5 easiest ways to stay hydrated while flying

Travel

5 Easiest Ways to Stay Hydrated While Flying

Drescription

Air travel is one of the most convenient ways to get from point A to point B, but the process is pretty exhausting. By the time you’ve boarded your plane, enjoyed a few glasses of wine, fallen asleep, and finally reached your destination, you’re likely dehydrated and itching for a glass of water. But what if we told you it didn’t have to be this way? We’ve gathered some actionable tips to help you stay hydrated while flying (and avoid feeling grumpy by the time your plane hits the landing strip).

Edwina Clark is a registered dietician based in San Francisco, CA.

Amanda Morgott is a product design engineer at Amway in Ada, MI.

What Causes Dehydration on a Flight?

It’s not just your effort to drink tons of water that plays a role in air travel dehydration. Everything from low humidity to recirculating air contributes to how flying affects our body, all of which translates to low hydration levels. According to Edwina Clark, RD, there are a few situational factors that can cause this: “Cabin air is low and pulls fluid from your body, you’re sitting for long periods at a constant temperature and may not feel thirsty, and fluids are generally less available in-flight compared to at home.” Thankfully, though, achieving maximum hydration in the air isn’t impossible.

Considerations Before You Get Started

Water Inequality

Unfortunately, not all water is created equal, so it’s important to drink the right water to fill you up with moisture and energy. Water filtration expert Amanda Morgott explains that spring water and purified tap water are best to drink in dehydrating circumstances because of their natural minerals. Similarly, Morgott debunks the popularized benefits of high pH water. “The body is so efficient at regulating pH that within the digestive system any alkaline water is quickly balanced,” she explains. “The impact on hydration from alkaline water is no different than that of spring water.”

Prepare Ahead of Time

Ahead of your trip, prepwork matters. You’ll want to spend time before your flight hydrating as efficiently as possible. If your flight is early in the morning, skip the coffee or juice and go straight to drinking water so that you start your flight hydrated (it pays off more than you think!).

How to Stay Hydrated In-Flight

Avoid Alcohol

An airport beer might sound like a good idea while you’re waiting to board your flight, but the dehydrating effects aren’t worth it. Instead, consider asking for water in-flight or refilling your water bottle before boarding. If you’d rather have something with more flavor, consider an electrolyte-rich beverage like Gatorade or coconut water.

Sip Throughout the Flight

It's extremely important to drink water before flying, but so is hydrating consistently during your flight. “Even if you aren’t feeling thirsty, continue to keep up with fluids following travel to compensate for the fluids lost,” says Amway product design engineer Amanda Morgott.

Eat High Water Content Foods

Besides drinking clean and safe H2O, eating water-rich foods can help curb dehydration. Snacking on fruits and vegetables—like watermelon, cucumbers, and strawberries—will increase your water intake and provide additional minerals to improve your energy levels.

Use Saline Nasal Spray and Eye Drops

Have you ever experienced congestion and dry eyes while flying? Dehydration doesn’t just present as headaches and fatigue, it can also show up in our sinuses. Morgott recommends that frequent flyers travel with saline nasal spray and eye drops to keep dryness at bay. “As a bonus, keeping these areas moisturized also helps your body’s natural defenses against airborne germs,” she says.

Moisturize Your Lips, Face, and Body

In addition to your sinuses, don’t forget to keep your lips, face, and body moisturized while in-flight. Consider keeping a few products like lip balm, lotion, hand cream, and rosewater spray in your personal item for easy access while flying and reapply them every few hours for hydrated skin once you land.

