Here's how I make my plane rides more healthy and stay feeling well even on those long flights!

If you follow me on Instagram, it's probably clear that I absolutely love to travel and explore new places. Traveling is one of my favorite things in life, but the one thing that tends to escape my mind when I'm deciding where to go next is the flight. Luckily for me, I grew up going on family vacations and actually did school field trips that took me overseas, so flying is something I have grown accustomed to and something I don't mind. I do go a little crazy if there is a crying baby, or if I just can't get comfortable, but for the most part, I put my fuzzy socks and eye mask on and go right to sleep! However, due to the recycled air on planes and the radiation we are exposed to at the high altitude, I often find myself feeling lethargic and icky after a flight. My last flight from NYC to LA which is only about 5 hours left me feeling fatigued, so I thought I would do some research and find some ways to make a plane ride healthier!

Whether you are taking a vacation, traveling for work, or going home to see your family, don't let the time changes, the dehydration, and the long travel days mess up your trip by following these five tips:

Bring sanitary wipes - Yes, you may feel like a mom wiping down your entire seat, armrests, tray table, remote, and tv console, but these contain the most amount of germs since they are not regularly cleaned on flights. You can get small antibacterial wipes from your local drug store or market and it wouldn't be a bad idea to also pick up some hand sanitizer while you're at it! I hate having dirty hands!

Stock up on healthy snacks - granola bars, nuts, dried fruits, beef jerky, etc. Anything high in protein and low in sugar and carbohydrates will definitely help you get through the flight and help you avoid eating the overly processed snacks and airplane food that they serve. Not to mention, you will save money if you pack your snacks in advance instead of buying them at overpriced airport stores.

Drink H2O- The constant struggle of drinking water and having to pee, or not drinking water and getting extremely dehydrated. Yes, it's annoying to have to tap the people next to you in order to go to the bathroom a couple of times during a flight, but at the same time, it's very important to drink water when you fly. Finding the perfect balance is ideal. I like to buy a big water bottle from somewhere in the airport and aim to finish it by the end of my flight. I am one of those people who always has to pee, so at this point I have no shame in asking the people next to me to let me out since I like window seats. Drinking water will not only keep your skin hydrated, but it will also help your insides so you don't get too "backed up" from the jet-lag (if you know what I mean).

Get rest the night before- Make sure to get an ample amount of sleep the night prior to flying to help your body build up resistance and strength to fight off infections and the germs passed around form the recycled air. If you are unable to sleep, maybe take a sleep aid like melatonin, Benedryl, or my new favorite, Advil PM, which is non-addictive and knocks me right out!

Can you guess where I'm headed next?