- Hello and welcome to Hopscotch the Globe.
My name is Kristen Sarah,
and if you are new to this channel,
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(relaxing music)
In this video we're going to be talking about
how to stay healthy when you're traveling.
I kid you not.
Over the last 10 years I've only been sick for one day only
on all of my travels and I've been
to so many different countries all over the world
in the past 10 years.
And this is how I've stayed healthy.
Sleep.
The simple thing we all need to do it.
But I don't think we realize how important it is.
Especially when we're traveling.
When we're in a new place,
everything's exciting, everything's new.
You might think ah, I'll sleep later.
I want to get the most of this experience.
But I promise you getting eight hours
of sleep every single night will help you get
the most of your experience.
It is especially important to get into a healthy,
good sleeping routine when you
are traveling in different time zones.
So when you're dealing with something called jet lag,
you need to allow your body to reset its internal clock
as soon as possible.
When you are well rested,
you will have that energy you need
to sustain those long travel days.
You will feel more present during your whole experience.
And your body will be stronger.
So if any harmful bacteria does come your way,
it's more likely to be able to fight it off.
Go at a slower pace.
I feel like a lot of the times when people
are planning trips and they may only have
a week, or two weeks, three weeks,
they try to cram as much as possible into that time
to do as much as possible.
While that's great you're gonna be so exhausted.
You're going to need a vacation after your vacation.
I always recommend to say if you're planning
a three week trip in Europe
and you wanted to see six countries.
I would say at least split that in half.
Even make it two countries or even one country
and really get to know the place that you're staying in.
Spend more time in one city that you love
or at least have that option of spending more time
in a city that you come across that you fall in love with.
Or you'll have the option to take a couple
of days to have no plan to relax and restore
and really take in the experiences you've had so far.
Stretching.
So good.
I'm gonna do it while I talk to you guys.
I recommend taking five to 10 minutes in the morning,
five to 10 minutes at night before bed.
And if you have a long travel day,
if you're taking a bus or a train for a couple of hours,
to make sure you stretch.
When you get to your new destination,
it's so good for your body, it relaxes you.
It gets that blood flowing and just feels so good.
Puts you in a good state of mind.
It's just really nice for your body.
Another one you may have heard of.
It's called hydration.
Staying hydrated is so important.
We really, we know this, we know this.
We know water is good for us.
We know we should be drinking quite a bit
of it every single day.
Yet we don't.
It is especially important
to stay hydrated when you're traveling.
Especially when you're on a long flight.
I like to take these vitamin packages with me.
As well as buying a couple of lemons
when I get to a destination.
Lemon water is the best.
Especially first thing in the morning
before I start my new adventure.
Squeeze half a lemon into a cup
of water and drink that down.
Not only does it wake me up and hydrates me,
but also kick starts your metabolism.
Which is very important when you're traveling
to have you know, a nice flow going.
Taking moments throughout the day to breathe.
(inhaling)
(exhaling)
So good, so important.
And so life changing.
Just breathing.
Being in tune with your breath.
Taking time to really just focus on your breath
doing some sort of breathing meditation.
Or maybe you're at a beautiful view somewhere
and to help you really take in that moment, just sit there.
Close your eyes even for a sec.
I love doing this.
Close your eyes.
Breathe, focus on your breath, focus on your breath.
Feel your body calming down.
And then open your eyes to this
amazing landscape in front of you.
And you'll be able to absorb it more.
To take it in, to appreciate it more.
Breathing not only relaxes your body.
It also allows you to take in and soak up
the moment and be present throughout your travels.
Walk as much as possible.
Walking is great on so many levels.
Not only is it great exercise,
it also saves you money and it allows you to see things
and get places that you can't get to any other way.
There have been so many times where I've just been walking
and just getting lost in a new destination.
And I end up stumbling across like the best restaurant
that I will eat at on that trip.
Or meeting amazing locals who I strike up
a conversation with and they tell me of places to go.
