Is there anything worse than getting sick on vacation – nope! Unfortunately, it’s so common, since most of us push ourselves before our trip, with too much work and too little sleep, and then once you finally relax on your vacation you get sick. No one wants to be stuck in bed with the flu when you could be out snorkelling off the beaches Hawaii, or wandering the cobbled streets of Italy. Talk about FOMO! Well, my friends, I’ve been there and I know it totally sucks; however, I’ve tested and tried the following tricks, and I swear to you I have not gotten sick while on vacation since. Hopefully, these will also help you avoid getting sick on vacation! And if you, unfortunately, do get sick, these tricks will help you get better and back on track as FAST as possible.

Emergen-C

My number one tip to avoid getting sick is to drink one Emergen-C packet per day (boxes or individual packs can be bought at Shoppers or local drugstores). Better yet, Emergen-C just came out with these immune booster packets that are stuffed full of electrolytes, vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, to keep you healthy. Normally you just mix these small packets in a glass of water, but I’ll admit, they don’t taste great unless you mix them with juice to mask the flavour. Either way, it’s worth taking one per day to avoid that cold, especially the day after taking a flight, as those planes are full of germs and recycled air – #gross. These are also fantastic to avoid or help cure hangovers (another nasty beast on vacation)!

*Tip: if you are sensitive to zinc like I am, make sure to drink these with food to avoid feeling temperarly nauseous.

Vitamins

On top of this, I also take a multi-vitamin pill daily. This might be overkill with the immune booster Emergen-C packs, but I take it anyways.

Now, if you really don’t have access to either of these, the next best thing to do is eat healthy food or drink cold-pressed juices that are naturally packed full of the vitamins your body needs. Think leafy greens, oranges, carrots, ginger, lemon, and beets, either in a juice or just on their own. Lastly, turmeric & ginger– a lot of studies show that they are both very strong antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory powers to help you avoid getting sick and cure it if you do catch something. You can ingest turmeric and ginger as a pill, or buy it as a spice or fresh at any grocery store, and add it to juices, teas, or recipes to boost your immune system.

*If you get sick on your trip, I have found turmeric powder, ginger root, lemon and honey at a store, and I boiled them together with water to make a tea. Drink daily!

Probiotics

Something new Ben and I discovered on our most recent trip to Ecuador was Probiotic tubes. We bought these at the pharmacy (around 10 tubes for $16), and we took one once a day to avoid getting sick and to prevent tummy issues. Probiotics help feed your digestive system and immune system with everything it needs to stay healthy so it can easily digest harsh foods and dirty water you can come across when travelling (especially in third world countries like India, Asia, or Central/South America). I’ll admit that both of our bodies didn’t agree with all the food we ate, but overall we were a lot better off than other people who didn’t take these probiotics daily. If you can’t find these probiotic tubes, kombucha is becoming a lot more common and fuels you with similar beneficial bacteria to aid digestion and keep your gut happy!

Drink lots of H2O

The old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor, but I think it should be a bottle of water a day. I have to admit that even at home I’m guilty of not drinking enough water, let alone on vacation! Hand me any other beverage – juice, coffee, tea, wine, or cocktails, no question, but water – hell no! But the health benefits are staggering and can keep you healthy and more energized on your trip (or at home). The biggest benefit of drinking water is it helps flush out toxins, it boosts your immune system and of course keeps you hydrated to avoid headaches; all key ingredients in staying healthy on holiday! One way to keep H2O top of mind is buying a cute water bottle. Personally, I love the Swell water bottles since they keep my water colder for longer (no one likes drinking warm water), plus you can feel good that you are helping reduce plastic waste that is damaging our planet.

Hand Sanitizer

The next tip is a simple one, but can be a game changer – hand sanitizer! I don’t even want to know the number of germs we come across when travelling through airports, planes, taxis, or subways, but with Dr. Bronners Magic Lavender Organic Hand Sanitizer I don’t have to. This handy little spray keeps the germs at bay and has a refreshing smell of lavender that leaves me feeling fresh & clean.

Sleep

Last but not least, sleep is the final factor to avoid getting sick on your next trip. Sleep might be the last thing you want to do on your vacation, but try to get at least 7-9 hours to keep your immune system strong. And if you need to power nap, they say 20 minutes is the optimal length so that you don’t feel groggy afterwards.

On the flip side, if you have already caught a cold, sleep is (unfortunately) the FASTEST way to cure it. So make sure give yourself that time to rest, and I promise you’ll kick that cold to the curb in no time.

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How do you stay healthy while travelling? Did I miss anything – share them in the comments below. Hopefully, these tricks will help on your next holiday! Stay happy, healthy and blissful my friends.