Planning on Traveling this Memorial Day Weekend? Here Are Our Tips to Staying Healthy

May 21, 2015

Planning on Traveling this Memorial Day Weekend? Here Are Our Tips to Staying Healthy

 

  1. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated but don’t leave a plastic water bottle in the car. The heat of the car causes toxins from the plastic water bottle to leach into your water. Instead, invest in a stainless steel water bottle, a ceramic container or use glass. There are many options available that fit this criteria. My personal favorite? I use an Insulated Hydro Flask. I find that when the water in my bottle gets warm I drink a lot less than I should. I fill my Hydro Flask up with some ice and my water and I have a nice cool drink for the car. Even if I leave the water bottle in the car while I am visiting with friends, my drink is still cold when I get back. I also keep a tube of Nuun in the car so if I’m hiking or playing volleyball at a picnic, I can replenish my electrolytes.
  2. Pack extra healthy snacks for the car. This goes without saying but is a good reminder that many people’s Memorial Day weekends are filled with long car rides that can become unexpectedly longer due to high traffic or accidents. Nothing is worse than getting stuck in a serious traffic jam that adds an extra hour or two to your drive and realizing that you don’t have any snacks to eat and that you were too busy getting ready to go to eat anything beforehand. Some shelf stable things I like are: Epic Buffalo bars (I find the lamb ones way too greasy -you’ve been warned.), nuts, kale chips, and some dried fruit. Fresh items that can be ok if you keep them in a cooler are celery and almond butter, jicama slices, hummus, grapes, and mason jar salads (you prepare the salad in layers beforehand and when you want to eat, you just shake it up to mix it all up). Don’t forget napkins or cloth rags, silverware and travel plates in case you want to share your snacks with your travel mates. This strategy can also keep you on time for arrival because instead of realizing you're hungry and trying to find a place to stop and eat, you can keep going and eat food that will be better for you than unknown fast food joints.
  3. Keep sunscreen, sunglasses, bug repellent, lip balm and lotion in the car. Your windshield is probably not protecting you from the sun’s rays. Make sure to have sunglasses and sunscreen on hand. The lip balm and lotion can help you stay moisturized and comfortable in the car. The bug repellent is for when you get out of the car at rest stops, etc. in the evening and at night.
  4. Pack a variety of clothes in case the weather changes. I don’t know about where you live but here the weather report can be wrong, the weather can change quickly, it can be raining hard in one part of the city and not in another. Due to that most people we know carry around extra clothes just in case. I also like to have a travel blanket and pillow in the car so that I can get a nap if I need to and the blanket can help regulate my body temperature if needed. I usually include a synthetic vest, a long sleeve shirt, and long pants if I am wearing shorts or a skirt. A hat can be important to to shade your eyes from the sun or under the hood of your coat if it rains.