Taking off Travel blog

The warm weather is here: are your feet ready? Whether you’re taking a walking tour through the Amazon jungles or planning on day trips to the local amusement park, proper foot care is essential. There’s not a person on the planet that doesn’t know the pain of sore feet and blisters and how they can hinder a good time. With just a bit of common sense and these tips, you’ll stay on your feet—comfortably!

1. Shoe Type

While it’s tempting to be a fashionista and buy snazzy shoes to match every outfit, the way your shoe looks isn’t as important as the type of shoe you buy. If you plan on doing a lot of walking, opt for a good, sturdy tennis shoe or an athletic sandal. These types of shoes are made for walking and will serve your feet well.

2. Fit

Along with the type of shoe you buy, the fit of the shoe is just as important. You want a shoe with a wide toe bed that will allow your toes to flatten and spread naturally as you walk. A shoe that binds your toes together, pinches or rubs will have you screaming in pain by the end of the day. Similarly, if you have high arches or flat feet, be sure to buy a shoe with the proper foot bed for your foot type. Try on the shoe you’re considering and walk around the store. The shoe shouldn’t rub your toes or your heel as you walk or you’ll pay for it on your trip.

3. Insoles

If a shoe fits in all the right places but just isn’t supporting you the way it should, insoles can often be the cure. Insoles come in all types from heel supports to arch supports to simply those that provide a bit of extra cushion. Because shoes cannot be manufactured specifically to every foot out there, insoles can often provide that bit of extra comfort that you need in an otherwise great shoe.

4. First-Aid Kit

There are some great new blister preventing bandages and blister covering bandages on the market. These bandages beat the old trick of slapping a band-aid on the back of your heel by a mile. Make sure you pack plenty of these for your trip just in case. This will save you the time of hunting down a drug store should you get a blister on your foot in the middle of nowhere. Be sure to include tweezers, toenail clippers and a topical cream in your kit as well.

5. Take Them Off

Take your shoes off any chance you get and give your feet a chance to breathe. Take your shoes off, stretch your feet, wiggle your toes and walk barefoot for a few minutes. This is practically a must-do at the end of the day to prevent aching feet in the morning. If you can coax someone into giving you a foot massage at the end of the day, even better!

Blisters, injuries and sore feet can really take the wind out of your sails. By taking proper care of your feet on your vacation you’re sure to remain comfortable and ready to go! Following these tips will help stave off any potential foot problems and keep you on your toes.

Heather Johnson contributes at HoneymoonDestinations.org, a great honeymoon research website. Discover great honeymoon ideas today!

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As you know, I’ll soon be heading off on my travels soon. This year, I’ve got one issue to handle that I haven’t dealt with before – how to stick to the diet I’m following while I travel. Usually, when I go on vacation, I put the diet on vacation too, but I’ve made such good progress on the slow carb diet (from the Four Hour Body) that I don’t want to risk losing momentum. Here’s how I plan to handle it.

The day before I travel, I’ll hard boil a couple of eggs, so I can have those when I am ready for breakfast. I’m taking the red-eye, which is ages before my usual breakfast time. I’ll also keep a bag of my snack of choice – pumpkin seeds (dry roasted and spicy – yum!) – in my carry on. Once I’ve cleared security, I’ll collect a salad from one of the food shops to eat on the plane, as well as a large bottle of water. That should get me through to JFK without any hassle. I’ll be spending a couple of days with a relative, so I’ve sent a shopping list with the must have items so I can make my own meals.

For road trips, I’ll take a small container of allowed foods, as my meal cycle is now different from everyone else’s. Then when we make a stop, I’ll have whatever is closest to the diet sheet – probably fish and a salad. And for the hotel portion, I’ll combine those two approaches. Most people pack on a couple of pounds on vacation, but with this diet and regular exercise (does walking to the shops count?) I should keep any gain to a manageable amount.

How do you handle sticking to your diet when you travel?

Image: Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Once upon a time, airlines served full meals on a considerably larger number of flights. These days though, thanks to financial problems and reductions in airline budgets, food options on flights are severely limited. That, coupled with the fact that more and more people are spending time waiting around in airports due to increased security measures and extended layover times, has affected the way people eat while traveling. For people trying to eat in a healthy way, it is a bit more challenging, but not an insurmountable obstacle.

Healthy Fast Food

Now that passengers are spending more time at airports, eating at one of the airport restaurants has actually become an option. At smaller airports, those options may be limited to a McDonalds or Burger King, but at the larger ones there are usually a large variety of restaurants that offer something other than fast food. Your best strategy is to stay away from the fast food places and meal offerings high in fat and oil. However, even if you can only eat at a fast food place there are still ways to stay healthy. Most fast food restaurants offer salads these days as well as low fat options. Stay away from anything deep fried and get something grilled instead. Instead of getting an unhealthy side dish like fries, see if you can substitute salad, fruit or a soup.

