Our health tips will stop you losing
valuable vacation time to bugs, bites and burnout
‘Any
excuse to show off my Mani’
AVOID Jetlag
A long-haul flight doesn’t have to result
in eyelids heavier than dumbbells for days after touching down. Tweaking your
sleep pattern slightly in preparation for any time-zone changes – even by as
little as an hour three nights before jetting off – can reduce drowsiness. And
once you arrive, take melatonin capsules, which your GP can prescribe, for
three nights before hitting the sack. It’s the hormone that regulates the
body’s natural sleep cycle. Jetlag, shmetlag.
AVOID Food poisoning
Say ‘no ta’ to Delhi belly by making like
the French and saying ‘oui!’ to garlic. Scientists recently discovered the
compound diallyl sulphide in garlic is 100 times more effective than
antibiotics at fighting the bacterium most commonly to blame for food
poisoning. But rather than OD-ing on the tzatziki, take Holland &
Barrett Odourless Garlic Capsules, $10 for 100, a week before you go. It’s
the perfect pre-emptive strike – and won’t leave you with stinky breath.
Holland
& Barrett Odourless Garlic Capsules
AVOID Mosquito bites
Fed up of providing blood-suckers with a
free bar? According to research, natural lemon eucalyptus oil is just as
effective a repellent as DEET, but gentler on your skin. Dab G Baldwin &
Co Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil, $4.5, on your wrists and neck before an
al fresco dinner, and the biters won’t be joining you for coffee.
AVOID Sunstroke
Sunstroke strikes when your body fails to
regulate its core temperature. It normally does this by sweating, but when
you’re dehydrated, you don’t sweat. Start Operation Hydration on the plane. Aim
to drink 220ml of water for every hour on board –it’s the minimum fluid your
body needs at cruising altitude, where the air is 20% drier. And top us with Nuun
Hydration Tablets, $36 for 48, on particularly active days.
AVOID A summer cold
Taking probiotics a week before you bid
goodbye to Blighty will stimulate your immune system, preventing bacteria from
invading just as you start to relax. It’s also said to help with Hay fever, so
it’s perfect prep for a Staycation, too. Try Seven Seas Multibionta Vitality
Complete Multivitamin plus Probiotics, $17.75. Happy hols!
