Summer is a great time to travel with your family and create lasting memories. However, traveling can also take a toll on your health and disrupt your wellness routine. Being outside of your comfort zone, eating out more often, and being exposed to new environments can all contribute to an unhealthy few weeks. That’s why we partnered with Roshini Singh, Founder of 365 Wellness, a direct primary care model servicing Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. We asked her to share some tips on how to stay healthy while traveling this summer and ensure that your family has a safe and enjoyable vacation.
Family travel is back with a vengeance post-pandemic! That being said…how can parents get (and remain) healthy for their summer travel?
Staying hydrated, active and making sure to eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies are obvious health tips. However, I also have some specific and realistic tips for busy parents, which is what we do in the Singh household as much as we can!
- YouTube 10-20 minute workouts and do with your kids. You are spending time with them, they have fun and you are getting active. Sometimes it’s hard to come home from work, get ready and drive to a gym.
- We recently started to implement juicing back into our lives and it’s been a quick way to ensure those rich antioxidants absorb nicely into our gut. We will make a large batch every few days and freeze them into popsicles for the family as a cool refreshing afternoon snack. I personally love Juice Plus Fruit and Veggie blends and Fusionary Formulas Turmeric supplements to take on a daily basis. As a busy MOMpreneur, it’s a challenge to get all my servings of fruits and veggies to increase and maintain my immune system. I’m sure many other parents feel the same way, so I love this combo.
How can parents prepare for and keep kids staying healthy while traveling?
- While traveling, keep safe antibacterial hands wipes on you at ALL times. Hands are a MAJOR factor in many disease transmissions, so the more those little hands are clean, the better.
- Pick healthy food options for your kids while away. We tend to want to indulge on vacation, which is great as it brings joy! However, always stay mindful to not let the day go by without your kids having a nutritious meal.
- Keep them hydrated as much as possible.
- If you are doing a lot of outdoor activities and there may be risk of sunburn, have some aloe gel handy as a safe and soothing sunburn treatment. Of course, preventatively apply sunblock first of at least SPF 30.
- Pack insect repellent, especially in certain parts of the world where mosquito carrying illnesses are more prevalent.
- Depending on where you are going, I’d advise parents to check out this CDC travel resourse and type in where you are going. There’s a wealth of information on how to stay healthy while traveling.
- Speak to your child’s pediatrician or PCP about whether or not a medication travel pack is needed with prescription medications and/or over the counter remedies. Not to mention if any vaccines are appropriate and safe for your child’s traveling.
Being a Boca Raton PCP and mom yourself, what essential items should parents bring with them in case of a health emergency while traveling?
- Definitely, an Epi-pen if your child has major allergies–this is by prescription only.
- Benadryl and Zyrtec for minor allergies. Check with your Pediatrician/PCP first as this is not appropriate for all ages.
- Saline rinses for nasal and sinus congestion
- Ibuprofen/acetaminophen for fever and pain. The dosing is dependent on age/weight so check with your Pediatrician/PCP.
- Pedialyte packets for gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting. Keep a packet of dry salted crackers as well.
As stated above, please talk to your PCP/Pediatrician about a prescription travel pack if appropriate. This may be important for kids with certain conditions and the country you are traveling to.
How does 365 Wellness support their members while on the go?
We have many clients that travel. Whether they are going to another state or traveling internationally, we are still here for you through our HIPPA secured app where patients can access us via text, phone or video. Within the U.S., the nice thing is that we can prescribe to other states if a prescription is needed based on our assessment (FYI-this does not include controlled substances).
Recently, one of our patients consulted us while traveling to various parts of Africa and we utilized the CDC travel resource to help us advise the patient on her symptoms. This type of care is only for established members of the practice and not one-time users. This is because we want to develop a strong relationship with our patients and understand their health and needs prior to travel, which is important so we can advise them as safely as possible.
This has all been so helpful! But I’ll be honest, traveling seems like a lot of work these days…
My last words of advice: get some sun, take deep breaths of fresh air, be authentically present, reduce social media time/screen time, and don’t overload your vacation days with back-to-back activities. Downtime is always key in reducing stress to our body because what does stress do? It decreases our immune system’s response to viruses and bacteria.
By following the above tips, you can stay healthy and have a happy and safe summer vacation with your family. Remember: staying active, eating well, packing for emergencies, and taking breaks are all important factors that can help with how to stay healthy while traveling. Not to mention, having a subscription to 365 Wellness in case you need any health help on the road.
So, plan ahead, be prepared, and enjoy your trip!
Connect with 365 Wellness online:
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/365wellness
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Sponsored: This “how to stay healthy while traveling” blog post was sponsored by 365 Wellness. All opinions expressed in this “how to stay healthy while traveling” blog post are my own and not influenced in any way by the sponsor. Any statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with provider. Please refer to this site’s Disclosure for more information and I have been compensated, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
