Top Ten Tips For Happy Holidays

The Vale Practice’s Top Ten Tips for Happy Holidays

There’s an art to having a good holiday and The Vale Practice would like to share its insights on staying well before, during and after a trip as well as what to pack in your bath bag so you have your own emergency apothecary with you.

1. Pace yourself in the lead up to your holiday. Cramming as much work as possible in to “clear you desk”, the usual last minute packing frenzy, and the rigours of travelling (early starts, long journeys in polluted planes/trains) causes so much stress and turmoil for your body that this often leads to getting ill when you reach your idyllic destination!

2. Boost your immune system before you go. Herbs and Homeopathic remedies can be very helpful in the run up to your holiday to keep your immune system strong and help protect you against foreign diseases. If you are going to an unusual destination or for a longer trip prepare your body for the changes it will face. Herbs such as Echinacea and Garlic capsules can be taken up to 3 months before your journey to give your immune system a real boost. If you are going to the tropics garlic is essential as it is anti fungal!

3. Research your destination. Check the area you are travelling to for diseases – if there are any vaccinations necessary research these and if you decide to get them support your body with homeopathy for any side effects. The Vale Practice Homeopathic Drop in clinic is open Monday-Saturday 9.30-10.30am and Mon/Tues 5.30-6.30pm. They offer professional travel advice answering all those niggling questions and homeopathic remedies alongside.

4. Avoid Deet. Deet (Diethyl toluamide) is a highly toxic ingredient in Mosquito repellants which, while great at repelling insects, can be very harmful to us humans. If you have to use a Deet-based repellent try to apply it sparingly and to the clothes. There are some great alternatives such as Neem which is completely natural and produced by a tree in South America where they have been using the oil against mosquitos for years. Citronella aromatherapy oil is also good at repelling insects as they hate the smell. Simply get an empty bottle and fill with either oil or purified water, a teaspoon of alcohol and quite a few drops of citronella. You can also use it in candles to repell mosquitoes from your bbqs at night! Both Citronella and Neem are available at www.eco-online.co.uk. If you do get bitten Calendula tincture put directly onto the bite gives great relief as it is an effective skin healer.

5. Use natural and organic suncreams. Your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it, so while protecting your skin from the sun normal suncreams contain very harsh and dangerous chemicals to do so. There is a range of organic suncreams on the market suitable for even the fairest skins as well as children’s. The Vale Practice recommends the Green People range which we sell online and in reception. These suncreams offer both UVA and UVB protection and natural antioxidants to protect against cell damage. They also offer a water resistant children’s sun cream and an Organic Aftersun Cream which is incredibly soothing, packed full of aloe vera, calendula and mint.

6. No matter how relaxing your holiday, remember that prevention is better than cure. If the water isn’t safe to drink in the region you are staying in be cautious: ask the waiters in bars if the ice is made from tap water and be wary of salad. Use a mosquito net if you are in a heavily mosquito-ridden area - even if the locals don’t. Nux Vomica 30 is great for indigestion; take the night before any overindulgence; also good for any stomach disorder where the nausea is relieved by vomiting.
Pack Arsenicum 30 for food poisoning, travellers diarrhea and vomiting.

7. A travel kit of homeopathic remedies is ideal to help with jet lag, over exposure to sun, insect bites and stings or any other injuries. The kits contain 36 remedies in a small practical plastic case with a booklet packed with all the symptoms you could possibly experience - even missing the Great British reserve! Alternatively, your homeopath can make you an individualised kit to suit you and your family.

8. If you suffer from a bad back or stiff neck it is a good idea to see your Osteopath or Massage therapist before any long haul flight. They can give you some great tips for exercises you can do on the plane so when you arrive at your destination your body will be in a fit state with fewer aches and pains from sitting on a plane. While travelling, try to keep moving around regularly: it is bad for your body to be sitting in one position for a long period of time.

9. While sunburn is extremely painful to the skin it also has a damaging effect on our bodies as a whole as they become seriously dehydrated and have to work harder to heal the tissue damage. A herbal bath can help reduce stinging and pain cooling the body down. Add 6 cups of chamomile tea to a lukewarm bath. Soak in the bath for 30 minutes. Lavender oil is also good and can be applied neat to the burnt area. Rehydrate the body by drinking lots of water. For more serious sunburn it is recommended that you ease the stress on the body by supplementing your diet with Vitamin C and essential fatty acids which are essential for tissue repair and also help reduce scarring. Try to eat a high protein diet which also aids in tissue repair with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to make up for the vitamins and minerals lost.

10. Sometimes the getting there is the worst part. Australian Bush Flower Travel Essence is designed especially for air travel: for jet lag, dehydration, disorientation, atmospheric radiation and anything associated with travel. It’s made from a combination of Bush Flower essences and aims to enable you to arrive at your destination feeling balanced and ready for your holiday! For fear of flying there are some excellent homeopathic remedies which relate to your individual fears or issues. Hypnotherapy has been proven to help people with flying phobias. Jane Crowe, The Vale Practice hypnotherapist says: ‘Hypnotherapy can deal with the root cause of that fear and therefore neutralise it. Often two sessions are all that’s required.’ Jane also recommends, for those who’d love a really fabulous tropical beach trip but can’t afford it, ‘taking a holiday in your head’. Like a guided meditation, this hypnotherapy treatment can be so powerful, your body and mind feel almost as rested as they would if you’d been on an actual holiday! Says Jane: ‘The brain doesn’t differentiate between real and imagined experience, it still triggers the hormones and relaxation responses that a real holiday would.’

The Vale Practice has over 27 therapists to call on. Therapies include: Osteopathy, Remedial and Deep Tissue Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, Swedish Massage, Eco Beauty, Chinese Herbal medicine, Nutrition, Naturopathy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Tui Na Massage, Shiatsu, Allergy Testing, Aromatherapy, Sports Injury Massage, Indian Head Massage, Counseling, Cranial Osteopathy, Group Therapy, Life and Work coaching, Chiropody, Medicinal Herbalism, Bio Energiser and Child Art and Psychotherapy.

For further information contact:
Practice manager: Kate 020 8299 9798/020 8299 9942
Or go to: www.thevalepractice.co.uk