Travel Tips From an Integrative Functional Nutritionist

It’s officially summer vacation here in France! We are getting ready to fly from France to California for a month and planning a 2-week road trip through Northern California and Oregon. The summer season often means vacation and traveling. Do you have any fun trips coming up? Of course we are super excited to explore new places, visit with family & friends, and get a little R&R. But traveling can also be stressful and challenging to your health and wellbeing.

Besides the stress of travel and long hours sitting in a car or on a plane or train it may also include time zone changes which will disrupt your circadian rhythms and sleep patterns. It also often entails eating out more and having less control over your food choices plus eating foods you may not be accustomed to which can cause digestive upset. There may also be an increase in exposure to microbes depending on where you’re traveling to (hello tropics!) or even just from being around more people.

Now of course none of this is a reason to not travel and take a fun adventure but it can result in us getting sick or having tummy troubles or just not feeling great when we’re supposed to be having an amazing time on vacation! The good news though is there are steps you can take to counteract these challenges and with a little planning ahead you can step into your next vacation with less stress, more energy, and less health challenges.

Let’s dive into 3 areas to be mindful of on your next trip plus some tips & strategies to keep you feeling your best.

Routines & Circadian Rhythm

The first challenge comes from a disruption in your self-care routine and circadian rhythm if you’re crossing time zones. Now although vacation is a perfect time to ease up a bit and fully embrace the 80/20 rule (20% allowing for indulgences & guilty pleasures) the 80% continues to be important. And if we can keep some of our routine & nourishing practices in place, you will be less likely to get sick and have much more energy while you’re away.

Here are my top 5 favorite steps to help reset your circadian rhythm, reduce jet lag, and find an adaptable self-care routine on your next vacation.

1. As soon as you arrive at your location, get some movement and ground your energy. Go for a walk in the fresh air, take your shoes off and ground into the earth or sand. Drink a large glass of water (before any other “fun” drinks) and ideally watch the sunset. The sun is your greatest tool to reset your rhythm.
2. After a nourishing dinner, take some melatonin & an Epsom Salt/Baking Soda Bath. This will help prepare your body for sleep (even if you don’t feel tired), give a boost of magnesium, and help you detox from your flight (if you flew where you’re going).
3. The next morning it’s time to move, ground and get morning light. Go outside for another walk and ground your energy again by walking barefoot or laying on the sand or grass. Ideally do this in the early morning light. Again the sun is your greatest ally to help you adjust to the new time zone. 
4. Prepare a nourishing breakfast (with a good dose of protein- think 25-30 grams) and dive into your day. 
5. Although your day-to-day activities may vary while you’re traveling, see if you can maintain a simple morning & evening routine – grounding in the sunlight, movement, and a relaxing pre-bed ritual.

Flying Challenges

The next challenge comes from flight travel. Whether you’re flying domestic or international, flying is hard on your body. Between the stress of getting to and navigating the airport, waiting for your flight, sitting on the plane, managing children if you’re flying as a family, and crossing time zones it can be a real challenge to many of your systems (nervous, immune, & detox to name a few).

Ever since my family and I decided to move to France 7 years ago we’ve had to navigate many long-haul flights. And when it literally takes us 24-hours door-to-door to get from our house in France to my Mom’s house in California, planning ahead makes all the difference in how we feel by the time we arrive.

Here are my top 5 favorite strategies to make your next flight less of a stress on all of your systems.

1. First, support your nervous system by getting a good night’s sleep before you leave, a nourishing meal, and a bit of movement/exercise. I like to limit caffeine before the flight plus take some Rescue Remedy or other adaptogens (like Ashwagandha or Rhodiola) to help me stay calm and grounded. Traveling definitely stimulates my cortisol and quickly I can become stressed-out “airport mama” as my kids like to call it. 
2. I also tend to have some anxiety on the plane…especially if there is a lot of turbulence. If that’s true for you too, then I suggest continuing with the Rescue Remedy during the flight plus bringing some calming herbal teas to sip on (like Tulsi, Chamomile, or Lemon Balm) and an eye mask. Taking little breaks to cover your eyes and listen to calming music with headphones makes a huge difference.
3. Bring your own food or fast for shorter flights. No matter how enticing the food or how acceptable it seems to be, it never fails that I get a stomach ache if I eat airplane food. Instead I try to eat around the flight and then bring some nourishing snacks if I get hungry during the flight. Once I started doing this I no longer arrived with an upset tummy & my kids stopped feeling nauseous as well. Here are some healthier snack ideas you can bring on your next flight and don’t forget about hydration too. Flying is incredibly dehydrating and can often result in a headache if you don’t drink enough during the flight. And although free alcohol may seem like a good idea to relax on the flight, it will only dehydrate you further.
   • Sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or salads
   • Fresh veggie sticks and fruits
   • Grass-fed or pastured sticks and jerky
   • Kale chips
   • Seaweed snacks (bonus the seaweed is a good source of iodine to help you detox radiation from the flight)
   • Dried fruit and nuts
   • Hard boiled eggs
   • Nut butter or tuna packets + whole grain (or gluten-free) crackers
   • Oatmeal packets + nut butter packet + fruit – all you have to do is get hot water from the flight attendant and this is a much better breakfast option for a long-haul flight than the pastries they often serve
   • Bring green & herbal teas to drink during the flight plus water with added electrolytes/minerals (like LMNT or Ravyi). Aim to get at least 8-10 oz every hour.
4. Move your body as often as possible. Take walking breaks to the toilet and do a bit of stretching if possible while you’re up. It will help you want to get up if you’re meeting your hourly hydration goal. I’d also suggest an aisle seat when you book your flight so it’s easier to get up and move around. You can do some light stretching & chair yoga in your seat. And definitely if you have a layover or flight change then take advantage of the time off the plane to move your body as much as possible.
5. This may not be high on your radar but flying does expose us to an increased amount of radiation; especially international flights. Now although it doesn’t seem to be enough to cause an immediate issue it can accumulate over time for those who fly frequently. Pilots and flight attendants have an increased risk for some cancers and the radiation exposure is thought to be one of the main reasons why.  The good news…we can help our bodies detox this radiation. Here’s what you can do:
   • Starting the day before add in a couple detox supporting supplements: I like to use NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) & a Binder (like Activated Charcoal or a blend like Ultrabinder from Quicksilver Scientific).
   • During the flight stay hydrated and add in extra minerals (like the powders I mentioned above) + green tea.
   • Once you arrive, move your body to get the lymph moving and (if it’s possible) take a sauna. Before bed, do some dry brushing & take an Epsom Salt + Baking Soda Bath (1 cup each is great – soak for ~20 mins).
   • Include as many iodine-rich foods as possible in the days before & after your flight (like seaweed, kelp flakes, shellfish, fish, eggs, & iodized salt) + other foods that can help support detox (dark leafy greens, spirulina, parsley, cilantro, cruciferous veggies, alliums, green apples, thyme tea, & organic soy foods- like miso)
   • Continue this protocol for at least a couple of days.

Immune & Gut Support

The third challenge involves both your gut & immune systems…and if you’ve been following along at Ground & Root for a while then you know they are intimately connected. Both of these systems will take a hit while you’re traveling. And when we couple this with disrupted circadian rhythms, poor sleep, travel stress, suboptimal food, and exposure to more people we set the stage for getting sick. How many times have you arrived on vacation just to fall sick?! Nobody wants that.

Thankfully this too can be prevented if we take a few precautionary measures. In addition to the obvious pieces like movement, fresh air, nourishing food, & good sleep, here are my top 5 favorite supplements to bring on your trip to support your gut & immunity.

