Why do we get tired after a vacation?

How to have a healthy PACE when on vacation….

Over the summer, my family and I went spent a month in Ireland. Yes, I did say a whole month. We stayed in air B&B houses as we traveled around the Emerald Island soaking in the history, experiencing my heritage and meeting some fabulous Irish folk!

We had a wonderful time and I really got to relax and unwind even though one of my daughter’s got sick and so did my husband!

What helped me and my family was keeping our healthy PACE, bringing some remedies and practicing some common sense!

Remedies to bring:

1. Vitamin C is a wonderful remedy with many power packed benefits. It boosts immune

system, helps with muscle tension, and a side benefit is it keeps your bowels flowing! For those who take too much Vitamin C or suffer from constipation when traveling. It really helped my family recover sooner and had us back on our feet!

1. Bring a warm hat and wool socks. These are essential if you fall sick as they keep the heat up in your body which the bugs that make you sick don’t like at all. A warm body heals quicker and avoid secondary infections because viruses stay superficial and are easier to sweat out then if your body is cold. Both Aaron and Brenna wore their hats and felt better with the results!

1. Nettie Pot is great and must if you struggle with allergies or are prone to sinus infect prone to sinus infections or colds when traveling. One of my daughters used it every day and it was very helpful!

1. Essential oils are also a blessing. I brought a few to help my family.

• Lemon for cleansing and help water taste good

• Lavender and Serenity for good night sleep.

• On Guard, Oregano and Melaleuca to help fight colds

• Breathe for breathing and lung issues

• Oils are easy to pack and can be used anywhere with ease.

1. Travel socks are nice to have so you don’t get swollen ankles coming or going. It is one thing that happens as we age. My girls did not have any issue. I didn’t have any issue in Ireland but when I came home I did.

1. Repellent is always a good Idea but guess what? There are no mosquitoes in Ireland!

1. Something to keep the bowels regular. I am not a big fan of chemical laxatives so I use:

• Prune juice- this is easy to find in most places

• Magnesium can be helpful

• Fiber

• My grandma swore by milk of magnesia

• Eat your greens

Routines that boosted my ability to relax and be rested that will help you do the same too…

1. Walking is a wonderful way to see the place you are visiting. It is an immune booster, helps you digest all the wonderful and rich food you are experiencing and keeps you healthy and fit. I am walking sometimes two times a day now as a result of walking everywhere in Ireland! You will need a raincoat to walk as it rains often even in the summer months. Walking helps to…

• Walk your blues away

• Immunity stay strong

• Body stays strong and fit

• Helps to burn all the good food

• And drink you consume when on vacation

1. Drink water is a must! Start as soon as you get on the plane as you will get dehydrated

if you don’t. When you go on vacation it is easy to forget about the importance of water but your body will let you know very quickly. Especially if you are like me and love a good cup of coffee!

• Signs of Dehydration:

• Lowered immunity so you can get sick

• Stressed out

• Constipation

• Throat dry

1. Plan some down time during your trip. It is very helpful to feeling rested to contract some to counter all the expanding you are doing with tours, visiting sites, driving, exploring and more. So bring a book, a game or watch a movie, snuggle in bed or just sit outside with a hot drink or glass of your favorite beverage. Any of these will help you slow down, reset and feel rested so the next day you are ready to play.

1. Take a few days off on your return to transition back into home and work routines. I took a week as I had an 8-hour time zone shift. A good rule of thumb that I got from my Doctor, Kelly Sutton, was for every hour you shift in time zones, you need a day to recover! So that is why I took a week to balance out from jet lag.

• This time at home allows for a gradual return to your daily home and work rhythms without having to get stressed out or overloaded. This one routine goes a long way in helping feel rested and relaxed after a vacation.

• I also use this when I go to conference, continuing education class or a weekend away.

• In those cases, I usually just take a day to reset. Use this routine and it can help you avoid feeling tired, worn out, or sick after vacation.

These remedies and routines really helped me keep a healthy PACE so I came back to work and home feeling rested and relaxed.These helped to make memories for life!Here’s to you being Healthy, Well and Wise!