How to Boost Your Immune System For Travel

After being closed to international travel for over 18 months the Cayman borders had a soft reopening last month. Plans for a full border re-opening has since been shelved. There is a lot of anxiety about the resumption of travel. Some folks are rearing to go and others are concerned with what the return of tourists to the island will look like. We will eventually return to travel and now is as good a time as ever to start preparing. So, I want to share with you, how to boost your immune system for travel. Specifically, international travel.

In the past, I would suffer from travel colds and I had to find a way to mitigate that so it wouldn’t ruin my vacation. Now with the covid-19 virus and its many strains out there I need to be more vigilant with my preparation. A week or two of preparation prior to travel may not be enough to protect us. However these tips have helped me significantly. And that is why it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle in general.

I had to make two international trips this year I’m pleased to say I didn’t get sick on either. Of course I am super grateful and took all the necessary precautions. But you never know with these things, so its always best to be prepared.

Immune System Boosting Tips I Swear By

Prepare your body ahead of time with these three main components. Food | Exercise |Sleep

• Eat plenty immune boosting foods. Foods high in protein and fiber, lower in carbs. So, lots of citrus, fermented foods like yogurt, seeds and nuts
• Exercise. If you don’t exercise normally, going on a vacation that requires lots of walking hiking can certainly take you out. So, start to exercise and prepare your body for the additional vacation activities. One thing I always stress with my friends who travel with me, is don’t worry about loosing weight o look a certain way in your bath suit. Rather ensure you can maintain the pace of say a 4 day carnival schedule!
• Sleep! I don’t know about you, but my vacations are rarely ‘relaxing’. Maybe a spa day or a beach day, but I am always on the go. So ahead of traveling I need to ensure my body is in tip top shape and that is getting good rest. The week before travel can be hectic when you are trying to close off projects and meet deadlines. Not to mention packing and planning. However, getting adequate sleep ahead of travel is essential.

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Personal Immunity Boosting Hacks

We all have our rituals and little quirks. When I am flying I always have nasal spray in my purse. I suffer from really bad sinus issues and I find taking a few squirts just before take off helps. Here are some other hacks that I believe help with my immunity building prior to travel.

• I start loading up on my Vitamin C Supplements. Normally I take about 500mg per day. A week before travel I increase this to 1000mg
• SSS Tonic. This is old school tonic that is good for everything and is synonymous with Ginger Tea to Jamaicans. This high potency tonic provides my daily dose of iron and additional vitamin B and is available locally.
• Dr. Schulze’s ECH+ Echinacea Plus. This is my wonder herbal supplement, made up of echinacea, garlic and pepper. I take it up to 5 days before travel and the first five days of my stay.
• My homemade cactus juice. It is a simple blend of soaked Tuna (Prickly Pear)cactus and water. Known for its immune boosting properties among a wide variety of other uses. I use one piece with 2 cups of water and I drink this daily for about a week before travel.

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Keeping a Clear Head

No one likes to be congested and definitely not on your vacation. Being plagued with sinus issues I am always looking to keep a clear head and nostrils. One simple action I find works is having a trusty nasal spray. Two squirts just before takeoff makes a big difference in my flight experience.

I use Otrivin or other over the counter nasal sprays. You can also try Nasonex, by prescription.

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Vaccination

Today, getting vaccinated against against the covid-19 virus is still a choice. However, traveling unvaccinated requires a bit of planning as more and more countries require it for entry. Prior to the pandemic I don’t believe much thought went into the decision to get vaccines to travel. It was just a requirement of the country you were visiting. For example getting the yellow fever vaccine to enter different countries in Africa.

Strong immune systems will not only protect you during travel but are important in the fight against covid-19. Whatever your decision is around vaccination, choose what’s best for you as you embark on your travels.

Staying Healthy During and After Your Travels

It is tempting to throw caution to the wind when you travel, especially if your travel is for leisure. However, you still want to protect yourself from getting sick mid travel or when you return home. So on your trip, try to eat well, stay hydrated and avoid anything in excess. Do you exercise on vacation? I rarely travel without my tennis racket and I try to stay active!

I hope you these tips and hacks were beneficial to you. How do you protect yourself prior to, during and after travel? We would love to hear from you. Until next week. Take care!

*Please note, this is not medical advice*