,... Read More

Healthy Aging - The Clean-Meat Connection

It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage... Read More

Is It Possible To Follow a Strict Diet Program and Still Have A Normal Lifestyle?

Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be... Read More

What About Potassium?

Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More

What Would You Do For a Klondike Bar?

Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand.... Read More

Diet and Eczema

Much controversy and argument surrounds the idea that food may... Read More

Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth

The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More

Chew Your Food

I am going to share with you possibly the most... Read More

Dieting -- The Basic of Meal Planning

BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More

Food Additives: Safety versus Health Maintenance / Prevention

The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More

Train Your Self To Eat Healthy

For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More

Focus on Trans Fat

There's no doubt--carbohydrates have taken center stage in public discourse... Read More

How You Can Support Your Immune System

Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More

Good Fats and Bad Fats -- Whats The Difference?

As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More

Blueberries and Their Role in Cholesterol Control

Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More

Unchaining Yourself from an Unhealthy Food Addiction

The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from... Read More

Seven Habits of Highly Healthy Eaters

"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional... Read More

Fructose Short-Circuits Glycolysis

First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More

Reading Labels:Understanding Fiber, Fat, Carbohydrates, Etc

Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More