Travel can wreak havoc on your health. Your established routines can be thrown off when you leave home. There are many actionable steps that you can take to improve your health not just at home but also while on the road.. The following are just a few examples of what you can do while traveling to optimize your health.
ORAL HEALTH: Your mouth is the gateway to your digestive health. While the gut is central to human health, the health of the gut is directly influenced by oral health. There is a clear bi-directional relationship between your oral health and your systemic wellness. Stop using mouthwash, toothpaste and floss filled with chemicals. These products are killing the good, necessary bacteria along with the bad bacteria. If the product contains alcohol, artificial sweeteners, coal tar, color dyes, DEA, propylene glycol, sodium fluoride, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (SLS/SLE) or triclosan, stop using them. There are plenty of non toxic alternatives. NUTRITION: Avoid eating ultra-processed foods. They are readily available while traveling but you will feel better if you choose healthy snacks. You could bring nuts, olives, and cut up vegetables with you. Reduce your sugar consumption.
STRESS: Stress is unavoidable. No one gets through life without experiencing some stress. The key to avoiding the adverse effects of stress is to reframe your perspective and your response to the stressful situation. Look for some lesson or positive outcome from the situation. If you meditate, this is the time to do so. If not, there are several breathing techniques that can quickly calm your nervous system. Breathe your nose and make sure that your exhale is longer than your inhale. This is surprisingly helpful.
SLEEP: It can be difficult to maintain a good sleep schedule while on the road. When possible, going to sleep and waking up at a consistent time is ideal. Sleeping in a dark, cold room will improve your sleep. The other important thing to do regularly is to expose yourself to light within 30-60 minutes of waking. Don’t look directly in the sun but just spend 10-15 minutes outside after waking up.
While it requires some degree of effort, it’s important to know that you can and must take ownership of your health. When you do this, you will feel better, live longer, and postpone the onset and mitigate the consequences of chronic diseases.
About the author: Emily Gold Mears is a citizen scientist, research analyst, biohacker and author. A former attorney, Gold Mears shifted her advocacy efforts to seek information on optimizing one’s health through extensive research analysis in science and medicine. Her research focuses on the intersection of functional and allopathic medicine, and the critical requirements for individuals to become their own health advocates. She is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations, most of which are focused on health-related research.