Healthy picks when you’re travelling internationally

Heading for a vacation this summer? Below are some choices of healthy food for wherever you’re planning to go.

Destination: Africa

Sub-Saharan Ethopia is well known for its healthy diet with its array of stews packed with vegetarian proteins including chickpeas and lentils. These are accompanied by a spongy flatbread called injera. Its main ingredient is a kind of flour called teff that’s high in both fiber and protein.

Destination: Asia

Considered by some to have the world’s best selection of street food vendors in its capital of Bangkok, Thailand is hard to beat in terms of health. Fresh vegetables and fish make up a good portion of the diet and coconut milk is a main cooking ingredient. Coconut milk contains vitamin D, vitamin B12 and calcium and is an obvious choice for those who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Destination: North America

If you’re looking for a small jewel in a big place, try hitting the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada and that of Maine in the US, where lobster is abundant and affordable. It’s low in calories and fat if you go easy on the melted butter, and it’s also high in selenium, which is beneficial to thyroid function.

The West Coast of the US and Mexico has an ideal climate for growing avocadoes and artichokes, two vegetables that not only taste great, they are both highly alkaline and balance out the more acidic foods you may consume otherwise.

Destination: Europe

Now is the chance to toggle between the north and south and enjoy each region’s highly buzzed-about diet. Yes, we’re talking about the Mediterranean diet of Greece and the Nordic diet of the Scandinavian countries, originating in Denmark. These two diets offer a refreshingly enjoyable selection of fish and vegetables and the Mediterranean one even accounts for wine. The key ingredient in each diet is the oil: olive in the south and colza in the north. Colza oil has gotten a lot of attention lately because it’s been proven to contain more omega-3 fatty acids and even less saturated fat than olive oil.

Category: Top Story, Wellness and Complementary Therapies