5 Must-Know Tips to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Traveling mixes things up.

Think about it—we all know that a plane has much lower oxygen levels than what we are used to at ground-level. As long-time pilot and physician Brent Blue told Vox, “The cabin is only pressurized to simulate an elevation of 6,000 to 8,000 feet on modern jets. That’s a significant difference for people who live at sea level and aren’t used to it.” In rough translation, sitting in a six-hour flight with blood oxygen saturation lowered by 5 to 10 percent can cause major fatigue in most passengers.¹

The simple act of flying can also cause dehydration, swelling, and increased risk of infection as you breathe in up to 50 percent recycled cabin air from your fellow passengers.

That’s why we both love travel and sometimes avoid it.

If you have a sensitive digestive system, if your immune system reacts to the slightest red flag, or if you are simply devoted to a longevity diet, travel can complicate things:

• Freeways and highways are lined with fast food drive-thru’s and diners.
• If dining on a plane, food is portable, processed, and easy to prepare. Not necessarily health-promoting.
• Your host or your hotel may not carry all of the foods that you are used to eating.
• The foods at your final destination may be totally foreign to you and may contain hidden wheat gluten, sugar, unhealthy oils, or other food additives.

A few simple steps can make a world of difference.

Feeling bloated or having a gastrointestinal tract flare-up can take away from the joy of traveling. Choosing to ignore your dietary needs while on vacation or away from home isn’t always the best idea, especially if you have seen a dramatic shift in your health while on the Body Ecology Diet. This is because an immune response to food, whether in the gut or elsewhere in the body, can be painful and distracting.

5 Body Ecology Approved Healthy Travel Tips

Below are a few tips to help you follow Body Ecology principles, even when traveling:

1. Contact your hotel, local markets, and restaurants in the area you will be staying.
2. Find out what foods are and are not available in the area that you will be traveling to.
3. Buy a travel book. Go online and research where you will be staying and what kind of fresh produce is available. Keep in mind that sometimes availability depends on the season.
4. If you are traveling to a place that does not speak a language that you are familiar with, prepare a translated list of food allergies and restrictions. Do this before your departure.
5. Pack snacks to eat while en route.

Carry Body Ecology-friendly snacks with you. Here are some ideas. Get creative! 

1. Fermented veggie crackers. If you have a dehydrator, make little crackers with your favorite fermented veggie mix. Prepare the night before you leave.
2. Large, roughly chopped vegetables. Try strips of celery, napa cabbage, summer squash, carrot, and red radish.
3. A small bag of dried sour fruits, such as bing cherries or black currants. Be sure to check manufacturers’ labels for added sugar or oils. Eat dried sour fruits alone and on an empty stomach.
4. A small bag of soaked and sprouted almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. If you have a dehydrator at home, coat with lime, cilantro, ground coriander, and Celtic sea salt. Add a tablespoon of soaked and well-blended flaxseed. Toss everything together and set on dehydrator trays. Run the dehydrator the night before your trip.
5. Body Ecology Vitality SuperGreen or Super Spirulina. Add water, Body Ecology Stevia Liquid Concentrate, and shake! This combination makes a quick, delicious, nutrient-dense drink. 
6. Travel with Body Ecology fermented beverages. On the road, Body Ecology fermented beverages, especially CocoBiotic, will keep you hydrated. The good bacteria will stave off any cravings you may have for starchy, sugary travel food. This includes alcohol. When flying, pack probiotic liquids in a separate suitcase. Make sure to also wrap them in a plastic bag.Traveling itself, especially through several time zones, can cause your body to contract. Your body naturally responds to the stress of travel by contracting and becoming acidic. This happens whether or not you feel stressed. It has to do with the irregular cycles of cortisol and melatonin in the body.Keep your body in balance and minimize the effects of cortisol by making sure you drink two ounces of Body Ecology fermented beverages several times a day.  Pack some extras too, you’ll need it!
7. Pack digestive enzymes.  If you find that your digestion is sluggish, enzymes will help your digestive juices in breaking down food and resetting your hormonal rhythms. 

You can even make a Body Ecology travel kit.  A travel kit should contain little essentials that could transform any basic dish into a Body Ecology delight. Use leak-proof plastic bottles, especially for liquid items. Customize your travel kit to fit your own needs and preferences. Here are some ideas:

• Organic, extra-virgin olive oil
• Organic roasted pumpkin seed oil
• Unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• Stevia Liquid Concentrate
• Pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
• Herbamare 

Traveling can do more than make your favorite foods less available.

It can significantly increase the degree of stress in your body. This causes a fluctuation of hormones and can ultimately leave you feeling exhausted! Support your body and your needs while traveling, and you will feel refreshed and energized throughout your trip.