I fully admit, I struggle with being healthy while traveling. I’m a major worry wart and it wreaks havoc on my physical and mental health every time I step out the door. However, I have managed to find several things over the years that help me to keep a piece of my mind clear for all the new things I encounter. I’ve had many people tell me since we’ve started this blog that they’re too afraid to travel, and don’t know how we do it. *Waves hand in the air* Me too, friends, me too.
I have some advice, but no cure. It’s a journey.
To start, take a good look at yourself and have a pep talk. What are you doing to stay healthy, what can you do to help yourself feel more comfortable, and what things do you just have to admit are beyond your control so you have to let them go and hope for the best (yep, that’s the hardest one)? And then…we can talk about what you can physically do to help yourself out. So let’s go.
Meditate
I’m a frequent flyer and guess what? I hate flying with every piece of my being. It’s not the act of hurtling through the air at hundreds of miles per hour, thousands of feet above the ground in a pressurized metal tube that I’m afraid of though, oddly [Jason’s note: even with this, flying is still pretty cool]. It’s the close quarters, the constant loud noise, the flashing sunlight that makes me nauseous, the confinement to my seat at certain points in the flight, and the food that I know will make me ill. You can only spend a certain amount of time standing in the aisle or hiding in the lavatory before everyone else around you is fed up. [Jason’s note: on international flights it’s more common to stand and stretch your legs, but still be mindful of those around you]
This is where I have turned to meditation. I plug in my noise-cancelling headphones with something to focus on, close my eyes, and breathe very deeply and slowly, focusing on the amount of time it takes for each breath. It takes practice and focus but it has gotten me through many dicey situations. I highly, highly recommend this whenever you find yourself in a situation that feels out of your control. [Jason’s note: you might find it a challenge to cross your legs while meditating on a plane, but the rest is still doable] <- Always the comedian.
Water, Water, Water
Drink your water [Jason’s note: sadly we’re talking about regular water, not uisge beath, the water of life]. Yes, it’s going to have you searching for the necessary at inconvenient times, but you know what else is inconvenient? Dehydration. We always pack either a collapsible water bottle or a metal thermos bottle to always have water with us. Once you are through security at the airport, you can fill your water bottle at filling stations and fountains to have with you on your flight. Once you get where you’re going, find a store with gallon jugs of water to store in your hotel room or your car to keep your bottle filled. Be sure to recycle your jugs [Jason’s note: 😊] or return them to the store if required. We recommend NOT drinking tap water in any location new to you. Your body is not used to any stuff that may be lingering in the water or pipes that the local population can tolerate and trust me, you don’t want a waterborne illness.
Hydration/Electrolyte Packets
Sometimes, water alone isn’t enough. If you find dehydration sneaking up on you, especially after a long flight, a long day in the sun, or with an illness, it’s a good idea to dump a hydration packet into your water to give yourself a little extra help. No shame. Sometimes you just need a little help when you’re having too much fun. [Jason’s note: it also helps to be proactive about this, so don’t wait until you’re dehydrated to take electrolytes. If you recognize you’ll be in situations that’ll pull moisture out of your body, plan ahead and start early]
Walk
One of my favorite things about traveling is the amount of walking we get to do. Living in the country as we do, things are very spread out. There is far more driving involved than walking to get through our day, so it’s always nice to use our legs. Take the stairs, walk that mile instead of grabbing a taxi, join a walking tour, or take a hike. There are a lot of ways to get more than the recommended amount of steps into your day. [Jason’s note: this is particularly helpful to reduce jetlag. When you get to your new location and need to acclimate to the new time zone, don’t go to bed! Instead, go for a walk and keep moving as much as possible until the normal, local bedtime]
Vitamins & Supplements
If you are currently on a vitamin and supplement regimen, don’t change it while you’re traveling. Make sure you stick to the nutrients your body is used to, so it isn’t confused by the sudden lack. Nobody eats perfectly all the time, and it can be tricky to find what you’re used to eating when you travel, so this is one way to help yourself out. [Jason’s note: keep in mind time zone differences when taking your supplements and medicines. So, if you’re used to taking things with dinner, note that’ll be a different time in your new location and adjust accordingly]
If you are not currently on any sort of regimen, this isn’t the time to start taking something you don’t know how you will react to either. If you know you have travel coming up and think you may need supplements, start them at least a few weeks before you leave so you have time to track your reaction. [Jason’s note: not sure which supplements to take? Chat with your healthcare provider and do some research to learn what’s helpful for your specific needs]
Probiotics
Are you taking a probiotic? I do daily, but Jason does not. This one is totally up to you and what you know about your system, but I know having these little warriors in my gut has saved me hundreds of times from bad situations. Not all probiotics are created equal. Do your research and make sure you find one that can actually get through your stomach acid and to your gut to help you out. [Jason’s note: sometimes it’s all about your gut feeling 😉]
Sleep
Keep. Your. Sleep. Routine.
