Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Traveling is supposed to be fun! But it can be rough when it makes you feel awful…..
Traveling brings about a lot of things that our body may not be used to:
- Elevation changes - Which rapidly dehydrate us and swell us at the same time.
- Eating out more often - Which brings more sodium, less fiber, less nutrients, and usually a bloat or constipation.
- Out of our routine - Time changes, not sleeping in our bed, missing the gym, can all be things that just compound the effect of travel being inflammatory in and of itself.
- Alcohol - Usually vacations for many bring yummy margaritas, or a glass of wine with dinner when that may not be what we do at home. Alcohol further dehydrates us and can make us feel all kinds of awful. (But don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you not to drink! Im going to tell you how to do it properly and still feel good.)
So what can we start doing about MANAGING the inflammation?! How can we travel and NOT gain weight, NOT feel bloated, and actually want to be in the cute clothes or bathing suit we bought for the trip in the first place???
1️⃣ Travel Day/Flying
This day can often be the biggest driver because you are sitting more, you’re typically not drinking as much water as usual, and you’re dealing with the elevation change (if flying). So there are a few hacks I like to do to help keep inflammation low on that travel day so I don’t start my trip off on the wrong foot:
- FASTING - If I have an early or mid-day flight, I will fast this day. I will work on staying very well hydrated (water + electrolytes like LMNT), but I will not eat until dinner that night. I usually bring some chewing gum, and/or small snacks in case I start to feel nauseous (I get motion sick sometimes), but in general, the fasting works well! Water/electrolyte + some coffee and I feel great on my travel day. Fasting helps by being a powerful anti-inflammatory support to the body.
- H2 (Hydrogen Molecule) - This is a small tablet that helps improve inflammation during flying at high altitude and the oxidative stress/ROS that it causes. It is also a powerful antioxidant. I bring one of these and put it in a small bottle of water and drink 30-60 minutes before the flight. (Linked out below with all other supplements recommended).
- GET A WALK IN - I either do this the morning before we leave, while at the airport, or once we land if possible. Doesn’t need to be anything crazy, but 20-40 minutes can go a long way in keeping circulation and the lymphatic system moving along and keep you away from that stagnancy that can drive constipation, energy issues, and joint pain/inflammation.