March and April have been action-packed travel times for me. Starting with a four day road trip across the United States to move one of my soul sisters out to California and ending with a 10 day action-packed trip through Ireland and Iceland with my boyfriend and seven of our friends, my schedules and wellness routines were all kinds of thrown off.

 

I idealized these grand ideas of getting up early in the mornings to meditate, exploring quaint little cities on a run and being inspired by the local spiritual communities by taking yoga classes. In my 14 days of travel, I went on one four-mile run in Arizona, locked myself in our AirBnB in Galway for my own yoga practice and opened my meditation app for a sleep story our first night in a hostel in Dublin.

Despite all of this (and the fact that I can count the number of salads I had while abroad on one hand), I came back from this excursion feeling physically better than any other vacation. I have no doubt that’s in large part to the steps I took on the back end to help retain some kind of semblance to my wellness routines at home. Keep reading to see which travel health essentials were the game changers on my packing list.

Sleep better: Melatonin

The downside to being so in tune with your body from years of running and yoga is that you can’t ignore the signs of fatigue in your body, either from physical exertion or just not getting enough sleep. The more aware I become of the person I am with limited sleep, the higher priority sleep takes on my personal hierarchy of needs.

Knowing there were a number of factors working against me to get good sleep while traveling (jet lag, being in a new place, the excitement of travel, sharing hostel and hotel rooms with anywhere from 3-8 other people) I knew I was going to need 

Olly’s Restful Sleep gummies are one of my favorite healthy travel products. They utilize Melatonin and L-Theaninine (an amino acid our bodies don’t product naturally that can help reduce cortisol and increase serotonin) to help you slowly drift off to sleep and stay asleep.

I’ve found that sometimes with other Melatonin products I end up with a pretty nasty sleep hangover if I don’t give myself at least 12 hours I can dedicate to sleep. While that would be a dream, it’s not realistic and I can take these no problem even if I only have 5 or 6 hours of available sleep time.

“These bedtime buddies boost your body’s natural sleep hormone to help mellow your mind and calm your senses so you can relax and zzz.” – Olly.com

I’ll take two gummies about 30-45 minutes before I’m ready to go to bed so that by the time I’ve finished my other nighttime rituals, the botanicals will have started to release in my body and I’ll be in a better physical and mental state to go to bed.

PRO TIP: The container they come in is pretty large so I tried to move them into a small plastic bag for the sake of space. Bad idea. The gummies definitely took on the flavor of the bag by the end of our 10 days. It’s probably fine for a couple days but anything over a week I would definitely just keep in the original container.

 

 

Plus they’re available at everyone’s fave, Target, and are often available on promo on Ibotta, a coupon app that gives you cash back for stores like Target, Costco, Best Buy, Amazon and more.

If you’re not already using Ibotta, you’re honestly missing out. I’ve earned almost $200 in cash back for items and groceries I’m already buying. It’s literally too easy. Click here to check it out for yourself.

Take a chill pill: CBD

Travel is really awesome. It can also be really stressful. Especially when you’re trying to coordinate with a group of 8 other people in 3 cars in a place completely foreign to all of you – and you’re already prone to anxiety.

I’ve been incorporating CBD oil more and more into my daily wellness rituals over the last few months, mostly for improved sleep but also to take the edge off of some of these anxious thoughts and patterns when meditation, exercise and pranayama just aren’t doing it for me.

As I found out on accident a few days before from one of our friends on the trip, this gets troublesome if you’re traveling internationally. You see, while CBD oil is not psychoactive and contains no THC, TSA still considers “possession of marijuana and cannabis infused products, such as Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, [as] illegal under federal law.”

Could you sneak some in in another container or just bring CBD gummies instead and none would be the wiser? Perhaps. But at the risk of getting detained in a foreign airport, I wasn’t willing to take that bet

While I was a little disappointed I wasn’t going to be able to use my tried and true wellness on the go CBD tincture (more on that below), it was really easy to get CBD oil at the pharmacy. No prescription, no funny looks, no problems. Make sure you factor in how many days you’re traveling and what kind of dosage you take so you don’t wind up with half a container of oil you have to toss before heading back home. If you don’t know where to start, 10mg – or about one dropper full – is usually good.

I would take this before bed time in conjunction with my Olly sleep gummies if we had an especially stimulating (or stressful) day and I knew my mind just isn’t ready for bed yet. However, I also took a few smaller (5mg) doses when things were getting tense in the group, as is the to be expected when you take 9 adults out of their comfort zone and confine them to small spaces together.

CBD oil just gets me in a more relaxed state where I feel like I can take a moment to make more level-headed decisions instead of taking quick, emotionally-charged actions I’d regret later (ie: stirring the pot when I was getting hangry or wiped from decision fatigue).

However, if you’re traveling stateside, and don’t have to worry about smuggling potentially illegal substances across international borders, I’m a big fan of Lord Jones CBD Infused Tinctures. At 10mg of CBD per dropper, it’s enough that it can help calm me down at night but I can also take it before a stressful day without the slightest bit of brain fog. I tried their lemon as well but the peppermint is where it’s at for me.

“[Our] tinctures retain the plant’s original terpenes and phytocannabinoids to deliver a broad spectrum formula. CBD (cannabidiol) promotes a calm sense of well-being.” – Lord Jones

If you’ve had hemp products before, you know it can be hard to mask the flavor (I’m trying to power through another “peppermint” cbd oil now that falls into that category) but by the grace of the gods (is that blasphemous?) Lord Jones has actually made theirs really tasty. In fact, the first time I tried it it was mixed in with hot chocolate. YUM.

The all in one: Turmeric

Before continuing on to Dublin, we had a quick layover in Iceland. Right outside our gate I spotted a familiar sight: a Joe and the Juice! (Bless you, Iceland.) One last chance to get a celery juice before stuffing my face with Irish Beef Stew and the aforementioned Guinness. 

A friend spotted turmeric shots on the menu and I said “absolutely” faster than when my boyfriend would ask me to marry him just a few days later at the Cliffs Moher…mostly because I didn’t have to cut through ugly crying to agree to the turmeric shot.

 

I’d already packed turmeric supplements for every day of the trip but figured it didn’t hurt to get a jump start.

Why did I pack so much turmeric? As well as being a great anti-inflammatory and generally great supplement to take on a daily basis thanks to its curcumin, turmeric has a number of digestive benefits as well, a key to staying healthy while traveling. 

Got a tummy ache? Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties make this a top travel-friendly supplement. Try a new food that’s not really agreeing with you? The potassium and magnesium found in turmeric will help your body stay hydrated if you’re losing liquids faster than you’d like. Or, to put it more bluntly, if you find yourself with diarrhea on your travels, skip the Gatorade and break out the turmeric.

“Turmeric is arguably one of the most powerful herbs on the planet. Curcumin specifically… has been reported to be one of the most advantageous herbs. [It’s] an anti-inflammatory powerhouse.” – Nature’s Nutrition

I use Nature’s Nutrition Turmeric Curcumin 1950mg and have really enjoyed it. From a physical standpoint, my joints move easier, I’m less foggy, and I can tell a difference in bloat from everyday wear and tear.

From a branding standpoint I appreciate that they actually fill the entire bottle with supplements instead of stuffing half the bottle cotton. It makes me feel better knowing I’m using less plastic than other brands that would end up only filling it halfway and it just makes me feel like the company cares more.

For all the new and overindulgent foods: Digestive Enzymes

If I could only bring one of these items on my next trip, it would be my Silver Fern Digestive Enzymes, hands down.

 

As soon as we booked the trip I knew we were bringing these as my *fiance* tends to have more tummy troubles while traveling and I didn’t want him feeling miserable throughout our 10 days of fun – especially assuming we’d be potentially trying new foods our stomachs may not be quite equipped to handle with our American diet.

Digestive enzymes help you break down your food and, as we age, this naturally occurring chemical starts to deplete so your once favorite foods may be harder to digest. Taking a digestive enzyme supplement can help prevent against malabsorption to fight off bloat, upset stomach, and all those fun other ailments that come with the digestive tract.If I could only bring one of these items on my next trip, it would be my Silver Fern Digestive Enzymes, hands down.