Sleep is something I value almost above all else (my entire family is rolling their eyes and agreeing right now). If you aren’t getting good sleep, you’re not functioning at your full potential. If you are jumping time zones to get to your destination, here are a few things you can do to get your body acclimated to your new zone.
- Stay awake once you arrive until your normal bedtime in that new time zone. Do. Not. Nap. This one can be brutal if you couldn’t get some sleep on the plane. We recommend a day of activity once you arrive to keep yourself busy. Take a walking tour, go shopping, hit the gym, whatever you do, move! This is not the day for a long bus ride or car ride if it can be helped and you maybe shouldn’t sit for a long afternoon tea.
- Once it IS time for bed, close the blackout curtains, plug in your earplugs or cue up your sound machine app (hotels are noisy), turn your screens off, journal, read a book, and wind down your brain. You will want to sleep so badly by now but make sure you keep your routine so your body recognizes that it’s sleep time. [Jason’s note: we commonly call it an early night our first night in a new location, which gives us an opportunity to catch up on the sleep we *didn’t get* on the flight and leaves us ready to go early the next morning.]
Hopefully after that, you’re set for an itinerary full of adventure. Just be sure you’re remembering to schedule enough sleep time to keep you in tip-top shape.
Eat Healthy
I know. It’s SO hard to eat healthy when you’re on the road. Do the best you can to incorporate clean fresh produce at least once a day, look for lean meats, and light carbs. Dairy and I don’t get along, but you do you in that department, just don’t overdo it! Looking at you gelato! You don’t want to be bogged down with a stomachache when you have things to see. Stick to well rounded meals that won’t leave your body begging for some type of nutrient.
Read restaurant menus ahead of time to make sure there are good options to keep you in good shape. Many are posted outside the door so you can make a decision before you are seated. [Jason’s note: our experience in Europe is most restaurants are much better about highlighting allergens than here in the US. So, you can look at the menu and know how much of it you can eat before you decide to go in…handy] I know most people want to indulge on vacation, which is fine every once in a while. Just be thinking ahead, is that stomach ache going to ruin tomorrow for you?
Eat Breakfast
This household is the WORST about eating a good breakfast. Jason lives on coffee for ¾ of the day [Jason’s note: coffee: breakfast, lunch, and snack of champions!] and I live on protein shakes and bananas. HOWEVER, when we travel, we take full advantage of the most important meal of the day and what do you know, it makes us feel pretty darn great all day! When we load up on a good breakfast [Jason’s note: by ‘good’ we mean loading up on protein and fiber to get us through as much of our day as possible. That helps with timing and keeping expenses down by not having to pay for additional meals], we don’t have to take time to find lunch unless we really want to. As a major bonus, most hotels and B&Bs include breakfast in your nightly rate (but make sure to read the fine print), so we aren’t spending extra money either.
Wash Your Hands Often
I feel like this is self-explanatory after what we all have been through the past couple of years. Everything is dirty, and we’re not used to the dirt in a new location. Don’t touch your face. Wash your hands before you eat, after the restroom, and after generally being in public places. Not touching everything possible is helpful too (like when you’re shopping). Just be smart.
That said, I am not a huge fan of hand sanitizer and killing ALL the germs. We need some of them to remain healthy. Just wash your hands.
Don’t Overdo It
And finally, don’t be an overachiever. I know it’s VERY tempting to try to do ALL the things in a location when you travel. After all, you’re there and you may not be back again, so you must do all the things on your list. Make sure you’ve allowed enough time to accomplish your list without burning yourself out. You don’t want to be sick from exhaustion on your trip and you don’t want to need a vacation from your vacation when you get home. Plan wisely and maybe leave the things off your list that aren’t going to crush your soul to miss. [Jason’s note: when putting together your list of things to do, put it in order of importance for what you want to see. Make sure you visit your really, really top choices and then get to the others as you’re able.]
When Things Don’t Go to Plan
And if all your good intentions fail…make sure you’ve packed a basic first-aid kit to get you back on track. We keep a small zipper pouch packed with these things to throw in our bags when we travel:
Band-Aids
Antibiotic Ointment
Fever/Pain Reducer
Motion Sickness Remedy
Thermometer
Anti-itch Cream
Allergy Meds
Stomachache Meds
Cold/Flu Meds
Rehydration Tablets
[Jason’s note: don’t expect to see all your favorite medicine brands in a new country/location. If you prefer something specific, buy it at home and take it with you in TSA-approved quantities]
While we can’t control everything along our journey, we can implement these things to give us the best foundation possible to stay healthy. If we’re taking good care of ourselves, there’s a lot more room for the fun parts of the adventure. And that is what we’re there for!
