“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain
While I love to travel, Anthony Bourdain was right about one thing – it isn’t always comfortable, especially when it comes to frustrating health symptoms. Digestive issues, fatigue, jet lag, anxiety are all common. Many clients have planned fun trips and then emailed me three days into the trip hoping for relief from their new constipation or sleeplessness. These issues can put a damper on your trip, unless you are prepared! Whether you are traveling near or far, for fun or for work, the lists below will help with many of your health-related travel woes.
(Of course, the list below is for educational purposes. Please work with your health care provider, especially if you take medications, to choose which are best for you.)
For constipation
Getting backed up is a very common traveling concern. It’s caused by a change in routine, eating new types of food or more food than usual, as well as stress or anxiety. Even though travel is fun, it involves stress you aren’t usually experiencing. To relieve this issue, try:
- Magnesium citrate (such as Natural Calm) which brings water into the colon and makes it easier to go.
- Ginger tea, pills, or chews to rev up digestion and stimulate peristalsis (the movement of the intestines). One to two cups of tea or a few chews might do the trick, but the pills will be even stronger. These are also good for motion sickness and indigestion after eating.
- Stick to your normal bathroom schedule as much as possible. If you normally go in the morning, make sure to plan the day’s events with enough buffer to allow your bathroom time. Missing or ignoring your body’s signal to ‘go’ causes constipation.
- Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Half of your body weight in ounces is a good guide. It is easy to forget to drink water when you’re moving more than usual, which can cause hard, difficult to pass stools.
- A note about senna – Many people like to drink senna tea to relieve constipation, but it should be kept as a last resort. Senna is a strong laxative which is irritating to your digestive tract. It is also habit forming, which means your colon can become dependent on the stimulus so it no longer moves well on its own.
For indigestion
On vacation we frequently eat more food and different kinds of food than we’re used to, causing bloating, gas, burping, and a heavy lump in your stomach. To relive this issue, try one of these:
- Fennel seed tea quickly relieves these symptoms. Traditional Medicinals makes a simple tea, or just buy fennel seeds and add 2 teaspoons (crush with the back of a spoon) to 8oz of hot water, steep for 15 minutes, and drink.
- Digestive bitters (such as those from Urban Moonshine) will help stimulate your digestive system, liver, and digestive enzymes to keep your GI system working strongly. Take them in water before eating or in between meals.
- Chamomile tea is gently calming to help you sleep better and it is also helpful for indigestion when steeped for 15 minutes which releases more of chamomile’s bitter and calming properties.
For sleep issues
Sleep issues are common with air travel because of timezone changes or sleeping in a new location. Try a nervine or mild sedative herb blend, such as:
- Chamomile tea is calming, both physically and mentally. Enjoy a cup of tea at the end of the day to help you wind down for sleep.
- Sleep and Relax tea by Gaia Herbs contains passionflower, lemon balm, and chamomile which is a mix of calming nervines and mild sedatives to help you sleep soundly.
- Body scan meditation is great for relaxing your entire body. Before sleep, lay in bed and listen to a guided body scan meditation from Insight Timer (free app). Combine with a tea above for even quicker effects!
- Sleep mask and/or ear buds will do wonders for your sleep, even if you *think* light and sounds don’t affect you.
For getting a cold
If you tend to get a cold after being on an airplane or after busy travel, get ahead of it by trying one of these:
- Vitamin C and Zinc are both important for strengthening your immune system to avoid or shorten colds and flu. You can take both of these before and during travel to prevent colds, or start them at the very first sign of a cold to help reduce the length and intensity.
- Elderberry lozenges with zinc are great for that tickle in your throat. They’re soothing and also gently stimulating to your immune system. (They won’t help a full-blown sore throat too much though.)
- For a sore throat, try honey and warming ginger tea throughout the day, plus a throat spray, such as Echinacea Goldenseal Propolis Throat Spray from Gaia Herbs
- Anima Mundi’s Cold and Flu tonic for when you feel the first sign of a cold or flu, especially if you tend to get chills and fatigue.
- Raw garlic will quickly stimulate your immune response. Eat a clove raw (such as chopped in hummus or with olives) or put 1-2 raw, crushed cloves in a cup of hot water. Note: Raw garlic is good for those who tend to get cold or shivers when sick. If you tend to get fevers and “hot” feeling when sick, garlic is not for you because it will exacerbate those symptoms.
For nervousness
Air travel is no longer a fun experience, so it’s no secret that it brings about some anxiety. Instead of just enduring it, help calm your nervous system with one of these herbs or practices:
- Gaia Herbs Calm A.S.A.P is a blend (in pill form) of nervous-system calming passionflower, skullcap, chamomile, and vervain, combined with holy basil to help regulate your stress response.
- Lavender essential oil is well-studied to reduce the feelings of anxiety and stress, and it helps promote relaxation for better sleep. Carry a small bottle of essential oil to use when you’re feeling anxious – open the bottle and waft the scent as needed.
- Drink a warm cup of tea – chamomile and lemon balm are both gently relaxing.
- Calm your mind and nervous system with guided meditation. Use Insight Timer to find a meditation that you would like – search “meditation for anxiety” or “reduce anxiety”. I recommend finding your preferred meditation before you need it so you can simply open-and-go when needed.
- Shake off the stress, literally. Find a private place where you can shake your limbs and body. Imagine a zebra after it evades a predator – it stops running and literally shakes its muscles to release the residual nervous energy from the encounter. You can do the same thing! And it will feel very relaxing.
After reading through these suggestions, hopefully you found the support you need during travel. Have a fun, symptom-free trip!
