Every now and then I answer a question that crops up a lot from you lot. This week: how do I travel so much and not fall apart at the seams?

I do travel a lot. I fly from Byron Bay to Sydney or Melbourne every week or so. Sometimes it’s a day trip. Sometimes I have to stay a few nights and I stay in air-conditioned hotels and friends spare rooms that aren’t always ventilated etc as I like. It’s really very disruptive to my health. And I DO fall apart at the seams a bit.

Don’t know about you but travel also grinds my digestive system to a halt. I don’t go to the loo. Plus, I get puffy and lethargic. And tired. Plane travel is so bad for us. Ditto air-con (which is everywhere when you travel). It’s hard to eat well on the road and we have odd timetables and sleep patterns.

And so I’ve had to learn ways to make it work for me. It’s taken some trial and error, but I have a flow now. Of sorts.

My key advice is to create routine. As much as possible.

To replicate what you do at home, on the road, as much as possible.

And lesson the toxic load at all turns.

So a list of the routines and toxic-reduction tricks that work for me:

In hotels:

* You’re going to think I’m bonkers: As soon as I arrive I go around and turn off all powerpoints in the room. All of them, including the one to the fridge. The EMF load in hotel rooms is crazy – fridges, phones, alarm clocks, internet…plus the load from surrounding rooms etc. I do what I can… (and am sure to turn them all back on when I leave…. although I do feel bad I stuff the clock radios).

* I request a room away from the lift well and away from the power room. Again to lessen the EMF load.

* I wear earplugs and an eyemask. Again, bonkers? Nah.  It’s all about minimising interruptions and stimulus wherever you can.

* I go to bed early, as much as I enjoy sitting in bed watching news channels to all hours.

Exercise:

Exercise is key. You really have to make sure you get your lymphatic system moving – to flush toxins and to help facilitate routine (bowel and otherwise).

* If there’s no gym and/or I arrive late at night: I run up and down the firestairs in the hotel. I know it seems mad. But you do what you have to do. I came across others doing the same after arriving in HongKong when we filmed MasterChef. We laughed as we passed each other. Just make sure you remember what floor you entered from and that the firedoors allow you back out.

One of my favourite things to do is to come up with a meal from… nothing. It’s a sport. And I find myself competing in it often because I travel almost weekly and have to empty my fridge of random ingredients. Oh the thrill of it!?!

Pic: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

So I always have a few staples on hand that can stretch out the random fridge surprise ingredients. Eggs, tinned tuna, tinned sardines,  frozen spinach, peas and broccoli (I steam, bag and freeze myself, as explained here), capers and activated nuts and seeds (which I keep in the freezer…they keep longer and stay crisper).

Me, at the moment I’m loving these ideas:

* Freezer spinach, pea and parmesan surprise: Take two cubes of frozen spinach (I buy the one that comes in a pack of 6 cubes) and a handful of frozen peas in a bowl and microwave (I know, not ideal, but frozen spinach is dodgy in a pot and this meal works best in a microwave) for a minute or so. I drain a little water out and stir through one egg and some grated Parmesan (which I store in the freezer) and heat for another minute or so. Breakfast!

* Mushroom mush: I saute mushrooms in a pan and some shaved ham (I keep a container in the fridge for such moments) and swirl through some lightly forked eggs, a splash of milk and some chia seeds.

* Broccoli and ….: I steam broccoli cut up pretty fine (as mentioned I do this in advance – a head or two at a time – put in containers and freeze ready to grab) and add:  some shredded chicken (I buy 1/2 a chook and use it across 3-4 meals), a few anchovies and some garlic, a tin of tuna and an egg…I swirl it through the hot broccoli and it “cooks” into a cheesy bind. Sometimes I toss in some finely cut celery  and swirl through some whole-egg mayo (sugar-free). And some activated pepitas (again, which I keep in the freezer). And bang. Lunch. Or breakfast (the other day I took it on the plane with me on my way to Sydney at 9am).

* Meffins (meat, veggie and egg muffins):

Two weeks I ago I sprained and hairline-fractured my ankle…and tore my tendon. I was running barefoot on ocean rocks in the rain because I was listless. “I know, I’ll do something slightly off-kilter, so I can feel a bit more alive.” In addition to demolishing my ankle I also ran into three nude men. Another story.

Jo. Me. Bung ankle.

So. I can’t walk for 6 weeks, run for 3 months. It’s a sentence. It’s a sign.

But this has helped. A comfrey poultice. I researched online the various benefits. Much has been said about it’s ability to heal sprains and even fractures. I looked at the different techniques and decided to get witchy with it myself.

Frankly, I’ve come up with the Creme de la Creme of Healing, Soothing Poulticessssss.

Check this shit out…

1. Cut up comfrey leaves – about six – and stick-blend in a plastic container(which means you don’t get your blender machine dirty) with some water…enough to make it soupy.

2. clever trick #1: Most recipes say to add a good handful of flour to get it paste-like. Good. But I used chia bran and psyllium husk because it got it SUPER pasty. Like a rubber. You need this so you can use the poultice like a goob and it won’t run everwhere.

How’s this. I post about how tough it is to eat breakfast when you’re on this sugar-free challenge. And hello! I’m emailed this rippa recipe. Randomly.

I met Samantha Gowing randomly a year or so ago. She’s a therapeutic chef who travels the world creating “Surf Spa Cuisine” for luxury hotels and spas. This is her “Emperor’s breakfast”…fit for kings.

Red quinoa with goji berries, macadamias and vanilla

• 1 cup red quinoa (plain is fine too…remember to rinse well!!!!)
• 2 cups water
• 1⁄4 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped. Or almonds.
• 1⁄4 cup goji berries (which contain sugar…but not so much)
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
• 2 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch cinnamon
• ½ lime, juice only
• Yoghurt for serving if desired

Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water until boiling. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
Transfer cooked quinoa to a mixing bowl, add goji berries, macadamia nuts, vanilla seeds, chia, ginger and cinnamon
Spoon into serving bowls, add a squeeze of lime and your favourite yoghurt

*Quinoa cooking tip: If all the water has not been absorbed, cover pot with a tea towel then place lid on top. The remaining moisture will dry, leaving lovely, fluffy quinoa

The Internet Chef recently posted a list of the top 30 health posts from the internet. They’re a great collation. Here’s my choice six snacks, plus some simple throw-together-from-the-pantry snack tricks I eat by. Enjoy!

* Tamari Pepitas

Toss some pumpkin seeds around a hot pan (no oil required; the oils from the nuts are enough to keep them from sticking). As they start to sizzle and pop a little, drizzle tamari over the the lot, stirring. It becomes a gooby mess pretty quickly, so remove from heat almost immediately.

* Frozen banana yoghurt

I buy bananas in bulk, peel them and put them in the freezer in a zip-lock bag. When I need a snack (I also eat this for breakfast) I pull one out, hack it into chunks and put in a cup. Then I pour some yoghurt over it and either mush with a fork or stab-mix in the cup. I then stick it back in the freezer. Within 5 minutes it’s the most sublime frozen snack ever. Sometimes I add chia seeds and cinnamon, or coconut water.

* Air Popped Popcorn (from my mum)

Put a small handful of popcorn in a brown paper lunch bag. Roll down top of lunch bag to close. Place in microwave for 2 minutes. I toss through some salt or dulce. No oil or butter required!! Use this no-fat trick for the popcorn recipes below.

Microwave potato chips by Nooschi

4 ingredients Granola bars- Kiss My Spatula