The whole point of booking a holiday is to release all your stress and be carefree for a couple of weeks. However, if you have high cholesterol or heart issues, overindulgence on holiday can have serious consequences. The higher the level, the greater your risk of heart disease. Those of us who are familiar with travel know that eating healthily on the move is exceedingly difficult but if you have a total cholesterol reading of 5 (4.4 for women), you have an average risk of heart disease. The higher the level, the greater your risk of heart disease. Coenzyme Q10 is one of the best health supplements on the market and has the ability help you lower your cholesterol level by two points over the space of three months.
Although you should start taking Coenzyme Q10 months before your holiday and bring it with you overseas, this does not give you the excuse to eat and drink anything you like while on vacation. It is easy to gain several pounds, dramatically increase your cholesterol reading and most importantly, slip back into bad habits during the course of a holiday. No one is suggesting that you completely abstain from indulgence but a few simple suggestions will keep your cholesterol lowand ensure you don’t have any regrets once the holiday is over.
Temptation
The first danger you face is when you are on the plane. By now, you have passed through customs and are ready to relax. International airlines serve alcoholic beverages and an array of exceedingly unhealthy food that lacks adequate nutrition but packs quite a saturated fat punch. As you will need to eat during a lengthy flight, think ahead and pack healthy snacks like granola bars and sandwiches. Although you can’t bring liquids through customs on your way out of the country, you can purchase water from a number of shops and vending machines. If you forget to pack snacks, buy the healthiest alternative you can in the shops after check-in.
No matter where you go, there will be unhealthy food choices in the form of fast food restaurants. If you get stuck and are obliged to purchase something from one of these locations, choose a kid’s portion which should be enough to satiate you until you find a healthier option.
Plan Your Medication
Ensure that you pack all your cholesterol medication as part of your pre-flight planning. Bring more medication than you need in case some is lost and divide the stack into two different bags, keeping one with you at all times. When travelling on a plane, bring aboard your medications in their original containers. Get the help of travel companions and ask them to remind you when to take the medication. If you don’t have a travel companion, ask a friend or relative at home to send you a text message at the appropriate time. Beware the time difference! Coenzyme Q10 should be one of the medications you take daily.
Finally, don’t allow a holiday to give you the excuse to lounge around all day. One of the best ways to lower cholesterol is to exercise as this lowers your risk of getting a stroke or heart disease. Even a brisk walk every day will suffice if you don’t have access to a health centre. It is possible to stay disciplined and enjoy your holiday while returning home with the same cholesterol reading as when you left.
[box]Writer Bio: Health post is an NZ based health store carrying travel products like Q10 and African Mango NZ.[/box]
