My Last-Minute Wellness Travel Hacks (that saved my trip to Paris)
Issue No. 38
I’m 40,000 feet in the air as I write this, on a twelve-hour flight home from Paris to Los Angeles. This was the first time I’ve ever left Elsie (😭), and the first trip I’ve taken alone in as long as I can remember. So, you can imagine my anxiety (and the roller coaster of emotions) leading up to departure!
To make matters worse, I woke up on the day of my flight with that dreaded feeling that my body was “off” (vague headache, subtle sore throat, and the sinking question: am I getting sick right before an international flight?).
The day that unfolded was twelve hours of me kicking into high gear, dedicated myself to a full-blown wellness blitz. It turned out that blitz not only prevented me from fully getting sick, but it also had me feeling 95% by day two in Paris. On Monday, my Oura ring confirmed I had an "elevated temperature" and "major signs that something is straining my body." By Wednesday, I’m happy to report, I had pretty much kicked whatever it was. In less than 72 hours (including a long haul LA <> Europe flight), I'd managed to turn things around completely.
Below, I'm sharing my let’s kick this thing repertoire in case you ever find yourself in the same boat. It’s everything from the Erewhon shots I choked down to my strategically packed wellness essentials that I’m pretty sure saved me. Consider this your blueprint for those panic moments when travel plans collide with the first signs of getting sick. Here's exactly how I spent the twelve hours before takeoff, plus everything I packed in my carry-on that made all the difference.
Lucky for me, Los Angeles is the land of weird and wonderful wellness cures. So, with not much time, I leaned in hard to expedite nipping whatever this thing was in the bud. My pre-flight day, between working, packing, and Zooms, went a little something like this:
IN THE MORNING:
SWW Alkalize first thing (pour the powder packet into water and whisk to start your day in an alkaline state before caffeine, which is acidic)
Bone broth (from Erewhon, but I also like Brodo, Fond, and Kettle & Fire) to get protein and sooth the aforementioned sore throat
Pique matcha with a little A2 milk (frothed). To be honest, I debated having the milk. It probably would’ve been better to skip dairy in this case, but I needed a warm, frothy, enjoyable drink to comfort me!!
32-ounce mason jar of filtered water with 2x packets of Dr. Nigma’s Vitamin C Cocktail (this stuff is magic, I promise you)
Mid-morning, I placed an Erewhon order for groceries that Elsie would need while I was away and, with it, added (almost) every single remedy I could find. This included:
Erewhon “Germ Warfare” Shot
Ingredients: Filtered water, lemon juice, colloidal silver, reishi tea, black elderberry oregano oil, astralagus (had to Google this but, woah, it’s powerful), and echinacea. You might be able to conduct this concoction at home with these ingredients, but it would certainly take a lot of forethought and planning, which is annoying.
I have to warn you this delightful concoction was the most disgusting tasting drink I think I’ve ever downed. I almost couldn’t do it. I seriously debated pouring it out after the first half, but I prevailed and knocked back the whole thing. Not for nothing! I think this one really worked.
Erewhon “Liquid Gold” Shot
Ingredients: Lemon juice, ginger, turmeric juice, and cayenne pepper
This was a dream compared to the aforementioned “germ warfare” shot…
Dose Shot for Immunity
Ingredients: Organic alma juice powder, organic ginger powder, organic Elderberry juice extract, organic acerola juice powder, organic licorice extract, organic chamomile extract, purified water, organic erythritol, organic lemon juice, non-GMO Xantham gum
*I am not sold on Dose and don’t love the Xantham gum, erythitrol or monk fruit OR the fact that it’s mostly powders vs. fresh. I probably could have skipped this one. It tasted gross, too.*
Erewhon “Hardcore Greens” Juice
Ingredients: Celery*, collards greens*, Swiss chard*, parsley*, ginger* (*organic)
After downing the Germ Warfare (🤢) and Liquid Gold shots (🥰), I ran a few errands.
Late morning, between meetings, I walked to the bank to “get euros” at my dad’s request. “Lacey, never travel internationally without the local currency in cash form”, he warned me. Bank of America did not have them (you have to order them ahead, noted). I later texted our family group chat about something totally separate only to get a text back from my dad with “Lacey, get euros at the airport.” 🤣 He was persistent on this point and, alas, I did. And you know what? I was happy I had them.
The bank was a failed mission in the euro sense, but sunshine and movement felt good ahead of a long overnight flight. When I got home, I was starving.
FOR LUNCH:
Rotisserie chicken.
16 oz of bone broth.
Erewhon Hardcore Greens.
David’s Protein Bar in Fudge Brownie (I actually picked it up at Silver Springs, a workout studio I’ve been loving. It was my first time trying David’s and it legit tasted like dessert). I was trying to get as much protein in as I could before the flight.
Another 32 oz mason jar of water with 2x packets of Magna (Apple Juice flavor which I found oddly comforting, like drinking apple juice as a kid).