1. First, pack some extra gut support with probiotics & digestive support (bitters or digestive enzymes). If you’re not already taking these things, then it’s best to start the day before your travel and then continue throughout…even on the plane.
2. Next, add some targeted immune support & protection against any microbes or pathogens you may be exposed to with Biocidin Herbal Throat Spray by Biocidin Botanicals or an essential oil blend (with oils like thyme, oregano, eucalyptus, ginger, rosemary, clove, etc).
3. Replenishing your minerals will also be very helpful in supporting energy, digestion, and stress while traveling. I like bringing Shilajit with me + a mineral/electrolyte powder to mix into my water (like the ones I mentioned above).
4. Extra antioxidants will also be helpful in supporting detox & the immune system. Eating lots of colorful fresh fruits & veggies is step 1 and then bringing an extra supplement along to fill in the gaps. I like to bring either Vitamin C, NAC, or Bee Propolis.
5. The final supplement which I mentioned above to help minimize jet lag and adjust your circadian rhythm while traveling is Melatonin. A bonus is that it also offers antioxidant and immune support.

Putting It All Together

As we begin to pack our bags and prepare for our next trip, these 3 areas are top of mind for me. Here’s an example of how I put all these strategies together into one plan that will work for me, my husband, and my two kids.

Day Before

• Start supplements (ex. Probiotics, Bitters, NAC, Charcoal, Biocidin, Shilajit, & Melatonin)
• Gather together any food, snacks, or teas you want to bring on the trip and make sure they’re in your carry-on bag.
• Get a good night’s sleep

Day of Travel

• Morning before you leave, get a walk outside & have a nourishing high protein meal.
• Take your supplements + the nervous system support (ie. Rescue Remedy) and then add to your carry-on bag. Make sure you have an eye mask in there too.
• Limit caffeine to help keep you grounded and calm
• Leave with plenty of time so you’re not rushing
• Once you pass through airport security fill your water bottle and add the mineral powder.
• Get yourself situated on the plane and set an alarm if you need to make sure you hydrate every hour and get up to stretch/pee. Don’t forget to drink your teas & use the digestive bitters if you’ll be eating anything.
• Use your eye mask, calming music, and Rescue Remedy as needed for any in-flight anxiety.

Arrival Day

• Go for a long walk in the evening sunshine (if it hasn’t set yet) and fresh air. Ground your energy by placing your bare feet on the grass, sand, or earth for at least 10 minutes.
• Have a nourishing meal with a good dose of protein again and take your supplements.
• Take an Epsom Salt/Baking Soda Bath, soak for at least 20 minutes, and take your melatonin. 
• Head to bed and try to make the room as comfortable as possible to encourage good sleep.

Next Day

• Set an alarm if you need to help you get up at a good hour.
• Hydrate, take your probiotics, and then head outside for an early morning walk in the sun. Take 10 minutes to ground your energy.
• Prepare a nourishing breakfast & take your supplements.
• Fill a water bottle with some mineral powder again before you head out for the day.
• Before dinner try to repeat the routine from last night; evening walk, grounding, nourishing meal, supplements, detox bath, & melatonin.

Following Days

• Continue the supplements and ideally a morning & evening routine throughout your trip.
• Be mindful of the 80/20 Rule. Balancing indulgences with healthy nourishing foods.
• Do your best to stop eating at least 3 hours before bed and give yourself a minimum of a 12-hour fast each night.
• Most importantly, have fun and relax!

Day of Travel Home + Arrival Home

• Repeat the same process you followed when leaving on your trip. And give yourself a few days to adjust back to your local time zone and routine.

By planning ahead, giving your body a little extra support, and using the earth’s energy & sun cycles you can minimize the stressors and challenges from traveling. This will not only help you feel your best and better enjoy your trip but will also minimize any chance of getting sick while you’re away (or when you return home).

This is just one example of how we apply anticancer strategies to all of life’s events and adventures here at Ground & Root. We believe life is meant to be lived to its fullest and we can bring in strategies as needed to help us counteract the challenges that may arise. If you’d like to chat more about creating a personalized anticancer plan to help you navigate all of life’s adventures, I invite you to schedule a free Strategy Session. We can meet and talk through your health goals and how Ground & Root might best be able to support you.