I try to take these before meals, especially if I know it’s going to be a little richer or heavier than the norm and it was very apparent for both of us when we forgot to take our digestive enzymes. Even my partner who refuses take an Advil if he has a pounding headache will ask for these by name when he’s feeling some digestive discomfort.

I love Silver Fern’s Digestive Enzymes in particular because I can actually feel a difference in my body when I take them. If I’m feeling bloated or like something’s just “off,” I can take my digestive enzyme and in 20 minutes feel like myself again.

“Ultimate Digestive Enzymes are 3x stronger than common enzymes and provide 100% intestinal coverage with complete protein digestion.” – Silver Fern

Make your water work harder: Electrolytes

These were a little more pertinent because I knew we’d have our fair share of drinks as we made our way through the southern coast of Ireland (here’s looking at you, Guinness) and the dehydration would be real. While I did also bring my own water bottle and tried to stay hydrated on the trip, I knew that magical blend of potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium chloride would save me somewhere along the way.

I’ve been using Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes electrolyte replenishment for the last 7 or 8 years. I originally picked them up when I was working at a running store and started learning about the importance of fueling and hydrating on longer runs but have since continued to incorporate into more daily life.

While the dosage for these tends to be a few tablets an hour depending on how much you may be sweating out during physical activity, we would try to take one in the morning, one at night and one in the afternoon if we’d hit up a cute little pub on our journey.

“Electrolytes are analogous to the motor oil in your car—they don’t make the engine run, but they’re absolutely necessary to keep everything running smoothly.” – Steve Born, Hammer Nutrition

I feel like I shouldn’t be saying this on a wellness blog, but we’re all friends here. For how much we had to drink during our travels, this group of late-20 to early 30 somethings should have been more dehydrated and hungover than we ever were. I largely attribute this to the constant electrolyte replenishment on our part.

Drinking aside, electrolytes are never a bad idea, especially if you’re traveling somewhere warmer than your body’s currently acclimated to or plan on getting your sweat on in any way, shape or form.

Keep it moving: Compression Socks

While this may not have been the most fashion forward part of my trip, it was certainly a necessary wellness travel essential for looking and feeling my best.

I don’t know about you, but I’m at that point in my life where 1) My feet and ankles start to swell if I sit too long and 2) I say things like ‘I’m at that point in my life.’

From 6 hour flights to 4 hours of road tripping, sitting was unavoidable. We’d do our best to get up and walk around but there’s only so much a few minutes at the petrol station can do.

Besides being every runner’s best friend for helping clear out the dreaded lactic acid and keeping muscles fresh, compression socks are a game changer when it comes to helping prevent swollen legs and ankles while traveling. Especially for individuals with already low resting heart rates (I’m looking at you, health and wellness community), keeping blood from pooling in your feet and legs when sitting for long periods of time is critical to helping prevent blood clots.

I fell in love with CEP Compression socks years ago when I worked at a running store for the sheer reason that THEY WORK. Putting them on may be harder than the workout you’re trying to recover from, but I swear I can actually feel the blood moving back up through my body when I’m wearing these. I’ve tried other compression brands before but they honestly all just felt like slightly tighter tube socks that left me with funny tan lines.

“Clinically proven to improve performance, you’ll feel lighter on your feet and re-energized. These socks increase circulation, help prevent injury, make your [flight] far more enjoyable.” – CEP

My CEP Compression socks were a no-brainer on the days we flew in and out of the country and sometimes at night if we did a lot of walking that night. You might run into a few issues pulling these on over your travel/lounge Lulu’s, but you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.

Plus, if it’s good enough for Jessica Alba, it’s good enough for me.

I would be remiss to leave out my trusted Hydroflask and Girlfriend Collective leggings that doubled as pants, pajamas, and tights under a dress on a particularly windy day.

Let me know if there was anything on this list you wouldn’t have thought to bring or if there was anything I left off. If you found this helpful, be sure to Pin it to your travel Pinterest board and share it with your favorite travel buddy.

I’d love to know where you’re headed to next and what some of your favorite must-have travel items are for a healthy vacay. Let me know on Instagram or leave a comment below.

NOTE: I think it goes without saying, but I am not a medical professional and do not know how any of these supplements or items may interfere with any medications or supplements you may currently be taking. Always check in with a qualified health professional before adding any of these tips into your lifestyle.

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