In September, my wife and I will be travelling to Europe for a 3-week vacation to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary.  We have been planning for this trip for several years and I can’t believe we are only a few days away!  My patients have been truly excited for me, offering information, personal travel tips and links to useful websites.  Others have asked: “What do you do (health-wise) to prepare for an extended vacation?”  I thought I’d share my answers in this blog.

Sleep

First off, the most important thing is to have a consistent sleep routine.  It is very tempting to stay up late to research all the exciting places that we will be visiting, but I have kept a strict bedtime.  My body and mind work the best when I get about 7.5 hours of sleep.  I cannot emphasize enough how important sleep is in the regulation of our immune and nervous systems and in the repairing of our bodies.

I recently watched an excellent documentary on CBC’s Nature of Things on the topic of sleep called Lights Out.  In this episode, David Suzuki examines the importance of sleep and, more specifically, how artificial light affects our quality of sleep.

Boosting the Immune System

Traveling can put stress on the body and can expose you to pathogens from all around the world.  As many of my patients know, I talk about the herb Astragalus all the time, especially around the fall season.  Astragalus is an immune modulating herb that can strengthen a deficient immune system and regulate an overactive immune system.  In preparation for my trip, I have been taking the formula Jade Windscreen on a regular basis.  I will also be bringing this along on my travels.   I have written several blogs in the past about this great herb.

Probiotics, etc.

I love eating local foods when I travel.  One of the ways I protect my digestive tract is by taking a high-quality probiotic (Pro = good, biotic = bacteria).  Probiotics are healthy bacteria naturally found in our digestive systems.   Healthy bacteria can protect you from travelers diarrhea and strengthen the immune system.  My favourite probiotic for travel is HMF Intensive.  I simply take 1 capsule a day and it comes in a convenient blister pack.  I also take Phytogreens, a supplement that combines a variety of green vegetables (spinach, wheat grass, broccoli, etc.) with spirulina and chlorella.  It is packed full of nutrients and enzymes.

Recently, I have been growing my own microgreens and sprouts, incorporating more of them into my diet.  Microgreens are baby plants and have a high concentration of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.  They also taste great!  I’ll share more about microgreens in a future blog.

 

Bon voyage, Dr.Lee! 

Please note: Dr.Lee will return to the office on Tuesday October 7th. Do not hesitate to contact the office for product refills, or appointments can be booked with Dr.Matsushita.