Safety, Travel, Fun: Flights of
good health
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Today, more of us are traveling more than we've ever done before. Different people
have different kinds of definition for traveling. For some it is a measure to relax
mind, body and soul; for some it is the best way to relax, meet new people, and
visit beautiful places; for some it is a business trip, getting new projects and
finalizing new deals.
The traveling is becoming more and more common; yet people love to travel
these days. So, we can say traveling is all set to undergo a revolutionary change.
We travel on business or for pleasure, and as we become frequent fliers, we realize
that health-wise, there are huge number of challenges to be faced.
states challenges that are to be faced while traveling and precautions that will
make travel more comfortable and less daunting.
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Challenges faced while traveling
- A tendency to binge eat as we are not sure when we'll next be able to eat a comfortable
meal.
- A tendency to overload on the fatty, oily foods served on flights or at airport
resturants.
- Muscle pain, circulation problems and knee pain due to sitting in one place for
long hours.
- Dehydration on long flights.
- Sleep problems due to odd travel timings and jet lags.
Precautions while traveling
But you don't need to suffer these problems if you take care certain precautions
that will make your travel more relaxed, comfortable and less intimidating. These
include:
- Drink: On any long duration flight,
it is important to hydrate yourself adequately. So while on the plane, drink lots
of water, soda-free drinks and juices.
Soda-free drinks are important as they cause less stomach gas and discomfort. Plus,
carbonated beverages tend to have a lot of sugar, which can result in a headache.
You can drink tea or coffee,but only in moderation because these beverages tend
to dehydrate the body and also may lead to headaches.
- Eat: on a plane,your body is unable
to digest food well. This is because you aren't able to move about freely. Body movement
aids gas expulsion and normal bowel movements, and on a plane, your ability to move
is drastically reduced. This results in stomach distention,delayed gastric emptying
and a lot of discomfort. Plus, the food that you should ideally eat while on a flight
is precisely the food that is not available.
On a plane,you should eat fruits,light meals like sauteed vegetable,dumplings,boiled
corn and so on. But except for fuit and fruit juices, these are not available.
Try to avoid very oily food on the flight as it creates digestion problems and gas
and builds up high cholestrol, especially if your liver is weak. Also,try to avoid
mixing foods incorrectly. For instance,drinking fruit juice with dinner will create
gas and cause you belch.
- Exercise: Try to do as much stretching
as possible during your flight. You can achieve this by walking up and down the
aisle. Some simple exercises are also possible while seated-ankle rotations,forward
bending and raising and stretching the arms.
- Sleep: Rather than sleep long hours
at a stretch,it's advisable to take power naps of 45 minutes to two hours. This will
ensure you get some rest without giving you a stiff neck.
If you travel for more than a week every month, you need to build travel stamina and
health. So: Run/walk/jog regularly to build calf muscle circulation.
Detoxify your liver to prevent cholesterol build-up. Include amla, aloe-vera and vegetable
juices with tomatoes, cucumber, fruits and green leafy vegetables in your diet. Exercise
to strengthen the back.
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