If you are going on holiday soon I thought you might like to share my Top Tips for Travelling.

The temperatures in some countries this year have been excessive, increasing the risk of feeling unwell. There is much one can do to prevent this happening if you plan ahead and take some natural remedies with you. If you are staying in the UK you can still be affected by too much sun (we hope!), insects and allergies.

Top Tips for Travelling

1. Take a homeopathic first aid kit, if you have one. Remedies stimulate the body’s natural healing processes and help relieve discomfort. A kit will contain remedies for all the injuries and illnesses you may experience while away from home, plus a booklet explaining how to choose the most appropriate remedy.
Ainsworths sell a very compact kit containing 42 remedies available by post from www.ainsworths.com. I usually have some in stock too.

2. Lavender oil is fantastic for taking the heat out of sunburn or any type of burn and will help prevent blistering. Use neat and re-apply when the skin becomes painful again. (You might want to dilute this with almond or olive oil for very young children or put a few drops in the bath.) The homeopathic remedy Cantharis takes the sting out of burns too. Put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow or in the bath for insomnia too.

3. If you are going somewhere hot make sure that you are well hydrated before you arrive. Try to drink two litres of filtered/mineral water per day in the period before your holiday and cut down on tea, coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks. This is to replace the water lost through your normal bodily functions such as breathing, sweating, digestion and detoxification. Your cells and body systems need plain water to operate effectively. Encourage children to drink plain water. One idea is to offer them some diluted juice after they have quenched their thirst with water. In hot countries your body will need at least 2 litres or more of water per day.

4. Use a natural insect repellent without harmful chemicals such as DEET. Remember that most of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. Natural repellents use neem extract or citronella which have been used for centuries traditionally. Brands include Neal’s Yard, A. Vogel, Mosquit and others. Look in your local health food shop.

5. Take some unrefined sea salt with you. Adding a small pinch to a glass of water or your food helps improve water absorption and prevents mineral loss. I recommend Celtic sea salt as it contains around 80 minerals. It’s available from www.thenaturalsaltseller.co.uk or I usually stock it. Do not consume more than the recommended total amount of 6gms per day (approximately 1 level teaspoon).
At the first signs of tummy upsets, nausea, heat stroke, cramps, headaches, fever, wheeziness or hay fever increase your water intake with a little salt and take an appropriate homeopathic remedy every half hour or so until your symptoms improve. All these symptoms can be signs of dehydration.
You can also make a saline solution by dissolving some salt in water for cleaning wounds.

6. Use natural anti-viral and anti-microbial remedies to increase your resistance to disease in developing countries, such as grapefruit seed extract. Travel vaccines contain many toxic substances such as formaldehyde and heavy metals, as well as fragments of DNA and cells from other species. Find out more information about what you might be injecting into yourself and your children and alternative ways of promoting your health. Most travel vaccines are not compulsory. I offer homeopathic treatment before and after vaccination to strengthen the constitution to cope with this, if you choose to vaccinate.
For more information read ‘The Vaccination Bible’ published by What Doctors Don’t Tell You available from www.wddty.com.

7. Avoid suncreams full of harmful chemicals. Products using minerals as the sunscreen element offer a high degree of protection and avoid any hormonal disruption potentially associated with chemical sun creams. Lavera SPF Sun Cream available from Soorganic.com  contains only mineral for screening damaging rays.  Also Soleo Organics Sunscreen contains zinc oxide. Other brands which avoid suspect chemicals include Green People, Neal’s Yard and Weleda.

8. Encourage children and those with fair skin to cover up, wear hats and keep out of the sun in the hottest part of the day in warmer climates.

After all the planning and packing, enjoy a happy, relaxing holiday.
With warmest wishes