How to Stay Healthy from Plane to Sightseeing Part 1

If anyone should be an expert in getting sick on a trip, it's me. it used to be that every time I went anywhere, the change in setting would result in me getting some sort of bug. Talk about having a miserable time...and what a waste of money. Saving all that time just to get there and get blasted with a sinus infection or a massive cold. Of course, I could still go sightseeing and do things, but it wasn't as much fun. In fact, I would wager it was probably only 10-20% as fun as it would have been had I been healthy and feeling totally like myself. Unfortunately, we still had to pay 100% of the vacation. Nowadays, I know how to stave off colds and also how to make them much shorter if you do get something while you're away. Don't let bad health ruin your trip.

Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep is one of the first rules of travel. If you are constantly on the go, you are going to get tired and your body won’t have the chance to recharge itself. What to hate everyone and everything on your trip? Then sleep as little as possible and try pack as much as you can into the time you have.

Lay off the drinking. Drinking too much can affect your sleep cycle and also dehydrate you and make you more tired, leave you open to getting sick and sometimes cause you to have bad judgment that results in even worse consequences. Don’t waste your money at the bar. Limit your drinking to a few glasses of whatever you find interesting that day and you’ll see a big difference in your health and happiness…and you’ll get out of bed before noon and probably not wake up at the police station or some stranger’s bed.

Drink more water. Instead of alcohol, carry around a bottle of water and drink as much as possible. A hydrated body is a happy body. At least drink as much as you would if you were at home, if not more. Travel has a way of sucking all the moisture from you, especially on long plane rides, so if you don’t like plain water, do what I do and load up on those ice tea packets from Lipton or Crystal Light.

Get enough exercise. So, you just want to lounge around by the pool and get tan and eat yummy food and do nothing for a week or two? As exciting as that sounds, you COULD, in fact, do the same things at home and not pay hundreds (or thousands) on airfare and hotel. Sure, soaking up some sun and doing absolutely nothing is fine, but make sure you get up and get some exercise, otherwise you’re going to notice that your pants don’t fit very well and you might start to feel sniffly. Exercise is good for you and you’ll be eating a lot more calories on vacation than you would at home, so offsetting those potential LBs is always a good thing. Take a walk to the shops and you won’t even notice you’re getting a workout.

Halls Defense! I love these things. I keep some in my travel bag all the time, just in CASE I start to feel a bit tired or a sniffle starts making itself present. They come in tasty flavors and are like candy, so pop 3 or 4 throughout the day when you start to feel a bit run-down and overload your body with Vitamin C. Your immune system will jump-start, especially if you make time for a nap of some kind. If you don’t give your body enough time to rest, it will make sure you do it when it is needed, so head it off early if you get a little too excited about seeing everything there is to see on vacation in one day. These are also a good alternative to Emergen-C and Airborne, because they are cheaper and don’t require water to make them work.

Charcoal Tabs. Going to a country that has questionable food or you have a weak stomach for new foods and bacteria? Bring along some charcoal tablets and take them before you eat. The charcoal filters bacteria and keeps you from getting sick. These are particularly good if you plan on eating a lot of street food in foreign countries.

Olive Leaf capsules. I swear by these and take them all year round. Olive leaf is a natural supplement that raises your immune system and keeps you from picking up every little bug there is. You can find them at natural food stores and GNC stores. Make sure if you only want them for vacation that you start taking them one-two weeks before you leave, so they have a chance to start working for you.


Stay tuned for part two of this post on Saturday. In the meantime, don't forget to check out all the reviews of REVIEWapalooza this month. Already you can read about Magellan's Matte Jersey Essential Collection and Conair MiniPro collection. Up next will be GoLite's Cayambe reversible dress, AeroPress Coffee Maker from Aerobie, OSHO travel toothbrushes and Travelon's Anti-theft Urban Tour Bag.

What do you do to keep healthy on your travels?