Newsworthy

Holidays can be stressful enough without having to remember what to pack, how to keep your back from giving out, or focusing on what you should “allow” yourself to eat! Let us help you by offering some tips and tricks we have gathered from the experts – making this holiday season go from a stress mess to a huge success.

Snack Station

Plane, train, driving, or riding – here is your breakdown for making sure your snacking doesn’t go off rails. We’ve compiled a list that will keep the kids happy and the holiday clothes you picked out still zipping up! Just don’t forget to pack enough for the entire family – these are too good to share.

Fruit

Fruit gives you that sugar you’re craving without it being artificial or “too much.” Save the worry of messy juices running down your hands by packing a bag of grapes, bananas, pre-cut apples, cherries, blueberries, or pre-sliced strawberries.

Protein

Protein has the power to make you feel fuller, longer – essentially the dream food for trips! Pack some Greek yogurt, protein bars, a small container of peanut butter to go with those pre-cut apples from above, or even a few protein shakes for when you can’t have something in your hands continuously.

Guilty Pleasures… or are they?

If you’re like us, passing up a snack-worthy, salty, cracker or chip is just as hard as, well… anything! Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites, but remember moderation in portions and that there are always options to satiate that craving without costing you your entire days’ worth of calories. Find the “snack size” bags of that popcorn or chip you crave and only bring enough for each person to have one. This will help you to keep yourself honest about portions while still allowing for the treat you deserve!

Fighting the Plane & Car Ride Pain

There is no worse feeling than sitting down for a ride just to stand up a few hours later to realize that your back, neck, or knees are now completely out of whack.  Here’s what the experts say you can do to make sure the only pain this holiday season will be Uncle Mark’s… when you beat him at the annual poker game.

Stretch

We aren’t talking about stretching once or twice – this is a continuous plan! Starting today, begin stretching to prepare for your upcoming trip. Try to stretch twice a day, when you wake up and before you go to bed. If you can fit in a quick stretch break over your lunch, even better! Just 10 minutes of stretching, twice a day, can make a world of difference before you sit down for a few hours.

Move Around

How do you move around when you’re on a plane or car? During the trip, if possible, stand or walk if you can. This can be as simple as standing up and walking to the back of the plane, twisting around a little to loosen those muscles and joints, and then walking back to your seat! If you’re in a car, take the gas stop break as your opportunity to walk into the gas station and get those joints moving before your next hour in the car.

Don’t Forget These Small Necessities

Waiting until the last minute to pack? No problem – as long as you don’t forget these essentials! Regardless of how you are traveling this holiday season, avoid the annoying pharmacy runs or the “you’ve got to be kidding me” oops moments by following this packing guide.

Dental

We all know there will at least be one sugar cookie eaten during this trip… if not five. So, don’t forget that toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss! Stick to the travel-sized toothpaste to avoid any issues when you’re boarding a plane or when you forget it at your in-laws when you leave!

Medications

Traveling with medications doesn’t need to be a hassle! If you have prescriptions, be sure to get them filled before you jet off. While packing, make it easy on yourself by either packing whole bottles or purchasing small twist top containers with labels from Amazon or at your local drug store. Here is a list of medications you may not think to pack, but could definitely come in handy: Ibuprofen or Tylenol, GasX, Tums, Pepto Bismol, Excedrin, Cough drops or suppressant, motion sickness medication, antihistamine, cold and flu meds, and allergy medicine.

General Health

Don’t forget to have all traveling family members receive their flu shots before packing up to visit family (call us to schedule one today, if you haven’t already!). Pack your daily vitamins for everyone on the trip. If there is a family member with severe food allergies, don’t forget the EpiPen.

From all of us at Stormont Vail Health, we hope you have a happy and safe holiday season filled with laughter, fun, food, and everything that makes you happy.