As some of our readers on Facebook may know, I am in Dallas this week, on a business trip (if it were personal, we'd both be here; oh well), and I decided to do a series of blog posts this week about eating healthy and business travel. I do not claim to be an expert in the field, as this is my first business trip in...well...ever. OK, I had a 2 day conference in Boston back in 1996 or so, but as I didn't have to fly to get there, living in Connecticut at the time, that really doesn't count. Unless you have to change time zones and/or step on an airplane (or three), it's just not the same.
My trip actually began yesterday morning, so I am a little behind. I will try and make the time up at some point this week, but the goal is to post at least one entry for each day of the trip, with a final wrap-up post sometime this weekend. Conference runs through Friday, and Saturday morning I am flying back to Caribou.
Before we get into the particulars, I do want to establish some basic parameters and goals:
- At least one, preferably 2, Isagenix meals a day. One Mars/Venus (well, only Mars, since it's just me) shake/cleanse, and one IsaLean bar.
- Ionix Supreme at least once a day; preferably in the morning. Got a couple of spares, just in case.
- Mars/Venus (yeah, yeah, it's a habit. I can't just stop typing that on a dime) minerals at least 3 times a day, with or closely around each meal. Lithium Oratate with breakfast and dinner.
- Largely gluten free. I believe the guideline we have established at the Mike & Kelly household is 80/20 - so gluten should be less than 20% of our meals, cumulative over a single day. Obviously, it's hard to actually measure this, so we wing it and try to err on the side of caution.
- And, of course, blogging about it daily. :-)
Well, we're starting this early, then. Oh, I shouldn't. But, but pretzels! And, remember, 80/20. You're good so far. So I happily munched on them for the trip.
Got to Logan. Next flight out is in the same terminal. No clearing security again. Yay! Gate is right upstairs from the arriving gate. Yay! And it's 50 feet from the Legal Seafood counter. Well, now...
Got the basic omelet (which, as I have mentioned on FB, is anything but basic). 3 eggs, monterey jack cheese, bacon, "home fries", which are really just thick cut potato chips, and brioche toast.
I was strong. I ate everything but the toast. I wanted to eat it too, but figured I'd had the pretzels, so had better stand pat. And, really, I was full anyway. So this was my brunch.
Hopped the flight to Philly. Another half-full flight! Paradise! On an Embraer plane, no less. They have more comfy (and slightly wider) seats in coach. Awesome. This is turning out to be a great day!
Until we landed in Philly. I emerged from the gate onto an extremely crowded airport. Fortunately, I didn't have very far to go, but the next flight was boarding in 10 minutes, and it was going to be a long flight to Dallas. And it was full. Over-full, in fact. And, oh yes, I had to check my roll-on. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a roll-on, really. But at least it was the last leg of the trip.
I really need to have my minerals. But I have no water. And no time to hit a vendor kiosk. Crap. So I ended up dry-swallowing them. Not pleasant, but man what a difference those minerals make when you're stressed out. I believe Kelly has mentioned in the past that when you stress out, your brain burns through those essential minerals like a frat boy burns through dollar bills at a bachelor party. OK, she probably didn't use that metaphor, but you get the idea. So while it wasn't great to dry swallow them, it's much much better than waiting to have them with food/water. But I digress (you were waiting for it, weren't you? Admit it).
So, I get on the plane, and it's cramped. Crowded. Hot. I was in the middle seat. Between two octopi. OK, that's an exxageration. The lady on my left (window) was tiny, but the guy on my right had to have been 6 foot 5. Poor guy. And they both had very large elbows. And it's a 3 and a half hour flight to Dallas. Well, crap. But I made the most of it. Had my Chocolate Decadence bar with some water midway through, and tried to read on my tablet. Oh, and I should mention that during all of this I am dealing with my usual sore back. Well, the back really stepped up to the plate yesterday, only the occasional grumble. Thank you, god(s). And, you know what? That bar really filled me up and I was totally satisfied. It doesn't, always. But I had spaced out my meals just enough so that it worked out pretty well.
Got off the plane. Found my bag (intact). Tried calling the hotel's preferred shuttle company: on hold with really dumb music. OK, I staggered out to the taxi area, asked the first shuttle there if they went to the Meridien. They did. Eventually. Good enough for me. I hopped in, got taken to the Gaylord (huge), then the Crown Plaza (nice) and finally Le Meridien. Ahh, here at last. Checked in, saw my room (fantastic; corner suite on the 3rd floor; not high up, but away from the elevator; it will do).
OK, cool. Time for dinner. Think I will unwind a bit in the hotel bar rather than trying to find a restaurant outside somewhere. Plopped down and had a 3 course feast of awesomeness:
- Mexican street tacos (corn tortillas - hopefully gluten free)
- Ahi tuna au poivre with cranberry beet reduction, sweet onions, asparagus and pomme frites.
- Fruit and cheese plate, with olives and crackers. Skipped the latter two, ate just the cheese and fruit. And candied pecans.
- Drink of choice was good old water. It was awesome, chlorine and all.
Gluten count for today: as far as I can tell, just the pretzels in the morning. I think it was a good day, all in all.
Up next: Day 2 - first day of classes. Currently in progress, and the gluten count is still pretty low (with 2 meals down). Yay!
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