Our favorite tips for healthy travel.
Fall is approaching, and traveling is on the agenda for many of us. The last thing we want is to get sick, but, unfortunately, the chilly season combined with busy schedules puts us at a higher risk. Traveling can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. The below suggestions will reduce stress and make the experience much more pleasurable for you and your travel partners.
HYDRATE
Consume water (1L before you go; 1L on the plane; 1L upon arrival) to avoid dehydration. Airlines cycle the air in the cabins about every two minutes to keep it breathable. But this cycling also makes it drier than any desert. It is easy to lose water and dehydrate at these extremely low humidity levels. Being dehydrated can dry up your skin and mucous membranes, irritate your eyes, and weaken your immune system.
NOURISH
Eat before you go, and pack a healthy snack for the plane (nuts, olives, dark chocolate, fruit). Travel’s physical and emotional stress means your immune system is working in overdrive, which means you can become quickly depleted and sick. Help your body do its best work by choosing nutrient-dense foods that will help your immune system stay strong and give you the energy you need while traveling. Also, your digestive system effectively shuts down at altitude, making it hard to process foods.
SLEEP
Avoid jet lag by wearing a sleep mask to help you rest on the plane and at the hotel. Traveling can wreak havoc on your body’s natural sleep patterns, known as its circadian rhythm. If you limit your exposure to light, your brain gets the signal from darkness to begin producing melatonin and shut down the production of cortisol. This hugely affects your circadian rhythm and dramatically benefits your transition to a new time zone. I also suggest making your hotel room a cool (68 degrees), dark, and quiet place for rest.
MOVE
Increase circulation when flying and upon arrival. Wear compression socks because long flights translate to a lot of sitting and little leg movement, leading to poor circulation and possibly even blood clots. I also like to book an aisle seat to make it easy to get up, walk around, and stretch every hour to help with circulation. Be sure to throw some resistance bands and a tennis ball in your suitcase for an easy workout and massage when you arrive at your hotel.
BREATHE
Destress with a calming lavender essential oil and some 4-7-8 breathing.
Safe travels, and be well!
RESOURCES + TOOLS
Be kind to yourself. Don’t forget that traveling is hard enough, so it is essential that you prepare and make the experience as easy as possible. Below are some of my quick tips to ensure you keep things simple and sprinkled with self-care!
- Wash your hands frequently while traveling
- Check-in 24 hours before your flight
- Bring anything that is absolutely critical to your trip, with you in your carry on (meds, contacts, etc)
- Consider shipping your luggage ahead. Luggage Free: www.luggagefree.com/HuffmanTravel (quote 2033322 for $25 off)
- Practice earthing when you arrive – go barefoot in a park (weather pending!)
- Get exposure to morning sunlight each day without sunglasses or sunscreen
- Practice restorative yoga in your hotel room
- Invest in a go-to scarf and a versatile travel coat
Watch this interview of Elizabeth on WGNTV’s show Living Healthy Chicago for pointers on how to stay healthy when you fly.
Looking for a passionate travel advisor dedicated to helping make your travel dreams a reality? Our friends at Huffman Travel are here to help!