By Alana Gold, Registered Dietitian

Planes, trains and automobiles—holiday travel can take a toll on your health. From the junk food we snack on during those long car rides to the unhealthy meals we eat on the plane, our bodies receive less-than-adequate nutrition over the hectic holiday season. Coupled with the long lineups at the airport and bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highways, holiday traveling can be stressful.

Truestar is here to help you be a prepared holiday traveler, so you and your family stay healthy and happy this holiday season.

1. Start with a strong immune system. Eating nutritious foods on a regular basis is a sure way to keep your immune system healthy. However, a few weeks before your holidays, give your immune system an extra boost to help you stay strong over the busy holiday season. In addition to reducing the length and severity of cold symptoms, vitamin C has been shown to protect against bacterial and viral infections. Enjoy a slew of vitamin C rich foods such as citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, green peppers, strawberries, kiwi and pineapple. Garlic and echinacea can also help to boost your immune system to help prevent you from getting sick. Try Truestar’s Immune-boosting smoothie for a quick and easy breakfast prior to your holiday getaway.

2. Bring your own food. When traveling, bringing along foods from home is a great way to ensure healthy eating. Pack energizing and nourishing foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade peanut butter sandwiches and healthy snacks such as a trail mix of nuts and dried fruit or a balanced protein bar. Be sure to bring along a portable cooler with ice or a freezer pack to stock nutritious foods that need to be cooled, such as tuna or turkey sandwiches, salads, yogurt or soymilk. If you’re flying, you can call the airline ahead of time to request a special meal or ask for the vegetarian option, which is usually healthier than standard meals.

3. Stay hydrated. Always bring along filtered water to keep you hydrated while traveling. The air on planes tends to be dry and you need to drink more than usual to stay hydrated. Avoid diuretic drinks such as alcohol, soft drinks and caffeine and stick to good as hydration sources such as water or decaffeinated teas.

4. Prepare activities and snacks for your kids. With delays, lineups and traffic congestion, you need to have a game plan ready to keep your kids happy. Try bringing along the Truestar Food Fun and Games to keep them busy and pack nutritious snacks, such as fresh veggies and fruit or cheese and crackers.

5. Keep your hands clean. Handrails, countertops and doors are all potential hiding places for germs that could make you ill. Wash your hands frequently with soap and carry a hand sanitizer to help get rid of any germs you may pick up.

6. Do airplane exercises. Besides the aggravation of being in cramped quarters during long travels, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that can occur from immobility, giving rise to a deadly blood clot. According to Reggie Reyes, exercise expert at Truestar Health, it is important to keep your legs moving throughout your travels to help maintain proper blood circulation. Suggested exercises include regularly getting up and going for a walk down the aisle of the plane or lifting your knees and doing leg extensions while sitting.

7. Research your destination. Hygiene and sanitation standards differ in all parts of the world. When traveling to a new place, drink bottled water and watch out for ice cubes in drinks to avoid consuming any potential waterborne illnesses in unsafe water. While those who live in these countries may appear to be fine, vacationers have not developed the same resistance to potential waterborne illnesses, which could leave you sick. Try to eat cooked foods as salads, vegetables and fruits may be washed in unsafe water. Fruit with peel, such as bananas, oranges and grapefruits, are good choices as they don’t need to be washed. Also, make sure meats and poultry are properly cooked.

8. Protect yourself from the sun. If you are trading in the cold for some hot fun in the sun, be careful. To prevent sunburns, regularly apply high protection PABA-free sunscreen and reapply after being in the water. Don’t be fooled when the clouds are out—you can still burn. Also, wear a hat, avoid the sun during peak midday hours and drink plenty of water.

For more healthy travel tips, go to the Travel Health section of Truestar.

These tips will no doubt help you and your family travel healthy this holiday season. If you are not physically taking a trip this holiday season, don’t despair; let your mind travel to an exotic island. Relax, close your eyes and listen to Truestar Mind Travel Meditation CDs–you’ll feel like you just spent a week enjoying the sun and sand!

References