5 Ways to Travel Well - Tips for the Healthy Happy Traveler

I drove up to Portland, Oregon to visit some friends this week and I realized something: I have never shared my Travel Tips with you!

The truth is, I’ve done a LOT of traveling. When I was younger I traveled through Argentina on the cheap. I moved around constantly on whim. I spent so much of my life on the go that I can finally say that I have mastered the art of staying healthy (and in a great mood) while traveling.

Nowadays, I spend most of my time on my ranch in Talent, Oregon with my girls and my husband…gardening, making yummy food and not going anywhere. But my trip reminded me that there is an art to traveling well - that is, to maintaining the level of comfort and joy you experience in your own home, wherever you are.

So I hope you enjoy my 5 Tips! These may just make you want to hit the road…

Tip #1: Time your Travel

This is my favorite travel tip and I wish I had known this WAY earlier in life! Time your travel so that you have a light schedule the day before you leave, and a recovery day when you return.

Don’t: Book a bunch of activities for yourself the moment you arrive somewhere. You’ll get stressed, overwhelmed and easily annoyed. The more excited you are about your trip, the more likely you are to accidentally do this to yourself. But you might find that it’s just a little too much.Hey, aren’t vacations supposed to be fun?! Don’t set yourself up to fail. Give yourself some breathing room.

Do: Plan to relax when you arrive somewhere. When you get there, assess how you feel. Do you need to eat? Take a walk if you just drove all day? Take a nap? Since you didn’t overbook yourself, you just set yourself up to have a great trip.

Tip #2: Master the Travel Diet

This is another tip I wish I could tell my younger self. Try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables while you're traveling!

A meal with plenty of healthy proteins is best while you’re traveling. I especially suggest focusing on good fats which will keep you feeling full for longer…thus avoiding some of the pitfalls of travel: Fast food, expensive unhealthy airport meals and over-snacking. My fave travel snacks are apples, chicken breast and bacon. In particular I avoid sugar, dairy and overprocessed foods.

Travel diets are all about 2 things: What you bring when you go, and what you eat while you’re there! Whether you’re flying or driving, I have some suggestions for you.

Specifically I like to bring snacks like Nuts, packaged nut butters, or a salad with protein when I’m traveling so that I stay full on healthy happy food instead of binging junk on the go.

For travel meals, I seek out places with meals like avocado toast, fruit and fresh juice in the morning. For lunch and dinner I like to find places that serve meat and veggies without too much dairy or heavy carbs that will make me feel tired and bloated.

Drink plenty of water, take a high-quality multivitamin consistently and bring healthy snacks everywhere you go. My favorite daily multivitamin is the doTERRA LLV, or “Lifelong Vitality Pack” vitamin trio. I take these every single day for energy, gut balance, emotional balance and more! (reach out to me and ask whether this might be the right fit for you. I have so much information to share about WHY I love these!)

Eating heavy food when you travel is the enemy! No one likes exploring a new place when you’re feeling bloated, gassy, sleepy or uncomfortable. Not fun! What you eat when you travel sets you up for what experience you truly want to have.

Tip #3: Sleep is the Secret!

Okay, so it’s not really a secret…we need good sleep before and during travel.

But it seems like we’re always missing out on this one, right?! I know that sometimes right before I travel my stress can keep me up, and sometimes when I arrive somewhere I don’t get the same quality sleep I’m accustomed to getting at home. Time to master the art of sleep before and during your travel.

I have a tip I use sometimes when I’m about to travel and my stress threatens to keep me up. It might sound silly, so hear me out. I…keep a notebook and a pen by my bed.

You might wonder, why would that help you sleep? That’s the magic though!

If you’re an overthinker like me, you sometimes find yourself going through a list of things because you’re worried about forgetting something. If you’re getting ready for bed and your mind is going a million miles per minute, I want you to grab your pen and paper and…write it down.

Write it down! Just make a list of what you know you will need to attend to tomorrow. Since you know you have written it down and you won’t forget it because it’s on the list…you are much more likely to be able to relax and get great sleep.

