You are about to take off for your holiday vacation! Whether you’ll be travelling for just a few days or a whole week, it’s important to make sure to stay healthy and resilient on-the-go. Read on to find out how Dr. Ed Bauman prepares for his trips.
- Pack some dry goods that travel well. These could be nuts, seeds, dried fruit, granola, rolled oats, quinoa, buckwheat noodles, and what we call ‘booster foods’ such as sea vegetables, nutritional yeast, herbs and spices, or a quality protein powder. All of these foods work with the addition of hot water or they can be used to improve the flavor and nutrition of foods that you pick up during your travels.
- Bring several varieties of tea, be it black, green, white, or herbal. My favorite is a ginger tea, which will help with indigestion, nausea, and inflammation. When you’re traveling, be sure to try out local varieties of tea, especially herbal, which may open you up to some of the healing traditions of that area.
- It’s always good to bring along a quality probiotic, one with multiple strains of friendly flora and 5 billion (who’s counting) or more active cells. One variety called Saccharomyces Boulardii, is particularly useful should you get travelers diarrhea, also known as Montezuma’s Revenge.
- Having grapefruit seed extract handy, in caps or liquid form, will also protect you and your loved ones from a wide range of discomforting micro-organisms.
- Choosing foods cooked with garlic, chili, and/or curry (which contains turmeric) will not only add flavor, but also stimulate robust and easy digestion.
- Should constipation occur due to the change of routine and climate, be sure to drink more water, add fibers such as flax, bran, or dried prunes, and take extra magnesium as a supplement which will relax the intestines and encourage an uneventful bathroom experience.
- When in high altitude, drink twice as much water and half as much caffeine and alcohol. I find taking a chlorophyll supplement also helps me when I get altitude sickness. This can be in the form of liquid chlorophyll, wheat grass, or a green powder which contains several algae and cereal grasses.
- Be sure to rest the first day upon reaching your destination. Humans are not wired to go thousands of miles in one day, traveling hundreds of miles an hour.
- Study the area you will be visiting to learn about the food specialties, healing practices, and best places to eat.
- Keep a travel journal so that you can note the great places you visit, make notations of recommendations from friends, and record your stories of the wonderful food you have eaten and the transformative experiences you have that you will want to remember years from now. Writing stories to accompany the great photos you take will also be something to cherish and share with your friends and family.