One of the best parts about traveling is being able to savor all of the different and unique flavors a place has to offer. On the flip side, one of the challenges with traveling is not over eating and eating unhealthy therefore putting your healthy lifestyle at risk. Carolyn Scott, creator of the foodie travel blog Healthy Voyager understands exactly the challenges that people can encounter when they’re traveling, especially individuals with special dietary needs. Carolyn has dedicated herself to developing her Healthy Voyager blog and brand and has gathered an abundance of knowledge for her readers to have right at their finger tips for when they need some tips and advice on traveling and staying healthy. We had the opportunity to talk with Carolyn and get some further insight about her opinions on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling and about what she favors most as a Healthy Voyager.  

Tours4Fun:  Healthy Voyager is a very niche blog, what motivated you to combine your passion for eating healthy and practicing a healthy lifestyle with traveling?

Carolyn:  Having switched to a plant based diet in '99 and continuing my travels, I realized that I wasn't the only person who had difficulty finding healthy or special diet-friendly foods. In 2005 I came up with the show idea and in 2006 the blog and travel show were born to showcase how fun, simple and delicious it is to travel the world, regardless of dietary restrictions.

Tours4Fun:  Enjoying local cuisine is a huge part of getting the “full travel experience” what do you suggest to travelers who don’t want to miss out on eating something amazing but also don’t want to give up their healthy eating habits?

Carolyn: There are so many ways to soak up the local cuisine no matter if you are vegan, gluten free, diabetic, etc. Learning or researching the proper phrases on how to order what you can and cannot eat in the language of the country you are visiting is a huge help. My favorite travel tool is carrying a Select Wisely card in my wallet (selectwisely.com) to help me order at restaurant worldwide. Additionally, shopping at farmer's markets and meeting up with locals, you can definitely get a taste of the area without missing out due to your diet.

Tours4Fun: Is there anywhere you've traveled that you've found it extra challenging to find food your can it, say somewhere where their diets are extremely meat based? If so, where?

Carolyn: Well, over time even the toughest places have become a lot easier to navigate. But early on it was really difficult to travel to non-metropolitan areas. There is always a salad option so that is my go-to in a tough place. I thought Kenya would be hard to find vegetarian food but man was I wrong! it was delicious and in abundance.

Tours4Fun:  You talk several times throughout your blog about traveling with others who do not share your food preferences or practice completely different eating habits, what are your best tips for compromising?

Carolyn: Find places that offer options that suit everyone. Many locales have salads and sides that suit vegetarians and gluten free diners while also having options for omnivores. Also, more and more vegan restaurants are serving "carnivore" friendly foods so that the non-veggie diners can still get something hearty. Cooking in your hotel room or rented apartment is also a fabulous way to not only save money but also accommodate everyone in your travel group.

 Tours4Fun: You do a lot; you’re a nutritionist, a chef, an author, a film-maker… I mean, the list just seems to go on! How do you find the time to do everything that you enjoy plus travel, what’s your balance?

Carolyn: Balance? What's that? Haha! Seriously, it's all a part of my brand and I incorporate everything I love into my everyday routine. It's no secret that my husband is my partner so when we travel, we make sure to get the filming for the show done while making time for some fun. I work with clients locally as well as online be it wellness and nutrition coaching or cooking classes. I spend most of my time in front of my computer writing but make it a point to get into my lab, aka the kitchen, every day!

Tours4Fun:  You seem to have a good sense of self-control, for those of us who tend to give into temptation and aren’t bound to a diet because of health restrictions or ethical reasons, what’s your best tip for not breaking down and overindulging?

Carolyn:  I allow myself to indulge when I travel not only because I have to for the show (wink, wink) but because I want to enjoy the experience of trying new foods that I may never have a chance to try again. While it's always vegan, some dishes are higher in calories, sugar and fat then others so when I'm not traveling, I eat extremely clean. I work out 6 days a week and eat tons of veggies, whole grains and legumes, staying away from sugar, gluten and bad fats. This way I can make up for overdoing it on my travels and prep for the next foodie adventure!

