TRAVEL SMARTS
muscles, minor cuts, headaches or
colds, can turn up at any time, and
not having something like a bandage,
antihistamine or pain medication
becomes a major annoyance—
especially if there isn’t a pharmacy
nearby. Don’t forget antacids, a
mild laxative, and hydrocortisone
and antibacterial creams.
Snacks Healthy food choices at airports can be few and far between.
Flights can be delayed or worse,
stuck for hours on the tarmac. And
good luck getting a healthy snack—
if any at all—once you’re airborne.
Same goes for rail or car travel. Stashing snacks like trail mix, fruit leather
or power bars helps me feel a little less anxious and a lot less ravenous once I reach my destination.
Well and Away
How to pack for a healthy holiday
BY SHERYL KRAFT
NICK DAVID/GETTY
I’M A “WHAT-IF” KIND OF PERSON, and
I like my comforts—which means
packing for a trip can be fraught
with anxiety. What if I get sick?
What if I forget something? How
can I possibly leave behind my sonic
toothbrush (too big for my suitcase)
and favourite hair dryer (too bulky)?
It’s an eternal puzzle: How can
I have all the comforts of home
in one little suitcase? Try as I
might, I still haven’t perfected
the art of carry-on packing.
Alas, I’ve come to realize that
I can’t possibly be prepared for
every single possibility. So I do
the best I can with what I have—
and buy travel health insurance for
the other just-in-case scenarios.
And that means packing healthy.
Even if you’re on a carefree beach
getaway, protecting your health
goes a long way toward making
you feel secure and helping your
vacation run smoothly. While carryon packing still eludes me, I have
mastered my list of healthy travel
essentials:
Sanitizer wipes Take them out when
you get on a plane: wipe down tray
tables, armrests and remote control
buttons. At your hotel, use them to sanitize remote controls, phones and any
other surfaces that might
harbour unwanted germs.
Ginger Since I am prone
to motion sickness (ever
hear of someone getting
seasick in a kayak on a
tranquil lake?), I never
travel without my ginger
capsules. Several studies
support the use and effectiveness of ginger over
Dramamine. But talk to
your doc first if you’re on
a blood thinner, such as
warfarin (Coumadin)
or aspirin, as ginger may increase the
risk of bleeding.
Over-the-counter
medications Common
discomforts, such as sore
Sunscreen Even if your travel
plans don’t include lounging on the
beach, chances are you’ll be outdoors more than usual. On cloudy
days, the sun’s damaging rays can
still work themselves through the
sky. You’ll be glad you packed your
own sunscreen, especially when you
see the prices at the hotel gift shop.
Prescription medications Make
sure you have enough to
carry you over if the trip
home is delayed. Also
Find It
travel with meds in their
at CAA
original containers—secuReduce jet lag
rity is more likely to grill
naturally with Noyou about loose, unlaJet-Lag, the hobeled pills. It’s also smart
meopathic remedy
to carry with you a list
clinically proven
to correct disrupof your meds and copies
tions to the body’s
of prescriptions in case
natural clock. The
your luggage gets lost.
safe tablets cause
And pack all medicano side effects or
tions in your carry-on.
drug interactions.
Pick up No-JetLag from a CAA
Manitoba service
centre or purchase
online: shop.caa
manitoba.com
Member price: $14
Regular price: $16
Etc. It’s always good
to include other items
in your kit for unexpected
events: tweezers, a
thermometer and some
batteries always come in
handy—and they won’t
take up much room!
CAA MANITOBA
SPRING 2016
29