Grab A Takeaway

If you don’t have any time to eat in the airport itself, many restaurants and food stands offer takeaway food such as sandwiches and soups. Do not give into the temptation to grab a candy bar and a soda while on the run. Airports will not allow you to bring beverages from outside of the airport through the security checkpoints, but since you have to pass through the security checkpoints to get to the airport restaurants, food and beverages purchased at the airport will be allowed on the plane and they will not be considered one of your carry-on items, so don’t worry about not being allowed to bring them on the plane. In fact, this type of thing is something airports would like to encourage as passengers spending money on food brings in additional revenue.

Bring Your Own

You can also bring food from home for the airport and the plane. You will need to have enough room in your carry-on luggage to store your food, and beverages that you bring from home will not be allowed past the security checkpoints. Non-solid foods such as applesauce, yogurt, canned fruits and soup are only allowed if they are less than three ounces in size and are part of your allotment of carry-on liquids.

Watch Those Liquids

One great way to stay healthy is to swear off all liquids except for water. It can be tempting to buy a coffee or soda as a treat since you’re traveling, but those drinks are filled with empty calories. Instead, save your money and bring a water bottle along with you. Make sure the bottle is empty so security will allow it past the checkpoints. Instead of buying outrageously priced water in the airport, fill up your water bottle at a water fountain.

This post was provided by Ryan Embly. He is a writer from the cheap car rental website CRX.

You’ve saved for months for your vacation, so you don’t want it to be ruined by a vision problem. A holiday spent in pain, unable to see clearly, or going out of your way to find an optician will make your vacation memorable for all the wrong reasons. This is especially important if you’re traveling alone – can you imagine trying to navigate your way through an unfamiliar city without your glasses or contact lenses? With a little bit of simple preparation, you can protect your vision and have a fun, safe trip.

Have a Backup

When you’re on vacation, your familiar everyday routine is completely disrupted. While taking in the sights you’ll be frequently distracted, which is why it’s so common to lose or break glasses while traveling. Be prepared by packing an extra pair of glasses, even if the prescription is a little bit outdated. Which would be worse – your old glasses or none at all?

If you typically wear contact lenses, you should bring not only extra contacts but a pair of glasses, too. You could lose a contact somewhere, or your eyes could become agitated from too much sun, surf or sand. Your eyes will be more comfortable if you wear your glasses for a day or two to recover.

Bring Supplies

Make sure you pack plenty of cleaning solution for your contact lenses and glasses. Try to find some small, travel-sized kits that you can carry with you in your purse or backpack while you’re away from the hotel. These small kits are also acceptable to bring in your carry-on bag when flying, unlike the full-sized containers. What if you need solution during a layover in an airport? Not only will it be tough to find in the shops, but if they carry what you need, it’ll likely cost you an arm and a leg!

You should also bring along a small repair kit for glasses. These typically include extra screws, nose pads, and a tiny screwdriver. If you wear contact lenses, bring along an extra contact lens case in case your primary one gets lost or damaged. You should be able to find all of these supplies available at your optician or local pharmacy.

Notify Your Optician

Let your optician know you’ll be traveling and ask them for a copy of your current vision prescription. While you’re there, pick up a copy of their business card so you have their contact information with you. Should you need to have new lenses made during your trip, or if you get an eye infection and need him to call in a prescription for medicated eye drops, it’s best to have these items with you.

Plan Ahead for Outdoor Activities

If you’re going to be outdoors a lot on your trip, make sure you’ve got a good pair of sunglasses that provide UV Protection from the rays. A hat is also good to have along for reducing eyestrain. For swimming and water sports enthusiasts, remember that it’s unadvisable to swim in your contact lenses. Prescription swimming goggles are a comfortable and convenient alternative.

Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, a prescription glasses and sunglasses retailer.

(Photo: neuroticcamel)

This might not be the best thing to read before tomorrow’s guest post on road trips, but it seems that life on the road is not without its risks – health risks. A recent report in the Journal of Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine studied data on 13,000 business travelers and found that most of those described their health as fair or poor. Their cholesterol and blood pressure numbers aren’t great and they are more likely to be obese, thanks to lots of time spent sitting in meetings, a lack of sleep and poor nutrition. More on this story here:

• An airport is no substitute for the gym
• Frequent business travel linked to increased health risks

If you spend a lot of time on the road and are wondering how to improve your health, then check out these tips on staying healthy on the road.