Whatever means of transportation you use to get to your vacation destination, the success of a trip lies in good planning. At MARNYS, we offer you ten tips that will help you have a smooth vacation.
Before you leave
1. Prepare a first aid kit for the trip
It is very likely that your accommodation already has a first aid kit, but it is not superfluous to carry essential health items in your luggage. So what should the ideal first aid kit contain? According to the ministry of health, these are the basic elements:
- Adhesive tape, bandages.
- Sterile bandages.
- Clinical thermometer.
- Antiseptic for wounds.
- Eye drops
- Insect repellent
- Heavy means
- Scissors and safety pins.
- Tweezers with a fine tip for pulling out small foreign bodies.
See your doctor
If you plan to travel for a relatively long period of time to a country where some diseases are endemic, or if you suffer from a chronic pathology, it is advisable to see your doctor first. The ministry of health also offers a series of general measures to follow in these cases.
Think about your treatment if you have chronic illnesses
If you suffer from a chronic illness and like to travel, you know that you need to take all the necessary medications for the days you are away from home.
You must carry your medications, especially prescription drugs, in your carry-on luggage. An extra precaution is to carry a duplicate of your medications in your checked luggage, just in case you lose your carry-on bag.
Make sure you have your vaccinations
Some destination countries require that you always have your international vaccination certificate updated. These types of vaccinations can only be acquired in international vaccination centers. The mandatory vaccines included in this certificate are yellow fever, meningococcal meningitis and poliomyelitis, depending on the country.
In other countries, vaccines against cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies and tetanus are recommended.
In addition, in endemic countries it is also recommended to take preventive medication against malaria.
2. Sleep well the week before
Feeling like you missed a flight or nervousness brought on by the unexpected can cause insomnia the days leading up to your trip. To try to avoid this situation, you can follow these guidelines:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
- Be physically active. Regular activity promotes better sleep.
- Avoid or limit naps/siestas.
- Avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol, and don't use nicotine
- Avoid large meals and drinks before bedtime.
- Make your bedroom a comfortable place and avoid using technology in your bedroom.
- Create a relaxation ritual before bed, such as z.B. Take a warm bath, read, or listen to soft music.
- Keep up the body's defenses
A healthy immune system is a good ally to avoid the small setbacks that, for example, a change of season can bring to our organism. To strengthen the immune system, both before a trip and at any other time of the year, is recommended, among other things:
- Follow a varied and balanced diet based on foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Sleep at least eight hours a day.
- Do sports
- Travel can cause physiological stress that affects the immune system. Therefore, it is advisable to follow a healthy diet, which can be supplemented with dietary supplements.
In these cases, it is recommended that ingredients include B and C group vitamins, minerals such as zinc, polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega series), and bee-derived substances such as royal jelly and propolis or mushrooms such as reishi.
3. Take care of your intestinal flora
Our intestinal flora is made up of a number of bacteria that reside in our intestines and ensure its good condition. When it becomes unbalanced, we can experience discomfort such as bloating, constipation, gas or diarrhea.
The spanish foundation for the digestive system recommends the following tips to maintain our digestive well-being:
- Drink at least two liters of water per day. If you are in a country with poor drinking conditions, always buy bottled water.
- Eat 5 meals a day.
- Reduce your consumption of foods rich in animal fats, fried foods and spicy foods.
- Include dairy products, yogurt and fermented milk with bifidobacteria in your daily diet.
- Include foods rich in fiber in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
- Moderate your consumption of coffee and foods that produce gas.
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a proper body weight.
In addition, you can also include in your diet foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics, both of which are related to the maintenance of intestinal flora.
During the trip
5. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Diarrhea is the most common travel health problem and can affect up to 8 out of 10 visitors to high-risk areas. For this reason, we offer you from the hand of the ministry of health some easy to follow guidelines to avoid this:
- Avoid foods that have been kept at room temperature for several hours, such as z.B. The typical uncovered buffet food, street stalls or street vendors.
- Avoid raw foods, except for fruits and vegetables, which can be eaten peeled or unpeeled.
- Eat foods that have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot.
- Avoid ice cream unless you can guarantee that it is made with clean water.
- Avoid foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs
- Avoid brushing your teeth with contaminated water.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or eating food.
- Bottled or packaged cold beverages are usually safe as long as they are tightly sealed.
- Food or beverages cooked at more than 60°C are generally safe as well.
6. Take fluids at a high frequency
We must always keep our bodies well hydrated, but even more so when it's hot. To do this:
- Do not wait until you are thirsty to take drinks, it is advisable to precede it.
- Drink between two and three liters of fluid per day.
- You can also hydrate your body by eating watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple and oranges or tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Make sure that children drink enough fluids.
- If you exercise or do any physical activity, increase your fluid intake.
- Moderate alcohol consumption, as it has a dehydrating effect.
7. Protect your skin from sunlight
In situations where we expose ourselves to the sun more often, such as in summer, the spanish academy of dermatology offers us a series of tips to protect our skin:
- Apply sufficient sunscreen
- Choose the right sunscreen A good option is to start with protection 50 in the first days of summer. Also remember that sunscreen doesn't last forever. Repeat the application frequently.
- Avoid sun exposure during the central hours of the day, between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.M.
- Children under two should not be exposed directly to the sun and need special protection.
- Limit the time of exposure to the sun. Natural protection lasts only 10 to 30 minutes, depending on skin type.
- Clothing and sunglasses also provide protection.
In addition, to maintain the skin's natural protective barrier, it is advisable to follow proper hydration guidelines by including products with natural ingredients in your skincare regimen.
8. Keep mosquitoes and mosquitoes away
Mosquitoes are more common in hot weather or in certain regions with high temperatures and/or humidity year-round. There are two ways to keep mosquitoes away:
- Pesticides or insecticides are fairly effective products, although they contain environmentally harmful chemicals and their effectiveness decreases outdoors.
- Essential oils are an ecological and efficient alternative that are increasingly used to keep mosquitoes away and prevent them from biting. The plants most commonly used in this area are lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, verbena or geranium. These essential oils can be used separately or together to take advantage of their properties.
9. Take care of your feet
In summer, our feet are more likely to dry out and crack, especially in the heel area. It is recommended to use repair creams with relaxing, moisturizing, softening and cleansing effect, which promote the elasticity of the skin of feet and heels.
Creams containing shea butter, coconut or beeswax between their ingredients provide additional hydration.
After the trip
10. Sleep disturbances after the vacation
The spanish society of neurology estimates that between 20% and 48% of spaniards have difficulty initiating or maintaining a quality sleep. These difficulties tend to increase after returning from vacation with what is known as post-holiday syndrome.
There are ingredients that are useful for maintaining sleep quality, such as group B vitamins, minerals like zinc and magnesium, L-theanine, melatonin, tryptophan or lemon balm.