To protect against foreign bacteria that can cause traveler’s diarrhea, the doctor suggested that while I recently traveled in Africa, I drink mainly soda. (Beer was also approved, but it is not something I drink. Water was only OK if I personally broke the seal on the bottle, which cannot be guaranteed at restaurants with wait-staff.) I had given up soda, but figured this might be the only health reason to drink soda. I was a bit concerned that I might start craving it or have difficulty turning it down again once I returned to American soil.
It felt odd to order Fanta at the first restaurant. My reaction to soda was not a thrill of return or a desire for more. It felt sugary and heavy. After just a day, I was experiencing nausea, bloating, and low energy. I felt unhealthy. What I was craving was a shower and 64 ounces of water!
Travel is integral to my life. I start to relax when I walk in the airport and immediately relax when I board a plane. As a therapist, though, I know that more than 35% of the population experiences at least some anxiety about flying. 
Calm your mind by practicing mindfulness and meditation. Visualize a soothing environment, perhaps your destination, imagine and experience it using all of your senses. After returning from a trip to Bermuda several years ago, I started using this picture to help clients practice visualization. What do you see? (The blue of the ocean and sea rocks.) What do you hear? (The waves crashing, the cars passing above.) What do you smell? (Salt water and sunscreen). What do you feel? (The warmth of the sun, the sharp rocks, the firm sand, sunglasses on my nose.) What do you taste? (Fruit juice.) Choose a setting that is calming for you and immerse yourself in it using your imagination.
Is your wallet weighing you down? Maybe I’m a bit zealous about finding the silver lining, but I’ve even turned losing my wallet while traveling into a life lesson. Without access to more than $6 cash until Monday morning, my diet changed. Although I was with dear friends who were more than happy to feed me, I became more aware of what was actually necessary. I might have ordered something when we stopped at a restaurant between activities, but I realized that I wasn’t hungry enough to really need anything. I listened to rationality more than impulses.
More lessons from 10,000 feet… On this flight, I am sitting near Russ who travels frequently for business. While distracting Emily from her flight anxiety, Russ told her and I about a flight he experienced during which the oxygen masks fell. He shared that all the passengers automatically turned their heads right and left like the flight attendant does during her pre-flight spiel. He and I both found it interesting how such things can be ingrained into our consciousness. I would venture that few to none of the passengers had ever had to utilize an in-flight oxygen mask prior to that incident.
Unless your flight anxiety is high, my guess is that you tune out the spiel after your first flight or two (even Emily didn’t seem to be paying much attention); I know I don’t consciously pay attention and didn’t realize how the flight attendants turn their heads. Yet, almost everyone mimicked the flight attendant automatically.
Raise your hand if your eating habits went on vacation when you did only to result in coming home feeling heavy, sick, and a little depressed. Think about it for a second. It sounds totally absurd. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing and rejuvenating. If you come home feeling guilty and stressed, then the vacation didn’t do its job. But don’t fret, if you’ve put off your trip until the last few weeks of summer, I’ve got some tips that will have you coming home feeling happy and healthy!
- Embrace the power of portions! With portion size in mind, you can truly have whatever you want. Just not too much. By giving priority to putting fresh fruits and veggies on the plate, you’ll fill up on nutrients and fiber but not on calories. So a few bites of a high calorie dessert you “can’t resist” can fit in while you are on vacation.
- Moderate. Moderate. Moderate. I tell people to “choose between.” If you’re in the mood for a rich breakfast like pancakes, have a pancake with a couple egg whites and then for lunch have some healthy greens with grilled fish. Choose a glass of wine with dinner or dessert, but not both. Alcohol lowers the inhibitions and once you’ve had a few, resisting the “munchies” is like staying away from a BOGO shoe sale – IT AIN’T HAPPENING!
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