Travelling abroad whilst following the Overcoming MS Program can feel overwhelming at first. However, it doesn't need to be, Overcoming MS facilitator and health coach, Laura Crowder has put together her essential tips for following the Program whilst travelling to help you stick to your healthy habits whilst enjoying your trip.
Google Translate (other apps are available) has an ‘images’ option, enabling you to take a photo of a food label/ menu, upload it, and translate it into your language.
If you don’t speak the language, it’s worth making a note of the words for butter, milk and cheese (and perhaps ‘vegan’) so that you can keep an eye out for them on food labels and menus – especially if you don’t have signal to access Google Translate!
As Professor Jelinek says in ‘Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis’, there are plenty of options for eating out on your travels. Whilst it may not be possible to completely avoid oils, choosing plant-based meals with low levels of saturated fat such as soups, salads, curries, grilled vegetables or seafood (if eaten) and rice/pasta dishes as well as pizzas cooked without cheese is usually possible.
Plant-based milk: if unavailable at your destination, pack some in hold luggage.
Flax oil: again, this can be packed in hold luggage. If you only have hand luggage, you can purchase small bottles (often designed for toiletries) which you can use to take oil with you. Alternatively, pack some organic algae oil capsules – whilst not a replacement for flax oil, they will provide Omega 3.
If you have space in your luggage, pack some of your regular snacks e.g. wholegrain rice cakes, dried fruit, raw food bars etc.
Remember to stay well hydrated. Most airports have water fountains so taking an empty bottle through security means that you can fill up for free both in the airport and whilst away.
Tip: stressing about food choices can be as unhealthy as not eating. Deciding in advance what you are and aren’t happy with can make for a more relaxing trip as can how you view it. For example, if your choice is between eating plain salad for a fortnight or eating vegan curries full of flavour and a variety of vegetables/legumes (which may have been cooked in oil) as well as the salad, you might decide that the trace amounts of oil will be crowded out by the nutrients from the vegetables/legumes. (Professor Jelinek has mentioned this with reference to plant milks that contain oil that has been heated.)
If staying in a hotel/guest house, email/phone ahead to ask about dietary options such as plant-based meals, dairy milk alternatives etc. Websites, such as TripAdvisor, can also be useful sources of information.
Depending on the mode of transport, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to find anything to eat on the plane. Some airlines may cater to dietary requirements (again emailing/phoning in advance might be worthwhile) but if it’s a long flight and you don’t want to go without food, it’s a good idea to take some with you. This can also be true for long train journeys/ferry crossings.
Tip: Many flights now ban nuts so it may be best to buy or make meals/snacks that don’t contain nuts.
Resistance bands can easily fit inside luggage (or even be tied around hand luggage to reduce its size!) and are an excellent way of enabling you to include physical activity (especially strength training/stretching) on your holiday. They can be used while travelling (e.g. to ease spasticity in muscles during long flights) and in your hotel room, tent etc. If you don’t use them at home, it’s worth learning a few exercises before you go.
Consider the temperatures at your destination. If you find physical activity more difficult in the heat, planning to do it early or late (or, if you have one, an air-conditioned room), can make a big difference.
Keeping up with physical activity on holiday may mean adapting your usual routine – especially if travelling with others. Dr Gretchen has said that if time or energy levels mean you don’t have a chance to exercise for 30 minutes, try to fit in 5 minutes several times throughout the day. Again, planning ahead (before you travel) can help you identify opportunities for physical activity and mean that you won’t stress about it during your vacation. Additionally, depending on the type of holiday, you might find that physical activity happens naturally. E.g. swimming, hiking, yoga/aqua aerobics classes etc.
Remember to pack trainers/kit if you are planning to use it.
Many people with MS are sensitive to temperature. If you are very sensitive to heat, have you packed a handheld fan or water spritzer (sometimes these come as one device) or if cold is a problem for you, pack lots of layers, hand/foot warmers, thick socks for the plane etc.
Tip: if the cold affects you and you are flying to a hot destination, remember to pack warm socks/clothes for the flight.
Pack vital medication in your hand luggage in case your luggage is lost/travels separately. If you use a controlled medication (e.g. Sativex), check if the country you are travelling to allows you to bring it into the country and if so, what you need to do in order to travel with it. E.g. take a doctor’s letter/copy of prescription etc.
Also, if your medication has to be injected, check what the policy is for travelling with needles.
If your medication needs to be refrigerated, many airlines will allow you to take it in a cool bag with certain types of cool packs – again, contact them ahead of time to find out if this is possible and if you need to take any documentation with you.
If you take supplements (e.g. vitamin D), pack enough for your trip. If travelling to somewhere with a lot more sun than where you live, consider reducing your dose.
If you need support moving through the airport/embarking or disembarking planes/boats etc. contact your travel provider to book assistance.
If you don’t need support with mobility but may need support due to fatigue, cognitive issues or anything else, you can get a ‘sunflower lanyard’ which is a way for people with so-called non-visible disabilities to indicate that they may need additional time/support etc. You can find out more here: https://hdsunflower.com/
Book accessible accommodation or request accessible rooms in advance.
As mentioned, planning ahead can minimise stress as can managing expectations. It may not be possible to maintain the same routines on holiday that you do at home and accepting that before you travel can help to reduce stress.
Packing earphones can provide a great opportunity to ‘retreat’ if you feel stressed. If you enjoy meditating, downloading some meditations for both the journey and the holiday itself means that you will have easy access and not be dependent on having wi-fi signal. It also means that you can continue your meditation practice if sharing a room etc.
Breath work can be done anywhere and is a great way to quickly activate your parasympathetic nervous system. If you are feeling stressed, try doing some breathing exercises to rebalance yourself.
Make sure that you have disclosed your MS diagnosis to your travel insurance company – even if your MS has been inactive for a long time, not disclosing your diagnosis could invalidate your insurance even if the issue is unrelated.
Take contact details for your healthcare worker (e.g. in the UK, your MS nurse) so that if you have any concerns whilst away, you can get in touch with them.
Above all, relax, have fun and enjoy yourself!