When most of us travel, we tend to eat differently than we do when we’re at home. And by “differently” I mean “more.” As we’ve discussed here numerous times, enjoying native cuisine is a significant part of investigating a new culture, and I, for one, would never tell you to not fully explore the place you’re visiting.
But eating without limits isn’t always the healthiest approach to living for a week or two or more. So here’s a possible solution: a new study shows that women who keep a food journal – writing down everything they eat – are more likely to lose weight. The research was done by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and tracked 123 post-menopausal women for one year. USA Today’s Nanci Hellmach reports that lead researcher Anne McTeirnan said “The more accountable you are, the better you are going to do at weight loss. If you write it down, it seems more real.
So if you’re intending to spend a significant part of your upcoming trip abroad, why not try keeping a food diary? There are plenty of apps to help you out and make it easy. And if food and drink is a major focus of your trip, keeping that diary could help you retell the story of your travels when you return home.
We’ve got Gen X, Gen Y, and now in China we have “Gen T,” short for “Generation Travel” – a generation of 20- and 30-something Chinese women who are traveling far beyond the limits of previous generations. CNNGO’s Tracy You reports that this generation’s “life values are shifting away from their mothers’ and grandmothers’ (who may well have never ventured beyond the confines of their home town) thanks to the opportunities of outbound travel.”
Virgin Air owner Richard Branson has never been one to color inside the lines, and now his airline is reaching across another boundary. Virgin America flight attendants will soon be wearing chic new uniforms designed by Banana Republic. And USA Today’s Nancy Trejos reports that travelers will be able to buy some of the items in Banana Republic stores. Synergy!
A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about traveling into the Land of the Midnight Sun and how to keep your sleep cycle relatively intact. This week, the New York Times’ Seth Kugel traveled to the Great Sunny North and investigated other things to do in Norway besides sleep.
At CNN, Phil Black takes a look at the “Little Paris of Ukraine” – the fascinating cultural capital of Lviv.
And, if you say Colombia to a lot of people, their first thought is “Drug Lord.” The country has a historic reputation as a dangerous place, and the U.S. State Department still has a travel warning for the South American nation. But tourism officials are working to spruce up Colombia’s international reputation. Travel Weekly’s Nadine Godwin visited and reports on the Colombian tourism industry’s forthright handling of the reputation issues
