It hard to believe how much I used to love traveling on an airplane. I loved the excitement of boarding the plane, getting served drinks and nice meals and waiting to see what movies were going to be playing. But nowadays, I dread flying on an airplane. After paying fees to check baggage and having it weighed to the last ounce, getting to the airport hours early, having to re-book our seats over and over again (how hard can this be for an airline to do? I WANT TO SIT WITH MY KIDS!) and then going through hurdles with the TSA and all the security, seeing my mouthwash confiscated because it was 4.1 fl. oz, instead of 4.0, and then having to pay $5.00 for a bottle of water in order to stay hydrated on the flight without having to deal with bacteria-filled airplane water (Read: "Think Before You Drink": http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/think-before-you-drink), I find airplane travel stressful and unhealthy. So here is how I try to cope best on a flight.
Most summers, my kids and I have a long haul flight from California to England. 10-11 hours on a plane is a nightmare, not counting the 3+ hours we have at the airport ahead of time, and waiting for luggage and going through immigration/customs on the arrival end. It is something I don't enjoy at all.
Here are a few things I like to bring with me each year on a flight:
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| EO and Seventh Generation are great brands found everywhere |
1. Natural Hand Wipes in small packets: I love these EO wipes in small packets. The are great to use for your hands before you eat, or when you (dare) take a trip to the restroom on a flight.
2. Natural Disinfecting Wipes: These I take in a large container because we use them a lot during travel. As soon as boarding our plane we wipe down our seats, armrests, tray table, video screen, etc. Don't bother with the pocket in front, it is a germ-y nightmare that really can't be cleaned and shouldn't be used at all! Read this article for more info: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/05/20/are-airplane-seats-a-ticket-to-infection/) and http://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/airplane-seat-back-pockets-germier-toilet-handles?context=print/node/1060&context_title=The%20Secrets%20of%20Aging%20Well)
3. Organic Cotton Socks: I bring these to put on my feet while sitting in my seat for 11 hours. I NEVER wear them to the restroom unless I have something over them. They keep my feet warm and protected from the dirty floor.
4. Bach Flower Remedies: I add these to my ($5.00!!) water and it helps me to relax and deal with any stress. It can also help with anxiety if you have a fear of flying
(See my post: Bach Flower Remedies for Fear of Flying, May 27, 2014: http://healthygypsytraveller.blogspot.com/2014/05/bach-flower-remedies-for-fear-of-flying.html)
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| healthy snacks are a must for a long airplane flight |
EATING AND DRINKING
1. I almost never eat or drink what is offered by the airline on a plane flight. But it's important to eat something on a long haul flight. I like to bring my own mix of nuts and dried fruit, my kids bring crunchy snacks like popcorn and crackers. This year I found small packets of naturally flavored almond butter by Justin's. It looked like a great idea so I bought a few in case we found a bagel at the airport or were offered a packaged bread bun on the plane, we had an emergency non-dairy, non-refrigerated, somewhat healthy, spread to put on it. Sadly, upon closer look of the almond butter packet, I noticed in the ingredients that the company adds oils!, which I don't understand because almonds are already pretty oily, and it raises the fat content to 18 grams! I won't buy it again, but it was great to have for an emergency, and if you don't mind the extra fat content, it's a nice vegan spread.
2. I always bring wrapped plastic utensils to use on our own snacks. Sometimes I buy some oatmeal at Starbucks at the airport but don't want to use the utensils sitting out there that have already been rifled through, so I'm really happy to have my own. If you are really GREEN and ambitious you can bring your own small stainless steel utensils to clean and re-use. Starbucks often runs out of utensils too, so it's always handy to have some on me.
3. I also bring short straws for my kids to use in drinks. I can't believe how many times I've seen a flight attendant hand over a beverage to a passenger holding it by it's rim. EW! She has just handled cans, trays, push cart handle, etc. and now he/she want so share all those germs on the beverage cup rim! YUM! I don't order drinks when flying, but sometimes my kids like to, and we are all happier using a small straw in it. (regular straw cut in half or else it will tip over in a bubbly drink). I bring a few. Again if you are ambitious, there are these fabulous glass straws that I use at home, that are easy to clean and re-use. I love the ones made by ManyMinis on ETSY https://www.etsy.com/listing/187520230/pick-your-colors-gift-set-of-glass?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=glass+straws&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery which come in fun colors. I worry too much about them breaking when traveling so I don't bring mine, but I love them at home. I will do a post on this topic soon!
4. Fiber Bar: Great to have. Adds fiber to your diet, which helps with digestion on a journey, especially after sitting down for 11-12 hours. I bought this Go Organic bar at the airport. I really liked it.
Travel Bag by Shabby Chic Couture.
