Healthy Festival Hacks

Festival tickets? Check
Desert boots? Check
Water bottle? Check
Outrageous outfit of the season? Check
Robyn’s secret stash of supplements? CHECK.

These are just a few of my music festival essentials.

Yep, it’s that time of year again: Coachella (my absolute favorite music festival) is this weekend and I’m prepared for another year of FUN, while still keeping it healthy.

Music festivals, especially weekend long ones like Coachella, have a reputation for being places where people binge on food, drink and more, and while that definitely is true I also know that it’s totally possible to participate, have a BLAST and still feel amazing.

In fact, even my party-hard friends have adopted some of my tips and tricks so that they can enjoy themselves and not feel crappy for days (or weeks) after.

Here are my quick and dirty tips for feeling fabulous during a music festival:

Leading up to the festival week or weekend:

• Conserve your energy and your body’s resources. Get plenty of sleep, say no to commitments and allow yourself space in your schedule to rest and prep for the big event. On the sleep front, I love using a sleep mask to make sure I’m getting quality shut-eye (the mask also comes in handy during the festival itself when you may be sleeping at different times and in different places).
• Boost your immune system. Along with rest, amp up your body’s natural defenses with specific supplementation. I love the New Chapter Women’s Multi – I don’t always take a multivitamin but I have been the past few weeks in preparation for Coachella.
• Plan and prep. Just like how I teach meal prep in my book Thin From Within, a little bit of food planning and prep for the festival can make a world of difference. If you’re staying at a house where you can make food, get your grocery list together. Bring any specialty items that you may not be able to scoop from a regular grocery store (I always travel with my sauerkraut even though it’s starting to become more readily available!). Even if you can’t or don’t plan to cook, pack some healthy snacks.

The morning of the festival:

• Make yourself a healthy breakfast! I aim to have something with protein, greens and healthy fat, like the Bibimbap Breakfast Bowl from Thin From Within.
• Pick matcha for sustained energy. Matcha is the best choice for sustained, lasting energy (without the crash that sometimes comes with coffee). I’ll also add some fermented maca powder, which also helps boost your energy in a balanced way. No blender? No problem. Purchase instant matcha and you can shake it up in a mason jar or shaker bottle. It won’t taste as delicious as my Magical Morning Matcha, but it will get the job done 🙂
• Take breaks. The grass is there for a reason – use it! Sit down in between sets, rest, literally take a load off. If you need some quiet time, find a place to sit and do some deep belly breathing or a short meditation.

After the festival:

• Fight inflammation. Alcohol, fried or processed foods and less that optimal rest can all cause inflammation in your body. I like to take New Chapter’s Zyflamend supplement after big weekends like Coachella to help my bod fight off inflammation and repair any damage that may have been done during the festivities.
• Give your digestion a break. My favorite post-festival fuel is a green smoothie. It’s easier on the digestive system while still giving your body tons of nutrients. Try the Blueberry Pie Smoothie from Thin From Within with some extra greens added in.

My #1 tip? Go with your gut. REST if you need it, go later, leave earlier, listen to your body so you can fully enjoy the experience! And if you can go light on commitments the week after – give your body and brain some time to “digest” the festival experience so it’s a healthy and positive one!

I shared these tips and MORE with on the KTLA morning news this weekend. Catch the replay of the segment here: Robyn’s Healthy Festival Hacks on KTLA.

Have you ever been to a music festival? Leave a comment below and let me know!