How To Stay Healthy While Traveling

20 Jan How To Stay Healthy While Traveling

The frequent change of new & different (unfamiliar) environments.
Environmental triggers.
Fluctuating diet, exercise, and daily routine.
Jet lag, and other stressors you might not even be aware of. 

Traveling often can be tough on the body and mind. Trust me, I know.

Below I’ll share insights and recommendations on how to stay healthy while traveling, based on my own experience.

* * *

It’s a hard thing to admit that my body is not that well-suited for travel. Over the past year, I’ve been realizing just how hypersensitive I am. Daniel often worries about me and my health and suggests we pause. And I play it down because I don’t want to stop. 

Health Sensitivities Amplified with Constant Travel

My immune system tanked this year. Now I am more prone to severe allergies, frequent sinus colds, and amplified dietary and digestive issues. If it’s not one issue, it’s the other. I knew I was sensitive, but not to this extent. There was a month where it seemed my immune system was completely shot – I was embarrassed how often I went into the neighborhood pharmacy sick and seeking medicine. And I was worried.   

In mid-November, we approached our maximum time in the Schengen Area and headed back to the US to spend the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with my family in Tampa, FL. And while it was really special to be there and welcome extended family, my allergies were out of control, making it tough to function, let alone stay positive. 

I bought a Neti Pot and started a nasal irrigation routine. I also made an effort to go to yoga 1-2 times a week. Although, that was dependent on feeling okay, as I sometimes spent more time blowing my nose than I did in poses. I wasn’t making much progress.   

My Diet (and Stress Levels) Might Be the Key

Around Christmas time, my aunt was visiting and she too was experiencing some unpleasant health symptoms. We discussed in detail and realized that we had very similar allergies/food intolerances. She had started a ‘leaky gut’ diet two weeks prior to the holiday but messed it up with an oil she reacted very badly to. She was going to restart a strict diet again in the new year. That got me thinking, and I remembered that I had started, but not finished the book ‘It Starts With Food’ earlier in 2016. I had started out of interest in knowing more about the science behind what foods are good and bad. In the book, they introduce a program they developed, the Whole30, to help you heal your gut which could help your health in so many ways.

I knew we couldn’t jet off again in January. Instead, my first and most important goal for 2017 was to heal myself. On New Year’s Eve, I desperately rushed to Barnes & Noble before it closed to buy ‘The Whole30’ book. Instead of going out, I spent my evening devouring the program rules, what to expect, what you can eat, etc. 

On January 2nd, Daniel and I both started the Whole30 program. By day 4, I realized I needed to eat even more strictly, by restricting histamine intake (another area I had previously researched and cut back on with some success). Ten more days of miserable allergy attacks and sniffles ensued, just as it had for the last few months. But in the afternoon of the 10th day, I hit the ‘eye of the storm.’ I had 1.5 days of clear-headed, beautifully energetic days. And then WHACK, I was a snotty mess again. I hung in there and kept brainstorming what other changes I might need. 

Racking my brain, I discovered another factor that had been present these past few months was unwieldy politics – the US election and changing of power. Bing! I had been too consumed and emotional over it. And it was stressing me out, affecting my health. (I should probably also mention that I watched 26 Game of Thrones episodes during this time as well, which more than likely put my adrenaline in overdrive). So, I added meditation to the mix, with Headspace. Peace and balance. 

A Sampling of Our Whole30 Meals

I’m Back!

On Day 14, the storm dissipated. It feels SO GOOD to be myself again. I am more than half-way through the Whole30 program now. My 34th birthday is tomorrow and I’ll be celebrating my health with a delicious, Whole30 compliant home-cooked meal and no alcohol or dessert! That might sound lame, but so is going through ~25 boxes of tissue in 2 months. 

I am also sourcing a new doctor and will be going in for a visit and hopefully some blood/diagnostic tests soon. 

What I Learned  

In 2016, somewhere between indulging in a lot of delicious food and wine on 4 different continents, three bouts of food poisoning (that only I suffered, not Daniel when he ate some of the same foods), the stomach flu, some probiotics, the countless changing of my internal clock and routine — I really messed up my digestive tract and immune system. It didn’t matter that I usually got 8 hours of sleep, drank plenty of water, limited my added sugar intake and ate plenty of veggies. I still probably have a ‘leaky gut’. I might have a histamine sensitivity because of said gut, the surplus of yummy European cured meats, cheeses and wines, plus all the other environmental stressors. And I might have let stress, screen time and jet lag mess with my adrenal & cortisol levels. 

And that so far, cleaning up my diet for a committed time period has REALLY helped me. 

How To Stay Healthy While Traveling: My ‘Food for Thought’

Unless you travel very often for work and have mastered the art of staying healthy while doing so, you’re probably not going to perfectly handle the changing of your environments, diet, fitness regimen, and routine. And if your body is a little more sensitive, it could even wreak havoc on you. 

I highly recommend you strategize how you will aim to stay healthy while traveling and/or living in new environments before you head there. Here are some suggestions:

Create a routine that you can stick to often. 

Add some meditation time in your schedule.

Consider outlining a template for your daily eating habits to be sure you don’t get too caught up in local indulgences. I should have put limits on the Manchego while in Spain.

Think about how you’ll exercise. We like to walk, run, practice yoga and use these resistance bands.

Determine what medicine you will need or should have on hand in case of an emergency.

– Although, don’t go overboard with filling your luggage with medicine, as most places have great pharmacies with knowledgeable staff that can assist you. If you’re concerned, do a little online research before your travels.

If you know that you are prone to allergies, or other sensitivities, review these questions and think about how they apply to where you want to travel… 

What is the air quality in the destination you’re planning to visit? Nomad List reports on air quality, among many other living/working factors in cities around the world.

Does their society smoke a lot in public places? 

Have you been around the regional trees/plants/grasses before, especially when they’re in bloom?

What kinds of food are common there and do you have any sensitivities to them? If so, learn how to say “I have an allergy to XYZ” in the local language so you can alert waiters when ordering food out.

Do your accommodations have…

– animals? And if so, are you allergic? We realized we couldn’t use Trusted Housesitters because chances are high that I’ll have allergic reactions. 

– carpet? And if so, are you allergic to dust mites? You may need to vacuum/dust frequently in order to lessen the chance of a reaction.

– is in a historic house? If so, ask about the ventilation. There’s a greater chance it could be damp/have molds that could aggravate you.

Are there other factors that might affect your health? For instance, in Spain, we adjusted to eating our meals later, as they do. So we had to be cautious not to eat too much acidic food close to bedtime.

What are you going to do to protect yourself as much as possible from these stressors?

* * *

Do you often get ill when traveling? What methods have helped you stay healthy while traveling?

Leave a comment! 

* * *

*This post includes resource links to the Whole30 program and Headspace – I have no affiliation with either of these, just recommend as I am having a great experience with them. 

**This post also includes some affiliate links to products I researched, currently use and highly recommend. At no additional cost to you, we earn a commission that helps support this website.

Thank you for being a part of the Modern Odyssey community! If at any time you have questions about these products, please do not hesitate to contact us.

***I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist, I am merely sharing my own experience. Please consult your doctor for advice on what diet or treatment(s) are best for you.