How to use alternative medicine to stay healthy while traveling
Traveling takes you and your immune system out of your comfort zone. Discover how to stay healthy naturally when you’re away from home.
From colds and flu to diarrhea, motion sickness, and jet lag, there a whole host of things that could ruin your vacation and keep you down after you get home.
Whether you’re away for a quick weekend break or a round the world trek, here are some alternative medicine tips to help you stay healthier while traveling.
How to keep your digestive system functioning at its best
Diarrhea, constipation, and nausea are three of the greatest fears of traveling, especially if you’re going overseas. Thankfully, alternative medicine offers several tips to prevent stomach upset while you’re on holiday.
The first one is probably common sense, but it bears mentioning: never drink questionable water! Use bottled water even for brushing your teeth. Even if the local water is clean, it could still contain bacteria that your body isn’t used to.
The second is to take the best probiotic for men over 50, or one more specifically targeted towards you. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in your digestive tract. They are found in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and sourdough bread, but they can also be consumed in supplement form. Taking probiotics helps your digestive system function more efficiently, so they can prevent and treat both diarrhea and constipation, as well as nausea.
Ginger is another excellent natural remedy for nausea and stomach upset, while activated charcoal can be beneficial for diarrhea. Perhaps most importantly, stay hydrated if you’re having tummy troubles.
Nothing will send you to the emergency room quicker than becoming dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea, and if you’re constipated, drinking water will help get your bowels moving.
How to fight aches and pains while traveling
From sleeping in a strange bed to walking around town to see the sights, you put your body through a lot when you’re on vacation. All that extra walking and lack of sleep can result in a whole variety of aches and pains.
Stretching is one of the best ways to deal with aches and pains, so consider packing your yoga matt. You can stream a yoga workout right to your hotel room, and you won’t need any other special equipment.
Yoga is also great for preventing aches and pains and helping you relax so you can sleep better, so don’t wait until you’re feeling bad to get started.
Turmeric is excellent for fighting inflammation. It’s a good remedy for aches and pains due to soreness from too much walking or overdoing a workout. Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that does wonders for sore muscles and bruising, and it comes in a topical cream or gel form that you can rub into the target area.
You could also look into kratom, a powerful herb from Southeast Asia, that, among other benefits, can have pain relieving properties when taken at the correct dose. If you are interested in trying kratom, you should make sure you buy from an american kratom association approved vendor – sadly, there are many vendors out there that sell poor quality kratom that likely won’t give you the desired effect.
Buying from an AKA approved vendor means you can be confident that you will be getting a quality product that has the best chance of helping you.
And finally, if you’re dealing with muscle cramps and soreness try taking 400/mg of magnesium every day. It’s great for helping your muscles to relax.
How to boost your immune system to prevent colds and flu
Traveling is stressful on your body. From lack of sleep to exposure to all kinds of germs, you’ve gotta do everything you can to get your immune system strong before you leave on your trip and keep it that way while you’re traveling.
Experts recommend implementing Chinese medicine treatments before an upcoming vacation. By visiting an acupuncturist regularly leading up to your trip, you can actually “boost [your] body’s ability to ward off sickness and can even offset the crippling effects of fatigue.”
Avoid stress prior to your departure by packing ahead of time and arriving at the airport early, as excess stress can cause your immune system to crash. Also consider taking supplements to support your immune system before, during, and after your trip.
Vitamin D3 is excellent for boosting the immune system. Astragalus is an herb that’s used in Chinese medicine as an immune booster. Reishi and cordyceps mushrooms are also recommended for preventing sickness and increasing stamina. It’s essential to start taking these supplements about a month before your trip; they won’t do as much good if you’re already sick.
And, of course, you must get enough rest and stay hydrated to fend off those nasty germs. Avoid sugar and over-consumption of alcohol because they both weaken the immune system.
How to fight jet lag naturally
Jet lag will usually go away on its own in a few days, but there are some alternative medicine tips that you can use to speed up the process.
First, plan ahead and slowly adjust to your new time zone in the week or so leading up to your trip. By the time your vacation rolls around, you should be getting up and going to bed on the schedule you will be on at your destination.
Sunlight is awesome for fighting jet lag, so spend some time outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air when you reach your destination. Melatonin is a natural hormone that your body produces when it’s time to go to sleep. Try taking a melatonin supplement about an hour before bedtime to help you fall asleep.
Exercise can also help, especially if it’s outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine. Not only will it help to perk you up and give you an energy boost if you’re feeling tired, but it will also help you fall asleep at night.
Final tips
These alternative medicine tips are great for overall energy and keeping you healthy while you travel.
You may also want to consider bringing your preferred multi-vitamin with you on your trip to fill in the nutritional gaps. Taking some extra Vitamin B12 will also give you some extra energy on the go.
With a little advanced planning, you’ll stay healthy on vacation and come home feeling rested and renewed, instead of feeling like you need a vacation after your vacation!
Need more health tips?
Whether you’re on the road or at home, here are some more tips to help you stay healthy and happy:
