How to Stay Healthy While Traveling: Simple Tips For a Better Vacation
REVIEWED BY DR. KEVIN SCHULTZ
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In this episode of the Foundational Health Podcast, Dr. Kevin Schultz discusses strategies for maintaining health while traveling, without sacrificing the enjoyment of a vacation. He begins by reflecting on past vacation habits that led to feeling unwell post-travel and shares how he and his wife have since adopted healthier practices.
The episode covers various aspects of travel, including the importance of planning ahead, such as choosing accommodations with kitchens to avoid eating out frequently, and the significance of maintaining good sleep and supplement routines before and during travel. Dr. Schultz emphasizes the importance of packing healthy snacks and supplements, and shares tips on how to manage early flights and maintain circadian rhythms.
He also discusses the benefits of exercise during vacations and the importance of not letting vacations derail health goals. The episode concludes with actionable takeaways and a call to lead by example, even while on vacation.
How to Actually Feel Good on Vacation (and After)
Let’s be honest — the traditional vacation mindset is basically:
Eat whatever you want
Drink throughout the day
Stay up late
Sleep in
And absolutely do not exercise
And then what happens?
You come home feeling swollen, foggy, tired, unmotivated, bloated, and sometimes even sick — needing a “vacation from your vacation.”
This used to be normal for Dr. Schultz too until he and his wife realized vacations can be both fun and deeply restorative. You can enjoy the food, the drinks, the sun, the rest, the experiences… and still feel energized afterward.
The key is not abandoning yourself during travel. Instead, bring your foundational health with you in a simple, flexible way.
The Week Before Travel: Where the Vacation Actually Begins
Often, we overlook how we are preparing for a vacation. We neglect our health to make that last sprint at work. But your body does not reset the moment your flight takes off. It travels with whatever state you bring into the trip. Focusing on your healthy foundations leading up to your trip can make a huge difference in how you feel during it.
Prioritize Sleep
You want to start vacation at full battery, not already burned out.
The week before your trip:
Keep bedtime consistent
Reduce late-night screen time
Avoid stress-packing at midnight (we’ve all done it)
Your nervous system remembers how you enter the trip, and sleep leading up to travel can absolutely make or break how you feel during your vacation.
Build Up the Gut
Travel = new foods, new bacteria, new water, new stressors. A strong gut makes this easy. A weak gut reacts.
To support gut resilience:
Increase daily probiotics (Dr. Schultz and his wife triple/quadruple before Mexico)
Add fermented foods daily (kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt)
Keep meals whole and clean — no pre-trip “cheat weekends”
This is preparation, not restriction — it’s making sure you feel good enough to enjoy.
Protect Your Circadian Rhythm
Many of us wake up early on a travel day, which—if handled improperly—can mess up our sleep schedules before we even leave for the trip. If you wake up at 2:30–4:00 AM for travel, avoid flipping on bright overhead lights that can completely unravel your regular circadian rhythm.
Use:
Red/orange bulbs
Dim lighting
No phone scrolling
This helps prevent melatonin disruption and keeps your energy stable during and after travel.
Accommodations: One Simple Decision Makes Everything Easier
The best travel health hack is not a supplement or a gadget to pack—it’s a kitchen. Having control over cooking your own meals will allow you to control your diet and eat healthier, whole-food meals while on vacation.
If Driving
Bring:
A cooler
Fruit
A plug-in griddle or skillet
This eliminates fast-food desperation meals, and allows you to cook your own healthy meals while on the road.
If Flying
Choose accommodations with a kitchenette, or a mini fridge at the minimum. These types of hotel rooms may cost a little more up front, but you will absolutely save in the end by cooking your own meals rather than eating out with every meal. Find a local grocery store with healthy food options, and you’ll have everything you’ll need.
When you can make even one meal per day in your room, everything gets easier:
Blood sugar stays stable
Digestion stays calm
You save money and stress
Indulgence becomes intentional instead of constant
This approach is about supporting enjoyment, not restricting it.
What to Pack: The Travel Health Essentials
Healthy Snacks
Pack snacks that don’t get crushed in luggage, don’t need refrigeration, and aren’t loaded with sugar and'/or seed oils.
