7 Essential Items For A Healthy Trip

Staying healthy while traveling is so very important, especially in winter. Having some essential items in your travel bag could help you keep everything in balance so you can have an enjoyable trip. Here are seven of my essential items for a healthy trip. I always pack these as my basis for staying healthy. Then depending on my destination I might add supplementary items.

1. Ginger

If you are prone to motion sickness or upset stomach while traveling, bring along some ginger chews or some tea bags of ginger tea. Have them handy on the plane or boat. Known for it’s benefits for nausea, gas and cramps, ginger is also good for stuffy sinuses and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent as well.

2. Echinacea

Echinacea is one of those herbs I take with me every time I travel. I prefer Echinacea tea. All I need is a cup of hot water and I’m good to go. Echinacea is great if you are feeling run down or feel like you are coming down with a cold. If you are traveling, don’t leave home without it.

3. Pycnogenol for Jet Lag

Pycnogenol is a powerful anti-oxidant with lots of health benefits. It is great as an anti-inflammatory and also supports the immune system and the cardiovascular system but an Italian study done in 2008 shows some encouraging results on controling jet lag symptoms. I am a big fan of Pycnogenol as an all around anti-oxidant and I use it daily in the form of Isotonix OPC-3. Check out the health benefits of Isotonix OPC-3 and make sure it’s in your bag whenever you travel.

4. Aloe Juice and Gel

The health benefits of Aloe are lengthy. Suffice it to say that Aloe is all about healing. Externally, Aloe Gel is a great addition to any first aid kit for burns, scrapes, insect bites and sunburn. If there is an aloe plant available I use the gel from that. If not I use my bottle of Ultimate Aloe Gel. I have used aloe gel on many occasions on my dogs’ pads if they developed cuts from ice balls while we mushed on snow.

Internally Aloe Juice helps keep the GI tract healthy and in balance. It promotes digestive comfort, healing, and a healthy immune system. And Ultimate Aloe makes convenient powder packets that are perfect for traveling so you don’t have to pack any liquid. It’s great when dealing with indigestion but taken daily when traveling it helps keep the body in balance. My favorite flavor is Strawberry Kiwi.

5. Arnica Gel

Arnica Gel is excellent for sore muscles and bruising. This was recommended to me by a friend who is an acupuncturist and I have used it regularly during mushing trips with my dogs to soothe pain from sore muscles. Now I never leave home without it.

6. Chamomile tea

I like to relax in the evening with Chamomile Tea and I find that when my sleep patterns are disrupted during travel Chamomile helps me get to sleep. I also bring a variety of herbal teas so I can enjoy them if they are not available in restaurants and that way I can stay away from caffeine especially in the evening.

7. Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

A healthy gut is very important when traveling and yet it is often when we try new foods or when we’ve overindulged that we find ourselves putting our GI Tract out of balance. And that can lead to illness. While I take Aloe daily when I travel and that generally does the trick for me, I do keep Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics handy for those occasional times when food leaves me bloated or doesn’t agree with me. This combo provides healthy support to the digestive tract and the immune system. If you generally eat healthy but tend to cheat on trips, then this is a “must have” for your suitcase. For traveler-friendly packets check out Isotonix Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics.

Wherever your travels may take you, may you have Healthy and Happy Trails!