Staying Healthy While Traveling: 5 Pro Tips for Your Summer Trips
Ah, summer travel—we wait all year for that coveted beach time or that much-needed spa trip, but we’d be lying if we said getting to our destination was a walk in the park. With airports chock-full of germs and planes packed with pathogens, staying healthy while traveling is the realest struggle of them all. To help you on your quest for a vacation sans sneezes and sore throats, then, we’ve broken down our top five tips for staying healthy while traveling this summer below. Read on…and get ready to tackle that upcoming trip armed with all the knowledge you need to stay healthy, hydrated and strong as ever!
- Hydrate Before You Fly
What in the world does staying hydrated have to do with avoiding sore throats and other ailments while embarking on summer travel? Turns out, a whole lot. Getting and staying hydrated before you hop on that plane is absolutely key for staying healthy while traveling. The pressurized cabin on planes means the air around you is super dry, which ultimately makes it much harder for your system to flush out any germs it may pick up on that lengthy flight (because your mucous membranes are dried out). Fortunately, drinking ClearFast is one of the best ways to get hydrated before your flight, as it’s chock-full of electrolytes and offers medical-grade hydration that you won’t find in sports drinks.
It’s also a good idea to stay hydrated once you get to your destination, especially if you’re hitting the beach. Many people underestimate the effect that long bouts of sun exposure can have on their system. Packing a ClearFast or two for your beach day gives your body the electrolytes it needs, while also providing extended energy via 50 grams complex carbs (ensuring you don’t hit a wall in that all-too-common mid-afternoon crash).
- Keep Your Eyes Hydrated, Too!
Remember that dry, pressurized plane cabin we talked about? Not only does it dry out your mucus membranes, but it also makes for dry eyes. And we all know what happens when our eyes get dry. They itch like no one’s business. The problem is, touching and rubbing your eyes is one of the fastest ways to transmit viruses. To avoid this, wash your hands frequently—every chance you get before boarding the plane—and bring along lubricating eye drops.
- Steer Clear of Eating on Planes
We all know that plane food doesn’t exactly have a spotless reputation when it comes to food health and safety—but there are some less obvious reasons to avoid it as well. Think bringing your own meal keeps you safe? Not exactly—the key isn’t just to avoid plane food; it’s to avoid eating on planes all together. According to research by Travel Math, tray tables are literally the dirtiest place on planes (so you want to avoid touching yours at all costs, regardless if the meal you’re putting on it is from the plane or from your own home). Another good reason to not eat on planes has to do with your body’s ability to digest at 30,000 feet. The dramatic change in pressure often causes your metabolism to slow down significantly. So, when you eat on planes, you’re unable to digest what you’ve taken in—then, you get off the plane and your body suddenly uses up all of its energy stores digesting that meal you ate three hours ago, leaving you feeling tired, depleted and lethargic for the first day of your summer vacation. It may be hard (especially if you have a long flight) but avoid taking in anything besides water on your flight—it will be well worth it when you land at your destination feeling refreshed instead of run-down.
- Give your Immune System a Boost
Boosting your immune system before you expose it to the inevitable germs it will encounter at airports and on planes is key to staying healthy while traveling. We recommend eating a healthy breakfast of yogurt for a week leading up to your flight—as yogurt contains beneficial bacteria that can help boost the immune system—and drinking a ClearFast before you leave for the airport for medical-grade hydration. The probiotics in yogurt combine with the electrolytes (for hydration) and Zinc and L-Citrulline (properties that help heal) in ClearFast make for a potent, powerful combination for staying healthy while traveling this summer.
- Don’t Skip Exercise
Alright, let’s face it—who wants to wake up early and hit the gym at 6 a.m. on their vacation? Working out while away from home isn’t exactly the most exciting thing ever, but it is a great way to ensure you’re staying healthy while traveling. Being sedentary for extended periods of time is terrible for our metabolism and circulation (there’s a reason your feet and ankles get super swollen after you’ve been on a plane for six hours!). Plus, if you’re human, chances are you’re indulging in some pretty tasty eats on your vacation—which likely means you’re taking in a ton of salt, another sure-fire way to feel bloated and swollen on your vacation. Exercising—even if it’s just a walk on the beach in the morning—is a great give your body the armor it needs to deal with all of the not so healthy stuff you may be embarking on during your vacation (hello, margaritas at 11 a.m.).
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Overall, staying healthy while traveling is all about two main things—staying hydrated and being proactive. ClearFast contains the medical-grade hydration your body needs while traveling and it’s gluten-free, free of simple-sugars and harmful colored dyes, contains all-natural ingredients and is free of preservatives—ultimately making it your best bud for everything from pre-plane to beach-day hydration.
Ready to embark on your healthiest year of summer travel yet? Order your ClearFast Preop Drink here and, as always, don’t hesitate to reach out to the ClearFast team at support@drinkcf.com if you have any questions about using ClearFast at all!