Her love of travel, though, extends back to before her acting days: “My mom was a travel agent, so off-the-beaten-path travel has always been a big part of my life,” Meghan revealed in an interview with Allure in 2014. But any traveler knows that being on the road can be tough on the body. “It’s easy to run yourself ragged,” Meghan told Tig readers in a 2016 post about her travel essentials, “hopping from one locale to another, sometimes feeling homesick, and other times just feeling plain-old sick.” Known for her healthy eating habits and commitment to exercise, Meghan has also been open about the travel hacks she deploys to keep herself feeling well while making the most of any trip. Here are eight to consider the next time you jet away.
1. Embrace Your Inner Germaphobe and Wipe Down Your Seat
We all know planes are filled with germs. And in the rush of boarding and squeezing into a tiny airplane seat, it’s all too easy to forget what Meghan considers a crucial step in setting yourself up for a healthy journey: wiping down your surfaces. “I’m no germaphobe,” she wrote on The Tig, “but when I get on a plane I always use some quick hand wipes or a travel sanitizer spray to wipe it all down: that includes the little TV, the service tray, and all the buttons around your seat.” Julia Blank, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, agrees that using disinfectant wipes on a plane to clean any surfaces you’ll touch is a good idea. Cold viruses, she says, are transmitted through respiratory droplets, and “can survive for several hours on surfaces such as tray tables and armrests.” Yikes! Dr. Blank also advises sitting at least two rows away from anybody who is coughing (if you can) and generally bumping up immune-boosting practices such as getting sufficient sleep, eating a healthy diet, and reducing stress.
2. Add Tea Tree Oil to Your Toiletries
The one thing Meghan has said she can’t live without when traveling? Tea tree oil. “It’s not the most glamorous thing, but if you get a cut, a mosquito bite, a small breakout, no matter what it is, it’s my little cure-all,” she told Allure. “It’s inexpensive, it’s small enough to carry on, and I bring it with me all the time." Before you rush out to get your own bottle, though, know that tea tree oil does cause irritation, dryness, redness, and other side effects in some people, according to the Mayo Clinic. New York City–based dermatologist Jennifer MacGregor, MD, doesn’t typically recommend using tea tree oil to combat acne. In fact, the other pesky problems Meghan cites may warrant very different types of treatments, too. “While tea tree oil does have antimicrobial and healing properties,” she says, for a very minor cut, she recommends a mild soap, such as Dove for sensitive skin, and warm water, followed by Vaseline or Aquaphor and a Band-Aid. Mosquito bites, she says, usually resolve on their own, no tea tree oil needed, while mild acne can be treated first with gentle over-the-counter products (Clearasil is a favorite of Dr. MagGregor’s). If a blemish is tender or leaves marks, though, she recommends consulting a dermatologist right away to help prevent scarring.
3. Be Sure to Stay Hydrated From the Inside Out
While clambering over your fellow passengers to use the restroom isn’t so fun, Meghan told her blog readers to “hydrate like you’re dying of thirst.” In part because of the reduced humidity in the air, flying can be incredibly dehydrating, notes the Cleveland Clinic, so drinking enough fluids is key. Marisa Moore, RD, a nutritionist based in Atlanta, always flies with a reusable water bottle, which can be carried through security empty and filled up in the terminal and on board. Hydrating on the outside, starting with the skin, is another go-to move. Meghan told the beauty subscription company Birchbox that she favors a hydrating skin mist upon landing, and MacGregor agrees: “In flight or right after, I love a cleansing wipe followed by a hydrating mist.” Don’t forget “a heavy moisturizing cream to lock it in,” plus mineral sunscreen. “People forget you can get a lot of UV exposure through airplane windows.”
4. Don’t Forget to Pack Probiotics for Stomach Discomfort
Anyone with plenty of passport stamps can attest to the fact that, while thrilling, travel can also lead to stomach discomfort. Meghan’s advice for fending it off? “Always travel with a high strain probiotic” to keep gut health in check, she wrote on The Tig. Studies show that disrupted sleep and low sleep quality can cause constipation in healthy individuals. Probiotics can help counteract constipation by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and softening stool, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, potentially keeping you regular when crossing time zones and eating new foods. Just clear it with your healthcare team to make sure you’re choosing the right one for you. There’s so much to consider, including what type and when you should start taking it, based your individual constitution, says Moore. “Probiotics provide different benefits based on the strain,” she says, so while “some probiotics can help with overall gut health and unpleasantness common while traveling (such as traveler’s diarrhea) or at home,” you should do your due diligence and find out which one might be most useful. It’s also worth noting that there’s limited hard science about the benefits of probiotic supplements for boosting gut health, so temper your expectations. According to a review published in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, the purported benefits of probiotics include improved immunity and focus, and possibly a lower risk of chronic diseases, but more research in humans is needed.
