travel and health Archives - Mom's Guide To Travel

Dec 27 2016

Breaking Up With Salt in Our Foods For The Holidays

What a wonderful time of year!

If you’re like millions of other Americans, you’re traveling for the holidays and/or eating more than usual. And if you’re like millions more, you’ll be making some New Year’s Resolutions that include making some adjustments with your food habits and your health.

I know I will.

Did you know that an independent study conducted by the American Heart Association showed that “over the past year, nearly half of Americans have tried to reduce sodium and/or sugar? They have also made an effort to drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, and eat fewer processed foods.”

Yup! People are being more mindful about their sodium and sugar intake.

A couple of months ago I was asked to write about my personal experience with sodium as a part of the American Heart Association’s #BreakUpWithSalt campaign.

It’s not easy breaking up with salt

Culturally, it’s an experience that doesn’t begin with me but rather dates back to learned behavior passed down through generations. But it’s also a story that’s a continuous work in progress as is anything in our lives.

Just like the holidays, when we travel we indulge. And there’s nothing wrong with temporary indulgences.

The problem creeps up when you make those indulgences ordinary behavior. It all boils down to moderation.

Whenever I’m about to travel, I like to put in a few extra workouts and be a bit more strict about what I eat because I know that when I’m on the road, I’ll say “yes” more than I’ll say “no.”

Salty food choices are all about behavior

And that’s the objective with the campaign and the telling of a personal story: to encourage you, my reader, to check your behavior to reduce sodium intake. To choose your heart health first. To think of your soul when you’re considering your food.

Read the full blog post here on the AHA’s website.

This was a sponsored post created for the American Heart Association’s Sodium Blog. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Nov 25 2016

An Existential Retreat In Costa Rica Made of 1,000 Steps

Steps in Costa Rica — Walking to the waterfall on my 1st trip to Costa Rica – T. B. Smith

Most of us don’t consider overcoming fears while we’re on a vacation. Especially when it’s a getaway designed to be a wellness retreat.

That’s exactly what happened during the Costa Rica Women’s retreat I offered in September: tons of fear-addressing.

The trip was designed to transport members of the MGTT travel squad to another world, both mentally and physically.

In so doing, it required showcasing the natural beauty of Costa Rica. Inherent in that beauty are experiences quite unfamiliar to most of us: wild animals, energy vortexes, and natural wonders hidden behind the veil of steep elevations.

As my guests learned on this trip, anything really worth seeing sometimes requires 1,000 steps to get to it.

One of my travel squad members, Christie, recounts her figurative and literal experience with this notion on her blog.

Christie Retreat In Costa rica — Christie in Costa Rica

Her story about her unplanned existential retreat in Costa Rica will have you wondering where it is that you need to go to experience your own transformation.

Please take a read. Tell me what you think. Personally, I love what she had to say:

I’ve been betrayed by every single mirror in my house… in the entire United States!

I said this to myself standing in front of the full length mirror in my hotel room. Tired. Sweaty. A little muddy. Completely disgusted with my reflection… with myself…

Just a few hours before I was on a full day of adventure through the rain forests and volcanic foothills of Costa Rica. Sandwiched between a five-mile nature hike with six hanging bridges and a 4-mile (round-trip) hike to climb volcanic rocks, was a trip to Catarata La Fortuna (La Fortuna Waterfall).

At the entrance of this tourist attraction, there is your typical gift shop, cafe, and restroom house along with a look-out platform where you can view the waterfall. From here, the waterfall looks miles away… a tiny white stitch on a large blanket of green. My thought: This is it? Actually, I think I said it out loud because our tour guide, Brandon, said “No, we are going to get much closer. We’re going to hike down there.” Okay… cool… been hiking all morning so, no big deal. Then he says… “To get to the waterfall, we have to walk down 500 steps.”

Here’s something you need to know about me…

I have a “thing” about steps. And by “thing” I mean a serious fear of them. I hate steps. HATE steps! Going up, not so bad… going down, complete terror. Whenever I approach a staircase, before I take that first step down… I see myself falling from top to bottom. True story. So every time I have to walk down stairs or even on an escalator, I have to take a quick deep breath, tell myself “you will not fall,” get a vice-grip on the railing, then take it one step at a time, exhaling panic the whole way down.

Photo by T. B. Smith

Now… back to the walking down 500 steps to see this waterfall…

My body is already fussing at me for the previous hike and now my mind has joined the protest. I practically lose my mind going down a standard flight which is only 16 steps… and I’m gonna attempt 500? Who does that?

