While on vacation or work trip, If you are having a low energy, heavy and sluggishness from long air travel time zone shifts, stressful work days skipping meals and hydration, hangover from festivities / celebrations and having difficulty even getting out of bed, the first way to find some relief and recovery from fatigue and lethargy is always to assess our food and liquids intake for the previous 24 hours. In many cases sickness, low hormonal secretions, lack of restful sleep hydration, minerals, salts, metals such as Iron, and nutrients such as carotenoid rich Vitamin A, C Tomato, Carrots, Beats or protein based foods such as red meats, chicken, fish, crustacean shell fish high in full spectrum vitamin B1 to B12 complexes tend to be the culprits. Having access to mineralized liquids, and foods such as any type of fresh fruit available, dryfruit figs, mango, apricot or any type of nuts from brazil, peanuts, pistachio, cashews, cacao, tiger nuts etc. as snack items during travel transit or work days have always been a life saver. Whole food methods of revitalizing and replenishing deficiencies in vitamin, mineral and metals will be the first choice. For guests visiting upon arrival taking a trip to Kokua Market, Down To Earth which are vegetarian and vegan friendly local versions of Whole Foods has the best selection of nuts, dried fruit, fresh herbs and spices.
Rehydration Remineralization Together
Trace Mineral drops and Fulvic Minerals
Trace Mineral Drops
A back up option is a Trace mineral solution such as one to the left or above. This salty saline water tasting liquid drops is also a great secondary option to remineralize and replenish salt. The flavor tastes like ultra salty water with a fishy after taste, absolutely horrible. However there are many situations where there is no access to natural whole foods to replenish bare essential trace minerals.
Fulvic Minerals
Another great remineralization, revitalization item discovered through farming is Humic and Fulvic Acid. We have been experimenting with Fulvic Acid solution 1 cap full to a glass of filtered water and drinking it upon waking from sleep each morning. We take a liquid light solution available at Down to Earth Health Food Store once a day and particularly useful upon returning from overseas travels spanning a 10 time zone shifts travel overseas via 3 consecutive air flights. One important ingredient for Fulvic Acid is the inclusion Iodine.
These types of solutions and Fulvic mineral solutions are a worthwhile secondary option to consider. This particular Trace mineral solution was recommended by the staff and available at Down to Earth grocery and health food store. We personally favor the Fulvic Mineral solution as the liquid is far more palatable and easier to drink. If you need a place for vegetarian, vegan food court, or to do some light grocery shopping for fruits, vegetables, organic gluten free snacks, nuts, dry fruits, spices, sprouts, spices and dry herbs for cooking, these health stores have a great selection that can be purchased by weighing out how much you wish to have in small to large quantities of your choice.
The only demerit of these mineral solutions is that the size of the bottles are not travel friendly and within the 100ml size for carry on luggage. For people purchasing these solutions during their stay in Honolulu. The quantity in each bottle will be suitable for 2 or more people and families. Another option will be to do what we did and bring your own 100ml bottle or get spare empty bottles at the supplement section of Down To Earth Health food store and separate some of the solution out to bring with you during your flight.
Our family DaFruitYogi below and us on many occasions during high humidity steam room type of climate or just a hot sunny dry summer day on Oahu experience heat exhaustion and profuse sweating. We sweat salt sodium choloride, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other trace minerals out with the water feeling sluggish and lethargic. For kama’ainas, and visiting guests open to taking a drive into the country side of Oahu, driving to DaFruitYogi’s Farm and Nursery at Kunia Loa Ridge to pick up fresh non pesticide chemical free rare fruits and fruit trees is highly recommended. Please feel free to inquire with us or DM him directly at his Instagram page.
Mineralized Mountain or Sea Salts
Salt or Sodium Chloride is a very essential mineral for our lives. Too little salt can cause a life threatening low blood sodium level condition known as Hyponatremia. Too much salt is also life threatening causing high blood pressure, strokes, heart, kidney and other organ failure and disease. Sodium and Chloride are two of the major electrolytes. A deficiency in these minerals will cause fatigue and sluggishness.
Carefully monitoring what type of sodium chloride and how much of it we consume on a daily basis is absolutely vital for health and wellness. Personally we prefer raw mountain or sea salt that are not stripped of their trace mineral content for cooking and general use.
