How to stay healthy on an international flight

To me, there is literally no better feeling than stepping onto a plane knowing that there is a great adventure ahead of you. Traveling, visiting new places and experiencing new culture is just the best, right? Right. But it can also take a toll of your body and your health if you’re not prepared.

Being stranded in airports, eating dodgy airplane food, jet-lag and an out of whack digestion can wreak havoc on your body and derail your perfect holiday plans. So, if you’re following your wanderlust this summer, first of all, I am jealous, and secondly, use this list of travel tips to help arm yourselves for international travel.

PRE-TRAVEL

Prepare Snacks

My number one tip for plane rides is to BYO snacks. It’s the best way to avoid buying less than ideal airport food or sneaking another ice-cream from the flight attendant. Try raw nuts, raw bars, veggie sticks, seed crackers with almond butter, fruit and homemade protein balls.

DURING TRAVEL

Watch What You Eat

Plane food is ok in small amounts but it’s best to be prepared and to pack your own meal! If you’re stuck however, opt for the protein with veggies option and nix the heavier refined carbohydrate dishes like a creamy pasta. If you need to snack, stick to savoury options (like the cheese and crackers) and avoid the dessert.

Stay Hydrated

The air up there is dry, very dry. In these conditions, the body loses more moisture through the skin than usual, making it super easy to become dehydrated. Take a water bottle on board with you sip constantly on water and herbal teas. Also make sure to avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine on long-haul flights as these can dehydrate you further.

Move Around

Sitting in those teeny tiny seats is terrible for your circulation and can also put you at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which, worse case scenario, can cause blood clots. Try wriggling your toes and flexing your ankles whilst sitting and walk up and down the aisles as often as you can.

Take a Nap

It’s easy to get sucked in to binge watching your fourth movie in a row, but it is important to try and sleep as much as you can, especially on long journeys. Try chamomile tea and magnesium to relax and if you think you need a little something extra, try valerian root or melatonin to help send you into snoozeville.

Avoid Infections

With all that recirculated air floating around it can be super easy to pick up a virus. Avoid the hassle and place a dab of tea tree oil (a natural antibiotic) at the base of your nose to ward off nasties.

POST-TRAVEL

Jet-lag

Jet-lag can be hard to overcome. However, when you land, go outside and expose yourself to the sunlight, use lavender oil to calm the nervous system and try a natural sleeping aid to help sync your body clock to the new time zone.

Get Your Digestion Moving

Long periods of sitting, lack of movement and strange food can wreak havoc on your digestion. If your tummy needs a helping hand, drink lots of water, try increasing fibre intake – psyllium, chia, flaxseeds and travel with probiotics and digestive enzymes.