“You don’t have to go,” says Brandon.
“You can stay up here and wait for us to come back. It’s ok.”

My travel squad, in agreement with him, say they understand as well. (sigh) And so begins the tug-o-war with myself. Wanting to have this adventure but the thought of those stairs paralyzing me. Feeling so stupid as I watch children and senior citizens eagerly and effortlessly descend. (big heavy sigh)

While staring at the tiny stitch of white off in the distance and contemplating “do or die (or both),” Tawanna comes up beside me…

“I feel you,” she says. “It’s a lot of steps. A. Lot. Of. Steps. But it’s worth it. Think about it, Christie… this isn’t like going to Florida. You can’t say ‘oh well, I’ll do it next time.’ Do you know when you’ll be back in Costa Rica? You’re here now… you might as well do it!
Who knows if you’ll get the chance again, right?”

Dammit! (deep breath) You will not fall. (exhale panic)

Ummm… Did I mention that these were no ordinary steps.

Of the 500, roughly 300 of them are actual steps… like made of concrete or wood and have something resembling real railings. The rest of them were stones or pavers with holes in them (that you have to step on just right or there goes your ankle or knee) with either a thin rope as a railing or no railing at all! But all 500 being a collective hot ass mess! Some wide. Some narrow. Some a couple of shoe-lengths long. Some you have to step sideways to get proper footing. Some that go in a straight or staircase-landing-staircase pattern. Some that curve in a half spiral or just drop off in a nearly 90 degree ladder-like angle. All of them fucking terrifying.

But… I did it.

I made it to the bottom to see the magnificent Catarata La Fortuna up close and personal. She was big and beautiful. Hard to believe that this was the tiny stitch of white I saw on the landing. So powerful, yet so calming. We sat on the rocks, dipped our aching feet in her cool, healing waters and watched the other tourists baptize themselves in her glory. The only thing left to do in this moment was to thank God… for pretty much everything.

What goes down, must come up…

I was so focused on surviving going down the steps that I didn’t put any thought into going back up. That is until I was standing at the bottom and getting a really good look at how long and far we came. From this perspective, the reality that these steps cleverly disguised the fact that you just repelled down a mountain-side and now have to climb back up that bitch, smacks you all in the face. Seriously… How did this not sink in initially?

The weight of it all came crashing down on me. Literally the weight… my weight… all of it… and just how much of it I have gained over the last three years made me abundantly aware of its presence as we began our ascent.

My body in excruciating pain that increased with every step… begging me to stop the torture. My heart threatening to bust through my chest in arrest. Air clawing its way in and out of my lungs as I hoisted… yes, hoisted… my frame one shaky leg at a time. My companions ahead of me upon my urging and my reassuring them I was okay and to not wait on me. Truthfully, I just didn’t want them to see how un-okay I really was. Thank goodness for the sweat that masked my tears.

Half way up, there’s a portion of the staircase that is well constructed out of concrete and stone with a built in bench. I stopped for a moment to gather myself. Brandon stood nearby with a concerned watchful eye, telling me to take my time. He and I both knew that taking too long of a break would make this so much harder. And, God, this was so hard!

How did I let this happen?

How could I do this to myself, again? AGAIN!! Did I stop caring? When? When did I stop looking in mirrors, again? I fought so hard to see myself… to love myself… to feel good in my skin… When did I stop? Why?

“I am in really bad shape,” I said softly to Brandon.
“And it has absolutely nothing to do with how fat I am.”

He just looked sympathetically confused and said “Are you ready?”
He had no clue just how loaded that question is. The answer is yes… and the answer is no. But yes, is the only way back to the top.

So I’m standing in the hotel room looking at someone I resemble… but don’t recognize.

I swear, I didn’t seem this big, or look this sad, or feel this unhealthy before I got here… or did I? I’m convinced that Costa Rica is full of fun house mirrors. It’s either that or U.S. mirrors are all designed to give us a false sense of self.

Or maybe it’s none of that. Maybe I’m just seeing (and feeling) the truth. After all, I went on this trip to discover myself, right?

The body achieves what the mind believes.
Clearly, I have not been very kind to myself in all the ways one can be unkind.

Costa Rica wanted to show me who I really am… and maybe who I’m not. She wanted to show me who I’m going to be… and who I need to be when I leave.