Really Great (And Mostly Affordable) Spring Basics

We are ready up here for spring (had a few mid 60s sunny days in February which is always such a tease). I’m mostly just fantasizing about spring break (sun! warmth! very little wifi!). So as I went shopping I found a decent amount of stuff that I LOVED, mostly on the affordable side (which is all relative I know). And per usual I try on a LOT more that I don’t love or wouldn’t bother to show you, so these are my favorites :) Solid long sleeve shirt with a raglan sleeve that looks so casual and still fun. 10/10 love that shirt. The pants are the famous Madewell darted barrel jeans in a cream (not bright white which always makes me nervous!) and this time I sized down to make them fit a bit more flattering. The Milano Birks I’ve had for years and I was pretty proud of myself for putting on a belt, which makes me feel VERY pulled together (bandana is old Clare V. but they sell something similar). A great thin white top (very Doen-esque) that is easy to tuck and perfect for humidity or high heat. I paired it with Gap’s new Bermuda short (which are long and not too tight but not too wide). They are GREAT (see them below in cream). But for those of you who like the skirt route, we LOVED this denim prairie style skirt – medium-weight, but has a nice thick hem at the bottom to keep some sort of structure. Would also just be cute with a sweatshirt or a tank top (this look was a bit too “church” for me, but admittedly pretty cute). HUGE fan of this short sleeved sweatshirt (it’s coming with me on spring break for mornings). It 1/2 tucks really nicely, looks cute with shorts, jeans, skirts, athleisure – just a real win for when you want to be casual but still look fun. These are the white versions of the longer Gap shorts – BIG FAN. Clocking in at $24.99 this is my summer “play dress” – tie anything around its waist, throw on sneakers (with socks if you want to be cool, I do not) and go have fun. I could even play pickle ball in it, perfect for long walks to the village for a beer – just so easy and affordable. This shirt was a splurge, but my goodness it’s so pretty. It’s coming with me for spring break because it’s cotton so it’s still really breathable (so good for dinners with bugs but still warm at night). While this is Farm Rio (which typically is very resort wear) I think this is a solid spring and summer top that I will wear ALL THE TIME. A solid denim short and breezy white top with cute stitching (so great for hotter climates). And I even paired with more of a statement necklace which is pretty dang cute. While the leopard pants are certainly not “affordable spring basics” (I love them BTW) the shirt sure is. It’s from The Gap and is so flattering and looks very high end, IMHO. Here I’m wearing a small (which I returned for an XS) so it runs pretty big. It’s rather long (which I stuffed into my leopard stretch pants, as you do) and the buttons on the sleeve are so pretty. I LOVE this shirt (dark denim is a thing right now) and it comes in white and black as well. But yeah, the leopard hot pants are giving RHONJ in a way that I’m actually into (but dressing them down with a sweatshirt might be the better move). I was so intrigued with this convertible Gap top – very architectural and cool. The buttons unsnap, going from a longer shirt with a tail to more of a cropped boxy shape. I’m wearing an xs and it’s still pretty oversized. I really liked it but ended up returning it just because I didn’t think I’d wear it that often (since I don’t go into an office). The skirt is a new mini from H&M that is pretty dang cute (and I bought the top to match – denim post coming soon!).

