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HealthyDoesIt Features Writer
Is it left to you to organise the family for your holiday? Maybe you like to plan ahead, enjoying the bits and bobs that you buy that are slightly different to the norm so that your holiday time feels really special. Your local health store will be full of all kinds of products to take away
Preparing ahead
It’s great to get away to have a change of scenery, but any switch to a different way of eating (possibly with more spices, more fats/different fats, or different types of water), can result in an unsettled digestive system.
A good way to prepare for this is to consider a supplement of live bacteria, and there are plenty of these to choose from, with most including bacteria that are commonly found in the upper and lower digestive tracts, most often Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. By increasing the number of ‘good’ bacteria in the digestive tract, you’re creating a favourable gut environment which will stand you in good stead for any dietary changes. Research shows that Lactobacillus acidophilus has been used for Traveller’s diarrhoea.
Truly Sunsational!
Whether you’re abroad or caught in the UK’s rays, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun’s rays. These days, there are all kinds of sun lotions and products that help you stay sun safe; carotenoid supplements (which provide a sun protection factor of two to four when taken a month prior to travelling), lip balms which provide a sun protection factor of between four and 18 and organic sun creams, which are especially suitable for people with sensitive skin. There are some wonderful organic sun creams, with SPF factors of 30, 50 or sun blocks, including waterproof formulations for children. These are fantastic fun, and are made without conventional ingredients typically added to lotions and creams. For more information about these, head over to HealthyDoesOrganic, soundbite on ‘Leaving out the long names’.
Bug off!
Shudder. Those insects that crawl, sting and bite. It’s hardly surprising that we seek out products to try to keep them at bay, or ward them off so they are well away from us. You can tackle bites and stings using natural antiseptics such as tea tree and witch hazel, or solutions to neutralise the sting, such as vinegar. You can also sooth them with aloe vera or calamine lotion. The homeopathic remedy pyrethrum is also used for insect bites and stings.
Warding insects off doesn’t have to mean coating ourselves in creams or sprays full of chemical nasties, as there are more natural alternatives, Take neem, for example, which insects hate, and vitamin B1, which they find off-putting.
Sick of travelling
Awww, that awful stomach churning in the back of the throat feeling that is travel sickness. What can you do about it apart from keep your mouth well shut and the family on standby in case it’s about to happen.
Natural remedies have long been used for travel sickness. Peppermint and ginger are often taken to help manage travel-related nausea. There are all kinds of ways that you can achieve this, but to be really effective, it is more sensible to take a supplement, as well as using the food sources such as teas or stem ginger. Homeopathic remedies really come into their own, and you can find remedies which are tailor-made for travelling, or you could seek advice about which remedy is more suitable for you (from; Apomorph, Staphisagria, Cocculous, Theridion, Petroleum, Tabacum & Nux vomica).
DVT…
If you thought that Deep Vein Thrombosis only affects pregnant women and old people who’ve had a heart attack, then think again. DVT is MOST implicated in these groups, but that doesn’t mean to say that young, non-pregnant people shouldn’t get themselves checked out! Many hundreds of thousands of people have high cholesterol levels, and take very little exercise, so discuss with a health practitioner about whether you need to take measures against DVT when you are on a long-haul flight. Some steps that they might recommend include using flight socks and keeping moving on the flight can all reduce risk.