If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love to travel and have had the blessing to do quite a bit of ‘jet-setting’ and road-tripping this year. The travel bug bit me young, and after exploring the globe with my children when they were very small, I began redesigning my life to what it is today – traveling is no longer a vacation, but an integral part of my life and career!
One important thing I learned early on about traveling far from home: I need to stay as close to my every day holistic routines as possible. Just the physical act of traveling a long distance (often across multiple time zones) takes a serious toll on the body. Now add to that convenience food, irregular sleep, and abandonment of health and self-care routines and even the healthiest among us can end up needing a vacation from our vacation or worse yet, sick in strange place. Who wants to be sick miles away from their own comfy bed?
Whether you are taking your yearly vacation or are setting out to explore the world, chasing that Wanderlust, let me offer you these tips for the healthy traveler – from one wanderer to another.
Pack Snacks for Everyone
Not just for the kids. And not just for the road/ plane, but for those times when you can’t to get a healthful meal at the time you need it. Going without eating can be just as bad as eating convenience food, so keeping trail mix, dried fruit or even a bit of dark chocolate handy can be a real life-saver. Just keep in mind that if you are crossing a border or taking a plane into another country, be sure to double check what is permitted close to your trip, as some items (fresh fruit for example) may be off limits in some instances.
Drink the Tequila AND the Water
OK, so I am not really advocating this (because who wants a hangover?), but I’m sure you’ve been told “drink the tequila instead of the water” about certain countries, right? While it’s good advice to carefully source the water you’re drinking (and not just away from home, if I am being honest – but that’s another post entirely), it is crucial to stay hydrated. Away from home and regular routine it’s easy to forget to sip on water throughout the day, but staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to stay healthy while traveling.
Support Your Immune System
Whenever I’m taking a trip that will put me more than a day away from home, I give my immune system some preemptive support by way of probiotics and digestive enzymes. In addition to my every-day wellness regime of multi-vitamin/mineral supplements and my essential fatty acids, I always travel with the OnGuard blend, peppermint, lemon, lavender essential oils.
And YES you can fly with you essential oils in tow!
Not using essential oils daily yet? Let’s get you started!
Get Your Healthy Rest
How many vacations or business trips have you gone on where your entire day is scheduled from day break til dusk, because “who needs sleep when there are all these things to do and people to see”? Listen, I completely get that, in fact I truly encourage it! Eat all the delicious food, climb all the mighty mountains, walk all the serene trails, gaze upon all the lovely art, but please, if you want to enjoy it, do if after you allowed your body to rest and recover. It’s likely you know how much sleep your body needs to function, so if you don’t feel like a sold 8 hours is doable while away, at least shoot for 6-7 hours per night.