6 Tips for Preventing Travel Constipation

Taking a vacation can really knock us off our routines, and that includes how often we go to the bathroom. For many people, traveling can really back things up. In fact, it happens so often there’s even a name for it: travel constipation. Although it isn’t a medical term, it is used to describe a complaint among people who can’t poop when they’re away from home for extended periods of time (we’re talking more than just being out for the day). It’s really common. "The person sitting next to you on the airplane, or someone on the flight crew, or another person you’re meeting likely has the same issue,” says David M. Poppers, MD PhD, and professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at NYU Langone Health. Constipation is uncomfortable regardless of when it happens, but no one wants it to ruin their vacation. Try these expert tips if you experience travel constipation. David M. Poppers, MD PhD, and professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at NYU Langone Health Wendi LeBrett, MD, a Los Angeles-based gastroenterologist What Is Travel Constipation? Anything that disrupts your routine can affect bowel function, Dr. Poppers says. “And travel disrupts routine,” Dr. Poppers says. You’re likely not eating the same things, drinking the same amount of water, or getting the same amount of sleep, all of which affects bowel movement. How do you know if you're constipated, anyway? You'll have no more than three bowel movements a week, according to the National Institute of Health. Further, you may have hard, painful stool and feel like your movements are incomplete, or like you didn't finish. So the phrase "travel constipation" simply refers to not having bowel movements when you're away from home—we're talking for more than just an afternoon. How to Stay Regular While Traveling Be Sure to Poop Before You Leave “Prevention is the best remedy,” says Wendi LeBrett, MD, a Los Angeles-based gastroenterologist. You don't want to head into your trip backed up! She recommends increasing your fiber and liquid intake (more on both ahead) about two to three days before you’re set to leave, as they are two of the most important tools in fighting constipation. Sneak in Your Fiber As we mentioned, getting enough fiber is one of the most important things you can do, because it helps form your stool and makes it easier to pass, Dr. Poppers says. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains may not be your ideal vacation foods, but they are all high-fiber foods. Try eating some fruits and vegetables at every meal when you’re traveling, Dr. LeBrett advises. They don’t need to make up the entirety of your diet, but getting a serving every time you eat can help you get to your daily fiber goal, which is set at 14 grams per 1,000 calories of food per the USDA dietary guidelines. As a precaution, include a package of prunes or dried kiwi into your carry-on bag for snacking, both of which can help you poop, Dr. LeBrett says. “Prunes are a classic option, but kiwi is also really effective for helping with constipation,” Dr. LeBrett says. “There are a number of studies showing that eating two kiwis a day is equivalent to some of the more traditional laxatives.” Stop Neglecting Your Fluids You probably don’t realize you’re doing it, but many people drink far less liquid while traveling, Dr. LeBrett says from her experience working with patients. And that’s a problem, because dehydration makes constipation worse. “When people are traveling and out sightseeing, they naturally tend to drink less water because they don't have access to a public restroom as easily,” Dr. LeBrett says. Recommended fluid intake is dependent on a variety of factors including a person’s activity level, size, and where they are located. Generally, women need an average of approximately 2.7 liters of water, which can come from food and beverages too, and men need an average of 3.7 liters of water, according to the The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. You may want to drink more if you’re in a warmer climate or if you’re drinking more alcohol than you typically would, Dr. Poppers says. If you're flying, it's important to know that air travel can cause dehydration because plane cabins can have low humidity. Keep this in mind when the flight attendant comes around with the beverage cart! Get Moving This can include traditional exercise, but it doesn’t have to. For example, you can walk instead of taking public transportation when sightseeing. Regardless of the specifics, getting plenty of movement can get things moving, Dr. Poppers says. “Activity increases motility, and with that, the intestinal tract has less time to absorb water,” he explains. Although it may seem counterintuitive, you actually develop dry, hard stools when your colon absorbs too much liquid. “So you get a more lubricated stool after exercising,” Dr. Poppers says. Going out of your way to exercise can feel like a chore, so try Dr. LeBrett’s favorite way of slipping it in. “I'm a big advocate for walking after a meal,” she says. “It helps with the digestion process, so it can prevent constipation, gas, and bloating,” Dr. LeBrett says. Maintain Your Routine As much as it’s possible, you want to keep up the habits that keep you pooping regularly (assuming you do. Otherwise, that's a different story!). “Our guts are creatures of habit,” Dr. LeBrett says. “They’re used to the same diet, the same routine, and the same sleep patterns,” she says. You don’t need to adhere to a strict schedule, but at least be mindful of how drastically you’re veering away from a typical day. For example, if you normally sleep a solid eight hours, never drink alcohol, eat from all colors of the rainbow (meaning you probably get loads of fiber), and start your morning with a workout, then you don’t want to do the exact opposite when you’re away from home. Think about ways you can enjoy your trip and practice moderation, by say, having one less glass of wine with dinner, drinking plenty of water, and taking that post-meal walk. Try Stretching (on the Toilet) If you are hit with traveler’s constipation, Dr. LeBrett recommends trying the piriformis stretch, named after the muscle being stretched, which is located in the gluteal region. This stretch can help relax your pelvic floor muscles, making it easier to have a bowel movement. You can see how to do the stretch on Dr. LeBrett’s TikTok page. Alternatively, Dr. LeBrett says a toilet stool can help relax your pelvic floor muscles as well.

Stop Overpacking—These Space-Saving Travel Finds Are All You Need, and They’re Under $30

In just a couple of weeks, summer will be in full swing, and if you have any travel plans, you’ll need products that will save you some serious packing space. No matter where you’re going, these space-saving travel essentials from Amazon’s Luggage and Travel Gear store will help you maximize your luggage room. You can score packing cubes, pill organizers, and TSA-approved toiletry bottles to neatly pack your clothing, personal items, and beauty products. Several of these items are on sale, too, with prices starting at just $6. Bagsmart Toiletry Travel Bag Keep all of your mini skincare, haircare, and makeup products in one place with this best-selling toiletry bag. The spacious organizer is designed with four compartments to neatly store your belongings, each one complete with a clear front so you can see your items. The water-resistant organizer also has a fold-out design with a metal hook that can be hung on a closet door or rack, and packed tightly when not in use. Cozy Essential Travel Vacuum Bag Set These No.1 best-selling travel bags with more than 48,100 five-star ratings come with an electric air pump to seal your things into tightly compressed packs, saving you bag room. The set comes with eight bags, ranging from small to jumbo sizes, so you can pack your undergarments, tops and pants, and outerwear. The bags can be used to neatly store away your seasonal clothing and bedding, too, making the most of your closet space. Mrsdry Travel Bottle Set Instead of having to check a bag to pack full-sized shampoo, lotion, and body wash, you can condense your personal products into these refillable 3-ounce bottles. Each container is made with a leak-proof silicone and top that locks securely into place, so you don’t have to worry about spills. The pack comes with four TSA-approved bottles and a clear bag to keep handy in your carry-on. Continue scrolling to see more space-saving travel essentials under $30, and head to Amazon’s Luggage and Travel Gear hub to browse through the entire assortment of products. Bagail Packing Cube Set Quuejenl Portable Travel Steamer Benevolence LA Plush Velvet Jewelry Box Holii Travel Pill Organizer Napfun Memory Foam Neck Pillow

