With summer finally here, for many of us it means taking a vacation. If you’re like most Americans, you have traveled at some time in your life. Whether you live out of a suitcase for work purposes or you take a personal trip once a year, staying balanced while traveling makes the journey smooth.
While we can’t do anything about a delayed flight or other things beyond our control, these tips will help you to stay balanced while traveling.
I recently took a trip for work, with a colleague that smoked. Since it was her car, I became almost a prisoner to the situation. I also had to share a room with this same colleague and she liked to sleep with the TV on. The hotel room was nice but had a somewhat moldy smell. The company also required us to attend daily lunches and dinners serving food I would not normally eat. As you can probably guess, I really did not enjoy this particular trip and felt very ‘unbalanced’ the entire time. I also became very sick as soon as I got back home.
After this experience, and knowing that I would have several more upcoming trips, I decided to learn how to maintain physical, mental balance while traveling (since I could not afford to get sick each time upon my return).
I had the chance to speak with (and get tips) from a professional traveler and naturopath John Ayo. He is also the author of the book Travel Balance. I asked him the following questions, which helped me to create a holistic travel kit tailored to my needs.
Karim Orange: What are the three products no traveler should leave home without?
John Ayo:
Water: A water container of some type is essential! Since filtered water is best, try and refill it as much as possible throughout your journey. A good place to find filtered water is the workout room in your hotel. It usually has a large water dispenser that you can use to refill your water bottle.
Immune Support/ Supplements: Stay healthy by avoiding excess sugar, salt, dairy, and wheat (as it applies to you). Pack immune support specific supplements such as a food sourced multivitamin. Vitamin B is great for calming, vitamin C, and E are both high in antioxidants and boost immune support, and probiotics help with food digestion and support your natural immune system.
Noise Canceling Head Phones: This allows you to put your brain in a happy place listening to whatever you like. It can help you deal with anxiety and stress, and other emotional issues.
K.O: What’s the best way to balance dealing with jet lag?
J.A: Jet lag is never fun. One of the first steps to combat it is to drink lots of water. You should focus on setting your body clock to the destination time zone as soon as you get to the gate. Never look back thinking about “what time is it at home.” Follow this rule when you’re traveling and changing time zones (even short ones). You need to reset your body and brain as quickly as possible. One thing you can do (if possible) is to walk barefoot on some grass. This will help you synch to the Earth’s rhythm’s more quickly. This practice is called “earthing”. Another trick is to stay awake until at least 9:00 pm on the first two nights of your arrival.
K.O: How do you turn your hotel room into a home away from home?
J.A: I have an entire chapter about that in my book, but here are some basic rules: Check for bed bugs (you can apply Thieves Oil ) on sheets for some protection. Wipe off common items that people touch (again Thieves Oil is good for this). Items include the TV remote, telephone receiver, light switch, and door knobs. Travel with an essential oil diffuser and add a scent that you like. Make sure to also source your drinking water for your stay.
KO: How do incorporate healthy eating habits while traveling?
J.A: When possible, eat things that grow! Take your vitamins (ones the body recognizes as food) daily. Take a specific supplement to protect you from contaminated water. Also, try drinking a large glass of purified water before you go to dinner, and limit your alcohol intake. Eat your biggest meal at breakfast, and smallest at dinner. Lastly, try going for a walk after dinner to aid digestion.
Needless to say, I’m going to take all of these great tips with me the next time I travel. For more information on John and his book Travel Balance please visit: www.johnayo.com
Safe travels!
