Travel Guide: Keeping healthy on holiday

The holiday season is upon us, many of us will be jetting off to exotic destinations unable to contain our excitement! We have the pleasure of experiencing a new place, culture and for a short time even lifestyle. Whilst we are excited about what the opportunities our holiday destination has for us, many of us forget the impact that travelling and a new place can have on our bodies. 

Evidence suggests that flying over time zones can throw our internal body clock (otherwise known as the circadian rhythm) out of sync, which will result in sleep disturbance, memory problems and is likely to leave us feeling a little out of sorts. This is likely to mean that the first few days in the new destination, our bodies will need to adjust. In order for your body to do this there are a number of ways that we can effectively help our body to readjust.  

Stay hydrated 

When we are away travelling with work, or off on holiday we may experience climates that are hotter than here in the UK so it is really important to remain hydrated. Dehydration can affect everyone, and is more likely to occur when we have been in the sun for a long period of time, increased alcohol consumption, increased sweating or have experienced diarrhoea or vomiting. The key symptoms of dehydration include: 

• Feeling thirsty 
• Dark coloured urine 
• Feeling tired 
• Dry mouth, lips and eyes 

Avoid direct sunlight + use sun cream 

It can be all too tempting to lie in the sun for hours on end trying to get the classic ‘holiday glow’ so it is important to ensure that we stay safe in the sun shine. It is important to ensure that you protect your skin using appropriate sun cream. The NHS recommends using no less than an SPF 30 to help protect against UVB as well as at least a 4-star UVA protection.

It is also recommended to avoid direct sunlight between 11am and 3pm. Protecting with appropriate light weight clothing and wearing a hat to protect your head and neck can also really help. It is always important to remember that excess exposure to sunlight can lead to sunburn and heatstroke. 

Alcohol 

Holidays are perhaps the time when many of us drink more alcohol than we probably would normally which is all part of the holiday fun! However, it is important to remember that alcohol can be a cause of sleep disturbance and also cause dehydration. So in order to help combat any dehydration brought about by alcohol consumption, it is important to keep drinking plenty of water alongside.

Sleep

Rest is very important, especially on holiday! Most of us use the time we have away to recharge our batteries and get away from the stress of our daily lives. With this in mind it is important to use the time wisely so we can return feeling rested and ready to tackle everything life has to throw our way.

To help us do this, it is important to allow our bodies to relax, one way to do this is to eliminate distractions such as those that may come from social media for example. Giving ourselves a break and taking some time out from social media can be a useful way of ‘zoning out’ and giving ourselves the time we need to perhaps escape from reality, even if it is just for a week! 

Melatonin has been proven to help support the body’s natural sleep pattern. It’s coined as the ‘sleepy hormone’ and it is thought to help our bodies drift into a natural sleep. This is something that could be beneficial when we are on holiday, recovering from the dreaded jet lag or just struggling to sleep in the new surroundings.

Link’s Night complex is specifically designed to promote a natural deep sleep and comprises of the all important ‘sleepy hormone’ as well as glycine, lemon balm and montmorency cherry all shown to help us drift off. 

Eating Well 

We all know that when we go on holiday, it's easy to over-indulge in foods that we don’t eat frequently and more often than not don’t get enough fruit and vegetables into our diet. Often we will spend our days exploring new places, often walking around in high temperatures. This means that we need to ensure that we are fuelling our bodies properly, giving us sufficient energy to  enable us to remain ‘fuelled’.

Be sure to have breakfast before heading out for the day to explore, and try not to eat too late in the evening so the digestive process doesn’t go on late into the night. To be on the safe side taking a probiotic like our Symbiotic 7 can really help to combat those tummy troubles whilst we're away; helping us to relax and enjoy our time away! 

Further Reading 

NHS 

The National Sleep Foundation