EARLY AFTERNOON:
Then I finished packing (I did most of it the night before, alongside episode 4 of The White Lotus). I wasn’t yet aware that I’d be sick, so this travel wellness kit was a late-breaking emergency scenario! In my carry-on, I dedicated an entire zip pouch to the “germ warfare,” let’s call it. (I’ll admit I have an obsession with packing in pouches…). In went the following:
Olbas Maximum Strength Lozenges. I finished a whole pack on the plane.
Soothing Throat Spray. Thankfully, I never needed to open these.
Zicam Nasal Spray. I used this 3 times on Monday, at the “first sign of a cold,” as instructed. Then, once on Tuesday and once on Wednesday. I know it’s not exactly “homeopathic” but, I suspect (along with the disgusting “germ warfare” shot), it really worked!
SWW Alkalize. It can be hard to get your greens in while traveling, especially somewhere like Paris. Though I did discover Wild & Moon! Regardless, alkalize is a nice travel hack that takes the guess work out of getting greens in first thing.
Magna. In an assortment of flavors (12x stick packets).
Dr. Nigma Vitamin C Cocktail. (10x packets).
BimBamBoo Tubular Tissue. Made of “ultra-soft” bamboo, these turned out to be an MVP of the trip. There is nothing worse that having a runny nose in a public place with no tissue (or trying to use tiny airplane napkins)! The round tube was easy to pack and easy to find in my bag, too.
Babyganics Hand Sanitizer. I had this on hand in one of Elsie’s travel diaper bags, and it served it’s purpose!
Lysosomal Glutathione Packets. Full disclosure, I didn’t end up taking these so could’ve left at home.
My weekly vitamin & supplement regimen neatly packed in this 7 Day Travel Pill Box. I love organizing my supplements for travel, otherwise I stop taking them! This organizer makes staying on top of your regimen so easy while traveling.
Once I was fully packed, I took a long, hot shower before getting in my car to the airport (with these eucalyptus steam cleansing shower vapors that really help you breathe). I washed and dried my hair (important when getting sick not to leave your hair wet or damp!). I also put Jao’s Goē Oil all over to prevent my skin from drying out on the plane. And then, (this is important!) I did this Neil Med Sinus Sinse to clear out my congestion. It seems intimidating from the package but isn’t. I love doing it any time I’m congested and wow, does it really clear you out! Finally, I got dressed (Le Set Pointelle Boxer Pant ftw, with compression socks and my favorite Clogs),
Once I was fully ready. I Postmated dinner to-go from Goop Kitchen (Montecito Wrap! Chocolate chip cookies!) and said my goodbyes to Elsie (and Tim)!!! I won’t go into too much detail but let’s just say tears (on my end) were involved. She’s too young to understand what was happening and handled it in stride! Apparently she let out a little cry and whimpered “mama!” as the car pulled away. My heart!!!! To say I’m excited to get back to her is an understatement.
After I got through security and was comfortably tucked away in the international terminal of LAX, I took a collective exhale. Say what you will about Gwenyth Paltrow, but the Goop Kitchen totally hit the spot. There was a live pianist playing in this part of the terminal and I almost missed my boarding call because I was so into my email and enjoying the vibe so much I almost forgot to go to my gate for boarding.
Other Travel Tips for Wellness
Courtesy of Natazia Stolhberg, who I’ve just starting seeing for acupuncture in LA (at my friend Missy’s rec!):
Drink tons of water! Have 1 Magna on the way, 1 on the way back
Drink Rest & Digest Tea on the plane and upon landing/after meals
Walk upon landing if possible (30 minutes)
Reduce screen time around bedtime to help adjust to time zone more quickly
Choose protein rich meals (especially at dinner) to keep you asleep at night
And there you go! Let’s hope neither of us (you or me!) find ourselves about to get sick before travel. But, if you do, I hope this guide can be helpful! Let me know if you try any of these. Or, if you have other health hacks you swear by, share them with us in the comments.
Links I’m Loving This Week
At Molly Sim’s rec, I ordered these packing pouches in this color green. I’ve never felt so organized on a trip! I’m gravitating towards the color green in almost everything!
An external phone charger is SUCH an underrated thing to have for travel (and, honestly, always). This kept me going for hours after my phone died. This one is light and easy.
Speaking of pouches, the Zip bag from Oso & Me is a favorite for travel. We gave these as gift bags for our wedding guests in 2022, and I still have extras lying around. I love to pack in them (they’re light, cute, fit a lot, and have two inner pockets perfect for organization. I use them for Elsie’s diaper bag too.
I’ve been using these Muji pens in black and blue ink and this notebook for my morning journaling pages and they’re really working! There is something about ultra fine tip on the pen that makes my handwriting look much better than it is.
When I fly, my lips get unbelievably dry so a good moisturizing lip balm is a must for me. This insert link has been my go to this trip.
I got these from new pajamas Lake and clocked a lot of time in them this weekend catching up on sleep.
One parting thought:Insert a quote, image or graphic that’s inspiting or thought provoking
