Staying Healthy on Holiday

When we get some time off – whether it’s to unwind at home or go away for a holiday – it’s only natural that we want to feel our best to make the most of it. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. A cold or bug often seems to find a well-earned break as the perfect time to strike. There are reasons for this, beyond Murphy’s Law.

The body is extremely resilient and it knows when it needs to perform. Not dissimilar in principle to “fight or flight”, raised levels of adrenalin and stress can keep lurking bugs at bay. Although this isn’t a positive state to live in may be harmful in the long-term, it does mean that your body will prioritise the need to “keep going”, saving maladies to be expressed at a later date. That is, when you finally get some time off and rest.

There are other factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Exposure to strange climates, foods, drinks, people, sleeping patterns, travel environments – there are many things that can take our bodies by surprise and leave us feeling under the weather.

Because we believe that real rest is absolutely essential, we have put together this guide to staying healthy through your holidays.

De-Stress

This is good advice year-round for the benefit of your health, your home life, and your work. We take the time to de-frag our computers but few of us take the steps necessary to de-frag themselves! Unfortunately, going on holiday does not count – relaxation is an active pursuit. Worrying works just as well on a beach or in bed as it does behind a desk, particularly with the convenience offered by laptops and wifi. So get active about your tension-clearing! There are many different ways to deal with stress. Have a look at our article on meditation (click here) – that may be useful to you.

Our overall recommendation is be aware and to take care of yourself. Different people react to different things in different ways and then deal with things… differently. Listen to yourself, trust your instincts; and be prepared to take steps.

Support Your Immune System

You should do this in the build-up to, as well as during, your break. It should help your body deal with any maladies, either helping prevent the onset of illness, or at least shortening its duration.

Dietary measures that we recommend include avoiding sugar and processed foods, upping daily intake of vegetables and fruit (but avoiding eating more than 4 pieces of fruit a day), and eating enough. We also recommend ensuring that you get enough good quality sleep, and that you plan the build-up to your break so that you don’t have to deal with a last-minute panic at work.

We also recommend the following nutritional supplements and herbs to support immune function. There are additional benefits of each, which include supporting the elimination of free-radicals, supporting the repair of skin and hair (damaged by, for example, sun and sea!).

Quality Multi-vitamin and mineral – click here to read more or to buy
Daily Greens – click here to read more or to buy
Vitamin C – click here to read more or to buy
Zinc – click here to read more or to buy
Echinacea – call 01730 233 414 for more info or to buy

Fortify Against Stomach Upsets

Obviously we recommend the use of judgment on the foods you eat and the water you drink when abroad. If in any doubt, find and buy large bottles of spring water.

Probiotics boost your population friendly intestinal bacteria. Taking one or two acidophilus capsules each day will keep your intestinal flora strong and out compete the pathogens, parasites and bacteria often encountered when abroad. An added bonus is that probiotics also support the immune system. Click here to read more or place an order.

If you’re a dog owner, you will know that they can eat dreadful things without getting sick. This is because their stomach is very high in acid. Hydrochloric acid (HCL) will greatly increase your resistance to food poisoning and improve your digestion. Click here to read more or place an order.

Restful Sleep

Good quality sleep is essential to your good health. We have prepared an article that covers issues such as how much sleep you need and how you can ensure the quality of your sleep – read it by clicking here. It can be tricky though, particularly if you have traveled into another time zone. Valerian is a herb known for its relaxation and sleep promoting properties. Call us on 01730 233 414 for more information or to place an order.

Fight Infections

Whether it’s a sore throat, an ear infection, or a scrape, it’s a good idea to take some kind of topical disinfectant. Colloidal Silver is extremely effective against bacteria, viruses and fungi. Gentle and natural, it’s a worthwhile addition to the travel first-aid kit. Click here to read more or place an order.

Protect Yourself From Insects

Avoiding being bitten is the best way to prevent insect transmitted diseases, discomfort and allergic reactions. However, we can recommend two dietary repellents of which you should increase your consumption in the build-up to your break: garlic and vitamin B. The garlic is ideally added to food raw, but cooked it better than none; and you can get plenty of vitamin B from whole foods if you google natural sources and eat carefully… or you can use a good quality vitamin B complex. Click here to read more or place an order.

Artemesia, a combined preparation, also has anti-malarial properties. It’s good natural protection. Click here to read more or place an order.

Save Your Skin From Premature Aging

You should check out our article on the sunshine. Click here to read it. There’s a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding safety in the sun. We all need a fair amount of direct sunlight to our skins, to ensure our levels of vitamin D are sufficient. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a long list of serious diseases.

Sunscreen lotions may interfere with vitamin D synthesis, and the majority of them contain a number of chemicals that we don’t recommend slathering onto your skin. Having said that, we certainly don’t recommend that you get sunburn. Monitor your sun exposure and build it up slowly.

We also recommend dietary measures. Have a look at our article on natural beauty for more in-depth information on what nutrients will support your skin. Click here for that. But as a general guideline for holiday-makers, we recommend you increase your intake of:

MSM – click here to read more or to buy
Vitamin C – click here to read more or to buy
Vitamin E – click here to read more or to buy
Flax Seed Oil OR Krill Oil- click here for Flax Seed Oil or click here for Krill Oil.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide comes in useful for you and helps you make the most of your holidays. If you wish to discuss your individual needs then please telephone 01730 233 414.