5 Ways to Stay Healthy on the Airplane

Right about now, I'm hitting the show floor at CHA, scoping out all the goodies and bringing home stories to tell you about. And eating my weight in breath mints.

To  help out while I'm OOP (out of pocket), one of my best friends in the whole world has generously allowed me to share her five tips for staying healthy while jet-setting. Shannon is an ex-pat living with her British husband and half-British darling little girl outside London. She is a talented writer and homemaker, among other things! Read more of her quest for healthy cooking and living at her new blog, Sweet Potato Soup.

<<Five days after coming back home to London from an American Christmas, I flew back to Washington, D.C. for work. I go on long-haul flights at least once a quarter for either work or vacation; My four-year-old daughter has been back and forth to the United States already eight times. While accumulating all of these air miles, I’ve learned a few tips for staying healthy aboard the plane:

1. Order a special meal. If possible I get the Low Calorie/Low Fat meal, but some airlines don’t have that choice, and I’ve found that any special meal is better and more healthy than the standard fare. I eat meat and some bread but Vegetarian or Gluten Free are both good options.
   
2. Take healthy snacks on board. Despite bans on liquids, you can take food through immigration. I take a ziplock bag on every flight with a selection of food including snacks like carrot sticks, grapes, Babybel Light cheese, Finn Crisps and blueberries.
   
3. Buy a bottle of water. The last thing I do before I board any flight is buy a bottle of water, which I keep in my seat pocket. This means I don’t have to rely on the flight attendants to bring drinks around and can keep hydrated without any trouble.
   
4. Take Emergen-C or Airborne. The closest equivalent I’ve found in the UK is Berocca, also pretty good.
   
5. Use a anti-bacterial hand gel. This one is probably obvious, but I put this in my ziplock bag of gels and liquids and use it religiously throughout the flight.

Safe travels!>>

Comments

[FuzzyCricket]

Thanks for the tips! I may be using them shortly, for a flight overseas. *eeeekkkk* I'm just a wee bit excited.

[shai]

Last time I traveled on a plane, I took Airborne. Another thing it does for me is boosts my energy. I tend to get lethargic when I travel, especially when I drink the local water. I try to do has much bottled water. I can get expensive.

[Jennifer McIntyre @atthebluebarn]

thanks for posting the link to Shannon's blog. great stuff there, too!
Jennifer

[Sue]

I've learned over the years that making sure I was hydrated made a HUGE difference in the way I feel after I get home. The other tips make sense and I'll add them the next time we vacation.

[ShannonB]

Enjoy the show, Lainie! Glad you found the tips helpful.

[Nathalie (famille1999)]

I wish I had those tips handy last time I was out of town for work purposes and took my 6am flight back home and the attendant served us lemon and chili flavored corn chips for breakfast. ;P I can't wait to get your views on CHA when you get back. Hope that you are enjoying yourself. :)

[Kristin]

Great post! I too buy a bottle of water (one for each person in my family traveling) after going through security, to stay hydrated on the plane.

Bringing our own snacks also helps us to eat healthy. Wendy Copley @ http://wendolonia.com/blog/ inspired me to purchase a bento box. This helps keep snacks safe without getting smushed. On our last flight I brought crackers, a wedge of cheese, cashews, and carrot sticks, which fed four adults on the flight.

Along with carrying hand gel and a small bottle of hand lotion, I try to wash my hands at every opportunity, and use a paper towel to open doors.

[Gab]

Great tips - especially on buying the water - flights are so dehydrating