Staying Fit and Healthy on the Road

As Miss Rodeo America, Lauren will travel well over 100,000 miles this year! Many of the Miss Rodeo state queens travel well over 35,000 miles annually but, you don’t have to be a state queen or MRA to have a busy travel schedule. While on the road many queens are faced with making decisions about eating healthy, utilizing time for sleep,and taking care of yourself to avoid falling ill. For this article we asked an experienced queen and nutritionist for her best advice on how to be efficient and keep it simple. Guest blogger, Stacy (Johnson) Berger, was Miss Rodeo USA 2006, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2008, and 1st runner up at the MRA Pageant. Stacy has studied nutrition and currently lives in Wyoming with her husband and three kids. Here is what she has to say about staying healthy while on the road:

“As a rodeo queen you are on the road a lot and you end up eating at a lot of places where you don’t necessarily have control over what you eat. I am hoping to give you some ideas that will help you stay healthy, happy and fit during your year as royalty.

• For one meal a day (breakfast usually works well, unless you have some kind of breakfast banquet) have a protein shake. There are definitely some that are better than others.   Here is what you want to look for. A shake where the protein comes from pea. You will see several that come from whey or soy but pea is preferable. It should contain digestive enzymes such as protease and amylase. This will help keep you regular (going to the bathroom regularly) and I know many people struggle with this when they are not at home. It should contain probiotics such as lactobacillus or you can add a very good quality yogurt. This is healthy bacteria that lives in your colon and is absolutely necessary to healthy digestion and your health. Many shakes will be lactose free, gluten free, vegan, etc. Choose depending on your needs but usually the most nutritious shakes are not the least expensive. A good addition to your shake is a green drink. It provides a lot of nutrients and is easy to take in your shake.      
• Here are some easy ways to decrease caloric intake. Always order water with your meal or drink water with your meal. I usually get lemon with my water because not all water tastes the same. Order a salad with your meal so that you can fill up on salad first and not eat as much of the meal. You can then take your leftovers home. Portion control is a really big deal. Usually half of what you are served is plenty.  
• Herbs are another great way to boost immunity and treat symptoms. One herb that I recommend taking for immune boosting is Echinacea. I would also recommend being on a good quality multivitamin. Along with the multivitamin I would supplement with Vitamin C, Calcium, Vitamin D and Iron. Be extremely careful that you are taking a natural iron supplement otherwise it has a tendency to constipate. A good brand of iron supplement is Garden of Life.
• Essential oils are another great way to stay healthy. Lavender is an oil that will help you to sleep better. I always mix distilled water with a few drops of Lavender in a small spray bottle and spray it on my pillow before I go to bed. There are several oils out there that help build your immune system and oils that help with symptoms during a cold or flu. Peppermint oil is excellent to put on your temples if you have a headache. Some that I keep on hand include: tea tree, eucalyptus radiata, lemon, peppermint. There are some excellent aroma therapy books out there that are good to have as a reference. There are a lot of different quality essential oils on the market. You want to make sure the oils you buy are the highest quality for what you can afford. There will be a big difference in the oils you buy from a health food store for $6 and one you buy from an essential oil company that may range from $16 to over $100.”

We also asked Lauren for a quick tip on how she stays looking great! Lauren said, “High protein and low carb based foods, along with always drinking a lot of water, is a great base start in helping myself maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road. As far as fitness, using online workout websites that I can pull up on my iPad and do from a hotel room helps me when a gym is not available. This maintains my energy and stamina.”

Thank you to Stacy for giving us this advice! This is important and valuable information to rodeo queens as they travel throughout their year. Check back for more on this type of topic soon! Also, we will be sure to include more tips from the first lady herself, Lauren Heaton. Until next time…..