Vacation travel offers great opportunities for adventure and relaxation, but all that fun can be interrupted by some very real “adjustment challenges” as your sleep patterns, eating habits and other routines change dramatically. With just a little preparation, you’ll be ready to manage these challenges before you board the plane, climb on a train or start the car. My recommendations (of course, they also help when you’re traveling for business)…*
• Sleep disruptions. A sleep mask and earplugs take up very little room in one’s luggage and are useful not only on planes and trains but also can save the day (or the night) in noisy, brightly lit hotels. Another good sleep aid is L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps you relax and ease into sleep. The most effective way to take this supplement is 20 minutes before bed (or in the middle of the night if you wake up). Typical dose: 1,000 mg L-tryptophan. Important: Check with your doctor before using if you take a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressant.
• Constipation. This condition plagues travelers, usually because their regular bathroom routines are difficult to maintain while traveling. One of the simplest ways to avoid this problem is to pack a box of “Smooth Move” tea bags, made by Traditional Medicinals. The product can be found in many grocery stores and most health-food stores. Use one tea bag per eight ounces of hot water (a hotel room coffeemaker works fine)…steep for six minutes…and have one or two cups just before bed. The main ingredient is senna, a laxative herb. (People with bowel disorders should avoid senna.) This tea is gentler than such products as Ex-Lax or MiraLax, though as with any laxative, it should not be used as a daily medicine to avoid becoming dependent on it.
• Indigestion. When traveling, people often eat more and suffer indigestion. Chewable papaya tablets are a good way to prevent this problem. Papaya is rich in enzymes that help break down food. I often advise my patients to chew two or three papaya tablets at the end of a meal to help fully digest their food and prevent stomach pain and bloating.
• Viral ailments. If you are in any crowded location, you will be in contact with someone who is ill. My favorite self-defense is to mix an herbal tincture containing equal parts echinacea, Oregon grape root and elderberry. These immune-boosting herbs help your body ward off germs. I recommend taking 60 drops of the mixture in two to four ounces of water twice daily throughout your trip for up to 10 days. People with allergies to plants in the daisy family should avoid echinacea.
• Sore muscles. Sore muscles are common during travel. For this reason, I always pack a tube of T-Relief, a German-made homeopathic anti-inflammatory, analgesic ointment. It’s also useful for sprains and strains.
Important: If you drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily—for example, 75 ounces if you weigh 150 pounds—you will feel better at home and on the road. Happy trails!
*Check with your doctor before trying new supplements.
