A Healthy Travel Checklist You Need For Your Next Trip

For many individuals, summer is the perfect time to travel. The kids are out of school, the beaches are open, and your mind is due for a much-needed break from work. However, while traveling is meant as a stress-reliever, there is one thing standing in the way of a relaxing getaway: your travel checklist. After years of traveling for both work and play, there are a few strategies to ensure you will feel your best when traveling. Here’s a list of our healthy travel must-haves!

Hydration is essential for good health. From supporting your normal metabolic functioning to keeping your digestive system moving smoothly, you want to make sure you’re staying on top of your water intake while traveling. Plastic water bottles are not only expensive and harmful for the environment, but they can also be harmful to your health as plastic can drain endocrine-disrupting chemicals into your beverage.

Eating well en route to your destination is up to you. Many airports are getting better about providing healthy meal options, but one thing you should almost always find—whether at a gas station or in a terminal—is a piece of fruit. Try to bring packets of nuts for a quick, complete snack if you get hungry while in transit. That way, you won’t end up having to rely on stale airline pretzels or overindulgent cookies.

Once at your destination, if you’ve got a touchy digestive system, eating plenty of fiber will ensure that your digestion stays on track. Westin Hotels include fiber-rich oatmeal on their Eat Well menu (top it off with seeds!), making it easy to get a nutritious breakfast from coast to coast.

Losing sleep affects your hunger hormones and raises your cortisol levels, to make sure you get the best quality of sleep possible, wear a silk eye mask to keep light out and earplugs in case of noisy neighbors.

When traveling, exercising may not always be an option, especially when you’re strapped for time, so it’s helpful to carry with you a lightweight exercise band to squeeze in a quick workout sesh anywhere, anytime.