Travelling the Healthy Way

Everyone wants to have a safe, healthy and hassle-free holiday- and the easiest way to have one is to plan carefully beforehand. Being well prepared for your holiday isn’t just about packing your luggage and making the proper travel arrangements; it also involves taking precautions by scheduling a visit to your doctor to get the necessary vaccinations and medications, and getting as much information on the health risks in your destination, and on ways to avoid them.

To help you figure out what you need to do to stay healthy on your holiday or journey, here are a few smart health tips that you can practice:

Drink Up!

Long hours of flight can be tiring and uncomfortable and may cause you to experience jet lag the moment you step off the airplane. So, drink plenty of water during and after the flight to avoid dehydration – it may just make the jet lag bearable. Another way to overcome jetlag is to bring along a Ginseng drink which can actually help to improve blood circulation in the body during long hours of flight.

Sleep Tight…

Getting a good night’s sleep and sufficient rest before your flight is also essential. Avoid large intakes of alcohol, unnecessary medication and overeating while still in flight. To get the blood circulating in your feet and legs, you can try to catch up on some exercise by walking around the cabin during flight.

Watching What You Eat

One of the most important health rules every traveler should abide by is to be careful with what you eat and drink. Poor hygiene and sanitation cause most health problems. So unless the food is boiled, cooked or peeled, you might want to curb your enthusiasm!

Marmite Anyone?

When traveling to a foreign country, the temptation of trying new, exotic dishes is impossible to resist. While curiosity may not always kill a cat, it could cause your stomach to act up. Marmite is said to offer some comfort when mixed with hot water. For the less adventurous who would never dream of indulging in a big juicy spider (yes, it is a delicacy in Cambodia), a jar of Marmite also comes in handy because you can always make yourself a tasty Marmite sandwich.

Salt Saves

Oral dehydration salts are helpful in treating mild stomach discomforts and is great for preventing dehydration during diarrhea. It is also a remedy for low-grade fever and lowers the body temperature in a hot climate. For effective results, consume every 4 hours during the journey. An isotonic drink, oral dehydration salts are suitable for babies and the elderly.

That said, sometimes even after all precautions have been taken, mishaps still do happen – your luggage could still end up in the Antarctic or you could still catch a nasty stomach flu and end up staying in a hospital instead of the five-star hotel you were looking forward to! That’s where travel insurance comes in. So it would be useful to take a look at the importance of purchasing travel insurance before you leave for that well-deserved break.

These a just a few reminders of ways you can keep yourself healthy and happy during your journey. Remember, a healthy body is the most important factor when traveling!


 

Article Information

This article was written by Pollyanna G. Joseph and was first published on 19 July 2006. This article is free for personal and commercial reproduction, with the following terms and conditions.