| Natural remedies and tips for travellers
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• Natural remedies: travel first aid kit
• Homoeopathic for travellers
• Essential Oils for travellers
• Herbs for travellers |
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Natural remedies: travel first aid kit |
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There are many natural herbal and homoeopathic travel remedies that you can use to treat a range of minor ailments and conditions while travelling or on holiday. It is a good idea to put together a good natural medicine based travel kit along with the standard bandages, scissors and tweezers.
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Here are some of our suggestions:
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Insect Bites: If it’s insect bites that are keeping you awake at night, take 500mg of vitamin B1 a day. Better still, avoid getting bitten in the first place by diluting citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, or tea tree oils in an almond oil base before applying to the skin. You can also use the Aloe Vera gel to sooth those annoying itches.
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IBS and diarrhoea: Avoid the uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhoea by travelling with black psyllium seeds and remembering to eat live yoghurt, which will help keep the balance of the flora in your gut healthy despite a change in climate and diet. Even if you don’t pack an alternative travel kit, you can often treat common complaints with everyday items. Sometimes the bacteria causing severe diarrhoea, for example, can be eliminated just by drinking a cup of black tea. This is no ordinary cup of tea, of course. The trick is to make it very strong (use four teabags if that is all you have) so that the tannin, which is a natural antibacterial agent, will kill off the offending bug. The other trick for diarrhoea is 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a little warm water or 1 tsp of cinnamon on grated apple left to go brown.
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Aloe Vera: Formulated specifically for sunburn, If you accidentally stay out too long and get burned by the sun, for example, Aloe Vera gel with the herbs nettle and St Johns Wort will soothe and accelerate the rate at which the damaged skin heals. We recommend Touch Of Suns Burn Lotion. If you have nothing else to treat sunburn, smother the affected area with cold yoghurt from the fridge or add cucumber juice to a cold water compress which will help cool the burning skin.
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Probiotics: Probiotics will help prevent and treat the dreaded Traveller’s Tummy. Stomach upsets - which are an occupational hazard when you are travelling - can all disturb the natural balance of bacteria in the gut, allowing more pathogenic bugs to flourish. If you buy capsules, make sure they have an enteric coating to protect the bacteria as they pass through the stomach to the gut.
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5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP): Beats jet lag by boosting levels of serotonin, the mood-controlling hormone produced in the brain which is a precursor to the manufacture of melatonin itself, the hormone which regulates the natural body clock. It won’t work straight away - so start taking it a fortnight before your departure date.
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Homeopathics for travellers
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Arnica 30c: If you take nothing else, make sure you pack this remedy. It can reduce bleeding, inflammation, and bruising - and is prescribed by homoeopaths to counter shock and promote rapid healing. Wecsuugest taking arnica away with you as a cream for external bruising as well as in drop form.
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Ars Alb: Is good for diarrhoea
Aconite: for fear
Nux Vomica: for nausea and vomiting
Kali bic: for sinus when flying
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Essential Oils for travellers
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Citronella, eucalyptus or lavender oils will stop insects from biting in the first place. Essential oils should never be applied straight on to the skin. Dilute them first in an almond oil base. Dissolve 10-20 drops into an eggcup full of the base oil. This way, you can mix different oils. Remember that lavender oil is also useful directly onto burns to sooth and heal and is a relaxing oil you can use if you hit some stressful moments.
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Herbs for travellers
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The best idea for travelling is in small bottled tincture forms or herbal tablet form. You can also carry a pot of neutral base cream and add these herbs if they are in tincture form to apply topically as needed.
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Calendula distilled in witchhazel for cleaning wounds. Taken externally only in this form!
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Thyme and Sage to gargle for sore throats or as a throat spray.
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Gentian and meadowsweet to aid digestion.
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Oats and passiflora for stress.
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Goldenseal: One of the most potent antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral agents known to man, this herb can be combined with a probiotic treatment to both prevent and treat stomach upsets. Combine with echinacea to boost the immune system and ward off a cold. It can be very expensive but it lasts a long time. Take just 20 drops, three times a day. |
| Ginger: Stops nausea and travel sickness. Also eases cramps and stomach pains. The easiest way to take it is in tincture form. Take 1-2 drops directly under the tongue.
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| Don't forget the Bach Flower's Rescue Remedy for all large and small emergency's and moments of stress
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