5. Always Bring Cozy Layers for Airplane Travel
In addition to her acting, activism, and royal romance, the duchess is known for her style. So it’s not surprising that the right travel gear is a priority. She never takes off without a big scarf — she called it “packing a portable hug” on The Tig and “invaluable” for catching some sleep on a plane or even in a hotel room. Aside from helping you catch some z’s, cozy layers can keep you warm and possibly fend off viral infections. Research has suggested that nasal passages may be at a higher risk of infection when exposed to cold air — another reason to always pack extra layers.
6. Fight Jet Lag and a Cranky Mood With Food
Jet lag is, well, a drag. When your traveler’s spirit wants to explore but your body doesn’t cooperate, Meghan suggests this tactic, courtesy of fashion designer Misha Nonoo (the friend who is rumored to have set her up with Prince Harry): “Eat on the schedule of wherever you’ve landed,” Meghan wrote on The Tig, and “you won’t feel jet lagged. By simply eating a meal at the time the locals are when you land, you trick your brain a bit and stay much more on track, and much less cranky,” she said. Moore says this makes sense. “Being exposed to daylight in particular and getting on local time for sleeping can certainly help get your circadian rhythms in sync sooner than later,” so “it follows that you’d want to eat on the local schedule, too.” What foods should you reach for? A study published in 2018 in Nutrients found that long sleep durations were associated with a healthy dietary pattern of higher intakes of fruit, salad, vegetables, oily fish, high-fiber breakfasts, nuts, and seeds.
7. Immerse Yourself in a New Culture by Taking a Cooking Class
Minding hydration, getting ahead of stomach discomfort, and fighting jet lag should leave you with plenty of energy to take on one of Meghan’s travel musts: learning from the locals. Her favorite way to get acquainted with the local culture, she said in the interview with Birchbox, is to “find a great cooking class with a local chef, or an art or dance class.” Moore is definitely on board. “I’m a big fan of taking a local cooking class when traveling.” She suggests going for it at the beginning of the trip, so that you can pick your instructor’s brain about the local food scene and best dishes and restaurants to try. Getting out of your comfort zone with classes and immersing yourself in the local scene like Meghan does isn’t just for kicks. International travel and multicultural experiences, studies show, can actually improve your health and well-being. For example, research has linked international travel to greater creativity, and other research suggests that visiting countries abroad may help protect against depression.
8. Move Your Body in Ways You Enjoy
You may feel like a pretzel after spending a few hours crammed into an airplane seat or rental car — and one of the best ways to combat that feeling is to move and stretch. For inspiration, look no further than Meghan, who has an affinity for vinyasa yoga, per the Daily Express, and Pilates, as Hello! magazine reports. “Vacation can be stressful, and maintaining some level of fitness and routine may help,” says Michael Emery, MD, a sports cardiologist with the Cleveland Clinic who loves to seek out local CrossFit studios when he’s traveling. Research supports that notion. In one study, healthy individuals who reported regularly exercising exhibited more physical and emotional resilience, such as a lower heart rate and a better ability to maintain a positive mood, after encountering a stressful event, compared with nonexercisers. When you travel for work, you may be doing a lot of sitting — both in transit and during meetings and conferences. Making time to move can help. “Sitting is not the best thing in the world, and this helps to counteract some of that,” says Dr. Emery. One physical health risk of excessive sitting: deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that anyone who travels for more than four hours by plane, bus, or car has an increased risk of developing blood clots in their legs, or DVT. But getting up and walking or stretching can reduce that risk. When considering your options for exercise, don’t be afraid to think beyond the same old routine. You could do yoga in your hotel room, or you could find a local yoga studio near your hotel or vacation spot. Or, if you’re already in pretty good shape, you could even combine sightseeing and exercise by hiking, renting bikes, or kayaking in your designated vacation spot. “Put that fitness to use and do something new and exciting and different,” says Emery. Additional reporting by Jennifer Larson.
