NEW YORK-
Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for NBC's "Today" show, says he travels 400,000 air miles a year. Spending all that time on the road–with snacks in flight, airport food, hotel minibars, and working breakfasts, lunches and dinners–eventually took its toll on his waistline, blood pressure and cholesterol and triglyceride numbers.
A team of medical, fitness and nutrition experts helped him create a plan for healthier eating on the road, and he's written a book intended to guide others called "The Traveler's Diet" (Villard Books, $14.95). Among the rules Greenberg imposed upon himself for fitness and food while on the road:
–Hotel minibars must either be locked or moved to avoid temptation.
–Upon checking into a hotel, he heads not to his room but to the fitness center.
–No main meals after 8 p.m.
–Drink a cup of water per hour on the plane. (Juice, tea and seltzer are OK too.)
–Keep an apple or orange in the hotel room to eat in the morning.
–Work out in the morning before flying whenever possible.
–Take a walk upon arriving at a destination whenever possible.
–Bring or buy healthy snacks for airport waits and flights–for example, salads, which can be purchased in many airports from vendors like Au Bon Pain or Subway.
The book includes menu suggestions, diets that are supposed to diminish jet lag, and advice about the lowest-calorie options at places like Starbucks and McDonald's.
A large Coke, for example, may have 310 calories and 86 grams of sugar; a sugarless iced tea has zero calories and no sugar. There are also listings for airports around the country where you can find gyms, spas and even eateries that serve vegetarian food.
In addition, Greenberg suggests burning off some calories simply by walking from one terminal to another, and he provides distances in feet at places like Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport, where just ambling the length of Terminal A means you've walked a mile.
