Happy, healthy holiday season!

It’s that time of year already; the summer holidays! A time to rest, relax and slow the pace down! Whether you’re going away or staying close to home this summer, here are some tips to help you have a healthy summer holiday!

Even in England it’s easy to burn and midges and mosquitos can be a nuisance, so it’s still worth being prepared for common issues like these, so you can enjoy your summer!

Remember we absorb a lot of what we put on our skin, so look for suntan lotions, lip salves, make-up and insect repellents that contain natural ingredients and do not contain harsh chemicals or artificial fragrances.

Top 10 Tips:

1. Sun protection – Be sensible! Enjoy the sun and allow the body to top up on Vitamin D by being out in the sun, but don’t burn. Choose a ‘Once a Day’ formula or re-apply regularly. Don’t forget to protect your lips too, especially in strong sun or on the water.
2. Insect bites – protect yourself both day and night with natural repellents. Try Vitamin B1 to help prevent being bitten (see below).
3. Look after your gut health – take probiotics before, during and after your holiday, when going abroad, or just eating out in different places, to help prevent against tummy bugs and traveller’s diarrhoea.
4. Keep hydrated – drink plenty of water throughout the day. Don’t keep plastic bottles of water in the sun, keep them cool all the time. Coconut water is also an excellent thirst quencher as it contains electrolytes.
5. Enjoy healthy and refreshing, non-alcoholic drinks – such as Kombucha (fermented green tea, that is naturally fizzy and good for your gut), or Cherry Active (concentrated cherry juice, that’s high in anti-oxidants) with sparkling water and a slice of lemon…mmmmm –both of these are delicious!
6. Careful with alcohol! – only drink alcohol with food and sip it, don’t gulp it!
7. Eat a rainbow of vegetables and fruit! – to keep healthy. It’s easy at this time of year with all the fruit and salads available. Aim for 8-10 portions a day, but keep fruit levels low, because of their sugar content.
8. Support digestion! – consider having some digestive enzymes to hand, to help you digest different foods when eating out, especially while abroad and trying new foods, or while being more indulgent!
9. Pack a little First Aid box! – a tube or two of cream and a homeopathic remedy (for example) doesn’t take up much space and can save a lot of hassle and precious holiday time, if you already have something to hand.
10. Take healthy snacks – both for the journey and while away on holiday. You never know what’s available when you get there and a lot of it might be laden with salt, sugar and artificial ingredients. So to ensure you stay healthy and stick to any gluten free, dairy free, sugar free diets, take some handy travel size snacks, so you’ll always have a healthy option to hand. This should also help prevent too much holiday weight gain or feeling unhealthy, after your time away.

What can we take?

For Sun Protection and After Sun:

• Sun tan lotion containing natural ingredients. Includes ‘once a day’ formulas, (available in sprays, gels and lotions). Also suitable for babies.
• Aloe Vera Gel or an After Sun lotion with natural ingredients
• Flower remedies – for prickly heat and burns

For Gut Health and Tummy Bugs:

• Probiotics – Take before going away and during the holiday to help protect against tummy bugs. Saccharomyces Boulardii in particular is useful when travelling abroad to help with traveller’s diarrhoea – both as a preventative measure and during any episodes.
• Grapefruit seed extract – a natural cleanser that can be used (diluted) internally or externally (even to cleanse your plates and cutlery while travelling!). May be useful when travelling to countries where you’re more at risk of picking up a tummy bug.

For Digestion:

• Digestive Enzyme capsules – to help you digest your food properly and help prevent against heartburn or bloating while on holiday.

For Repelling Insects!:

• All natural ‘bug spray’ – containing essential oils and has a lovely smell. Safe for children and pets!
• Herbal insect repellents – in handy sprays, a roll-on, or even as burning sticks!
• Wrist band containing citronella – great for children! Lasts for 48hrs and waterproof!

Also…Vitamin B1 – high levels of Vitamin B1 have for many years been recommended as a natural way to help prevent against insect bites. Take for about 1 month before going away (ideally) and while you are away. This helps makes us less ‘tasty’ to those annoying midges and mozzies!

For Insect Bites:

• Homeopathic remedy ‘Apis’ – for bee stings
• Urtica and Calendula Cream – a natural cream for insect bites and nettle stings, to relieve the itching and stinging.

First Aid Box!

These are all creams which makes them super handy for children!

• Tea Tree cream – natural antiseptic
• Arnica cream – bruising
• Hypericum and Calendula cream – for cuts and grazes

Also… Homeopathic combination remedy ‘Injury’ – in a handy travel size pack

For Travel Sickness

• Ginger – in capsule form, or as a chew or sucking sweet.
• Homeopathic Remedy ‘Nux Vom’ – suitable for children and adults

For Fear of Flying:

• Homeopathic remedy ‘Arg Nit’
• Flower remedies -for fears or an emergency

For Jet Lag

• Homeopathic remedy ‘jet lag’ (for jet lag and body clock disruption)
• Flower remedies for ‘ travel’

For recovery from illness

• Probiotics – Saccharomyces Boulardii – is useful for traveller’s diarrhoea

Whatever you do this summer, we hope you have time to relax and recharge your batteries, as this is so vital to our health and well being. Inside Out Health still has Nutritional Therapists on hand all through the summer to help you, so pop in any time! We also have a great range of healthy cold drinks and foods for the summer (including dairy free, gluten free and soya free ice cream!). Look after yourself!

Please note that if you are on any medication, always check with your GP or healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements.