The hustle and bustle of the holiday season means you will probably be sleeping less, feel over stressed and eating much more. No Bueno! Cut back on colds, jet lag and extra poundage with these healthy holiday travel tips so there will be no regrets when you enter the new year!
Pack The Vitamins
If your going to be traveling a lot find a good multi vitamin and make sure you take it! Air travel or long drives can really suck a lot out of you. You’ll want to make sure your body is getting all it needs and operating with enough energy. Another great thing to throw in would be “Wellness Formula” pills (I get mine from GNC) to fight off any sickness before it happens or when it’s in the developing stages. I always pop mine right before I board!
Drink Up
With all the stress of travel — and TSA rules blocking us from carrying liquids passed the security gate — it’s easy to get dehydrated while traveling so it’s imperative to stay hydrated. I’ve found that drinking extra water helps me ward off jet lag and keeps my skin hydrated even in the stale cabin air of the plane. Ask the flight attendant for a bottle!
Consider Healthy Food Alternatives
Let’s face it, the holidays are pig out time! Since you’ll want to pig out with your family and friends over dinner or eat and drink extra treats at the parties, don’t fill your self with extra empty calories while traveling. Skip the bag of chips and the soda on the flight and stop at a kiosk before your board and pick up a banana and a naked juice. I’ve found that even the tiny airports with very few options have at least those two things. Many now though, like the Houston IAH airport have specialty restaurants (terminal C) where you can pick up organic fruit, low calorie pop corn and healthy sandwiches. You can even pack snacks with your like almonds or granola!
Get Active
Something that will help with jet lag, fighting off sickness and staying energized is staying active! Even if it’s just a 15 to 30 minute walk around the block. Now if your lucky and have a gym or pool in your hotel, take advantage of it. If your staying with friends and family, go for a run, ride a bike or do some low impact exercises in your room. If you have time at the airport, walk around your terminal instead of sitting before you board.
Stretch
If you have a long flight it’s possible to get blood clots in your legs so every so often, stand up and stretch in the aisle or take a walk to the bathroom even if you don’t need to go. This will also feel great for your back and neck!
Pack a Travel Emergency Kit
Get together a small kit with things like Band-aids, pain relievers, decongestants, cough drops, pepto and disinfectant wipes to have on hand in case you need them while traveling or once you get to your destination. You won’t have to search for a drug store if you need something and you can avoid the high prices in the airport.
Dress in Layers
Whenever I fly it’s either too hot or too cold on the plane. Wear a couple of layers so you can adjust accordingly. This is especially helpful if you are flying from a warm to cold climate and vice versa.
Extras
For even more eating and fitness tips when traveling check out my other posts, ‘How to eat healthy on vacation‘ and ‘Exercises you can do while traveling.’