And other things to see that
I wouldn't have found in a guide book.
Which leads me to exercise.
Exercise daily.
Now that doesn't mean you have to go hit up a gym
for an hour every single day on your travels.
It can be as simple as walking for an hour or two each day.
Or going for a hike.
Or doing a morning surf lesson.
There are so many ways to be active
and incorporate exercise,
some sort of exercise into your travels on a daily basis.
Getting exercise will get those good hormones flowing.
It will give you a great sleep.
It will allow you to be more energized throughout the day.
It will keep you more present throughout your travels
and it will keep you healthy.
Have a great breakfast and keep it healthy.
Many times when we're traveling
we have to get up extra early
if we're going from one destination to another
or catch an early morning flight or whatever.
And we might not have a lot of time to eat breakfast.
So the night before,
go to a local grocery store,
a local market, pick up some fresh produce,
get some granola, get some yogurt,
get some water, get some fresh juice.
So that in the morning you have
all these healthy options for you.
I totally believe that is so important,
so essential to kick start your day with a healthy meal.
Rather than just going to local restaurants
or food joints all of the time for each meal,
I do recommend cooking your own meals sometimes.
Now this doesn't have to take away
from the experience of trying local foods.
Because you can go to a local market or a grocery store
and pick up fresh produce
or things that you've never tried before.
It's so much fun to just like explore the grocery stores.
It's one of my favorite things to do.
And just try things that you've never heard of.
Or things maybe you have heard of
but you could only get in that destination.
Go easy on the hand sanitizer.
When I first started traveling,
I would always bring hand sanitizer with me.
I do not do that anymore.
I haven't done it for years.
I think people over do it with hand sanitizer.
Especially when they're traveling.
Many people feel like they always have to
be squirting that stuff on their hands before each meal.
Before doing pretty much anything because,
they just don't want to expose there selves
to harmful bacteria that can potentially make them sick.
Which makes sense.
But when you use that stuff too often,
I find that it actually weakens your immune system.
Of course I wash my hands before I eat.
But I don't feel like I need to wash my hands
any more than I would back home.
Sometimes getting some bacteria in your body
allows you to build up your immune system.
And like I've said, since I've been doing these things,
I haven't gotten sick on my travels.
Except for that one day.
Just that one day.
Which leads me to perhaps my favorite point
as well I think the most important point.
Because I think this has kept me the most healthy
during my travels over the last 10 years.
And that is staying away from meat.
Ever since I traveled to India 10 years ago,
I stopped eating meat.
Now throughout the 10 years I've had it here and there.
Mostly back home, not on my travels.
And ever since I stopped eating meat in other countries,
I stopped getting sick.
Whereas when I was eating meat dishes in other countries,
I was constantly getting sick.
I got so sick when I was living in Ghana.
I actually was scared for my life.
I thought that I may die there it was so bad.
I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk.
It was brutal.
I got sick in Peru.
I got sick numerous times in Paraguay.
I got sick every trip I took, I got sick.
Until I cut out meat from my diet.
And I continued traveling to many countries
in Asia and Africa and Central America, South America.
All over, Oceania, like I traveled everywhere.
And I haven't been sick in the last 10 years
ever since I cut the meat out.
Protect your skin.
So important to wear sunscreen.
So many people don't do it.
'Cause they're on vacation and they want that tan
for when they go back home.
So they put that oil on or they don't wear sunscreen
because they just want to get all toasty and brown
and it's so bad for you.
Please wear sunscreen.
Vitamins, take them.
Especially probiotics.
Oh my gosh.
I can't rave enough about probiotics.
Because they've changed my life.
Ever since I started taking probiotics,
not only do I go to the washroom regularly,
I just feel overall very good.
Very healthy.
My gut feels healthy.
Now back home I take a daily probiotic
that I have to keep refrigerated.
And when I travel it's a little bit more difficult
to always have access to a fridge.