“
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water.
Now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
Now, water can flow… or it can crash.
Be water, my friend.
— Bruce Lee

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Jun 28 2016

Tips For Travelers Wondering “Where Is Zika Virus?”

Travel is supposed to be fun and relaxing, not about getting sick. Who wants to search for “where is Zika virus” as they plan their summer travels?

Nobody.

However, the reality is that you have to be aware. Last year travelers were worrying about being exposed to Ebola. In 2003 we were stressed about SARS. It seems that a new virus causes an international uproar every few years. So what’s a traveler to do? Educate, prepare and prevent.

Where is Zika virus being reported?

Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re traveling anywhere in the Caribbean and the Americas, you need to know the exact countries where the Zika virus is prevalent. You also need to know the symptoms to be aware of and most importantly, steps you can take for prevention.

According to the CDC, the following countries have reported cases of the Zika virus.

Zika virus map — Map of Countries & Territories with Active Zika Virus, photo courtesy of CDC.

Americas

Argentina Aruba Barbados Belize Bolivia Bonaire Brazil Columbia

Puerto Rico Costa Rica Cuba Curucao Dominica Dominican Republic

Ecuador El Salvador French Guiana Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala

Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua

Panama Paraguay Peru Saint Barthélemy Saint Lucia Saint Martin

Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Saint Maarten Suriname Trinidad & Tobago

U.S. Virgin Islands Venezuela

Oceania/Pacific Islands

American Samoa Fiji Kosrae Marshall Islands New Caledonia

Papua New Guinea Samoa Tonga

Africa

Cape Verde

Traveling to any of these countries in the near future? Then keep reading…

Listen to the audio below for traveler tips

Prevention is the second line of defense

When my sister and I traveled to Costa Rica last Fall, we weren’t aware of the Zika virus. However, we were well aware of how to protect ourselves from mosquito bites.

As I mention in the audio clip above, if you are traveling to a Zika identified country, be cautious and use conventional repellants that contain DEET unless you have an allergy to the chemical.

The CDC recommends using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – registered repellant. You want to look for a product that contains any of the following ingredients in addition to DEET: picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol.

Except for the oil of lemon eucalyptus, each one of those active ingredients sounds harmful. As much as I love using natural oils, I didn’t take any chances on protecting myself trekking through the Costa Rican rain forest.

We put a natural oil concoction on our skin beneath our clothes as well as on sensitive skin like our face and neck. We placed the DEET product over our clothes and on areas like our ankles or wrists.

Here are alternatives to conventional mosquito repellant that have worked for me in the past:

Avon Skin So Soft (this is old school but it works and doesn’t smell bad)
Citronella essential oil
Lemongrass essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Peppermint oil

You can either do a blend of the above oils with other ingredients such as lavender and sandalwood or you can purchase a blend from an essential oil company.

Typical Zika virus symptoms

where is zika virus — Conjunctivitis is one of several Zika virus symptoms

According to the Pan American Health Organization, a regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, symptoms of the virus include:

mild fever
rash
conjunctivitis (pink eye)
muscle pain

The PAHO reports that most people don’t develop symptoms from the disease. When they do, the symptoms are often mild and last between 2-7 days.

There is no vaccine for the virus. The only relief is time and anything that will help to relieve fever and pain.

The population which should exhibit the most caution is pregnant women. It is strongly advised that if you are pregnant, you should not travel to countries with a high prevalence of the virus.

What are some of the ways that you protect yourself from mosquito bites? Have a favorite product or natural remedy that you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments below so that we can all travel safely.

This post contains affiliate links which help to keep this site running.

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Feb 03 2016

5 Things To Help You Survive Cold and Flu Season

Cold and flu season is a time of year that most of us parents dread. Aside from it being a miserable time to be traveling while sick, it’s also a time that our children are prone to pick up something from somebody in the classroom.

As a parent of a critically ill child or a child with a compromised immune system, it’s downright stressful! As a matter of fact, my youngest son’s nurse practitioner sent me an email the other day inquiring whether I had gotten his flu shot yet.

Le Sigh.

I’m not a fan of the flu shot for either myself or my kids but protecting him against others who might pass it on to him is vital.

The following guest post on 5 Things To Help You Survive Cold and Flu Season is brought to you by Sili Recio and originally appeared on MyMamihood.com.

