Stay Healthy While You Travel

stay healthy while you travel

Stay healthy while you travel is a lot easier than you might think. It’s all too common that we spend months preparing for a trip, only to return home with a cold or some other nasty little bug. But did you know that with some pre-planning you may be able to avoid those pesky woes altogether? Wouldn’t it be nice to return home as fresh as when you departed. I hope you enjoy part one of a three-part Healthy Travels planning. 

1. Drinking alcohol is one of the best ways to expose yourself to a bug.  Alcohol increases dehydration and reduces lowers your immune response.

2. Water is your best option, unless you’re in a country with a poor sanitation system. But there’s always bottled water. We say Hydrate x 3! But, remember many sodas also contain caffeine (and most contain way too much sugar) so limit yourself to as much water as possible for optimum health.

3. Move it or lose it.  If you’re flying, get up and walk periodically during the flight, particularly on long flights. Do some seated yoga stretches, roll your shoulders, pump your legs … and take relaxing breaths. This will improve your circulation and lower the risk of blood clots forming in your legs from being still so long.

4. Did you know that leaning against the wall of the airplane increases radiation exposure?

5. To offset jet lag, take a low-dose melatonin (i.e.: 1 mg) at bedtime upon arrival and upon returning home. You might explore using a homeopathic remedy, JetZone, for jet lag prevention that will assist in returning your sleep cycle to normal.

6. Carry your own snacks — nuts, trail mix, and protein bars. Keep your blood sugar even. Make wise choices.