How to Stay Healthy While Traveling

Hello my fellow Patriot. Cade here.

Travel throughout the world, be it work or play, can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life.

To be able to immerse yourself in a different culture and environment can create lifelong, positive memories. In addition to "working" in all but one continent while in the SEAL teams, I've spent a ton of time south of the border racing dirt bikes and surfing. Other than dealing with a few broken bones (one of the "costs of doing business" when racing), I've learned there are some common sense tips that can keep you healthy while traveling away from home.

PRE-TRAVEL

I constantly preach that preparation is 90 percent of avoiding a nasty situation. This is also true when traveling.

• Make sure you're healthy before you head out. If you're starting your travel under the weather, you can expect that things will only get worse.
• Get plenty of sleep prior to departure. Get that immune system working at its peak.
• Make sure you are up to date on all of your immunizations. It is also highly advisable to find out if there are immunizations required at your destination.
• Contact the CDC to find out if there are any significant health concerns at your destination like a new outbreak or a high risk of malaria, for example.
• Consider signing up for a healthcare app like TELADOC that provides 24/7 medical advice and can coordinate filling an emergency prescription.

PACK A TRAVEL-SIZE HEALTH KIT

Whether you're in the car, on the plane, bus, or train, you never know when you or someone around you may start feeling unwell. Include the following:

• Prescription medications and vitamins
• Medicine for pain or fever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen as well as antihistamines, antacid, and anti-diarrheal medication, and anti-motion sickness tablets
• Hand sanitizer
• Bug repellent
• Sunscreen
• Include your photo ID and a printed list of your medications and emergency contacts in a waterproof baggie.
• Patriot PowerUV – not only is this a great backup power solution for your phone on the go, the UV-C light will help beat back germs on surfaces you'll touch on your journey too.

WATER

It's simple: Hydrate or die. Drinking a lot of water is one of the easiest and best things you can do to stay healthy.

That said, there are many locations in the world including my beloved Baja where the water quality can be suspect. I would highly recommend traveling with a water purifier. That'll give you the confidence to know that what you are putting into your body will be clean and safe.

PROBIOTICS

I am a huge proponent of the use of probiotics not only while traveling, but daily.

Probiotics are microorganisms that are ingested to improve digestive health. They're often called "good bacteria." Probiotics compete with bad bacteria to improve digestion and support immune function, prevent or treat diarrhea caused by infections or antibiotics, and support reduced inflammation. It’s a great defense against the multitude of "bugs" that are a part of traveling. Give them a try.

AIR

Consider not only poor air quality but altitude. I had a good friend join me in Vail, CO (8,150') a few years ago. He flew in from Austin, TX (sea level) and within an hour of arriving he was acting like he was drunk.

We had to have him airlifted back to Denver and placed on oxygen. So, keep this in mind if your destination is much higher than your home and monitor your physical exertion in an area that has poor air quality. A compact oxygen canister sold at drug stores might be a great add to your luggage.

I hope this is helpful and keeps you healthy. Don't forget to take a lot of pictures!

And whether you're home or on the go, follow my tips so you'll always be a survivor, not a statistic!

To your survival,

Cade Courtley