After 3 months of back and forth traveling to Mayo Clinic, I finally have an official list for my essentials for healthy travel. I’m definitely not a packing-pro, but this list has kept me healthy during my weeks of travel. (This was a road trip so some items you will have to swap out or change if you are flying)
So, what is healthy travel? I would describe it as a way to prepare, pack and successfully enjoy your trip without getting run down or sick due to the stressful nature of traveling. For those of us with a chronic illness, it may take a bit of extra preparation but feeling good on the trip will will be worth it.
My Tips
Tip #1: Be prepared and don’t stress. I always try to start writing out my essential healthy travel list 1-2 weeks before the trip, so I can jot down things that I use each day when I think of it. This reduces stress of possibly forgetting.
Tip #2: Try to stick to your healthy routine that you have at home. Your body has a rhythm that keeps it healthy and happy so I always try to incorporate my routine into the days on my trip. This includes: good sleep, exercise, minimize chemicals, healthy eating, supplements when needed, and detox remedies.
Tip #3: Reduce exposure. Flying on an airplane can expose you to a lot since the air is recirculating and there is ionizing radiation exposure. So if possible, try a driving trip! If flying is the only option, bring nasal sprays, take those immune boosting supplements or even try a face mask.
Tip #4: Think outside the box instead of a hotel. I love using air bnb since typically the rooms don’t stench of chemicals that hotels use and the air quality is better. If staying at an air bnb, I always look for places with hard wood floors to keep air quality better. I used to get severely sick from staying in hotels (mold, dust, chemicals), but since using air bnb I can travel again.
Tip #5: Take your vitamins, probiotics and immune boosting supplements. I typically bring along nasal sprays as well. I carry small baggies with my sorted out medications and supplements since trips are usually jam packed and you are in “on-the-go mode”.
Tip #5: Bring your own food or go grocery shopping once you get to your location. This can ensure that you are eating what is healthiest for your body. If you have a kitchen at the place you are staying, even better!
My Essentials
- Chemical free bedroom: I always bring my own sheets washed in natural laundry detergent so I can get a rejuvenating nights rest. To help clean out the air quality in the room, I bring a mosmo detox bag. You can diffuse essential oils as well and simply open windows if its not on a busy road.
- My Immune system supplements: Grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, vitamin D, probiotics (prescript assist, Saccharomyces Boulardii, ProBiota Bifido.
- Pack healthy food: Pack your own cooler full of healthy snacks and plenty of liquids. I was always carrying this insulated tote bag/cooler full of snacks, smoothies and liquids. A 1.5 L nalgene water bottle or camelback are great too so you can carry filtered water or your own juices.
- Reduce stress: Listen to white noise, use an electric heating pad (this one is the best!) or hot water bottle for sore muscles and to sooth tummy trouble, use deep breathing (use a biofeedback app), a tens/EMS unit (for overstimulated muscles and reducing pain), Daily devotions (My favorite way to start the day), weighted blanket or weighted lap pad or weighted neck wrap (I have a variety of weighted items and love how they reduce my anxiety and give me a good night rest).
- Medical safety: Don’t forget medications and to listen to your body when it gets fatigued or sick. With dysautonomia, I have to frequently take breaks and even find a place to lay down for a few minutes to get blood flow to my head and my heart rate at a comfortable level. I like to use a pulse oximeter to track my heart rate when I feel lightheaded. Setting alarms on my phone to take doses of medications and supplements is a necessity too because frequently on a trip I am not in my normal routine. Having these handwipes around to are great to use before eating and after out for the day if your immune system is weaker.
- Use essential oils: These are the essential oils I travel with. Tummy Tamer for digestive system, purify for diffusing, peppermint for headaches and sinus congestion, oregano for keeping immune system strong
- Brain supplements: These are my go to’s fish/krill oil, multivitamin with herbs, l-thenine, brain aid essential oil
- Sinus protection: Cleaning out sinuses is a hug one for me since I suffer from poor sinus health. So I constantly use these salt water sinus packets and bottle, GSE sinus spray, portable/travel sinus sprays, and even a Vogmask mask if I need extra protection.
- Keep the gut moving: Take extra magnesium (this can help with stress as well as keeping the gut flowing so you don get backed up). If you want bring along a travel enema bag (this is what I do) then you can do a simple saline enema or even a detoxing coffee enema (here is the blog post about it). Simple things like walking, deep breathing, drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables always keep me regular. It’s also good to carry a bottle of activated charcoal caps just incase of a bad food exposure.
- Keep organized: Using the right pouches and containers to keep everything in order and accessible is a must for me. I get overwhelmed easily, so pouches with zippers like this RuMe zipper pouch is good for supplements. I organize my medications and supplements with these small plastic pill baggies.
- Healthy treats: Packing treats beforehand can be fun too! Here are some of my favorites: PUR gum, No sugar Lakanto chocolate, and flavored water stevia drops.
- Nontoxic toiletries & soaps: Here is my basic list but you can also look on my favorites page which includes other toiletries I use at home. My Shampoo, toiletry bag, deodorant, Earthpaste tooth paste, tea tree face wash.
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