Auto-Immune Travel Tips
Last night, I flew into Las Vegas as a presenter at The Performing Hypnosis Summit. Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I have had to cook all of my meals to avoid eating foods that could trigger my inflammation. Currently, foods that trigger my inflammation are gluten, dairy, soy, nightshades (peppers), and refined sugar. Eating on the road is a nightmare because 99% of the restaurants serve pre-packaged foods containing one or more ingredients that could negatively impact my health. As a result, I've had to completely re-think how I travel. Hopefully, some of these tips will help those in a similar situation.
Accommodations
Thanks to Airbnb and VRBO, I can stay anywhere and cook food. However, not all AirBNBs and VRBOs are equal! I often stay in Las Vegas and have learned to read entire descriptions before booking a stay. One place I stayed said it had a washer/dryer in the unit and a full kitchen. Since this was a 10-day stay, laundry was going to be necessary. When I arrived, the laundry was on a different floor, and the "full kitchen" consisted of 3 mini-refrigerators. Thankfully, I had emailed the host about the laundry facilities, and they "verified" it was in the unit. I took a video of the unit and sent it to Airbnb with my complaint about the misrepresented listing. I was granted a full refund plus a $500 credit. The lesson here is that if you need a few critical things to make your stay more comfortable, send an email verifying the unit has the amenities you need. If those items are not there when you arrive, Airbnb or VRBO can see your emails, and getting a refund will be much easier.
What Floor? Parking?
Another tip is to verify what "floor" your stay is on and whether there is an elevator. Also, how far is the walk from where you park to the door? If you tire easily, this can make a big difference in your stay and would be worth checking out.
Arrive a day early.
I have started arriving a day early, so it gives me a day to make sure my accommodations are up to par, shop for my food, prepare my food, and get acclimated to the weather and/or time change. If I have time, I visit a local attraction for a few hours. One of my favorite sites is www.roadsideamerica.com. I have a thing for exploring America's oddball attractions. Click on attractions near me, and enjoy the weirdness you'll only find in this country!
Bring Cooking Supplies That Are Expensive Or Hard To Find
Because I eat a lot of vegetables, I bring a little handheld zoodler with me. A zoodler can turn your zucchini, squash, and carrots into noodles. I often travel with a small 1/2 full bottle of olive oil for cooking, a small 1/2 full bottle of pure maple syrup, packets of honey, my unique paleo pancake mix.
Buy Quality Foods
To pamper myself more while traveling, I buy higher quality foods. Since going out to eat can be a potential health crisis for myself, I'll treat myself to filts, shrimp, or crab. I also treat myself to a flavorful coffee, as if I were staying at a luxury hotel.
Rental Car vs Uber
This particular conference is in a casino, so Ubering back and forth from my Airbnb to the casino can be costly. Thanks to Priceline.com, I could rent a car for 6 days for $200 this trip. Last year, when I did some classes in San Diego, it made more sense to share my Airbnb with others. Then we Uber-ed everywhere because the rental cars were significantly more expensive. When planning my trip, I compare pricing for both before I go and then choose whichever makes the most sense economically.
Cruising
When I cruised last year, my diet presented a particular challenge. We contacted Royal Caribbean about my needs, and they were fabulous! They informed all of the chefs about my allergies. My diet doesn't really allow for pre-packaged foods on the buffets, not to mention ship buffets can be the human equivalent to a messy game of pinball when you're constantly being bumped by children, wheelchairs, and "hangry" people. We decided to pay for the fine-dining restaurant upgrade, which was worth it. Each restaurant assigned us a waiter familiar with my diet, and each meal was enjoyed in peace and quiet.
Allergy List
It helps to pre-print a list of your food allergies with a nice note and carry it with you. When Doug and I did the Galactic Cruiser last year, we discovered the Disney chefs did not know what "nightshades" were (and served them to me several times). In case you didn't know, "nightshades" are a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes (white, red, yellow, and blue), and peppers (like bell peppers, chili peppers, and sweet peppers. etc.). Tobacco is also in the nightshade family. Yams and sweet potatoes are not nightshades.
Another note: our friends invited us to a Carnival Cruise last year. After reaching out to the Food and Beverage Dept, we learned that Carnival needs to be set up to handle a diet as strict as mine. They could do vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free, but all of my allergies put together were above and beyond what their staff was willing to work around.
Cruise Excursions
On our cruise last June, we had an excursion that went horribly wrong on multiple fronts. It ended up being 2-3 hours longer than planned, and I needed snacks to get me through. When we returned to the ship, the only food available was "not good for Traci's health" food. I ended up eating it, and it did not turn out well. Bring plenty of water and a snack if you will be doing an excursion longer than 3 hours. Fruit may be difficult to get on/off a ship, but have something you can eat just in case. Keeping a few pieces of fruit or snacks in your room is also helpful, as the dining rooms do shut down throughout the day to prepare for the next meal.
Medications
Bring enough medications to last 4-7 days beyond your trip, and carry them with you. You never know where your journeys may take you, and it's best to be prepared.
Rest and Relaxation
One of the ways I relax is to take a hot bath. I've also been known to seek out an alternative therapy treatment just for the sake of trying it. The last time I was in Las Vegas, I got to experience the Theraphi, which is a Plasma Med Bed. This bioactive plasma field device generates powerful healing frequencies. I felt wholly revitalized after one 30-minute treatment and will do that again this trip.
If you have an auto-immune and enjoy traveling, I hope you found some helpful tips. If you don't have an auto-immune, I hope you got some insight into the planning it takes for an auto-immune person to maintain their health on a trip!
