Is Constipation or Stage Fright Your Travel Problem?

Traveling can interrupt your normal routine for diet and exercise and can even affect your bathroom schedule (in other words, you may suffer from constipation). If you experience constipation from traveling there are couple of simple remedies. Be proactive and take these steps to avoid problems:

• Stay well hydrated (that means 2-L or 64oz. per day)
• Eat snacks that keep you regular (dried prunes work great!)
• Stay away from lots of carbohydrates that don't provide fiber (try WASA brand crackers as an alternative - loaded w/ fiber)
• Eat as much fresh fruits and veggies as possible – we always order extra salad or fruit sides at each meal
• Pack fiber pills that may be used in a pinch (remember, effects are 24 hrs. later so consider taking 1 the night before)
• For your stage fright look for secluded and private bathrooms:
  • Starbuck’s coffee shops usually have individual bathrooms
  • Most hotels have a set of bathrooms one floor above the lobby that are less frequented – ask a staff member where the bathrooms are
  • If you are attending a work conference, use the restroom during a presentation rather than at the breaks
  • If you are staying at a relative's house, turn on the shower and fan, if that doesn’t work, offer to pick up lattes at the neighborhood Starbucks (see above)

For more information visit the MayoClinic.com.

It’s All in the Bag

One of the most useful items for packing is Ziploc bags. Here are just a few ways that they can be used:

• To protect your clothes from any liquid items such as shampoo or sunscreen, double-bag all of your toiletries and be sure to squeeze the air out of the bag as you zip it.
• To contain smaller items such as underwear and socks. Bring an extra bag so that you can keep dirty and clean items separate. Once you get home you can just empty the dirty bag into the laundry and put away any clean items.
• To pack wet swimsuits. If you or the kids want to take a last dip in the pool before you leave (this is a good way to exercise the kids prior to flying) you can pack up the suits without getting the rest of the items in your bag damp.

Since these bags are not recyclable, we try to re-use them as much as possible. I keep bags used for my toiletries with our luggage and use them on future trips. You can also re-use bags used for clean clothes. If you travel a lot you can buy re-usable travel bags that are water proof at travel or outdoor equipment stores like REI.

Pack Emergency Meals

If you are traveling with kids, be sure to leave some room in your checked suitcase for food that can be prepared without having to hit a restaurant when everyone is exhausted, eat fast food, or make that late night stop at the grocery store. Foods such as instant oatmeal, individual apple sauce packs, or macaroni and cheese (with the squeeze cheese packets) are ideal because they only require little to no preparation. Now you can relax knowing you won’t have a food emergency. You can also put these in a purse or backpack during your vacation so you have instant meals kids eat.

E-coli on Airplanes?

If you haven’t heard, ice served on airplanes can be contaminated with things like e-coli. If you get a soda with ice, the acid in the soda would most likely kill any bacteria, but who wants to take the risk? We order drinks with no ice and order bottled (no tap) water. By the way, the water in airplane bathrooms is even worse so after washing hands use hand sanitizer. Who thought your hands could be dirtier after washing them?

For more information on drinking and bathroom water on airplanes visit the U.S. EPA website.

Drink All of Your Water the Easy Way

This is a tip for everyone, but is specially targeted to senior citizens who are not used to drinking a lot of water, nursing moms who need larger daily allowances, and you busy worker bees. Get a 1-liter water bottle and fill it in the morning. By the end of the day, make sure you’ve finished 2 bottles (for 2 liters or 64 ounces total). Nursing moms usually need more. My husband and I gave all our parents a 1-liter water bottle for their birthdays. This has really helped in their daily fluid intake. Please see below note about toxicity issues with plastic bottles.

As you may have heard, it is well documented that polycarbonate resin leaches bisphenol-A (BPA) a hormone disruptor in mammals. Polycarbonate resin is what most plastic bottles are made from.

Does this mean that plastic bottles are unsafe for use? We don’t know. Any contaminant has the potential to adversely affect a biological being. Is there conclusive evidence to support the claim that drinking daily water from a plastic bottle could cause health problems in adult humans? Not yet. And what about the effects on children? You can visit this article for more information about possible effects on children: Plastic bottle chemical may be harmful: agency.

Some research shows that the leaching effect increases over time which is a good reason to forgo bottled water and use your own refillable bottle. You can go to web sites like Nalgene’s FAQs to find out more information and to see what organizations like the European Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have to say. Just note that Nalgene makes money from selling plastic bottles.

What do we do (remember we worked in the environmental sciences) – we use re-usable plastic bottles daily and discard any water that sits in our bottles longer than 8 hours. Please research the issue and talk to your physician about any concerns.

Is Your Produce Toxic?

Did you know that some imported produce is treated with chemicals that are banned for use in the U.S.? Look for made in U.S. produce or buy organic. Not only will you be sure your fruit and veggies do not contain banned chemicals, you will be helping your planet by buying items closer to home.

For more information visit the Trade and Environmental Database of American University.

How to Cut an Avocado

Wash the outside of the avocado thoroughly.
Cut the avocado in half.
Use a sharp knife to grip the pit and twist to remove.
Slice while meat is still in peel and then pull peel back to remove meat.
Then, enjoy!

Poop on Your Produce?

Wash all produce! Just because you don’t eat the peel from a cantaloupe, avocado, or grapefruit, when you cut the skin some contaminants follow the knife and then contaminate the meat of the fruit. Manure is one of the most commonly used fertilizers.

This tip is especially advisable for pregnant women, children, senior citizens, or anyone who does not want poop on their produce.

For more information read the 2006 article in the San Diego Union Tribune.