How We Made Our Old House Charming Again – A Front Of House Tour

The other day I realized I’ve never shown you the full front of the house – nor did you get the play-by-play of the 10 million decisions we made to get here (a huge shout-out to ARCIFORM – my goodness, do they know how to nail classic design so well). Every time I drive up, or anyone does, really, it’s hard not to be impressed with how truly pretty this view is (far more of a grownup house than I ever imagined I’d own). But it wasn’t always beautiful or charming. Like many 100-year-old houses, it started simple/basic, then over the years people made repairs and judgment calls – both good and bad. So today I’m very excited to walk you through what it looked like when we bought it, what we did to it to make it this classic, charming home we have now (PLUS, what two things I have yet to add to it when the budget magically arrives, lol). These were all of the things we knew needed some help with the house and curb appeal… …and these were all of the things we did to achieve that:) Now, come read alllll about it! The Addition – A New Sunroom First things first, ARCIFORM designed my beloved sunroom to help the house look like it had a wraparound covered porch. It looks incredibly original. Thank you, Anne! The house was totally fine, a classic 4-square (where the main living areas are on the first floor, all bedrooms above). Of course, they had added a wing in the 60s, so already that style had changed, but the addition of the sunroom created the sense of this wraparound porch, which just added so much charm. I designed the sunroom windows to marry the original diamond windows (upstairs) with the newer classic grid. The only reason we didn’t do all the new windows like this was due to design and budget constraints. The sunroom windows are absolutely gorgeous, IMHO, and so having these and the entry window be custom-made felt like the right move. The Hefty Porch Railing We went round and round about the porch railings. Classic white wood railings felt basic and, dare I say, boring to me, but I couldn’t find an alternative that made sense (that wasn’t going to be custom welding metal work, which is crazy expensive). Ultimately, I trusted ARCIFORM that this was the appropriate thing to do for the age and style of the home. As far as the size, we wanted them to be a height that people could rest their butts on (we landed at 28″ high), but I thought that these were going to be too chunky, thick, bulky. I was so wrong. ARCIFORM kept telling me that with the scale of the house, we’d need big posts and big railings. They were right!! I love how they look. Our railings are 6″ wide on top with 3″ vertical square railings and 7″ square posts. Ceiling Beams And Rafter Tails I learned a ton about classic porches thanks to ARCIFORM. We chose a tongue and groove ceiling with beams that were 18″ apart, with custom rafter tails to match the original roofline rafter tails (which we tried to replicate on the gazebo but were floored by the pricing – $$$$$$). The pretty carved detail at the end is, of course, gorgeous, but very expensive. Here, you’d have to do it to match. Now I thought we were leaving these rafter tails exposed (so you could see them from the front of the house, with the gutters going on top of them) but they were covered with a piece of wood (is that called skirting when it’s up there, too?) that covered them and then they attached the gutter to that piece of wood. Ultimately, I didn’t have them redo it, but it was something that bummed me out at first. They said that the gutters worked much better this way, and with the rain in Portland, I respected that as we want the best water management here. Now I’ve gotten used to it and heck, maybe all the exposed rafter tails would have been too busy throughout the entire property? Just Google “exposed rafter tails” if you want to see what I’m talking about – it’s a different look. Cement Stairs And Black Metal Handrails Another two details that I sweated over were the cement stairs and the black handrails. We were told over and over that we can’t have wood railings or wood stairs exposed to the rain – they are sure to rot (maybe not for 10-15 years, but still!). So I looked on Pinterest for hours/days/weeks of what we could use that wasn’t wood, and I either found crazy decorative custom stuff (too $$$) or just simple/boring. I was both overwhelmed and underwhelmed, so I designed them to be thin and wide and hoped that they would just go away. I hoped that the house was so pretty that these didn’t need to be anything special. Thank god, I was right about this because even though they were simple, they still cost thousands of dollars since we needed 10 of them around the house at every entrance/exit (by code). Same with the cement stairs – cement is so boring! But because we had so many entrances (front door, mudroom, our bedroom, and the kitchen), we couldn’t really do brick or anything special due to budget. Just the cement was $10k, so imagine had we chosen to do real masonry…ANYWAY, that’s all to say in retrospect. These