Staying Healthy On Vacation

Even though Covid and all its variants are floating around and still a big problem, that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you can get sick with on vacation. Flu season, regular colds, and just general germs are still exist, especially with mask mandates being non-existent most places and people being lax with social distancing. 

I’ve had my share of sickness on trips. My first visit to San Francisco had me looking super miserable on our tour of Alcatraz. I ended up with THE WORST head cold in Vegas, which turned into a sinus infection. I started to feel the crud creep up on me in Hawaii, but by then I learned how to stave it off with all the Vitamin D. Need a quick cold remedy so you can get back on your feet and enjoy your trip? Here’s what I know, in addition to always carrying some Halls Defense and Emergen-C in your bag:

Take a hot shower - Steam is great for breathing, and a hot shower can really open up your nasal passages if you’ve got a stuffy nose. 

Eat extra foods high in protein - Proteins help boost your body’s infection defense, so load up on things like eggs, chickpeas, yogurt, quinoa, lentils, pumpkin seeds and tuna.

Hydrate - This is especially important as you travel anyway, because you’re getting more exercise than normal (hopefully). Drink two or more cups of water more than you usually do. I always travel with a reusable water bottle, so this is the time to fill it up and drink it while out and about.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep - I’m a horrible monster if I don’t get enough sleep, even on vacation. I tend to schedule myself for the whole day, but knowing how I am, I also schedule in down time, because I know I need to not be go, go, go 24 hours a day. I try my best to get as much sleep as I can, because if I don’t, not only am I crabby and stressed out, I know I’m also likely to get sick.

Exercise/walk - Walking increases your ability to breathe better and it’s also incredibly good for you. Fresh air and exercise are underrated, so even if you feel gross, try to get up and moving, because you may end up feeling much better, much faster than if you just lay in bed like a lump. You’ll also still be able to see some stuff, which you won’t see from the inside of your room.

Clean your hands - Yes, you’re probably sick of hearing this, but washing your hands frequently and/or using antibacterial spray/gel can limit your exposure to germs, even if you’re still masking (which I highly recommend in crowded places), and can keep you from lingering in your sickness if you’re unfortunate enough to get sick while you’re traveling. 

Wear a mask - If you do get sick, masking is even more important for those around you and to keep from spreading your germs to others. It’s also important for you to get tested for Covid, just in case. There are a lot of testing sites up and running, or you can travel with at-home tests, which are easy to use and give you a quick response. 

In addition to these things, don’t forget to eat well as much as you can on your trip, so your body has the nutrition to keep your immune system at its best. Now, go forth and have an amazing trip!

Tell me all your best healthy travel tips, or your worst case of sickness on a trip!

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