Even if you feel young, consult your doctor before traveling. Depending on where you are vacationing, he can give you helpful advice.
Vaccinations against travel diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as against pathogens that cause diarrheal diseases such as cholera, are essential for children. If you plan to travel with the little ones in your family, consider which regions to visit.
Whether you enjoy the beach or prefer the forest or the city, vacations always mean a temporary change in your lifestyle and diet. Sometimes we don’t eat healthily, disrupt our biorhythms, and spend too much time in the sun.
Here you have ten practical recommendations for a healthy vacation.
- A brain without social networks. We are eager to read the latest news online or use our social networks every day. One study suggests that using a laptop or cell phone while on vacation does not have the same refreshing effect on the brain as relaxing without electronic devices. Therefore, put down your cell phone, so your brain can rest and be more productive when you return home.
- Move for a healthy heart. Studies say the heart and blood vessels benefit from exercise 2-3 times a week. A half-hour workout can achieve this result. Vacations are an excellent time to go walking or biking.
- What not to eat. A healthy diet while traveling involves knowing where, how and what foods to eat. Of course, there are no guarantees anywhere that a particular ingredient won’t cause your digestion to go haywire, and you’ll spend the next few days in the bathroom.
Avoid foods such as raw oysters and other raw shellfish. Raw fish and raw meat. Raw vegetables. Ice cream. Ice cubes. Overheated food. Tap water. Unpasteurized milk. Frozen products.
- Beware of the sun. Vitamin D helps the immune system function and maintain muscle function. Did you know that our skin produces vitamin D? Firstly, exposure produces vitamin D to sunlight. The skin has many more vitamins than food when exposed to the sun. We should refrain from midday sun exposure during the first few days of travel. Of course, applying sunscreen in abundance and with a good sun protection factor is necessary.
- Vitamin E for healthy skin. Sunlight affects skin aging. Ultraviolet radiation damages cells. Therefore, we must protect the skin before and after sun exposure. Studies have shown that vitamin E in creams protects the skin by acting as an antioxidant. After sunbathing, apply a vitamin E cream at night to moisturize dry or sensitive skin.
- Vitamin C protects against stress. Vitamin C, like vitamin E, is a valuable antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. Therefore, eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits.
- Maintain micronutrients. Higher temperatures cause increased sweating, which causes us to lose micronutrients. As we sweat, vitamins C and B are lost. To avoid this, drink water and take extra vitamins and minerals. A multivitamin and multi-mineral preparation is a good diet idea, especially in summer.
- The right “helpers.” The usual complaints that arise during travel can control with the proper medications. In Europe, you can easily find the medicine you need, but in countries like Laos or Vietnam, it is not easy to find the same drug.
It would be helpful to have a first aid kit. Medicines against diarrhea and nausea are essential. Electrolyte mixtures containing the two most important minerals (mineral salts and sugar), in the right proportion, cover the needs for vital substances.
- Always in your pocket: chamomile tea. For (nervous) tension, anxiety, restlessness, and stress, chamomile tea (Té de Manzanilla, in Spanish) relaxes the digestive system.
In addition, it has a bactericidal function. It complements perfectly standard luggage, as it avoids the usual vacation complaints.
- Get enough sleep. During vacations, we like to slow down and sleep in the morning. Because of the change in our biological rhythm, we sometimes feel fatigued during and after a trip.
Vacations place greater mental and physical demands on us as we experience something new. Therefore, adequate and regular rest during the night strengthens the body’s defenses.