So I will take probiotics
that don't need to be refrigerated.
Because it's better than nothing.
I also hit up the grocery stores throughout my trip
and I'll get yogurt or kefir,
or other fermented foods that have natural probiotics
in them that will keep my gut nice and healthy.
Probiotics also help you go to the washroom.
I used to have horrible trouble going number two.
But ever since I started taking probiotics
and eating fermented foods,
I have not had an issue.
And this is especially important when you travel
because your body is all like where am I?
What's going on?
What's my routine?
It's different.
And then you just, sometimes you get blocked up
and we don't want that to happen.
So probiotics help the flow.
Speaking of pooping.
Eat your fiber.
Maintain that internal plumbing.
I also like to bring things like chia seeds
and flax seed with me.
Put it in a little Ziploc bag,
add it to salads, smoothies,
even just water and drink it.
And it will help you know,
the bowels move and stay,
the pipes stay nice and clean for you
throughout your travels because
you do not want to be constipated.
Get out into nature as much as possible.
The Japanese have a term when translated
into English called forest bathing.
And it's literally walking through nature.
And it keeps you healthy.
You're absorbing the energies
and the minerals from the plants.
It's scientifically proven that when you put yourself
into nature on a regular basis,
you're just a healthier person overall.
And one of my favorite things to do personally
is when I'm in a new country, new destination,
is to just be in nature.
That is my thing.
I love nature.
So it's kind of hard to avoid it if you're like me.
But if you're of like a museum person
or a food junkie, at least spend some time
in nature too throughout your trip.
Keep you healthy, it will recharge you.
It's just, it's a good thing.
Spend some time alone.
Now if you're a solo traveler,
that might not be an issue for you.
If you are traveling with someone,
if you're traveling with family, friends,
or significant other, take some time for yourself.
Take some time each day if you can.
Whether it's 20 minutes, half an hour, an hour
to have time to yourself.
Go somewhere quiet or somewhere where you can recharge
and really maybe go over your day
and even write down, journal what you got up to.
What you learned.
Anything.
Anything where you can just spend time
and reflect on your own and recharge.
Pack light.
Packing light, yes, keeps you healthy
because you have less things to worry about.
You have less things to lug around.
Less things to carry on your back that will tense you up.
Less things to just weigh you down physically and mentally.
Indulge in self care.
Go get a massage.
Get some reflexology.
Spend the day at the spa.
Just get your hair done,
get your nails done, whatever.
Anything that makes you feel relaxed,
makes you feel recharged.
It's also fun to indulge in this type of thing
because so many countries have different ways
of massaging or difference of self care.
Packages that you can buy at different spas.
Things that you can try that you've never done before.
One of my favorite experiences
has been in Finland, just being in the sauna.
Oh my gosh.
Especially in the winter,
when you can go and roll in the snow
or go into a cold lake and then go back in the sauna.
So good for your body.
So refreshing.
And it is part of the culture.
Get vaccinated.
Make sure you have the right vaccines
for the place you're going to
to avoid illnesses that can be life threatening.
That can really affect you in the long term.
If you can avoid it by getting vaccinated, do it.
And travel insurance.
In case there is that one day
that you get sick,
you are covered.
You are covered and it is a peace of mind.
Which is even good enough to give you that mental,
that mental health.
That no matter what, you will be covered
if you do fall ill or something happens.
So get travel insurance.
Even if you're traveling for one day out of the country.
Get it.
And that is it for this video.
If you have any other tips
for staying healthy while traveling, leave them below.
We all want to read them.
Again if you have not subscribed to this channel,
be sure to do so for more travel hacks.
More travel tips, more travel inspiration,
and I will see you next time, bye.
So that one day that I was sick,
it was in India.
And I actually made a video about it.
See that video?
Yeah, right here.
Below this one.
Click on that.
That is the story of me being sick for the day.
Not fun.