Gluten-Free Travel: Safe Travel Kit, Gluten-Free Travel

Safe Travel Kit, Gluten-Free Travel

JET LAG: This trick makes your first day seem endless, but it’s so worth the effort. Where ever you’re going, no matter how long it takes to get there, no matter what time you arrive…DO NOT go to sleep until at least 9:pm the evening of whatever time zone you end up in. We use our first day to settle in, find our rentals, locate the house, unpack our luggage, do a bit of grocery shopping, and talk about our plans for our visit.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL: is very effective adsorbent for diarrhea resulting from getting glutened, food poisoning, bacterial infection, or virus. If you’re taking any medications please be certain to take them at least 2 hours apart from the charcoal. Also, make sure you hydrate well to prevent constipation after taking activated charcoal. In addition, be careful to avoid activated charcoal that’s been combined with sorbitol. Sorbitol can act as a laxative!

ANTIBACTERIAL WIPES: I’m not a big fan of antibacterial anything…I feel many of us fear germs far more than necessary. It may sound contradictory, but exposure to germs is necessary to strengthen our immune systems. HOWEVER, when it comes to using strange toilets I’ve discovered the value of Antibacterial Wipes. Buy those travel packets, make certain they’re the antibacterial type, then keep some in your purse or backpack, more in the rental car, and the rest in your luggage for future use.

ELECTROLYTE MIX: Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Raw Sugar added to a glass of Lemonade is great for replacing any electrolytes lost during a ‘bad’ day on vacation. And if you can find those dried lemon crystals even better! Mix equal portions (salt/soda/sugar/crystals) in a small container and toss them into your travel bag. Then simply add 1 tsp (1/2 tsp for children) of the mix in your bottled water and sip throughout the day.

GINGER: Any way you like it, capsules or candy, it’s great for nausea and sea-sickness. You can also order ginger ale to drink as often as you like. Ginger has a long history of being used to treat nausea, stomachaches, and diarrhea.

GRAPEFUIT SEED EXTRACT: Works wonders for bacterial, viral, and fungal infections including yeast infections as well as those nasty little stomach bugs you occasionally find when drinking strange water. When I picked up that bug in Peru, this was a vacation saver for me. I have the liquid concentrate in my bath kit. All it takes is a few drops in some bottled water. And apparently now you can even purchase it as a capsule…which is exactly what I plan to do next trip.

IMODIUM: Yes, it’s a permanent item in my bath kit. No, I don’t take it any more often than is absolutely necessary. If your system is trying to expel something it doesn’t want inside it’s foolish to try and stop that process. It does come in handy on occasion if a long travel trip is planned and you’re feeling a bit iffy. Or after you’ve already spent the day getting rid of whatever was bothering you and you want to venture out the next day.

LATEX-FREE BAND AIDES: Before I got my Dermatitis Herpetiformis under control I went through hundreds of these. Not so much any longer, but they’re still in my bag every trip. My fingers used to crack and bleed something awful. I used these little babies to 'stitch' things up many times. They saved me from a lot of pain and discomfort. If the bandage is too wide for the area...simply cut one in half lengthwise...then wrap as usual. This little trick worked great if I had to apply one around a toe or between two knuckles.

PEPPERMINT: I love Peppermint, tea or candy they both work great for many tummy issues. Thanks to its calming and numbing effect, peppermint relaxes your stomach muscles so that bile can break down fats and food can move through the stomach quickly. However, if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you should not use peppermint.

TOILET PAPER: Yes, Toilet Paper. Just because you love your comforts of home, doesn’t mean you’ll find them everywhere you travel. Get a roll of your favorite Toilet Tissue, unroll it, and break it down into 3 or 4 packets and put them into Ziploc baggies. Keep one in your purse or backpack, another in the rental car, and the rest in your luggage for future use.

VITAMIN C: Great for burns…even sunburns. Make certain you pack the capsule form…not the chewable ones. Dissolve a capsule or two in cool water and apply generously. Try to use distilled or filtered water only…remember you’ll be applying it to damaged skin so you honestly don’t want to be introducing more germs than necessary.

Carolanne LeBlanc