The Most Essential Supplements to Take on Vacation

The most essential supplements to take when traveling for vacation or work to prevent illness or quickly nip it in the bud as necessary.

I once went on a fairly long vacation that involved traveling across long distances and changing time zones 5 times in 10 days.

It also involved being on a boat in sometimes rough seas and weather that would be warm one day and freezing cold the next.

One particular day, we got very hot and sweaty hiking to see a glacier in the morning. During the afternoon, we took a cable car to the top of a mountain and donned our coats and mittens for an all-out, do-or-die snowball fight.

While such an adventure was certainly very fun and exciting, being away from our regular routine at home was very taxing to the immune system.

Eating out three meals a day, experiencing rapidly changing weather conditions, getting little sleep from staying up late night after night….you get the picture.

Not to mention the constant pitching and rolling of a ship at sea greatly taxed our body, leaving us vulnerable to illness.

Taking young children along presented an even greater challenge.

Sweets and processed foods are available 24/7 on a cruise, and children are not well known for their discipline in this area.  

I was shocked to learn from my oldest on the flight home that his record was 11 ice cream cones in a single day (this from a child who normally demonstrates amazing restraint with junk food and sweets).

I myself actually put on 6 pounds, eating as much food in ten days as I would probably eat in a month at home.

I have no doubt that the essential supplements we took with us played a key role in keeping us well despite the daily overindulgence.

I am happy to report that no one in our family experienced as much as a stomach ache or a sniffle while traveling on that epic trip to celebrate my parent’s 60th anniversary.

Even better, we didn’t get sick after getting back home either!

Clearly, the travel supplements bridged the gap in our diet and helped us manage the physical stress from the changing weather, time zones, and ship conditions.

In addition to supplements, I believe it is important to expect to be well while you are away. 

If you are worried that you or your kids will get sick from the lower quality food you will no doubt be consuming on vacation compared with your home-cooked fare, then chances are high that you will get sick.

Expectation and emotional state have a huge effect on health. Science is only just beginning to understand how it all works.

Packing your bags with every remedy and supplement you can think of for every possible illness you might encounter on vacation does not set an expectation of wellness, does it?

No, it does not.

As a result, you may notice in the list below that I only took one actual remedy with me preferring instead to expect that our strong constitutions from eating well while at home would prove very protective the short time we were away.

One final tip. 

Try not to pack too much stuff.

Lots of luggage, clothing, and other items to keep track of and carry while traveling is very stressful and detracts greatly from the enjoyment of your vacation.

Your packing does not need to be perfect.

I actually packed my bags in 20 minutes the night before we left for Alaska (a lot of thought happened in the weeks prior to that 20 minutes of actual activity, however).

Did I forget anything? 

Yes, I forgot a belt and one other thing I can’t even remember at this point, so it obviously wasn’t that important in the first place.

Pack as little as you possibly can and you will be much more relaxed.

As a bonus, less stress from keeping track of a bunch of stuff translates to a higher chance of staying well while you are away.

Critical Supplements for Travel

Below are the supplements I took on our Alaska adventure that did an excellent job keeping us in tip-top form the entire time.

Therapeutic-Strength Probiotic  

This supplement is non-negotiable.

You really absolutely must have a probiotic on vacation!

In my opinion, it is best to start taking it a week or two prior to your departure date so you adjust before hitting the road.  

A quality probiotic (I recommend these brands) will keep the beneficial bacteria in charge of your gut environment so any gastrointestinal pathogens you are exposed to have a much lower chance of taking hold.

The flora will also keep your immune system operating at a high level. This is because most of your immune system is actually in your gut!

Since we would not be consuming fermented foods or probiotic-rich raw dairy while on vacation like we normally do at home, supplying probiotics in capsule form was a very important supplement to take with us!

High Vitamin Cod Liver Oil

This most important traditional supplement must be unheated, otherwise, the natural Vitamins A and D are destroyed.

I took capsules with us instead of liquid as it was more convenient especially when traveling by air.

Each family member took 3-6 capsules per day.

This is the cod liver oil brand our family has used since 2015 with excellent results.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 works synergistically with the Vitamin A/D in cod liver oil. Thus, to get the best results, you should take them together.

Our family took one capsule per day of vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7 from GMO-free natto.  

This brand and this brand are the two K2 supplements we prefer.

Vitamin K2 is the elusive nutrient that is in plentiful supply in the sacred foods of ancestral cultures. It is nearly impossible to get a sufficient quantity of this fat-soluble vitamin even on whole food organic diet.  

Since we would not be eating any sacred foods on vacation like we normally do at home, a K2 supplement was necessary.

Whole Food Vitamin C

We ended up not needing our whole food vitamin C because fresh squeezed orange juice was available every day on the ship, which I hadn’t expected.

I am not a fan of regular pastuerized orange juice (it is so high in sugar). I never buy it at home as it has little to no nutritional value.

However, a small glass of fresh-squeezed OJ is wonderful, especially with a breakfast of bacon and eggs!

These brands of whole food Vitamin C are good quality ones to consider for travel.

Slippery Elm Tincture

Slippery elm is my home remedy for tummy aches. It is incredibly soothing to the entire digestive tract.

I figured we might need it since we would be eating in a restaurant three meals a day for nearly two weeks.

As it turned out, none of us ever used it! 

Activated Charcoal Capsules

Taking capsules of activated charcoal as a food poisoning remedy is very important to have on hand when you are out of town.

It also works great in case someone comes down with norovirus or any sort of tummy bug that is common on cruise ships.

The dosage we use is two capsules with a glass of water at the first sign of symptoms.

Do not wait until you are already sick! Take it right away if you suspect that you’ve eaten something that does not agree with you or are feeling those initial waves of nausea.

This amazing remedy works fast and stops the vomiting and/or diarrhea before it even starts!

Sea-Bands

This last suggestion is not actually a supplement…but it helps maintain physiological balance so I included it anyway.

Rough seas are common on a cruise, and the acupressure from Sea-Bands works wonderfully well for preventing seasickness.  

I am not a fan of Dramamine or those patches behind the ear to prevent nausea, dizziness, headaches and even vomiting while at sea during rough weather.    

Why use drugs when acupressure works just as well with no side effects?

The trick with Sea-bands is to put them on if the waves start getting high and keep them on until the seas smooth out.  

I’ve used them for years whenever I’m at sea even if just for a brief dinner cruise (I’m very prone to seasickness, but I LOVE any type of boating). 

I’ve been in 15-foot seas before where you couldn’t even walk a straight line without slamming into a wall and had no problems whatsoever.  

The trick mentioned above…which bears repeating…is that you need to have them on BEFORE you get seasick.

Putting them on after you are already nauseated doesn’t work very well at all.

I hope this list of what supplements we take on vacation is helpful as you plan any summer travel with your family!

While it isn’t many supplements and there are certainly others that could be added to the list, these are the most essential ones, in my experience, to be sure you have tugged into your luggage.