I bet  by now you are just about ready to be done with winter! If you are lucky, you’ve booked a trip down South and are getting ready to go. The last thing you want to happen is to get sick while you are there. Or to pick up a parasite that travels back with you and causes symptoms down the road.

What can you do to prevent either of these from happening? To start you need to have a good immune system, especially in the winter. You can take extra vitamin C, probiotics and zinc to start doing this well in advance of your trip.

If your stomach acid is low then you are more susceptible to pick up a bug (either down South or back home). In order to figure out how your stomach acid levels are sufficient you can do the baking soda challenge (post link on Facebook). If you’ve done that already and determined that it is low then make sure to be treating that leading up to and during the trip. Apple cider vinegar capsules are the best thing to travel with while you are away. If you have food intolerances that will be difficult to avoid when away (or you choose not to avoid them, which is totally fine!) you may want to consider a digestive enzyme as well. There are many types on the shelves and you might already have a favourite but we have options at the clinic as well.

Having a disrupted microbiome (or gut flora) that leads to a leaky gut increases your chances of picking up a parasite to bring home with you. This isn’t always apparent and can show up months later. If we’ve determined in the clinic that you have a leaky gut it’s important to support it as much as possible before going, either with supplements prescribed or fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut. If you think that you picked up something upon your return there is an option to run a stool test to figure out if and exactly what that is.

While away there are a few things that you can have with you to support your system even more. If you tolerate probiotics, then you can take extra while away. Bring oil of oregano with you. It is anti-parasitic, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial so one thing can cover all of your bases. If you typically get sick while away then there are extra herbs you can take to support but don’t start those without talking to a health professional.

While away, make sure to drink lots of water to flush out toxins. Eat lots of fruits to get extra doses of vitamin C. Make sure to have protein with your meals to keep your energy levels up and boost your immune system. But most of all; sleep, relax and have fun, that is what your system needs the most!