Examples:
Homemade trail mix (nuts + seeds + raisins + sea salt)
Apples or oranges
These prevent many of the nutrition issues that can occur on vacation like airport hunger crashes, fast food stops, and resort buffet overeating.
Supplements
Supplements can be a key factor in supporting your health, especially while traveling. Dr. Kevin suggests even doubling up on some supplements (like probiotics) while on vacation. Most importantly, bring your Foundational Four:
Omega-3 (capsules, not liquid for easier airport travel)
Vitamin D3/K2 (skip if you’re getting daily sun)
In addition, an NAC supplement and a B vitamin supplement can be great for alcohol detox support if you plan to indulge in alcohol more than usual while on vacation (which many of us do.)
Nervous System & Sleep Support
Sleep is often the number one factor that affects how you feel before, during, and after vacation. Healthy sleep can make the biggest difference in your health while traveling, so it’s important to pack things that support it:
Your pillow — familiar sensory input = deeper sleep
Chirp wheel — decompress spine and neck from travel strain
Red/orange nightlight — supports melatonin and your circadian rhythm
White noise app — blocks hotel noise
These small additions can lead to a large amount of control over how you sleep and recover.
Movement: The Non-Negotiable That Doesn’t Need to Feel Like Work
Movement on vacation is not just about “working out.” It’s about activating your body with life-giving motion so you can enjoy your trip more fully.
Workouts Are Optional — Movement Is Not
If there’s a gym, great — do 20–30 minutes of something simple a few days during your vacation.
If there isn’t, you still have options:
Packing resistance bands that you can use in the room
Stretching in the morning sun
A light bodyweight session
Plan walks to explore the location you’re traveling
The Sunrise Walk
Dr. Schultz and his wife have one rule while on vacation: never miss a sunrise. This means taking an early morning walk each day on their vacation to take in the sunrise while getting some great movement in.
Benefits:
Re-aligns circadian rhythm
Boosts serotonin and dopamine
Calms morning inflammation
Provides a reset for the nervous system
It’s a simple formula for a better vacation: Movement = energy. Energy = joy. Joy = a better vacation.
Food on Vacation: Enjoy Everything More by Choosing With Intention
You do not need to eat “perfectly” on vacation. But there’s a massive difference between eating intentionally for enjoyment vs. eating mindlessly because you’re in vacation autopilot mode
A Simple Eating Strategy
Eat protein first to stabilizes blood sugar and appetite
Add fruit or vegetables when available
Choose one indulgence, not all of them
Stop eating and drinking 2 hours before bed for better sleep
This keeps digestion smooth and energy high, without sacrificing the joy of food.
Dr. Kevin’s Personal Rule:
If I’m going to indulge, it has to be worth it.
Examples:
Worth it: stunning sushi, artisan pastries, local specialties
Not worth it: random buffet brownies, cheap bread, airport fries
The Three Actions That Make the Biggest Difference
These are small choices with huge outcomes. Vacations should restore you, not drain you.
Pack your pillow. Your nervous system anchors to familiarity.
Pack healthy snacks. Never rely on airports, hotels, or buffets to take care of you
Keep your sleep routine. Even on vacation, your circadian rhythm guides your energy, mood, digestion, and recovery.
You don’t have to choose between fun and wellness — they can absolutely coexist. When you support your body, you get to enjoy more, experience more, and come home feeling better than when you left.
Make health your hobby, no matter where the plane lands.
Travel Health FAQ
Do I have to work out on vacation?
No — but daily movement will dramatically improve sleep, digestion, and mood.
Can I drink alcohol on vacation?
If you choose to, then yes, but do so with intention to consume alcohol in a healthier way. Eat before drinking, hydrate between drinks, support your liver.
How do I prevent bloating when traveling?
Walk daily
Eat protein-first
Avoid seed oils when possible
Use probiotics
Stay hydrated with water and electrolytes
What if the group I’m with isn’t doing any of this?
Lead quietly. Model what health looks like. People respect consistency.