Another tip that I MUST recommend is that you stop using your phone in bed before and during your travel. This is actually an everyday recommendation - stop using your phone in bed! But eespecially right before you travel this can be damaging. The light on our phones (and TV and Laptop, etc) tells our brain that it’s morning. When we look at our devices before bed, we are actually sending messages to our brain that it’s time to WAKE UP. Not helpful right?!

So, begin turning off your devices an hour before bed, a week before you travel. This could be so lifechanging.

I am very passionate about my sleep routine! I like to give my mind and body every tool they need to drift off and get a great night’s rest. I am a better traveler when I rest and rejuvenate.

I turn off my devices at least an hour before I sleep. I also love using my essential oil diffuser as a natural sleep tool. I add 4-5 drops of doTERRA Serenity essential oil blend to a diffuser near my bed. Serenity contains oils like Lavender, Vetiver and Ylang Ylang to calm your mind and help you rest.

I also take a high-quality sleep supplement called Serenity Softgels. These softgels contain the natural sleep ingredient L-Theanine plus calming essential oils that can help your mind drift off! I take 2-3 softgels about an hour before bed while I’m shutting off my devices.

Tip #4: Take a Detox Bath!

This one might sound funny…but I NEVER travel without bringing epsom salts!

No matter how you travel, you need a detox bath!

Throw some epsom salts and baking soda in your bag and make yourself a detox bath when you arrive at your destination. You will be so glad you did.

I like to bring at least 2 cups of salts & baking soda with me in a jar or sealed container so that I don’t spend my trip feeling sluggish or fatigued physically. This is particularly helpful if your drive or flight was long and your legs get crampy!

I even like to throw some Purify essential oil blend into my bath salts, shake and sprinkle them into my bath. Purify is cleansing and detoxifying for the mind and body.

Tip #5: Use Essential Oils

If you know me, you know that I never leave the house without essential oils. I have some travel tips on using oils on the go wherever you are!

OnGuard Softgels - I take 2-3 of these immune support capsules every day during my trip. These are fantastic for air travel but I use them for car travel as well…after all, no matter how we travel we’re exposed to unfamiliar ick! I love bringing these with me because I feel prepared for whatever happens when I’m on the road.

Nasal Inhalers - These are my favorite way to inhale my oils in a public place without offending anyone’s sense of smell. I like to buy a pack of them from AromaTools, add several drops of oil before I leave for my trip and then toss them in my bag. Easy and so practical! My favorite oil to use in my inhaler is doTERRA Breathe Blend for whenever I am feeling stuffed up or sneezy. It has oils like Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Tea Tree. (This is also extremely helpful if you are near any unpleasant travel aromas!) I also love inhaling Peppermint if I’m trying to stay awake and alert on a long drive.

Diffuser - One of the best travel accessories ever is an essential oil diffuser. I bring my diffuser and when I arrive at my Airbnb or Hotel room, I immediately plug it in and begin diffusing OnGuard. OnGuard is my favorite immune-support blend and I love using it to help keep a space clean and healthy.

DigestZen Blend - This is a must-have and a must-bring. It happens to all of us: We try a new food that doesn’t agree with us or we eat something at the airport that makes us feel yucky! DigestZen is so helpful when this happens. Pour 4-5 drops into your palm and massage into your belly to ease your discomfort. Highly recommended for travel! You can also pour just 1 drop into a glass of water and drink for quick relief.

Click below to get my Travel Kit at wholesale prices including a doTERRA Membership.

This kit contains all the oils and supplements we talked about, plus a diffuser! If you have questions or want support, please reach out to me via email at ariningraham@gmail.com and I’m happy to help.

I use so many oils when I travel but those are my absolute must-haves for staying healthy, avoiding stomach upset, sleeping well, and being in a great mood all trip long!

…I could go on and on. I love using oils when I travel. If you’re traveling with kids, reach out to me! As a mom, I’d love to help make personalized suggestions to help you have a great time.

PLUS: Are you New to using doTERRA essential oils?

Click below for a Free Recorded Intro Class from me! After you watch it, text me your top 3 health concerns to 805-252-1561 and I will design a wellness plan for you!