The last time I went down with a cold it was a couple of years ago and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. It’s all fun and games til the single mami that works from home is down for the count. The Frog Princess is a bit more self sufficient now but I am here to tell you that those days were awful. Not only was she home from school with a fever which meant I was at defcon 5, but I was also stuffy, tired and probably feverish myself.

You see, my daughter suffers from febrile seizures and I have to be on constant watch when she is ill. Regardless of how I feel.

Related Content: Cold and Flu Facts

While under the weather, I rely on a few things to make my life easier. Here are a few tips to keep in mind in order to survive a cold or flu:

1. Nutrition

Chloe’s Chicken Soup: seriously folks, this is the reason I was able to keep it together. Maybe it was because of the comfort it brought (doesn’t chicken soup remind you of home?) or the 50 million cloves of garlic that I put into the soup but, Chloe’s soup is the business and I highly recommend it. I made a big batch of it.

You don’t have to have this specific soup but, having meals planned ahead will mean you can take time to rest and won’t need to be running around the kitchen while you’re feeling ill. Crock pot meals are also good for this time.

And don’t forget your fluids! Staying hydrated is always important but even more so when your body is fighting to get healthy.

2. Medicine

Over the counter medications: ibuprofen, cold/cough syrup, cough drops. Anything that you can take to make you feel better. If this is a cold virus, you probably won’t be getting any prescription meds but will still need to take a something to alleviate those symptoms. A note about these:

Always read the Drug Facts label before administering an OTC medicine
Never give oral cough/cold medicines to kids under the age of 4
It’s important to see a doctor if you have suspected influenza on day 1 or 2,especially if you are considered high risk. The following groups are considered high-risk:
- Children under 2 years
- Adults over 65
- Pregnant women
- Anyone with complicated/severe illness

Another note on over the counter medicine: be sure you’re reading all of the ingredients if you’re taking more than one medication at a time as some meds have the same ingredients. This is especially important if you have a prescription as some over the counter meds might have an adverse interaction.

Top Cleanest Beaches In The U.S. – Plan Your Family Trip Accordingly

Have you been to one of the top cleanest beaches in the United States? Do you know who the contenders are? Cleanliness is probably the top deterrent for families considering travel to the beach with their young kids. Luckily, for the past 23 years, the Natural Resources Defense Council has been publishing an annual Beach Report that gives beach-goers guidance on the water quality of the most popular beaches in the country.

I wish my mother knew about this report when we were growing up. Maybe we would have been spared the maladies of Riis Beach in New York. Then again, going to Riis Beach is like a right of passage for any native New Yorker I guess. Funny enough, and contrary to my belief, it didn’t make the list for worst beaches, where water samples “exceeded public heath standards more than 25% of the time from 2008-2012.”

To this day, I associate an evening in the bathroom after a day at the beach to with the “cleansing affects of salt water.” This correlation is a myth. In fact, I don’t ALWAYS go to the bathroom after a day at every beach. Just some beaches. Apparently, the ones that do cause an unwelcome invitation to the bathroom, are ones where the water might be contaminated. Swimming in polluted water can cause gastrointestinal issues as well as pinkeye because of viruses, bacteria, and parasites in the water. Most of us don’t connect the dots at the end of the day. I sure didn’t.

Where does the water pollution come from? According to a USA TODAY interview with NRDC senior attorney Jon Devine, it comes from storm runoff from roadways, parking lots and other hardscapes.

Cleanes Beachees — Ocean City earns 5 star rating for its clean beach.

I’ve walked on three of the thirteen popular beaches that the NRDC has awarded a five- star rating for low violations, frequent water testing and prompt public notification: Dewey Beach in Delaware; Rehoboth Beach in Delaware; and Ocean City in Maryland. The others on the list are in Alabama (Gulf Shores Public Beach, Gulf State Park Pavilion); California (Bolsa Chica Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente State Beach); Michigan (Bay City State Recreation Area); Minnesota (Park Point Franklin Park, Lafayette Community Club Beach) and New Hampshire (Hampton Beach State Park, Wallis Sands Beach).

What beach are you traveling to this summer? Do you know how clean (or unclean) the water is?

It’s not easy breaking up with salt

Salty food choices are all about behavior

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Where is Zika virus being reported?

Americas

Oceania/Pacific Islands

Africa

Listen to the audio below for traveler tips

Prevention is the second line of defense

Typical Zika virus symptoms

This post contains affiliate links which help to keep this site running.

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1. Nutrition

2. Medicine

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