are the things you don’t notice – the house is so pretty, and these simple and classic elements just disappear in a good way. Vertical Wood Skirting + Horizontal Siding We chose real lap siding (not hardy board), which I think we did because it was a more authentic thing to do, but we did our garages in hardy board and you can barely tell the difference, TBH. Our siding is a 5″ reveal (so I’m assuming it’s 6″ lap siding, where the top of the first inch is covered by the next board). Super classic. Now, the vertical skirting underneath the porch threw me at first, but it makes sense as it contrasts with the horizontal siding nicely. What About Copper Gutters? Oh, you bet we thought about copper gutters, but the price difference was pretty nuts. Now I don’t remember for sure, but I think our white vinyl gutters were around $5k and the copper ones would have been $30k (or something like that – a CRAZY Difference). And the more we thought about it, the more we actually felt that our bright white house didn’t want copper gutters – that they’d get too much attention. I love seeing them on Chris Loves Julia’s house (and they broke down the process so well) as their house is so classic and moody and their patinated gutters look so good. But for our white house, having you not notice the gutters really works. Of course, the copper sconces really pop in a way that I love (and I love how they work so well with the brick landing pad, which is an architectural call back to the kitchen patio). On Mixing Stone And Brick Hardscape The hardscape gets complicated, but the reason we did a herringbone brick anywhere on the property in the first place was because of the covered walkway on the north side of the house, which was long and skinny. It felt like it needed to be a linear pattern (not organic like flagstone). And doing a rectangular flagstone didn’t sound pretty enough to me. The reason we didn’t do herringbone brick everywhere was due to the extreme cost of both the material and the install (which is saying a lot because the stone is also shockingly expensive). So we decided to mix the finishes – a more formal herringbone brick and casual/rustic bluestone. My philosophy was and remains that with older houses like ours, there is something charming about not having all the finishes match or be the same. My feeling is that over time, people in different eras added on different style choices, and that as long as they are all high quality and well executed, the hodge-podgeness of it is actually charming and feels collected over time. I think I’m right for this house, but I wouldn’t do this for a contemporary house – I would likely curate all hard finishes, with some custom details, but I wouldn’t do organic flagstone next to herringbone brick just anywhere. The Landscaping While the house is gorgeous, it’s still simple (white on white, pops of copper/brick but nothing too whimsical). At times, I was so worried that it would be boring (should the windows have been a color? The trim a color? The whole house a color?), but I kept reminding myself that once the landscaping grew in, it would be surrounded by different tones of green and darker aubergine/pinks. Cali (Studio Campo) originally selected the plants/trees for here and they have already changed a lot since install (those amarlylis just showed up this year and I should probably get rid of them before they take over). I added the hydrangeas from Dennis’ 7 Dees), but that statement cherry tree (thanks to Big Trees Today in Oregon) and all the plants really added a ton of color. Two Things I Want To Add (Eventually) I truly love our home, so much. But if I could snap my fingers and add two things, I’d add blue shutters on the bedroom second floor and custom corbels (like we did on the gazebo). I know we went round and round about shutters, here, and it was very polarizing, but I really think that this house can handle real shutters (NOT these renders, they would be the right size and REAL), with pretty black hardware in the same blue as the garage doors (Sherwin-Williams Dutch Tile Blue). And it’s not abnormal to have them only on the second/bedroom floor (since they wouldn’t work on hardly any of the first floor windows). When I had them quoted before, they were $25k (!!!), and I was on the fence, so we didn’t do it. But I do wish we had them, and I might play the lottery and go for it :) And then re the corbels, Purl made the most beautiful corbels for our gazebo, so I’m going to hire him to add some to our porches ($400 each + install, so not nothing but architecturally worth it to me). Anyway, we’ll see if I get around to either of these things (both financially and time-wise). The corbels feel easier to execute (and I love supporting Purl and his artwork), but the shutters feel like a lot. I’ve got other fish to fry (i.e., a carriage house to restore). Thanks, ARCIFORM, for helping us make such classic decisions on the architecture of our home. Everyone thinks that the front was original, and they can’t believe that we didn’t have a porch or the sunroom. Ask me questions in the comments!!