From bloat to disrupted digestion, fatigue and cognitive fog, it's no secret travel puts stress on the body. But giving your body a little extra love once your out of the cabin pressure doesn't have to be trip....
Here are 5 practices to get your body feeling back in balance after travel:
1. Dandelion Root Capsules
Those fuzzy flowers we blew into the wind as children? Yep. Those dandelions, and their roots.
Indigenous American tribes like the the Pillager Ojibwas and Mohegans used dandelion as a means to make tea, often used for kidney, stomach and skin conditions, swelling, and as an overall wellness tonic.
In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion root has been used to treat a myriad of ailments such as constipation, heartburn, and to remove water from the body.
A 2009 study demonstrated the diuretic (a substance that increases diuresis- aka gets all of that extra water out of your body) affects of dandelion root in which all participants experienced an increase in 1. amount of urination and 2. frequency of urination.
Dandelion root can be easily consumed in tea form or in capsules taken throughout the day to encourage consistent absorption. Find them in your local natural food store.
2. Drink Your Shrooms!
Healers across the world have known of the power of mushrooms for millennia. From their anti-inflammatory properties, to the adaptogens they possess to help our bodies cope with stress and boost immunity, drinking mushroom mixes are something many have begun to incorporate into their daily lives. The mushroom
Four Sigmatic (not sponsored) offers pre-portioned individual packets perfect just before bedtime. Their Chai Tea Latte contains a mix of Reishi and turkey tail mushroom making it a calming, anti-inflammatory cocktail.
I love to brew a shot of decaf espresso, stir in the mix and top it off with a little vanilla almond milk creamer. Try this before bed and thank me later...
3. The one time 'skinny teas' might be okay...
Numerous Influencers on Instagram have come under fire for promoting what have been nicknamed 'skinny teas'. Promising massive weight loss among other unrealistic goals, it was seen by many as wildly unethical given these teas were essentially just diuretics.
In an instance in which we are aiming for a detox of some sort, however, these teas can be a great way to reset the body. Most detox teas on the market will have a combination of cinnamon bark, licorice root, ginger root, dandelion root and sarsaparilla root among others, generally mixed with a handful of other herbs for flavoring, so I recommend making your selection based upon a flavor you think you'd enjoy.
4. Stretch it out
I find that doing yoga is the BEST post-travel (well...anytime really) activity. Traveling is tiring and going to the gym might just be the last thing you want to do after, but I find that a slow, restorative flow will bring your heart rate up just a bit to encourage blood flow, as well as stretching out the parts of your body that have been stiff from sitting all those hours.
5. Water, Water & more Water
If you have access to a pool post-travel, I HIGHLY recommend going for a swim. This isn't exactly evidence based, but I can tell you from experience how lovely the water pressure feels on your body, which I believe might also flush your body of retained water (aka bloat). Alternatively, an epsom salt bath is a great option. Lastly but not least, remind yourself that water is medicine, and the more you can consume, the more your body will thank you.
For more information:
Clare BA, Conroy RS, Spelman K. The diuretic effect in human subjects of an extract of Taraxacum officinale folium over a single day. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):929-34. doi: 10.1089/acm.2008.0152. PMID: 19678785; PMCID: PMC3155102. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19678785/
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