Top 10 Travel Health Hacks

These days, I average about one flight per month. I continue to explore ancestral wisdom in various corners of the planet. And while I love arriving at a new destination, I am not a huge fan of flying in a tin can with atmospheric radiation and wifi bouncing all around me. I do not believe flying is any kind of “wise tradition”, to be honest.

What do I do to mitigate damage to my health and arrive to my destination fresh as a rose (or as close to a rose as possible)?

Here are my top 10 traveling hacks. These have served me well so far and I hope they help you out, too!

🟠1. Fly fasted – Flying is hard enough as it is, so it’s best for the body to not give it extra work to do (like overseeing digestion and absorption of nutrients). Most flights I only drink water to give my entire system a bit of a break.

🟠2. Hydration – All of the radiation (see first paragraph) is dehydrating. I drink as often as possible. (And I travel with Re-Lyte electrolytes to make sure the water is being absorbed on a cellular level.)

🟠3. Movement (and micro movement)– Blood can pool and clot in our legs during flying so it’s important to move about a bit. Get up every hour or two (at least) to keep the blood flowing. (I’ve been known to do squats in the lavatory, lol. At least it doesn’t set off the smoke alarm.) If you’re stuck in a middle or window seat and don’t want to bother the people around you, incorporate micro movements like leg squeezes and bicep curls. Contracting and releasing through small movements is a mini workout that keeps the blood flowing.

🟠4. Focus on the new time zone. – If you have an analog watch (like I do), set it to the new time and never look back. I don’t look at my phone app to see what time it would be back home to avoid the trap of “it’s really 3 a.m. for me.” I just enter into mindset of the new time zone as quickly as possible to ease the transition.

🟠5. Blueblocking glasses – Artificial light stresses the nervous system under the best of circumstances and this is only exacerbated on flights (with a screen in front of your face the whole time). I wear blueblockers to avoid the extra stress and disruption to my body’s circadian rhythm. Plus I wear them to simulate night (when it will be night where I’m headed).

🟠6. Anti-emf gear – I really should have put this one first. This is a HUGE non-negotiable for me. I have tested my anti-EMF hoodie and it protects from radiation. And the Leela Q capsule I wear around my neck helps my blood flow unhindered from radiation’s effects(which can cause cellular clumping in the blood).

🟠7. Supplements – My diet shifts when I travel. I am flexible on the road, because I can’t control the quality of the ingredients like I do back home. Translation: I don’t obsess over organic, seed-oil free, regenerative meat, etc. I do the best I can. This is one reason I take supplements when traveling. My faves are ION* gut support (for protecting digestion), Ancestral Supplements (adrenal for stress regulation), Oyster Max (for protein and zinc to keep my mind and body sharp).

🟠8. Coconut filter mask – I used to get headaches and feel “meh” after traveling. I don’t get headaches anymore since I started wearing a natural filter to combat jet engine fuel bleed into the cabin. Honestly I’m not a fan of masks in general but I wear a natural coconut filter from I Can Breathe when I fly. (And I was wearing them before 2020---I’ve always been a trendsetter, lol.)

🟠9. Ground upon arrival – This is the best hack I know for acclimating to a new time and place. Going barefoot on the grass is best to off-load a positive charge from bulit-up radiation but I’ve been known to ground at the airport (through the cement sidewalk) while waiting for my ride. Grounding/earthing is like eating blueberries—a little less tasty, mind you, but excellent for reducing oxidative stress.

🟠10. Bring snacks – This is an excellent hack, even if you’re not flying with a toddler. Too many times I’ve left hastily and bought beef jerky and dried pineapple rings at the airport for $30. I like to travel with a couple of pieces of fresh fruit, sprouted popcorn that I popped at home and drizzled with butter and Paleo Valley beef sticks. You don’t need enough to eat throughout the trip, just enough to tide you over when you land and/or forthe duration of a flight if you need a little something something.

Some of these tips feature companies that I’m an affiliate for (go to my website to find and apply discount codes: holistichilda.com), but every single hack I mentioned is one that I apply consistently while traveling.

Let me know if you want a part 2 on this (with tips on what I do when I land in other countries and/or what I do as soon as I get home for a healthy re-entry)!

And tell me some of your favorite hacks! (Note that I did not mention packing light, lol. It’s not a strength of mine, though I’m sure it’s great!)