TRAVELING HEALTHY

Best kept secrets on maintaining health goals while traveling.

In this blog I outline my best kept secrets on how to take your health goals on the road. No matter what the season, no matter the destination, if you are about to take a 10-day trip or less, this is for you.

We are days away from spring break where many of us are pulling out the luggage, splurging on a cute bathing suit, and barely keeping our attention at work just thinking about the fun trip to come. And, if you are from “Minnesconsin,” that frozen piece of land somewhere between Minnesota and Wisconsin, you know! We have gotten 80 inches of snow this season (and more to come) and we are all desperate to get out. One catch—you have put so much effort into your health this year, that in the back of your mind you are secretly freaking out how an one week vacation might set your symptoms flaring. Lucky for you, I gotcha honey. I am a well traveled doctor and ready to take your health to whole other flight.

MEDICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTATION

1. Obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity: If you are on a medication that requires needles, syringes, or liquid vials, you may need to obtain a letter of medical necessity from the provider who prescribes that prescription. This may be especially important when you are traveling by plane or going through customs at an international border.

1. This could be commonly needed for medications such as testosterone, hCG, peptides, insulin injectables, or bio-identical hormone creams.

2.  Out of courtesy it is recommended to ask for this request a few weeks prior to your trip to allow for the office to organize, write, and provide that letter for you. 

1. Bring the Medications & Supplements: If you have been prescribed a medication or supplement, there is a good reason. Achieving your desired results is going to be best when you are able to keep a consistent regimen. 

1. This is the perfect opportunity to purchase a cute pill pack to help organize what you need, and leave the excess at home. 

2. Exception to the rule — if it is an emergency medication where you might want the labeled bottle for instructions and easy finding, then avoid adding that medication to the pill pack. 

1. Temperature Sensitive Items:

1.  If you have temperature sensitive medications or supplements that can not be provided to you with a shelf-stable version, use a cooler and cooler packs to help refrigerate until you reach your destination. 

2. Once you reach your destination, most hotel rooms have mini fridges nowadays, but if you are aware you will be needing refrigeration, it is recommended you double check with your hospitality team at your destination on if one can be brought to your room or access can be provided. 

FINDING FOOD

1. Food Plan: 

   1. Mini fridges or kitchenettes can come in handy! Not all destinations have the best of food accommodations. A little research ahead of time can go a long way. Research what are the restaurants and grocery stores available? Fridges allow you to store not only medications, but also some healthy food options. Kitchenettes allow you to prepare simple dishes that can help avoid unknown foods that can come from eating out.

   2. Consider stopping by a local health food store to purchase filtered water and staple fruits, veggies, and protein sources to have on hand.

1. Skip the airplane food/fast food restaurants in the airport: Airplane and airport food are both horrendous and can quickly be a source of poor choices—high sugary drinks, snacks, and “protein” bars, foods fried in canola oil, and everything processed.

   1. Plan a food rescue pack that you will take on the plane with you.

      1. Apples and almond butter. 

      2. Celery and peppers with hummus. 

      3. Organic cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, or walnuts.

      4. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries with grass fed beef sticks 

      5. Turkey wrap with avocado and lettuce 

Movement that meets your destination

Travel can bring you to exciting new places and adventures, so take full advantage of the activities for the destination.

1. Examples:

1. Take a run down the beach, swim in the ocean, or play beach volleyball on a beach vacation.

2. Use the hotel gym and pool amenities, or rent bikes to explore if staying in the city. 

3. Hike nearby mountains or local trails or rent canoes or kayaks while out West.

4. Snow shoe, ski, snowboard, or hit the trails in your winter towns.

FINDING A SLEEP PATTERN

Depending on how far you are traveling you might be dealing with time change.

1. Keep a routine bedtime and wake-up schedule. 

2. Use natural light cues to support sleep pattern. Get morning, mid-day and evening light exposure best by getting outside.

3. Keep your bedroom dark at night. This sometimes can be tough in hotels from unwanted light exposures, so I also encourage using an eye mask at night.

4. Get in the habit of grounding. Grounding, or a method of walking barefoot on natural surfaces, has been resourceful in connecting our body to the world around us. Growing evidence suggests that the Earth's negative potential can create a regulated internal bioelectrical environment for the body. It is suggested that the Earth's potential may be important for resetting diurnal body rhythms, such as cortisol secretion, which is needed to support sleep.

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