From Vegan Backpacker: One of the most important things to remember overall for vegan travel is to keep yourself healthy and support your immune system. There will be foods, viruses and bacteria that your body is not used to dealing with. Exercise is often forgotten in the excitement of traveling. You also might miss a night or two of your normal sleep pattern if you have a long trip and if you jump a few time zones. All of these factors will knock your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to illness during vegan travel than you would be at home. Minimize them as much as possible, and if you do get sick the first step is to eliminate the cause. Once you find the culprit, use these healthy food solutions to relieve the symptoms and get you back to your normal healthy self. Not only are these options cheaper than medication and drugs, but they are also much better for your system. 1. Colds and Congestion: Onions and garlic are naturally antibiotic and antiviral, so they're very handy during vegan travel. Getting some every day should help to both treat and prevent colds and congestion. Keeping them as raw as possible ensures their healing power is maximized. Gargling with salt water is very effective at clearing the sinuses. 2. Sore Throat: The key to relieving a sore throat is to gargle. Cayenne, lemon juice and cinnamon mixed with some water are really effective, and you should gargle with them several times a day. Gargling with warm salt water will really help with the scratchy type of sore throat, and if your vegan travel plans take you to an ocean you have a perfect excuse to go swimming a few times a day. 3. Motion Sickness and Stomachaches: Ginger is extremely effective for treating and preventing motion sickness. It is also helpful for general digestive trouble, as is peppermint. Ginger chews are a great addition to your vegan travel first aid kit. You can easily make a tea with fresh ginger or peppermint leaves. Rice and millet are easily-digested and are the best bets for a safe meal with a stomachache. 4. Constipation: A vegan travel nemesis that is easily fixed by eating lots of fiber, from whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Ground flax seeds and leafy greens are excellent. Drink lots of water and get some cardiovascular exercise – going for a 20 minute run or brisk walk can be really helpful. 5. Diarrhea: Ginger, lemon and cinnamon can be made into a pretty tasty tea, and will all help to normalize the bowels. Be sure to avoid the cause of the diarrhea, whether it is food or water related, as diarrhea can really interfere with the fun of your vegan travel. 6. Muscle Aches, Swollen Joints: Onions help to reduce inflammation, as do most spices, but turmeric is particularly effective and a great addition to vegan travel meals. Rubbing a hot pepper on the skin where the inflammation is centered can help reduce swelling significantly. Making a tea with cloves can also help reduce swelling and is a mild pain reliever. 7. Trouble Sleeping: Peppermint or chamomile teas are great at helping to put you to sleep when you're jet lagged or just plain tired from a long trip. If you really want to know how to stay healthy during vegan travel, I'd love for you to join us during our travels and find out here. ** This guest post is by Heather Nauta from Healthy Vegan Recipes. Heather is a registered holistic nutritionist who teaches you how to live a healthy vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. Visit Healthy Vegan Recipes to check out her vegan travel videos. BM
