The season of summer vacations is finally here, and while you may be fully ready for the destination, the long travel day to get there may be a different story. The good news is that a little preparation goes a long way, and with the right habits in place you can arrive feeling a lot more like yourself. Here is everything we swear by to stay nourished, refreshed, and feeling good from departure to arrival.
Plan Ahead by Packing Your Own Snacks
Packing your own snacks is the biggest hack for long travel days. Skip the airport and last-minute gas station grabs by building your own balanced snack spread before you leave. Think fresh produce like carrots, strawberries, and California walnuts, which offer 4g of protein, 2g of fiber, and “good fats” including 2.5g of monounsaturated and 13g of polyunsaturated fat.1 Build whatever easy combinations you know will hit the spot mid-trip, and you’re set.
Prioritize Hydration Habits
If you tend to arrive at your destination with a headache and zero energy, dehydration is likely your culprit. Flying is especially hard on your body, so it’s important to be mindful of what you are sipping on throughout the journey. Pack a large water bottle, fill it up before you board and make it a goal to drink the whole bottle, then refill it.
Move When You Can
Ever start a vacation feeling extra puffy or stiff? Hours of sitting will do that to you. Even small moments of movement throughout the day will be a game changer! Use your layover to walk around the terminal instead of sitting at the gate, do a few stretches in the aisle midflight, and on road trips, make it a point to stop and get out of the car every couple of hours. Your body will thank you later.
Keep Skin Care Essentials in Your Carry On
A travel-sized skincare kit is one of those things you will never regret packing. A hydrating facial mist, a good moisturizer, and a lip balm tucked into your carry on can make a surprising difference in how you feel mid-trip. It takes two minutes to do a quick refresh, and you will step off that plane feeling so much more revived and ready to go.
Remember to Recover
Arriving at your destination is exciting but try to resist the urge to pack your schedule. Instead, give your body a little grace by prioritizing quality sleep and nourishing meals for maximum recovery. Snacking on California walnuts is an easy starting point. Research shows that 40g of walnuts a day (roughly a handful) may help improve sleep quality, reduce daytime sleepiness, and boost levels of melatonin.2
1 A one-ounce serving provides 18g of total fat, “good fats” including 2.5g of monounsaturated fat and 13g of polyunsaturated fat (of which 2.5 grams is plant-based omega-3 ALA), as well as 1.5g of saturated fat.
2 The eight-week study included 76 healthy young adults ages 20–28, mostly female, who participated in both the walnut phase and a control phase. Results may not apply to other groups, and more research is needed.
