From spending 16+ hours on a plane to study abroad in Australia, lots of visits to see friends in different cities/states, vacations, two Europe trips (where I am now!), and more… I’ve picked up a thing or two about staying healthy when traveling! Here I’ve compiled all of my tried-and-true hacks, ideas, do’s and don’ts, etc. that I’ve learned for ya guys!
Before I left for Australia a few years ago, I remember googling something like “how to stay healthy during travel” and I swear to you guys, they told me I should do lunges down the aisle of the plane, or fast during the entire trip because “digestion isn’t as effecient on a plane” or bring a yoga mat and do yoga in the terminal before I take off. Yes, these things might be great for some people but personally I don’t like to draw attention to myself on the plane, ya girl has a big appetite so fasting is a no-go, and my suitcase will barely close as it is, much less fit a yoga mat… so here are my SIMPLE and effective tips that anyone can easily incorprate into their travel routine.
Healthy Travel Tips
HYDRATE – hydration is key. It is so easy to become dehydrated without even knowing it! The low humidity in the cabin can make you dehydrated (along with simply just not drinking enough water).
The easiest way for me to stay hydrated is by bringing a large plastic water bottle with me to the airport, drinking the entire thing during the car ride before I go through security and then refilling it at a water fountain before I get on the plane. Personally, plastic works best for me because then I can recycle it when I land and don’t have to worry about lugging it around for the rest of the trip. But a reusable water bottle will work great too! BONUS: start hydrating 24 hours before your trip… yep, 24!!!!
BOOST IMMUNITY – being somewhat of a germaphobe, I do not F with breathing recycled air on the plane, especially for longer flights, and especially when people are coughing, sneezing, and blowing their noses next to me. But, ya do what ya gotta do right… SO, the week before my trip, I try to load up on immune boosting foods and supplements. Here’s a list of what I try to incorporate on a regular basis, but even more so before I’m about to hop on a plane.
- bone broth and collagen: contains lots of nutrients, promotes with gut health, and decreases inflammation.
- elderberry: (the shots at Clean Juice… IYKYK. If you can’t get to Clean Juice there are some awesome elderberry supplements (here’s one I recommend) and elderberry syrups (another one I recommend).
- rest: buckling down and making sure I am getting proper sleep at least a week before I fly is extremely helpful.
- vitamins and probiotics: I try to take these regularly but I tend to forget from time to time 😅 I make sure to set these out on the counter the week before traveling so I don’t forget!
- manage stress: the impact stress has on our immune systems is crazy to me. I start packing and working on my to-do list way in advance so I am not scrambling/stressed out at the last minute.
MOVE – I personally don’t like to do anything too intense like HIIT or heavy weight lifting before a long day of travel because I end up feeling stiff/uncomfortable on the plane.
The morning of my flight (unless it’s early— I’d rather take the extra sleep), I usually try to do 5-10 minutes of bodyweight exercises (lunges, squats, push-ups, etc.), 5 minutes of stretching or yoga, and then take a quick walk outside to stretch my legs and get some fresh air before spending the day inside the airport/on the plane.
That routine is ideal for me but even if I can get just one of those in, it makes a difference! I feel really good the rest of the day just by taking 20 minutes to get my blood flowing, stretch, and breathe some fresh air.
FOOD – I do like to bring my own healthy meals and snacks for the plane, but at the same time, I am not super anal about it. I bring a meal or two depending on how long the travel day is because 1) it makes me feel my best. Flying already tends to upset my digestive system so having familiar foods is helpful for me. 2) that’s the food I like! If the meal they are serving on the flight looks good and I really want it, I’ll have it. But, at least if it doesn’t look the most appetizing to me, I have other options.
I also bring a few staple snacks for the plane and if I need a quick something during the trip. But I tend to stray away from packing a TON of snacks because I like to be more adventerous and try new things when I’m in a new place. ex. if Matt and I are out and about in Germany and we need a snack, I’d rather grab a pretzel or baked good or even a new kind of bar from a health food store with him than have my own “safe” snacks that I eat all the time at home. Ya feeeeel?!
Anyways, I will list below what my favorite plane-friendly meals and snacks are. Yes, you CAN bring food through security!
Plane-Friendly Meals
- OATS: (my go-to… even if it’s for dinner. It’s just so easy and doesn’t need to stay cold). I grab an empty to-go soup container from Whole Foods (so I can just recycle it when I am done rather than carrying it around) and add 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a scoop of collagen. With it, I bring an individual nut butter packet and a banana. At the airport or on the plane, I’ll ask for a hot water and just pour it over the oats, put the lid on, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then I add the nut butter and banana on top. So yummy and I get healthy carbs, fat, protein, and fiber! Basically a travel-friendly version of my Creamy Chia Oat Recipe.
- chicken veggie bowl: as I mentioned before, I get a disposable container from Whole Foods, bring it home and load it up with lettuce, chicken, roasted vegetables (I usually steer away from anything crazy smelling like brussels hahaha), avocado, and a dressing. I use this freezer bag for anything that needs to be kept cold!
- pasta: I have brought chickpea pasta with marinara which is simple and delish. I don’t mind eating it cold and it’s an easy way for me to get fiber, protein, and carbs! Bonus for adding some extra greens in 😉
My Go-To Snacks
- bars (you guys know my faves are GoMacro, Square Organics, and Ancient Nutrition).
- fruit like bananas, apples, oranges
- jerky (my favorite is Chomps grass-fed beef sticks)
- baked goods (I brought a few of my Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies on the plane last time and they made me so happy 😂)
MY OTHER TRAVEL NECESSITIES
- neck pillow
- headphones (make sure you have the outdated ones that will fit in the jack of the old iPhones for the plane screen, too!)
- mini hand sanitzer
- travel-size moisterizer (my skin gets so dry on the plane!)
- comfy clothes
- fuzzy socks (self-explanatory)
- mediation app Aura (you can download meditations so you can listen to them without internet. For all of my fellow anxious flyers)
Hope this has been helpful for you guys! If you have any travel tips, please leave a comment below… I’d love to hear them! IMO— the best way to learn is from each other 💖
XO
Calla