What do you do to stay healthy when you travel?
 

Share your best travel tips here

Not get sick :-)

No really... I think being in good physical shape before you leave goes a long way.

Take vitamin C w/ zinc daily

Make sure I drink in moderation, at lunch.

I'm careful on how much I drink. More than two glasses of wine might mean waking up at 2am.
Because I tend to eat more when traveling, I try to walk as much as possible.
I usually take vits and supplements every day, but because I don't want to pack them all, I at least try to take a multi vitamin.
And I try to alklalize every morning - a half lemon or lime in some water.

I start popping Airborne a few weeks before I travel and continue to take them throughout my holiday and a week or so after I get home.

I've been sick on holiday too many times - no fun.

Among other things -- consult my physician in advance of the trip and act on any recommendations on the CDC web site.

But why do you ask? I'm curious because you come to Fodor's once in a while, but only to post questions that sound like you are trying to write a blog or article, not actually as part of planning a trip....

Drink a lot of water.

Glad to see someone is doing more than following the guidance of fringe science and advice from Oprah.

In places where the water is potable and the food generally prepared under regulated conditions, then we just doing the things we do at home to stay well. Wash hands, stay hydrated, eat nutritious food and don't drink to excess. Most creaks and groans and minor stomach stuff can be managed with OTC meds from a local phamacy, but of course we bring any prescription meds along in their labeled containers with enough to last the trip plus a week, if it's not meant to run out.

In many places we go though, water and food are not necessarily safe. In which case, we drink and brush teeth with bottled water. Observing food handling, especially the amount of time something has sat out, matters. No always successful at that, we've given in to accepting something out of politeness that we shouldn't have. If we've ever gotten sick, it's usually been because of hotel food, even at very nice ones. Better to go to a street vendor, IMO, who you can see making food as they go and who has a steady turnover so that you're sure the food has been made freshly. Time after bacteria killing levels of heat is the biggest safety measure, but you can't tell that when it's whisked out from behind closed doors.

I carry a small container of hand sanitizer - alcohol based - in my front pocket at all times. I use it every time I touch anything that other people have touched, especially on public transportation, or after handling a menu in a restaurant.

I take a Zumba class every day.

I clean the arm rests and food tray and entertainment controller with alcohol wipes as soon as we board and try to keep my hands away from my face as much as possible.

Don't try the habits like the locals. I had bathed in frozen lakes and it takes a few days for me to recover my health :)

Melnq8---Does Airborne really help?
Do you begin taking it days/weeks before travel?
Then while traveling, do you take it daily?
Just interested in finding out as I may try it next time.
Enjoy planning your next vacation.

I start taking a few months before the trip an herb: echinacea, prevents colds :)

I do what I normally do in which I eat well, reduce my level of stress, exercise and drink plenty of water.

I use hand sanitizer too. And we always bring a travel supply of Cipro antibiotic, ZPAC antibiotic and cold pills..and we have needed them. Our MD wants us to travel with them; we go to a lot of non Western destinations.

Diligent hand washing/use of hand sanitzer and washing of the armrests and tray tables is my first line of defense. On a recent 0700 flight to Hawaii, there was food smashed on my daughter's and my tray tables, so it was evident the plane had not been cleaned. It also helps to use saline nasal spray to keep the mucous membranes moist. Lots of water and an attempt at adequate sleep also help.

A simple rule given to me by the doctor who visited me while sick in Pondicherry, "Never eat dairy in the tropics."