Maintaining a healthy lifestyle when you’re abroad can be challenging. Staying in shape and eating right are very important and can completely be done. All that is needed a bit of flexibility and creativity. Western ideas of eating healthy and working out may not be suitable in the country you’re studying in.
Tips on how to stay healthy
stay healthy while studying abroad
Your usual work-out regiment may not be possible in this new environment. This might be because gyms don’t exist for you to use or that outdoor running or exercising is culturally frowned upon. This is where you have to be creative in order to stay healthy. Since you probably won’t be driving yourself around in your host country, walking is the way to go. Walking substantial amounts each day will keep you active and will also allows you to explore the city.
The key to eating healthy is “everything in moderation.” Don’t try and keep to the foods you eat here in the US, try new things, try local markets. You might be surprise and actually like the interesting flavors.
When living overseas, the difference in availability of foods and groceries in the various stores can pose as a challenge to those who wish to eat healthy, stay on a diet, or shed those last few holiday pounds. But living in a foreign country does not have to mean unhealthy eating or giving up on a diet!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I can’t stress that enough. Not only does it give you energy to overcome busy mornings, but it also kick starts your metabolism. It’s important to eat several small-portions throughout the day, in order to keep your metabolism going.
Drinking water cuts down your calorie intake because you feel full faster, so keep drinking that water.
Finding time to stay active may be the hardest part in keeping healthy. Going abroad means experiencing a whole new world, and you’ll want to pack your days and nights with things to do. Ever had those occasional jam-packed days at home when you have to sacrifice your workout to get everything else finished? That sort of problem will arise frequently while traveling.
Whether the cuisine in your country of choice is delicious or repulsive, navigating the waters of healthy food choices will probably be difficult. You might feel that you are surrounded by some of the best food in the world, and don’t want to pass up on anything. Just keep in mind eating a bit of everything is fine as long as it is in moderation.
Eating out all the time can be expensive and sometimes unhealthy too. Try looking for local farmers markets.
Making the effort to stay healthy abroad can improve your experience by giving you energy, making you sleep better, boosting your immune system, helping you meet people, getting you acquainted with the area, and doing so much more.
Remember stay healthy! It might not be a bad idea to stop by your family physician and have a physical just to make sure you are good to go over seas.
