5 Healthy Paleo Travel Tips: Austin, TX

August 8, 2012 travel tips

5 Healthy Paleo Travel Tips: Austin, TX

I love to travel and I try as hard as I can to stick to the paleo lifestyle on the road. Being in Austin was easy because there was access to amazing seasonal and organic food. This was the second time I visited this year. I also went in March for the Paleo FX convention. This time it was for my cousin’s wedding who I grew up with in middle TN.

My little sister stocking up at the farmers market

We had time for plenty of fun along the way doing lots of ancestral activities! First things first: we had to hunt and gather good food! Me and my little sister went to the Austin Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday morning. We got some awesome stuff like organic duck eggs/goose eggs, and pastured duck liver pate. I also picked up some raw milk ricotta that I just had to try.

Pastured liver pate from the farmers Market

Then later we went to the coolest place in Austin: Barton Springs.It was only $3 and for a refreshing dip in this natural 68 degree spring. It was such nice break from the 100 degree heat. I could definielty picture cavemen swimming here millions of years ago.

A freshwater 68 degree spring right in the middle of Austin!

The next day we went to Zilker Botanical Gardens which is a few blocks from Barton Springs.

Zilker Botanical Garden Austin, TX

When I travel I always like to have access to a kitchen so I can take control of my own food. My relatives rented a big house where we all lived like a tribe for 4 days. We cooked this awesome meal on Sunday night after getting some good food at the original 80,000 sq ft flagship Whole Foods (I went two times in three days).

Raw milk ricotta, guacamole, heirloom tomatoes, basil and raw kraut

We bough some gulf shrimp from Whole Foods and made this meal below with our farmers market goose eggs.

Goose egg and wild shrimp saute

We also went on a walk by Lady Bird Lake on one of the great bike trails. Austin is really geared toward creating lots of greenways so people can enjoy the outdoors and stay fit.

We walked by Ladybird Lake

At the airport I got some Salt Lick BBQ which was gluten free. I avoided the sauce that was full of soybean oil and sugar.I got the beef brisket and it was so amazing!

Gluten-free beef brisket and coleslaw

It was a beautiful wedding at Dulcinea Chapel. The great jazz music at the ceremony was by my cousin Thomas Heflin, an award winning professional NYC trumpet player. Congratulations to the happy couple! I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

My cousin Thomas and his bride Danica

5 Healthy Paleo Travel Tips:

Prepare: When preparing for travel always think ahead. Try to get your own kitchen by staying in a rental from Airbnb.com, home-away.com, vrbo.com, or Residence Inn, Marriott.

Use the internet: Look up gluten free, organic, grass fed restaurants on yelp.com or gluten free finder IPhone application.

Eat Local: Find some farmers markets in the area where you are going so you can get the best local food. Also look for Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or similar stores near where you are staying.

Arrange Transportation: Get your own rental car so you can get to the store. I have heard not having a car as an excuse to eat poorly so many times. Make sure you know how you will get around while on your trip.

Take Responsibility: The most important thing is to be accountable for feeding yourself and not leave it up to others because they most likely won’t have your health in mind. If you don’t there is a good chance you will be eating pizza and feeling like crap before you know it.

About the Author: Caitlin Weeks

Caitlin Weeks, BA, Certified Nutrition Consultant, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach, and NASM Certified Personal Trainer is a San Francisco based Holistic Nutritionist serving clients locally and beyond (US & international) via phone and Skype consultations. Since 2001 Caitlin has had success conquering obesity after a lifelong struggle with her weight. Since 2009 she has been winning the battle over Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis by managing stress and using a paleo diet. She is committed to educating others about the benefits of traditional foods and efficient exercise. She writes weekly articles about health and nutrition on her blog: www.grassfedgirl.com