Summer travel tips to feel your best!
It’s officially Summer travel season here in the Northern Hemisphere!
I’m off to Maui next week, San Francisco in July, and Santa Barbara in August. Where are you headed this Summer?
As much as I love traveling, it used to wipe me out and set my health back, but I know how to do it differently so I can feel as good, if not better, upon my return than when I left.
You probably don’t notice the full toll that traveling takes on your body because…
…if it’s work-related you tend to see it as “just part of the job” and so you continue to push through…
…and if it’s vacation-related, well, it must be all good right?
Traveling is a type of stress we just don’t typically address.
Think about it. How many times have you come home from a trip and:
- Come down with the worst cold or flu ever
- Felt extremely exhausted even if your trip was a vacation
- Had a flare-up of muscle or joint aches and pains
- Struggled to get your sleep back on track
- Noticed your weight shot up
- Or experienced a relapse in your autoimmune symptoms, anxiety, skin breakouts, or other health issues
These are all signs of the stress your body experiences while traveling.
Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling and I would never give it up. Over the years, I started to recognize the toll it took on my body too, and the proactive actions I could take to not only prevent a health setback, but feel better upon my return than when I left sometimes, and I’m about to share them with you.
First, you have to understand that STRESS is anything that places a burden on your body, resulting in inflammation and imbalances which leads to any of the health issues you might encounter.
Stressors can include the foods you’re eating that aren’t right for your body, getting inadequate sleep, over or under-exercising, emotional or physical stress, toxins that you encounter, and hidden stressors such as parasites, bacteria or yeast overgrowth in the gut, hormone imbalances, liver congestion and more.
The not-so-obvious but typical types of stressors you encounter when traveling are:
- Limited quality food and water options
- Bad beds or environments that negatively impact sleep quality
- Sitting for long periods or getting less movement in general
- Dehydration from flying or not being in your normal routine
- Crossing time zones and messing with your natural hormone balance
- And an abundance of toxins circulating the air in airports and hotels
These stressors can add up quickly while traveling.
As your stress load increases, it can suppress your immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick, disrupting your natural hormone balance which drains your energy and mood, overloading your liver causing a backup of toxins in your body, and destroying your gut resulting in digestive upset.
You may not have complete control over these travel-time stressors BUT you can reduce their impact on your body when you take the right steps.
In this week’s video and blog, I share my top health travel tips to help you feel your best anywhere in the world, prevent health setbacks, and feel even better upon return!
You obviously can’t live in a bubble and avoid all “unhealthy” things. The goal is to…
Learn how to navigate life differently to support your health and feel your best.
As I pointed out, there are quite a few types of stressors you typically encounter while traveling; some might be within your control and some may not be, so the strategy is to minimize what you can and take action to offset what you can’t.
Instead of stressing about finding the perfect place, food, and toxin-free environments while traveling, here are some simple steps that I take, and that you can take too, in order to proactively support your body and prevent any health setbacks…
Be Food & Water Aware.
- Order and seek out gluten and dairy-free options to avoid pesticides and other inflammatory elements.
- Increase your electrolyte and water intake 1 day before plus while traveling to prevent dehydration.
- Be mindful of your alcohol intake – if tired or jet-lagged, opt for a mocktail instead.
Support Sound Sleep.
- Set your bedroom to 68 degrees for optimal sleep temperature.
- Cover all lights; alarm clocks, smoke alarms, and tightly seal curtains shut (Ninja trick! Pack electrical tape to cover smoke alarm lights and place pillows against curtains to seal the cracks).
- Get sunlight exposure upon waking up to balance your circadian (aka energy) rhythm.
Reduce Physical Stress.
- Diffuse the impacts of artificial light with stylish and compact Viva Ray blue blockers.
- Stretch, stretch, and stretch! Daily and intermittently on the plane for long flights.
- Choose less intense exercise, such as walking or yoga when you feel tired or depleted.
Decompress and Revitalize.
- Pack lavender essential oil to use anytime you need to unwind throughout your trip.
- Start and/or end your day with a cycle of deep breaths, meditation, or journaling.
- Schedule some time at the spa or book a massage to relax and restore your body.
Tone Down Toxins.
- Pack a Triad Air Go travel-size air purifier to combat allergen, mold, and chemical air exposures.
- Drink bottled spring water ONLY – Fiji, Sedona, Mountain Spring, and Evian are my top picks.
- Get in touch with nature – open windows when possible, get outside daily, and even put your bare feet in grass or dirt to offset toxin exposure.
I love helping my clients learn how to navigate life differently so they can enjoy traveling AND have their ideal health and weight at the same time.
If you’re a busy, health-minded professional who travels a ton and wants to learn how to support your body better while doing it, then follow me closely on Instagram to catch all my travel tips with my upcoming trips!