Tours4Fun:  You’ve clearly been able to enjoy an array of different cuisines. What is the most unique, out of this world dish you have ever eaten?

Carolyn: That's an impossible question as I've had some of the most amazing food this world has to offer and I'm not sure I've even scratched the surface! I've eaten raw flowers at a divine restaurant in Seattle, eaten corn meal with greens with my hands with the Massai tribe in Kenya and enjoyed gourmet frito misto made of cauliflower in Miami. Right now I'm dreaming of a key lime pie I had the other day so I guess it depends o what's fresh in my mind ; )

Tours4Fun:  Being healthy is so much more than eating right and you make an effort to point that out in your blog. Have you ever taken an “exercise themed” vacation like the Hawaii Marathon trip which was recently mentioned on Healthy Voyager? If so where and what did you do?

Carolyn:  Oh yes, fitting in fitness is crucial to your health, especially while traveling. For instance, when on vacation and in the mood to sight see, opt for a walking or biking tour. Make some time to do some laps in the pool or some pre-shower yoga just to get the heart pumping. Every little bit counts and will make it that much easier when you return home to get back to your routine. I love trips that include yoga and hikes, it's just another way to soak in the surroundings!

Tours4Fun:  I love that you have an entire section on your blog dedicated to recipes, yum! What is one of your all time favorite recipes?

Carolyn:  Food is my religion, haha! I love food and I LOVE that I eat the most incredible stuff that isn't causing harm to my body and well-being. In fact it promotes health and well being! I really enjoy sharing my recipes with others to prove that healthy cooking and food is just as great, if not better, then traditional fare. While I don't have a favorite, I will say that I combined my love of travel and food in my latest cookbook, The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen. With over 150 recipes that span the globe, you can enjoy food from around the world, no matter what your diet.

Tours4Fun: These recipes in your cook book are they ones that you've collected from locals or cooks from the places you've visited?

Carolyn: Actually they are all my own original recipes ; ) I wanted to create a one-stop-shop cookbook of the world’s most popular, traditional recipes that suited special diets. I have traveled to many of the places in the book and yes, some of the dishes were inspired by dishes I saw but they are all my own recipes ; ) The Latin American ones are many that I grew up with so those are the ones closest to my heart!

Tours4Fun:  You’ve eaten at restaurants in Washington D.C., in Ireland and at a number of places in between. While food is unique and different everywhere, if you had to choose, which restaurant do you wish you could have dinner at tonight? Do you know what you’d order?

Carolyn: Yes! Horizon's (which is now called Vedge) in Philadelphia, I would order their glazed "chicken" and their pumpkin cheesecake. At Millennium in San Francisco, their macaroon. In London, a lentil burger at GBK with BBQ chutney. Ft. Lauderdale at Sublime, their frito misto; at Plum in Seattle the Mac N' Yeas and here in LA at Cafe Gratitude, their Tiramisu! Oh, the list goes on and on! All of this sounds absolutely delicious!

Tours4Fun:   Something which every seasoned travel is aware of it that with all the jet lag and with all the travel in airplanes and buses and other confined spaces, you’re exposed to a lot of germs and are more susceptible to  getting sick. What are your best tips for staying healthy while traveling? Have you given into the Airborne trend; do you think things like that are effective?

Carolyn: The secret is to boost your immune system all the time and not just when you travel. I stay away from processed sugar and eat a ton of anti-oxidant rich plant based foods. Although my best tips for healthy travel is to get enough rest the night before you travel, bring your own food with you as opposed to buying junky airport food, drink lots of water and stay away from sugary sodas, alcohol and coffee. It also doesn't hurt to take some vitamin C before, during and after your flight.

Tours4Fun:  Lastly, what great dining/healthy experiences are in the works for Healthy Voyager for 2012?

Carolyn:  I'll be traveling all over the country on my book tour for The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen as well as heading out on a number of Healthy Voyager Tours (trips to exotic destinations that people can join me on). We're in the works of launching a bunch of great new products and hopefully bringing the show to TV really soon!