There’s so much focus on what to do to stay healthy during travel and articles on healthy travel snacks that I think people don’t realize that there things they can do after travel to keep the momentum going and their immunity up.
Personally, I’ve been traveling way more than I’ve been home recently. But as much as I love to travel, one thing I don’t like about traveling is the exposure to recycled airplane air, exotic germs and the propensity to get sick. The only thing souvenir you should be coming home with after vacation is a few t-shirts, some “knick knacks” and some wellness teas.
Just because you didn’t get sick during your trip, doesn’t mean that you can’t get sick after the trip. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about serious maladies like malaria here. I’m talking about colds and the occasional stomach bug.
So even after you’ve been on your best behavior, you’re not out of the woods just yet. Here are the five things that you can do after a trip to avoid getting sick.
Drink Water/Hydrate
Drinking water during travel is important but, don’t forget to hydrate after your travels as well. Even at their best, most people just don’t drink enough water while traveling. Whether it’s because they’re are just “too busy” or they are rationing water consumption because a window seat means less bathroom breaks, drinking adequate water after travel will help flush your body from toxins that you may have encountered during the trip.
Looking for a way to jazz up your water, try this strawberry basil infused water and see what you think.
Detox/Cleanse
One of the easiest things you can do after you get back home from your travels is to do a gentle detox. I keep cilantro on hand for this very reason and make a detox cilantro juice. You can store fresh cilantro in your freezer too so that it doesn’t spoil in the fridge while you’re away.
You may also find it helpful to take drink this detox tea after your trip.
I like to drink the detox tea once daily up to three days after my trip. See cautions on the box and as always check with your doctor before embarking on any new regimen. You can read my full medical disclosure here.
Want to use more herbs? Watch my latest TV segment: How to Use the Healing Power of Herbs to Make Healthy Meals and Drinks
Eat Clean
Even the best of us tend to fall off the bandwagon a little during travel. Getting back to a normal eating schedule and diet should begin as soon as you get back home. Hopefully, you didn’t fall too far off track. Start by making a healthy smoothie like this healthy pea blueberry skin brightening smoothie or this banana kale smoothie. And as tempting as it may be, avoid the drive through or picking up a quick meal on the way home.
Even if you don’t have anything in the fridge, it’s best to go grocery shopping or make a quick salad when you get home. But ideally, the best thing to do is set yourself up so you don’t HAVE to stop at the grocery store if you don’t want to,
Stock up your freezer before your trip with organic frozen frozen fruits , vegetables and quick cooking sides like a frozen sweet potato fries. Skip the unhealthy salt and calorie laden frozen meals. Keep quick thawing protein like chicken breasts and wild cod in your freezer for emergency post vacation/travel meals such as these.
Catch Up on Sleep
Once you get back home from traveling, it’s time to get back on schedule and get a good night’s rest.
While it may seem unnecessary, there’s a growing number of people that over-schedule their trips and need a vacation after their vacation. You can thank Instagram and the need to keep up “appearances” for that.
In addition, potential time changes can drag on your energy. Lack of sleep also has a negative impact on immunity. So once you get back home, commit to getting at least 8 hours of sleep that same night.
This helps your body reset, recharge and refocus on keeping you healthy.
Take Your Vitamins
Taking vitamins and supplements is not just a good idea for right before and during your travels, you should be taking your vitamins when you get back home too. The idea is, you never want to have defensed down and let sickness show it’s ugly head. In addition, even the healthy traveler with the best intentions will sometimes forgot to take their vitamins while traveling. Get back on schedule by taking your vitamins and don’t give sickness a chance.
Like this post, read these other posts to stay healthy during and after your trip.
How to Stay Healthy and Fit During and After Travel
How to Stay Healthy During Summer
How to Boost Your Immunity Before Travel
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