Blog

4

I lost 85 pounds through eating a paleo diet and doing Crossfit. Now I am traveling around for work quite a bit (currently in Tel Aviv for three months) and finding it hard to keep paleo without a kitchen (living in a hotel).

Does anyone have any advice on eating in tel aviv or others parts of israel while avoiding the temptations of hummus, pita, etc?

flag
Wow, is there no way to relocate to a small apartment with a kitchen? Or maybe a host family? 3 months is a long time to go without a kitchen. I don't even do hotels anymore for short stays, I always get a vacation rental house with a kitchen. I don't know if they have them in Israel, but sometimes there are hotels with suites or efficiency apartments that cater to business travelers. – Karen P. Jan 3 2012 at 22:38
Working on getting into an apartment by beginning of next week but a 'equipped kitchen' is only a microwave, fridge, sink even at higher end budgets if you want to live in Tel Aviv center. – TedB Jan 4 2012 at 7:24

4 Answers

6

You may have to give up on somethings since you don't have a kitchen, but you have to just make smart choices. When I travel, it's mostly jerky and nuts for snacks, eggs for breakfast, and burgers minus the bun when I'm at a restaurant. Just about any restaurant you go to has eggs and burgers. I'm sure you can find equivalents in Israel, I don't know off hand what that would be. Try to stick to the spirit of paleo eating rather than "rules".

But a bigger point is simply, don't give into temptations, and don't ever think of it as "cheating". The reason you lost 85 lbs wasn't due to any magic, it was because you quit poisoning your body. For your body the processed high-carb food was bad (some people can get away with it, but since you were 85 lbs overweight, you're not that lucky), so just treat it like poison. You wouldn't give in to the temptations of arsenic would you? If it's bad for you, just don't eat it.

link|flag
Thanks miked this is a good reminder. There is no jerky in israel. It's just not a thing but they do have plenty of nuts. – TedB Jan 3 2012 at 21:09
5

(According to Saveur) Israel does have a classic breakfast egg dish (shakshuka), usually eggs, tomatoes, chiles, and feta cheese (meaning at least a good spicy breakfast should be easy to find).

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Eggs-Poached-in-Tomato-Sauce

link|flag
Seriously, Shakshuka is the most amazing breakfast ever. Or eggs with Harissa. Mmmmmm – Krisha C. Jan 3 2012 at 23:20
Yeah had this this morning for breakfast it was fairly amazing. I didn't think of half tomatoes as a breakfast food until now. – TedB Jan 4 2012 at 7:23
3

If it were me I'd probably do the best I could (I like Miked's suggestions) and incorporate some Intermittent Fasting protocols temporarily.

link|flag
3

I agree this would be tough! I think perhaps I'd consult with the staff at check-in and ask about local markets and local restaurants most likely to have the types of food I need. They could probably help translate the names of menu items so you could make the most varied and healthy choices.

Some of your travel could be an opportunity to find the healthier side of local cultural eating! That assumes time permits, but if you're not there long enough to do some prospecting then the eggs and burger suggestions are the way to go.

link|flag
Will second the comment about checking out the local markets. As Bourdain regularly mentions, anywhere you sell food, people eat food. It's the best way to find what the locals are really eating and the best way to avoid tourist food. – cerement Jan 4 2012 at 2:26

Your Answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.