Traveling might sound great, but all the changes in climate, time zone, and food can wreak havoc on your immune system. The following are six rules for staying healthy while traveling to make sure that your trip is nothing but fun.
Get your shots!
This means vaccinations and possibly your tetanus shot too. You will be visiting places where you risk getting diseases, or things that are native to the area. If you don’t have a plan for how to stay healthy while traveling from day one, and maybe even two (because of jet lag), then your chances of being sick are higher.
Eat a snack before boarding a plane
Snacks can help ease some of the symptoms of jet lag and keep you from getting sick. Also, it’s better to be underweight than overweight when traveling to a new area with different foods.
Take your vitamins or supplements
If you’re going to be in a new area for awhile (over two weeks) then it’s recommended that you take some supplements. They include multi-vitamins, fish oil, probiotics, digestive enzymes, green tea and other herbal remedies.
Drink lots of fluids & avoid alcohol
Fluids to drink include water, tea, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks can include juice or soda (with no caffeine). Alcohol is dehydrating which will cause you to be more susceptible to viruses.
Protect yourself from the sun
In some instances, you can get a sunburn in the winter. To protect yourself from UV rays, wear sunscreen, clothes with UV protection (including hats) and sunglasses.
Get a good night’s rest
If you have a long flight, then be sure to get plenty of sleep before your trip and try to go to bed early on the night before your departure date. If you have sleep issues, or the ability to take sleeping pills is an issue for you, then see a doctor about other options for sleeping better at night.
The above measures will reduce your risks of getting sick or having problems while you travel. You can also check out some travel medication products that may help. The links below will take you to the home page for each company, and then from there you can view their products.
