Healthy travel food, first aid and avoiding anxiety and motion sickness when flying

Earlier this week I flew from Sydney to Los Angeles for a very interesting health and nutrition event (more on that next week) and in today’s blog I share what I eat on a long international flight, plus what “first-aid” goodies I take in my carry-on luggage.

Even though I order gluten-free meals, I’m sure you’ll agree that the food on planes is pretty horrible and sometimes you can’t even be sure you’ll get your special meal.  One flight we ordered gluten-free only to be told on the plane that they don’t serve gluten-free meals! Fortunately we did a layover in Hawaii and were able to buy a salad and some fruit after a lot of searching but it was not what you’d expect. It was a good thing we did take some snacks with us too but I am now way more prepared when I travel.

As you can see from the above image, this is the typical travel food (or “padkos” as we call it in South Africa) for a 13-hour flight:

• 2 organic apples
• 2 organic boiled eggs and some sea salt
• Homemade biltong from grass fed beef (a South African version of jerky) made with sea salt, coriander and pepper
• Coconut flakes and organic raisins
• Sprouted pumpkin seeds
• A selection of herbal tea bags: ginger (which is great for motion sickness), Nighty night which contains chamomile and is relaxing), Breathe Easy (in case of congestion) and rooibos (great for stress and an excellent source of polyphenols)
• A can of wild salmon
• Pea protein powder

I also packed a meal of roast lamb with a veggie selection of carrots, zucchini and asparagus, plus some cauliflower sauerkraut. This was really delicious!

Also, to be safe, I take a selection of “first-aid” products in my carry-on luggage.

Here is some of what I typically pack for “first-aid”:

• Arnicare which is an arnica gel (for muscle pain)
• Xlear nasal spray and Biocidin throat spray – I find that using these two products before boarding the plane and half way into the flight prevents me from picking up any bugs and getting sick
• Tree tree oil
• Essential oils of lavender (for relaxation and sleep) and peppermint (for energy and a headache). Both are antibacterial too.
• Melatonin spray to help reset my circadian rhythm and help with jetlag
• Oil of oregano and garlic supplements (not shown) for bug protection
• GABA Calm for anxiety. I didn’t use it/need it this trip but after my scary plane ride last year leading to vagus nerve issues, I’ve decided to always have some on hand when flying
• Boiron Cold Calm, one of my favorite homeopathic cold remedies    

I also take a few of each of the following in a supplement box: Designs for Health Inflammatone (a natural anti-inflammatory), DPP-IV enzymes (for accidental gluten exposure), activated charcoal (also for accidental gluten exposure) and my daily supplements.

Here is a video I did for the Healthy Travelers Global summit, an online event that was hosted by my good friend Robyn Benson in 2015 (just ignore the summit promo and enjoy the tips and demonstrations).

I share the following:

• A quick demonstration using Xlear (notice that I actually miss my nose by mistake!) and Biocidin Throat Spray for avoiding bugs
• The pressure-point wrist-bands I use for motion sickness (find them on Amazon here). Many people with pyroluria are more prone to morning nausea and may be very prone to motion sickness (and it’s commonly a sign of low vitamin B6). In order to be effective they do need to be put on BEFORE you start to travel and the position is key).
• Amino acids for travel anxiety (GABA for the physical anxiety and tryptophan for the fearful, worrying-about-flying anxiety)
• Healthy travel snacks

Enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains! When I filmed this I was on a trip to St Paul, MN for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals conference and wanted to share just how I travel.

I hope this is all helpful for your next long flight or even a road-trip you have coming up. Do keep in mind that some of this can be adapted for a day out shopping or a day at the beach too.

I’d love to hear about your favorite travel foods and first-aid goodies that you take on a trip.