Whether embarking on a week-long getaway to Hawaii, or trekking for months in India, people often get sick while travelling.

This happens for a variety of reasons, from changes in sleep patterns to changes in bacteria patterns.

If you travel often, you are bound to fall prey to phlegm-inducing colds or get some not-so-friendly bugs swimming around in your stomach at some point.

Aside from drowning yourself in hand sanitizer and wearing a face mask wherever you go, there are several simple and smart choices you can make to stay healthy while travelling.

Emed lists the essential supplements to include in your luggage:

In Your Carry On Luggage

• Protect Yourself with MH Herbal Throat Spray.

Ever been on a plane next to a child that doesn't cover their mouth when they sneeze? Or sitting in front of a guy that is violently coughing up one of his lungs?

Airline carriers are also formidable carriers of the common cold. A recent study says you may be 100 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane than you are in your normal daily life, according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health Research.

Consider MH Herbal Throat Spray as sanitizer for your mouth and throat!

4 sprays in the mouth every couple of hours works wonders protecting you against all the germs that may be floating around planes, trains and buses.

It also provides timely relief of symptoms (including inflammation and pain) associated with dry, sore throats.

Because this is a small (25ml) liquid product, you may have to plastic baggy it before you board.

• Use an Electrolyte Formula to prevent dehydration and cramps while flying. MediHerb Enhance Active Mag-Cal is a comprehensive electrolyte product with magnesium, potassium, and calcium all present AND it's in a convenient tablet form.

This product also provides B vitamins for stress management and energy, and antioxidants such as vitamin C, E and zinc.

Did You Know? Commercial airplanes have very low humidity (lower than the Sahara desert!) and this can lead to you becoming dehydrated. Drink plenty of water the days before your flight as well as during and following your flight.

After a long plane flight, a new climate, or being scared of the local water and imbibing too many Cokes to make up for it you are likely to be dehydrated. You can also become easily dehydrated after eating local food that leaves the contents of your stomach in the toilet.

Additionally, if you are prone to cramps, muscle stiffness, anxiety, stress, headaches, fatigue or sleeplessness - or if you plan to drink like a fish and/or eat like a King - then MH Enhance Active Mag Cal or another Magnesium tablet such as DVPI Mag Citrate or Metagenics Fibroplex Maintain are the products for you.

While you are in the air it is also helpful to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and fruit juices as these dehydrate. One glass of wine in-flight has the effect of about 2-3 glasses on the ground.

Don't let dehydration ruin your vacation.

• Beat Any Anxiety you may have with Dr Vera's PreGaba to calm the nerves and increase mental relaxation while flying.

This product provides nutritional precursors to GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain that reduces nervousness, anxiety and irritability and improves concentration.

Many people experience anxiety and restlessness before and during a flight. A product like Dr Vera's PreGaba, or any of the products listed below under the Sleep Easy heading, can make a great difference to your mental state and stress levels.

Suitcase Essentials

• Guard Your Gut with Bioceuticals SB FlorActiv or Metagenics Ultraprobioplex. 

These products will help to stop bad bacteria and microbes from attaching to your gut wall. This means they help protect against and treat the dreaded traveller's diarrhoea.

To prevent traveller's diarrhoea take 1 or 2 caps daily. To treat traveller's diarrhoea once it has set in, take 4-6 capsules daily.

• MediHerb Enhance Probiotica and Bioceuticals UltraBiotic IBS 25 are Room Temperature Stable Probiotics that are perfect for travelling. Banish Bali Belly for good with these balancing strains of good bacteria.

Probiotics are normally kept in the fridge, and therefore most people do not consider taking them when they're Greek Island hopping or hiking through Asia. 

There are however, certain probiotics that are 'room-temperature stable' - meaning no refrigeration is required.

The bacteria in your gut will be mucked up when you go overseas, regardless of whether you get an infection or not. One of the above products is an absolute MUST, no matter what your destination.

A double blind, placebo controlled trial among travellers to Egypt showed that the strains present in MH Enhance Probiotica significantly decreased the frequency of traveller's diarrhoea.

Probiotic supplementation is a powerful prophylactic in overall health maintenance.

• Boost Your Immune System with one of the following products; Metagenics AndroNK, Bioceuticals ArmaForce, Eagle Pharmaceuticals Echinacea Royale, Eagle Pharmaceuticals Gartech, MediHerb Golden Seal Tablets.

Keeping your immune system – which has to work twice as hard as you change time zones – in good working order will not only make your trip better, but may keep you from spending too many hours laying in a hotel bed or stuck in a shared hostel bathroom.

Start taking these medications at least a week before heading off. Try to be as healthy as possible before getting on a plane.

Flying can exacerbate whatever illnesses you already have. Between the dry air, tiring situations and stress your tiny little cold may develop into a more serious respiratory illness.

Know the risks associated with your travel destination. Depending on where you go, your risk of getting certain infections will vary. For example, you’re not too likely to get African Sleeping Sickness if you’re headed to Canada.

It's also useful to be up-to-date on current events. Following the news can save you a lot of headaches when it comes to avoiding travel-related infections. For example, if there’s news of an outbreak of Mad Cow Disease in the UK, don’t eat beef there.

• Sleep Easy with natural medicines like Metagenics NeuroCalm, Bioceuticals RestoraCalm, PhytoMedicine Lavandula Compound, MediHerb Valerian Complex, and PhytoMedicine Humulus Compound.

Sleep is often a casualty of traveling across the country.

There’s nothing like flying through the night, changing time zones, and then having to navigate your way around a strange city to start a vacation off on the wrong foot.

These potent supplements can provide relief from sleeplessness and promote a calm and restful mood before attempting to sleep.

Also, support your internal clock by taking a few simple steps while in flight: avoid caffeine and alcohol, drink plenty of water and use an eye mask, pillow and ear plugs to snag a few hours of sleep en route.

Then, the first morning at your destination, walk around in bright daylight to reset your internal clock.

Whether you are the action-adventure type who likes to scale peaks or someone who prefers to relax by the pool with a fruity drink, packing these vacation savers can help you enjoy your holiday and return relaxed and healthy. Happy trails!

What Else Can I Do?

• Use a good multivitamin. Don't kid yourself - you won't be eating well on holidays, and your body will easily slip into vitamin and mineral deficiency, paving the way for illness and disease. Taking a quality multivitamin with you will help fill the gaps in your diet, as well as helping your energy levels. Click here for Emed's Best Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements.
• If you’ll be out in the sun, pack some natural sun protection. The safest, most effective sunscreens are based on zinc oxide and titanium oxide instead of oestrogen-mimicking chemicals. Read more about The Safest Way To Slip Slop Slap.
  

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