Travelling is a great way to explore new countries, cultures and cuisines, but long travel days, being constantly on the go, and indulgent food choices can also impact our health in negative ways. Here are my top travel tips for a really healthy holiday:
- If flying, make sure you are hydrated throughout the flight by drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeinated drinks or alcohol if at all possible. (Alcohol can feel good in the short-term, but it does dehydrate you and will make long plane flights more of a health challenge.
- Move around in the cabin and do some yoga stretches to help blood flow and prevent deep vein thrombosis.
- When flying across time zones, it is always best to make an effort to adapt to local time on arrival. This minimises the jet lag symptoms and their persistence.
- Moving across different time zones and travelling long distances can also affect our digestion. Trying new foods abroad can sometimes lead to constipation or traveller’s diarrhea – which will definitely put a dampener on your holiday! Taking a fermented supplement before and during your trip can be a way to prevent digestive issues whilst away. Being adequately hydrated as well as doing some daily exercise (such as exploring your new destination on foot or having a swim in the ocean or pool) will also help keep things moving!
- Avoid fresh fruit offered to you on market stalls if it is already cut, and there are many countries where it is best to avoid salads as well as making sure you only drink bottled water.
- 15 minutes of sun exposure on bare skin is a great way to increase your levels of Vitamin D for the winter, but practise safe sun exposure by ensuring you are either covered up or in the shade during the hottest hours of the day (11am – 3pm), especially if you are travelling to a hot country. Turmeric has been shown to be protective against UVB radiation , so adding the spice to your foods or supplementing with a curcumin supplement may offer added protection against sun exposure.
- Prepare healthy snacks – when travelling, often our eating schedule may be slightly disrupted, so having some healthy snacks prepared can help in times when food options are not available or not the healthiest. Home-made protein energy balls are a great portable snack, as are bananas, some nuts or fresh vegetable sticks with hummus.
Wishing you all a fabulous summer full of travel and adventures!
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