As a fellow woman physician who loves to travel without sacrificing my health, I'm excited to share my top strategies for turning your trips into wellness opportunities. Because let's be real - nobody wants to star in their own vacation horror story titled "That Time I Spent Three Days Getting Intimate With a Foreign Toilet."
Choosing Accommodation Wisely
I select hotels based on health-conscious criteria, not just luxury ratings. My non-negotiables include:
- Impeccably clean rooms (I check reviews specifically for cleanliness)
- In-room refrigerator for storing healthy snacks
- Tile or concrete floors rather than carpeting
Listen, I learned this the hard way. Nothing says "vacation ruined" like waking up looking like you got in a fight with a mosquito army – except it wasn't mosquitoes, it was bed bugs having a five-course meal with YOU as the main dish! And that carpet? It's storing DNA samples from guests dating back to the Reagan administration. That's not "vintage charm" – that's gross.
Sun Protection That Won't Turn You Into a Science Experiment
I'm that person at the beach with zinc oxide sunscreen, looking like I'm auditioning for a mime role. But you know what? I'd rather look temporarily ridiculous than permanently damaged.
- Zinc oxide is the ONLY barrier sunscreen I trust (accept no substitutes!)
- Avoid titanium dioxide sunscreens – they might look clear, but they're generating free radicals faster than a political debate generates tweets
- Chemical sunscreens? That's basically inviting a chemistry lab onto your largest organ. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are trying to confuse your hormones worse than dating in your 30s
- Avobenzone breaks down in sunlight (ironic for a sunscreen, don't you think?)
Getting sunburned on vacation is like paying extra for pain. "Congratulations! You've unlocked the special vacation package: three days of looking like a boiled lobster, sleeping on ice packs, and increasing your skin cancer risk!" Nobody's posting THOSE pictures on Instagram.
Mosquito Defense: Because You're Not a Walking Buffet
Nothing ruins a tropical paradise faster than becoming an all-you-can-eat mosquito resort.
- I pack clean mosquito repellents without DEET (which is basically marinating yourself in chemicals)
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus or picaridin-based repellents are my go-tos
- Permethrin-treated clothing for serious bug territories
Skip this step and you'll be that tourist in paradise counting mosquito bites instead of cocktails. "How was your trip to Costa Rica?" "Great! I got 57 mosquito bites and what might be dengue fever. The beaches were nice though."
Scheduling Rest Intentionally
Travel shouldn't leave you exhausted! I deliberately build in:
- Daily meditation time (even 10 minutes makes a difference)
- Balanced itineraries with breathing room between activities
You know that friend who plans trips like they're trying to break some kind of tourist world record? "It's 6 AM! We've got seventeen attractions to hit before lunch!" Then by day three, they're walking around like a zombie with sunglasses, mumbling about needing coffee through an IV drip. Don't be that friend. That friend needs medical attention, not another museum.
Prioritizing Movement
Keeping active while traveling is non-negotiable for me:
- I research hotel gyms before booking
- For accommodations without fitness facilities, I plan walking routes in advance
- I always pack resistance bands for hotel room workouts
Otherwise, you come home and your fitness tracker is like, "Hey, remember me? I thought you DIED." Then you try to do one squat and your body makes a sound that would alarm nearby wildlife. That's your muscles filing a formal complaint with management.
Eating Clean (Most of the Time)
My food strategy revolves around:
- Researching restaurants with organic, regeneratively-farmed options before arrival
- True Food Kitchen is my go-to in many cities
- For non-specialty restaurants, I order simply prepared seafood and vegetables
- I carry my own olive oil and balsamic vinegar packets to avoid inflammatory seed oils
Skip this step, and you'll be that tourist frantically Google-translating "WHERE IS THE NEAREST PHARMACY?" at 3 AM while your digestive system stages a full revolution. Nothing kills the romance of Paris like spending your anniversary dinner making emergency trips to that tiny European bathroom that's basically a closet with plumbing.
Supporting Digestion During "Cheat Meals"
For those special indulgences, I'm prepared with my digestive support kit:
- Histamine-degrading enzymes (4 taken 15 minutes pre-meal, 2-4 taken 6 hours post-meal)
- Humic and fulvic acid supplements to bind toxins
- Activated charcoal taken right before indulgent meals
- Specialized digestive enzymes for both animal products and plant foods
I call this my "I Want To Eat Cheese In Italy Without Consequences" kit. Because nothing says "I regret everything" like being the lady who has to unbutton her pants on a crowded tour bus. The locals still tell stories about the American woman who ate an entire pizza and then had to be rolled back to her hotel.
Supplement Organization
I maintain my health routines by:
- Pre-packing daily supplement pouches in labeled linen bags
- Ordering quality drinking water to my accommodation before arrival
- Stocking my in-room refrigerator with organic blueberries and cucumbers for evening snacking
Otherwise, you're that person at security trying to explain why you're traveling with 47 unlabeled white pills. "No sir, I promise I'm not an international drug smuggler, I'm just really into probiotics!" That's a reality show episode nobody wants to star in.
