healthy
travel
Cuisine
&
Culture healthy
travel
http://cuisine-and-culture.un-interpreters.org April/May/June, 2011
Greetings from Nairobi, colleagues and friends, with a deep apology from the Editor of Cuisine & Culture which has failed to say hello to you over the past 100 days and counting since its March International Women¡¯s Day special edition, albeit for a good reason, though, with the Editor bogged down for months in putting together and then putting into practice a string of four back-to-back missions for one tough meeting after another reaching pinnacle in Istanbul where the Editor headed a team of 78 strong for an immensely rewarding experience servicing the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed, Landlocked and Small Island Developing States, an event a decade in the making, with great success, which will go down as a landmark of Integrated Global Management, a principle the Department of General Assembly Affairs & Conference Management (DGACM) of UN has been vigorously pursuing for years for the optimal management of its global conference servicing resources at the disposal of the UN Global Secretariat.
The 5-week+ missions and meetings accompanied by tough, although tasteful travels covering tens of thousands of miles and numerous cities of Europe and Asia have prompted the Editor to come up with the idea of presenting to you all a special Cuisine & Culture edition on ¡°Healthy Travel¡± with tips on how to reach your destination feeling fresh, relaxed and rejuvenated. Here we go!
A Good Night¡¯s
Sleep before Your Flight! 
Try to get a good sleep for the night prior to your flight, eat a light meal and take some gentle exercise before travelling.
Wear Loose
during Travel/Flight
Wear loose and comfortable clothing and shoes which are not too tight and restrictive.
Drink Plenty of
Water and Fruit Juice during Long Flight
On longer journeys low cabin humidity can cause dry eyes, nose and throat. Drink plenty of water and fruit juice while keeping alcohol, tea and coffee to a minimum as these can lead to dehydration. Drinking little but often is best. If possible, remove contact lenses and apply skin moisturiser and lib balm. Try also breathing through a handkerchief soaked in a little water.
Blocked
Ears?
Occasionally your ears may feel blocked during take-off and landing. To help ease pressure, try sucking a sweet or yawning.
Breathe Easy
during Flight!
The sinuses are air-filled cavities located around the nose. As the aircraft climbs the air expands, and escapes through a tube leading into the nose. If any sinus is blocked, the air will be trapped and will press on the surrounding tissues as it expands. To ease sinus pressure, try an inhalant such as Karvol. This can be sprinkled over a pillow. It contains menthol and the essential oils of the thyme plant. Aromatherapy oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus will also clear congestion.
Simple Exercise
during Flight, If Possible!
Keep your circulation going by standing up and walking in the aisle when possible. By doing some simple stretching exercises in seat every few hours you will feel much fresher upon arrival. Flex different muscles in your feet, legs, arms, shoulders and neck. Sluggish circulation causes tiredness, muscle cramps and water retention (the cause of swollen feet). It can also result in blood clots, which are potentially dangerous.
Motion
Sickness?
If you¡¯re prone to motion sickness during take-off, landing or in the event of turbulence, you¡¯re your eyes focused on a fixed object. Some people believe that applying pressure to your earlobes can reduce nausea.
Dealing with
Flight across Time Zones!
When travelling across time zones your body¡¯s sleep rhythms can become disrupted, leading to insomnia, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Prepare your body clock by getting a good night¡¯s sleep before your flight. Try to give yourself a couple of relaxed days to adjust to new night and day cycles when you arrive. Moderate exercise and drinking plenty of water also helps.
Eat and Drink
Smart during Flight!
Eat a light, well-balanced meal before you travel and a smaller helping than usual on the aircraft. Avoid too much salt, sugar and dairy products while trying to steer clear of fizzy drinks and rich food. Moderate your intake of alcohol, coffee and tea while drinking plenty of water and fresh fruit juice. Eating and drinking in excess, or consuming the wrong kinds of food, can lead to indigestion and discomfort.
Upon Arrival
and Getting over the Jet Lag!
On arrival at your destination spend as much time as possible outside. Sunlight will slow the body clock, allowing it to adjust to the new time schedules you¡¯re facing.
Insider
Knowledge
Abdominal pain during flight is often caused by the expansion of gas in the stomach or intestines. To lessen the chances of stomach pain and bloating make sure you don¡¯t consume too many gassy food items prior to flying such as peas, beans and cauliflower. Also try to avoid too carbonated drinks. Chewing gum can also cause discomfort as it makes you swallow air. Finally try to eat and drink slowly during flight.
Travelling with
Infants?
Feed your baby upon take-off and landing to reduce discomfort caused by changes in cabin pressure. Please ask flight attendants for help, warming baby food etc.
Colleagues and friends,
Cuisine & Culture wishes you bon
voyage!
From
the Editor:
Cuisine & Culture obtains its materials
both online and off line with sources omitted for reason of simplicity but can
be provided upon request. Certain materials come in languages other than English
that Cuisine & Culture renders
into English to the best of its ability.
Cuisine & Culture is not in a position to verify the veracity of
the materials provided herein. Reader¡¯s discretion is kindly advised.
A Special Acknowledgement of Thanks from Cuisine & Culture
Cuisine & Culture wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Kevin Wambura of the ITS team here at UNON in Nairobi and Yawtsong Lee, a veteran interpreter at UN headquarters, now retired, for their technical advice and assistance and is hereby extremely pleased to retain them as Technical Advisors to Cuisine & Culture.
Cuisine & Culture