If you are one of the lucky travelers that does not get motion sickness, you are blessed! I however, may get a little seasick at a window table at a beachside restaurant! Not really, but I do have trouble with motion sickness, which can be a problem for someone who travels as much as I do. I do follow some basic rules; I don't read when riding in a car and I sit by an open window on a boat or ferry. I also travel with a few essential NATURAL items that help me combat motion sickness.
GINGER:
Ginger, in almost any form, is great for battling motion
sickness. Ginger Tea, Ginger
Candies, Ginger Powder, Ginger Ale (if it’s
made with real ginger, like the drink “Ginger
Brew”) or just chewing on a
slice of fresh ginger, are all really good ways to keep your stomach feeling well. In one of my favorite Natural Health Reference Books: The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke, several studies were sited where two groups of people suffering from motion sickness were given either Dramamine or a half teaspoon of Ginger Powder. The group taking the Ginger Powder lasted twice as long as the group taking Dramamine before they felt unwell. This year, I think I will try some Organic Ginger Powder when I am in Europe, and see how that works for me. Ginger Powder sold in capsules as well as in the spice section of almost any market. Ginger Tea Bags are also very handy to take along when traveling. Personally, I LOVE Ginger Chews by Ginger People. Ginger People make several different types of
ginger candies, all are great and really good for digestion or to battle an
iffy stomach while traveling. I chew a few after each meal.
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| Ginger Chews by Ginger People are one of my favorite ginger candies to travel with to help with motion sickness as well as digestion.
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES:
COCCULUS is great for that unwell feeling coming on during a bit of turbulence on a plane. The best way to use this remedy is to take one 30C tablet before you begin moving (in a car, boat, or plane) and one every 5-10 minutes for 20 minutes if you are still feeling unwell, and then begin taking some NUX VOMICA.
NUX VOMICA is my
go-to remedy. It is great for anytime your stomach isn’t feeling quite right, whether
because you indulged a bit too much, ate a bit too much, or ate something that
didn’t make you feel quite
right, NV is the perfect remedy. As far as motion sickness, take one tablet of
30C NUX VOMICA after using COCCULUS, again repeating every 5-10 minutes for 20
minutes. NUX VOMICA is also great because you can take it once you’ve started feeling a bit unwell
and it should help with nausea almost immediately. For me, it’s like magic.
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| Cocculus is good for any type of motion sickness |
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| Nux Vomica is my favorite homeopathic remedy for motion sickness and all tummy troubles. |
Aromatherapy: PEPPERMINT
I LOVE peppermint. It is the first thing I use when I travel
on a plane or car. I always have a peppermint candy in my mouth before a plane,
train or car starts moving. PEPPERMINT is also a great aromatherapy remedy. I
carry a little vial of PEPPERMINT OIL with me when I travel and take a whiff of
it when I’m feeling a bit
queasy from travel. It’s
perfect aromatherapy.
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| My favorite peppermint candies with no food dyes and all natural ingredients found at Trader Joe's |
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| Peppermint oil is available at most health food stores. |
RELIEF BAND
I’ve
saved the best for last. This little Relief Band has changed my life as far as
dealing with motion sickness, especially seasickness, which I find the hardest
motion sickness to overcome. The Relief Band was recommended to me over a
decade ago by a yoga student of mine in Malibu., CA. After class one day, my
student, Chris, was telling a few of us about how her husband just took up
sailing and LOVED it, but she wasn’t
able to join him because she suffered from seasickness so badly. But that all
changed recently because she found this magic little Relief Band. At the time, I was just about to leave
for Australia for 3 months with my kids and I was worried that we may miss out
of some wonderful boat trips and “ocean
experiences” because all
three of us have quite bad seasickness, so I was really interested in hearing
about this “band”. She told me it looked like a large battery operated watch
that you wore on your wrist. You had to place the Band very carefully in a
certain position, and it sent tiny electric shocks up your arm, and your motion sickness would disappear. When I first heard this, I was horrified
and intrigued at the same time. I went home and did a bit of research and found
out, it did indeed send a tiny shock up your arm! Actually, those little rhythmic electrical pulses that radiate up your arm stimulate the median nerve, which is the nerve that controls the part of your brain that makes your stomach contract and thus, makes any dizziness and nausea go away. For me, the ReliefBand works BRILLIANTLY. I highly recommend it, and hope no one gets scared away by the idea of small electrical shock every few seconds! It really works!
Now for the bad
news:
1) they are difficult to find
2) they don’t
make them like they used to.
Let
me explain…
Several years ago, after a few years of using my ReliefBand
religiously when traveling, I stupidly left mine on my luggage handle while getting off of a plane one day and lost it. I was frustrated because it was so expensive
but I knew I’d have to bite
the bullet and just get a new one. Problem was, when I went to look for one
they were nowhere to be found. I looked and looked and panicked and kicked
myself for losing mine then finally tracked down the company that made them only to
find out there was a problem with the patent and they weren’t making anymore at the moment.
OH NO! I checked the website constantly over the next few months, and then years, until finally THEY WERE BACK for sale! So I bought TWO.
I’ve been
happily using them ever since, and love them dearly, but there is still a
little problem. Last week, while on a weekend away, I placed my ReliefBands in
the backseat pocket of a rental car I was in with friends… and accidently there AGAIN! (I really have to learn to hang onto these things!) Believing I would never see them again, I went online to
see if I could find another ReliefBand, and I actually did find them on Amazon.com,
but they are a bit different. First, they are a bit more expensive, now up to
$120.00, but the worst part is that they are no longer made so you can change
the battery. That doesn’t sound
so bad but if you accidently leave the ReliefBand on, or use it often, as soon
as the battery dies, you are out $120! I was really disappointed to hear this
change and don’t really
understand it. Luckily, the car rental place found my ReliefBands and are
sending mine back to me!
So I do want to recommend these Bands because they are
really remarkable. They really relieve motion sickenss and are easy to take
when traveling. If I had lost my Bands and had to buy these new ones, I would. There is nothing else like them to help ease the effects of motion sickness.
