The act of travelling is a stressor to the body even if the
end destination is a private island in the South Pacific! We are forced out of
our daily routine as we do not have all our usual personal creature comforts.
Flying takes a hit on our physical body & mental state of mind. For some
people emotions of anxiety or fear are present. This impacts our sympathetic
nervous system, releases cortisol and wakes up our fight or flight response.
The blood is then forced away from our digestive system and sent to our muscles.
There is the addition of either plane food or no food at all, not enough fluids
and lack of physical movement. Depending on the length of flight I recommend
purchasing one or two large water bottles to consume during your flight. We
tend to be unaware of how dehydrated we become while flying. I also recommend
being prepared and taking healthy snacks packed from home. This prevents caving
into buying the overpriced airport food.
If these tips are not enough to prevent the much dreaded
temporary travel constipation then it is important to pack your own natural
treatment. Personally, I take ginger tea, mint tea and licorice tea every time
I travel. During travel days I am not eating as much roughage as I usually do
and I find my system slows down as a result. If that doesn’t help then I seek
out fresh papaya. However, I am aware that we are not always travelling to a
destination that provides this. It is imperative to know your own body and what
makes you feel best!
Flying also can affect our immune system’s integrity. We are
in a confined area and sometimes there are others around us who are sick. In association
with what I wrote above I believe our digestive system is a main contributor to
our immune function. I always take probiotics, all the time, not just when I
travel. Secondly, I bring with me Oscillococcinum. It is a homeopathic remedy
that combats flu symptoms & quite effectively I might add. I also bring oil
of oregano in case I feel a sore throat coming on. Echinacea, vitamin C and
astragalus are other options for general immune system boosting. However, it is
important to only take Echinacea when you have already experienced symptoms not
as a general boost. Finally I like to bring my reshi mushroom tincture with me
when I travel as it is a great immuno- modulator
I travel with a little herbal apothecary filled with my
favourite remedies and it has kept me safe traveling through North America, Asia, India and
South America!
