How to Stay Healthy While You Travel

In many ways, traveling is more of a health risk today than ever before. Congested airport lines, high radiation security scanners, longer flights with more delays, crowded airplanes, increased exposure to Covid and other contagious viruses … and the list goes on. Even just the stress of an upcoming trip is enough to wear down your resistance.  

Thankfully, there are effective natural solutions that can help prevent potential bumps in the road. Here are four ways to stay healthy before, during, and after traveling.  

It's particularly important to focus on blood clot prevention when traveling. Sitting for long periods of time on an airplane keeps your blood from circulating properly, which raises your risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in your lower limbs. This clot can travel to your lungs, obstructing blood flow and causing a pulmonary embolism. With the airplane’s cabin pressure changing at high altitudes, this risk increases significantly. Dehydration, obesity, certain medications, and genetic factors add to this risk.  

For targeted support, Padma Basic, a classical Tibetan herbal formula, can help by promoting healthy circulation. This blend of 19 botanicals has also been shown to support optimal immune function — an essential benefit when traveling. 

Several studies show that Pycnogenol, a proprietary extract from French maritime pine trees, helps prevent DVT. In one study, this antioxidant-rich natural compound was shown to reduce edema and help control some thrombotic events such as DVT in people on long-haul flights.¹ Other research has shown that Pycnogenol works better than compression stockings for reducing leg swelling.²

From a crowded plane to a beach-side café, traveling can overwhelm your immune system by introducing foreign microbes while your body adapts to new environmental stresses. Make sure to drink more filtered water than usual (travel can be extremely dehydrating) to flush out foreign invaders and keep your immune system running smoothly. Get enough rest before and during your trip. Avoid excessive alcohol and sugar, as both directly weaken immunity and contribute to dehydration.

The healing compounds in mushrooms, including beta-glucans and potent antioxidants, help nourish and balance the immune system. Mushrooms are essentially a food, so they can (and should) be used daily. They are among the best food sources of antioxidant-rich selenium, a trace mineral key to overall immune health. Additionally, mushrooms contain ergothioneine, an antioxidant shown to protect the body’s cells.

One of the most essential nutrients for travelers is the medicinal mushroom turkey tail. Research shows that turkey tail has properties that positively affect the immune system, gut bacteria, and antioxidant activity in the body — all vital for staying healthy while on-the-go.

Supplements such as the formula listed below have been shown to help maintain a strong immune system and help support antioxidant activity, to help keep you healthy and energized throughout your trip.*

See also: PectaSol Modified Citrus Pectin Chewables 

If you were thinking of bringing home a souvenir, make sure it’s not a microbe that keeps you thinking back to your vacation – and how you could have avoided exposure. By strengthening your digestion with a healthy diet and the following natural supplements, you can create a protective gut environment that is unwelcoming to foreign bacteria, parasites and fungi.*   

See also: ecoProbiotic

Our bodies were not designed to travel rapidly across time zones, and they react accordingly with jet lag, exhaustion, and altered circadian rhythms, mainly when traveling east.  

Reset your body clock with small doses of melatonin. On your travel day, take the first dose of melatonin around 6 or 7 p.m. Upon arrival to your location, take melatonin at the normal bedtime of the new location, and continue with nightly doses for 4–5 days until you adjust. Also, be sure to get plenty of rest. 

See also: ecoSleep 

These tips can help make your travels safe and enjoyable. By taking extra health-promoting measures and practicing healthy stress relief, you can make the best of your time away. 

Sources:  

1. Belcaro, G, Cornelli, U, Dugall, M, et al. Minerva Cardioangiol. 2018 Apr;66(2):152-159.  
2. Cesarone, MR, Belcaro, G, Nicolaides, A, et al. Angiology. 2003 Jan;(54):1-9.