I’m headed to Cancun for a long weekend, and this time I’m packing like I mean it.
Timing couldn’t be better. I’ve been marathoning a major software overhaul all summer long and am stoked to unplug for a couple of days.
The forecast has other plans. Nothing says vacation like a 95% chance of thunderstorms. I’m choosing to call it a very humid spa retreat 🙃
My Travel Non-Negotiables
Speaking of Spa: One of my best travel hacks, whenever it’s an option, is heading straight to the spa after landing for some hydrotherapy: sauna, steam room, cold plunge, whatever they’ve got. If none of that is available, I’ll do a contrast hot-and-cold shower, some jumping jacks, and legs up the wall + self-massage (collarbones, pits, belly, legs) to get my lymph moving.
Compression leggings. I travel in them, especially now that my lipedema has been flaring.
Fasting on the plane. I liquid fast as long as possible, since eating on the plane can wreck digestion before you even land.
IQ Mix electrolytes. I used these years ago and they’re back in the rotation. I grab the travel packs on Amazon.
King Coffee. My daily cup, and it comes with me. Easily mixes in water, so great on-the-go alternative to terribly toxic airplane coffee.
LymphActiv by CellCore. Use my practitioner code 4ALXGSDQ. Lymph support has earned a permanent spot in the bag.
DHM anytime I’m having drinks. I’ve most recently been use Blowfish Wingman (linked below), which has DHM to support your body as it processes alcohol.
DAO daily. I’m dining out 100% of the time and more likely to have an evening drink, so I take Histagest-DAO (linked below— these are so cute and purse-friendly!) every day. DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine from food and drinks. Champagne is usually my special occasion drink of choice (the real stuff, not prosecco) 🥂, and this week I’m experimenting with lower-histamine options like tequila instead, because when in Rome (aka Cancun)!
Everything above lives in my Travel Essentials on ShopMy. Some links are affiliate links.
Bracing for Impact
On my last two international trips, I felt really well overall. My energy was great and I slept well. But toward the end of each trip, my eyes got red and itchy and my sinuses started flaring.
That sinus saga didn’t start with travel. This spring I went through rounds of steroids and antibiotics for a phantom sinus infection that turned out to be more of a lymphatic flare. I’d taken steroids right before traveling, so things were calm when I left, but it still crept back in by the end of the trip.
I have a strong theory that I was experiencing some localized mast cell activation.
Here’s the piece that’s finally clicking. This summer I did allergy testing, and a couple of environmental allergens showed up. It’s looking like part of this was allergy-driven all along, a localized mast cell response right in the tissues. That would explain why the antibiotics never touched it and why my CT scan came back clear. I’m starting custom blended allergy drops, and I’ll share the full picture next week.
So for this trip, I’m bringing some new travel tools: a new nasal spray, specialty eye drops, and a new peptide I haven’t traveled with before. Stay tuned for next week’s recap of how they all worked.
