Keeping Kids Healthy While Traveling by Plane

Thinking about all the germs and radiation kids are exposed to while flying can literally be sickening! I recently flew with my two little ones and wanted to know I was giving their body lots of support to ward off any cellular damage or illnesses they may come into contact with. Here come my top 4 favorite travel supplements to the rescue!

1. Cod Liver Oil-

This is one of my go-to's for kids. My kids take it on a daily basis and there will be a blog post high lighting it's many benefits at a later time. As far as flying goes, it is high in vitamins A & D. These are hugely important for immune system support. It also is loaded with fatty omega 3's to keep your little ones brains growing and functioning in prime condition while combating fatigue from crazy flight times and jet lag. These helpful omegas and oils also help calm your little one's nerves and make flying a much nicer experience for everyone! I like Nordic Naturals cod liver oil. From researching their company they source their fish in the wild and from clean waterways, which is hugely important when choosing a fish oil. You do not want to take a low quality fish oil, which can be loaded with mercury & stored improperly actually causing it to be rancid. Nordic Naturals has a nice flavor to it as well that my kids love! I give them a teaspoon a day.

2. Chlorella-

In short, chlorella is an algae loaded with chlorophyll, protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, Vitmins A & B, and amino acids. Because of this, it is great for fighting free radicals and cellular damage during exposure to high amounts of radiation in flight. High levels of zinc and other nutrients make it also makes it great for the immune system. It provides your body with so much of the "good stuff" that it is helpful warding off jet leg as well and obtaining natural, balanced energy. Containing high levels of chlorophyll, which is used by many to combat altitude sickness makes flying easier to tolerate as well as being a strong anti-oxidant to again keep that radiation at bay! All of the individual components in chlorella have many other uses and health benefits in themselves, this is a one stop shop to get all of these things together and makes it easier on kids not having to take multiple supplements. I start my kids on 1 gr of chlorella in their daily smoothie and continue through the trip and 5 days after.

3. Bee Pollen-

Let me start by clarifying that bee pollen is different than the flower pollen flying through the air in the spring. This is pollen that has been collected from flowers by bees and taken back to their hives to be stored as food for the colony. This process involves a special sticky secretion from the bee's stomach that helps the pollen bind together and transform it into the super food bee pollen.

Bee Pollen is a whole food that that supplies our bodies with nearly every nutrient the body needs to survive. High in protein and containing all 22 amino acids. It's loaded with enzymes, severely lacking in our modern diets because of soil depletion & vital in the digestion process of breaking down food.

Supplementing with bee pollen for travel helps your kids gets all the nutrients they need when you're stuck at the airport for hours on end with limited access to fresh and whole foods.

On top of all that, bee pollen contains vitamins, trace minerals (also hard to obtain in modern diets), minerals, and phytonutrients. So, you could pretty much survive off this stuff, although I don't recommend trying! It can help your little one get the nutrition it's hard to obtain in the airport and wile traveling.

I started my kids off with a few pollen grains and increase by 2 every few days until reaching a 1/2 teaspoon a day. You can get it from your local bee keeper or farmer's market.

4.Pro-biotics-

My second "go- to" for kids. Again, my kids take these on a daily basis and there are so many reasons to take them, I will talk more about it at a later time. For now, the reason it's beneficial for flying lies in the gut and healthy bacteria how it affects our entire body. By improving our immune systems, helping to prevent and fight food borne illness (from that questionable food stand at the airport) , and helping with regular and healthy bowel movements that can get thrown off in flight, this is a must for traveling with kids and keeping them in tip top shape. No one wants to deal with a kid with food poisoning on vacation (am I right?) So, do yourself a favor and make sure they have a high quality pro-biotic to take. I use garden of life and fallow the dosing instructions on the label.

Disclaimer: The statements presented above have not been evaluated by the FDA. The suggestions offered on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases. Always check with your physician before taking any supplements. Do not take if you are allergic to any of these products.