I saw an old thread from '03, but was hoping for something more current. I seem to be getting various colds, etc. I believe its related to all the travel I've done over the last several months.

Any body have any current recommendations for staying healthy while on the road?

Eat as healthily as you can - lots of fruit and veg.
Take extra vitamin C
Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day

I would assume taking advantage of hotel gyms wouldn't be a bad place to start, too.

You can also get a membership at Bally's or something similar and use it throughout the country, I would assume.

Get enough sleep. Obviously a challenge if you're changing time zones.
Get some exercise.
Don't treat the airports and airplanes like a bar.
Eat properly.

"Take extra vitamin C"

If you're not getting enough vitamin C, then you're not eating right. Taking extra vitamin C doesn't do anything. A regular healthy person who eats properly doesn't need vitamin supplements.

There is a product called "Airborne Formula". They are effervescent tablets (drop into a small amount of water) containing 17 herbs and other nutrients. The directions say to repeat every 3 hrs. I can't vouch for them personally yet but perhaps worth a look-at.

Mr. Soames and I became really ill last year with respiratory infections (we were laid up in a BA for 5 days, a doctor came twice and we were on antibiotics!); we flew F on Varig and half the pax seemed to be contaminated ~ a real chorus of coughing going on. I wish we had those tablets then ~ sometimes I think we should travel with masks!

Three simple rules:

1. Wash your hands every time you have the chance.
2. In the air, use something in your nose to keep it moist (vaseline, saline spray, etc). I use this, which both smells good and provides an extra barrier against whatever's flying around the air. It's also good for lips and cuticles.
3. In countries where the food or water is iffy, use probiotics like this (also available at Whole Foods).

Also, try to get plenty of rest. It affects everything from your mood to your weight.

I believe that there was recently a class action suit against this product for false claims: http://www.airbornehealthsettlement.com/.

Correct about the need for extra Vitamin C. Still, if you're on the road a lot, eating "right" can sometimes be a challenge, so taking Vitamin C is a good form of insurance. And since it's water soluble, the risks of overdosing are pretty minimal. You'll just have very "healthy" urine....

My formula reflects much of what has already been suggested: I eat pretty healthy foods (including one cup of green tea most days), exercise daily, take a daily vitamin supplement, and get a decent night's sleep most nights. Exercise is usually at least 30 min of aerobic exercise plus a few minutes of weights when I am home, but more flexible when I am on the road -- even 15 minutes of weights can make me feel quite a bit better.

If I get more than one minor cold per year, it is a pretty exceptional year. And I have two school age kids, and live in Minnesota.

Especially on long flights drink enough water. If you want to enjoy a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage during the flight always get water with it. Saline spray for your nose is also good. If you have sinus problems you also can take a decongestant.

In case you feel that you get a cold my advice is to get some extra Vitamin C, zinc tablets, take a hot bath or shower before going to bed and right after that get into bed with socks, maybe a sweater and sweat. I also take eucalyptus oil gel capsules which dissolve in your intestine and keep your nose, sinus and lungs free.

Yes, there's a discussion thread on the class action suit in SPAM as well.

Sorry for mentioning a product which has been deemed phony (and previously discussed here). Mr. Soames was given a tube of these a couple of weeks ago (flying longhaul) by a well-meaning secretary. Typically though, he didn't actually use any of them .


I do wish that something preventative existed! It's a horrible feeling when you realize that some of the fellow pax are sick.

I do agree with all those health suggestions from previous posters. Would like to add, when you get done catching the germs and virus from all over the world because of your travel you will be have immunity to almost every thing. I traveled a lot for work over a 7 year period and, after a bumpy start, actually hardly ever got sick.

Try to maintain as normal a life on the road as you can. If at home you normally just have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, make that breakfast at the hotel. For evening meals, same simple approach. Healthy take-out, and eat in your room with a good book. Not the party-hearty late-night stuff because you are out of town and on expenses. And amen to the exercising. Even if the hotel doesn't have a fancy gym, there still is long walks.

Romelle

Agree with most of what's been posted already - keep your fluid (not booze) intake up, wash hands frequently, get more sleep, eat lighter and more healthy foods, get some exercise. Let me add the following ...

Ask anybody who takes Nasonex or Astelin on a regular basis. They'll tell you they hardly ever get colds. Ask your doctor.

Use Purell. I use this stuff religiously when traveling, and while I get teased mercilessly by friends and coworkers, I've really reduced the number of colds I've gotten in recent years. It's no substitute for hand washing though.

That and drink lots of water or juice when traveling.

One important peice of advice that I haven't seen mentioned here yet -- get a flu shot.

I have some health problems that reduce my immunity somewhat. I use lots of Purell when flying, get a flu shot every year, and take a zinc lozenge or two during or immediately after every flight. I do sometimes use Zicam nasal gel, but some people claim that using it reduced their sense of smell, so there is perhaps a risk there.

Unfortunately, alcohol-type hand sanitizers such as Purell don't work well against noroviruses (these cause "24 hour stomach bug.") I've reduced by a lot the number of upper respiratory virus I catch, but I still get noroviruses fairly regularly.