Choosing Travel Companions Wisely
The people you travel with dramatically impact your experience:
- I select friends who share similar wellness values
- I avoid traveling with high-stress or high-maintenance companions
You know that friend who turns into a hangry diva if they don't eat every 90 minutes on the dot? The one who makes TSA agents look like they're considering career changes? Yeah, that friendship can survive many things—but not sharing a hotel room in a foreign country.
Foot Care Essentials
Comfortable feet mean more enjoyable exploration:
- I pack supportive walking shoes for daily activities
- I bring dedicated workout shoes for fitness sessions
- I carry compact, comfortable flip-flops. This allows me to change out of my stylish heels once the concert or dinner has concluded.
Ignore this advice and day three of your vacation will have you hobbling around historical sites like you're auditioning for a zombie movie. "What happened to her?" "She thought cute shoes were more important than functional ones." Top 10 tourist tragedies right there.
Skin and Personal Care
I maintain my routines by:
- Transferring my trusted skincare products into travel containers
- Bringing my regular shampoo to avoid hotel products with harsh ingredients
- Packing hypoallergenic soap to prevent skin reactions
Skip this step and suddenly you're using that fancy hotel shampoo that turns your hair into something that looks like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket. Or that complimentary soap that gives you a rash so impressive, locals start asking if it's a traditional American skin decoration. Nothing says "vacation photos" like looking like you're molting.
By implementing these practices, I consistently return from trips feeling energized rather than explaining to coworkers why I need another vacation to recover from my vacation.
What wellness travel strategies work best for you? Share in the comments on my social media! Check out links to all of the mentioned products below the references.
References
Accommodation Choices & Health
- Bédard, A., et al. (2023). "Indoor allergen exposure and respiratory health outcomes." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 151(2), 395-406. [This study confirms the relationship between carpet dust allergens and respiratory symptoms]
- Wang, X., et al. (2021). "A systematic review of bed bugs: epidemiology, health effects, and control strategies." PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15(9), e0009758. [Documents the rising incidence of bed bugs in hotels and health impacts]
Sun Protection
- Schneider, S.L. & Lim, H.W. (2019). "Review of environmental effects of oxybenzone and other sunscreen active ingredients." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 80(1), 266-271. [Details hormone disruption concerns with chemical sunscreens]
- Matta, M.K., et al. (2020). "Effect of sunscreen application on plasma concentration of sunscreen active ingredients." JAMA, 323(3), 256-267. [FDA study showing chemical sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into bloodstream]
- Lewicka, Z.A., et al. (2013). "Photochemical behavior of nanoscale TiO2 and ZnO sunscreen ingredients." Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 263, 24-33. [Shows zinc oxide's superior stability compared to titanium dioxide]
Rest & Recovery During Travel
- Gonnissen, H.K., et al. (2013). "Sleep duration, sleep quality and body weight: Parallel developments." Physiology & Behavior, 121, 112-116. [Documents relationship between travel-disrupted sleep patterns and metabolic health]
Exercise & Movement
- Woodyard, C. (2011). "Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life." International Journal of Yoga, 4(2), 49-54. [Supports benefits of maintaining exercise routines while traveling]
Clean Eating & Gut Health
- Zinöcker, M.K. & Lindseth, I.A. (2018). "The Western diet-microbiome-host interaction and its role in metabolic disease." Nutrients, 10(3), 365. [Details how processed foods disrupt gut health even over short periods]
- DiNicolantonio, J.J. & O'Keefe, J.H. (2018). "Omega-6 vegetable oils as a driver of coronary heart disease: the oxidized linoleic acid hypothesis." Open Heart, 5(2), e000898. [Documents inflammatory effects of seed oils]
Digestive Support
- Kohn, J.B. (2016). "What is the evidence to support the use of digestive enzymes?" Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(1), 161. [Review of evidence for digestive enzyme supplementation]
- Schnedl, W.J., et al. (2019). "Evaluation of symptoms and symptom combinations in histamine intolerance." Intestinal Research, 17(3), 427-433. [Supports the use of histamine-degrading enzymes for food sensitivities]
Insect Protection
- Diaz, J.H. (2016). "Chemical and plant-based insect repellents: efficacy, safety, and toxicity." Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 27(1), 153-163. [Compares efficacy of DEET alternatives including oil of lemon eucalyptus]
Links 🔗
Check out my Amazon Storefront for my go-to clean living essentials, including:
- Mineral-based, non-toxic sunscreens
- DEET-free, natural mosquito repellents
- My favorite olive oil + vinegar packets for easy, seed oil-free salad dressings on the go
Your wellness toolkit—made simple. Keep Scrolling for links to all of the supplements mentioned in this article.