Ross Dress for Less offers really inexpensive Himalayan salt and adding less than a teaspoon depending on your general sodium chloride intake into a small glass of alkalized or clean filtered water, and follow with organic coconut water is a great source of bare essential trace minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, manganese small quantities of vitamin C. After receiving a massage treatment, or after hot spring onsen/ sauna / banya / turkish hamam session, or before bed following holiday drinking festivities, celebrations, and air travel are great opportunities to practice this measure of mineral and vitamin replenishment.
Hangover Hydration and Relief
Having tried many types of hydration methods, from the age old just drinking water to elaborate forms of hydration that uses H30 water, alkaliized PH7 water, filtered water, mineralized water etc., What was discovered through professional athletes, and training camps competing in weight class driven sporting activities, anecdotes from friends, coworkers, nutritionists and our own research and experimentation resulted in combining relatively inexpensive easy to access ways to hydrate for water retention, re-mineraliziation, and re-vitalization of depleted nutrients from alcohol consumption, high stress sports/athletics movements, or high oxidative stress environments from prolonged high altitude air travel, environments with PM 2.5 and other industrial pollutants affecting air quality etc. After a long grueling flight crossing multiple time zones, replenishing depleted salts and other vital trace minerals has been a very helpful travel measure to get out of that groggy, drowsy, tired, sluggish feeling..
To mitigate mild hangovers supplementing turmeric and krill oil to reduce inflammation (also very effective for inflammation from strenuous athletic activity, inflammation from injury ie. sprains and muscle strains), and ginger for nausea, upset stomach before and after alcohol consumption, and Alkalime type mixture or sodium bicarbonate (aluminum free baking soda), Lemon, Lime, with a partially filled small glass to taste of clean filtered water and finish with Coconut water has been very effective personally for recovery.
Moringa, Ashitaba, Soursop, Papaya Leaf, Chaya Leaf are Powerful High Mineral Foods.
Back in 2013, visiting an organic Moringa Farm in Laos opened up insight and awareness to ever more nutrient dense and sustainable super food sources. Since then, We have been experimenting and supplementing combinations of dried Moringa, Ashitaba, Soursop, Papaya Leaves into daily veggie/fruit smoothies, Teas and Chaya leaves for cooking through a locally grown source courtesy of DaFruitYogi. Learning of their ultra nutrient dense anti-oxidative vitamin and mineral rich composition, and specifically their flavinoid, phyto-nutrient, enzyme properties, and Nutrient Composition, We learned that even the German nutrition enthusiasts have taken the wisdom of the Ayurvedic medicinal significance of growing and consuming Moringa tree pods, flowers, leaves. We learned how to use the Moringa pods in cooking by our Sri Lankan family friends and utilize them in curry and stew recipes. The opening up the pods contain small spherical bean shaped seeds, an excellent source of protein, minerals and metals having a texture similar to Dal lentils. We were motivated to take a closer study into this plant. Fortunately, Moringa grows wild all over the island of Oahu. Moringa leaves are available in bundles and very inexpensive at Seafood City Market in Waipahu. Dried Moringa powder capsules are available at Down to Earth and Kokua Market Health Food stores. Initially we tried to make hot tea with raw moringa leaves, stems and adding lemon. The taste was a potent tree clippings flavor and my over zealousness caused an upset stomach and diarrhea. We then tried to dry the leaves as recommended by a friend by hanging pruned moringa trea branches and leaves upside down with close pins outside for 3-4 days away from the sunlight. Then, de-stemming the dehyrdrated leaves and freezing them for later use. We added the dried leaves into smoothies and tried hot moringa tea. This time it worked well although the taste is not as flavorful as Green tea, Matcha, Genmai, or Black bean tea. The tea left a unique spicy flavor and minimal after taste. The spice flavor is at times too strong and prefer masking the spice flavor by mixing green tea leaves with the moringa tea leaves to fortify the catechins in the green tea with additional vitamins, minerals, flavinoids and phyto nutrients. The taste is still refreshing taste in warm or hot water rather than as a room or colder temperature tea drink like Mugi(Barley)cha(Tea). We believe for travelers experiencing jet lag, groggy body fatigue, physically active people or those working in high stress environments, could benefit greatly from rehydrating and supercharging your body back to vitality. We have been continuously drinking this tea or making smoothies off and on for weeks at a time whenever we are able to get them in hand. In conclusion consuming moringa leaves, ashitaba, soursop, papaya leaves, chaya leaves in smoothies, teas, dried powder in cooking, the spice and lack of flavor of the leaves becomes increasingly less palatable over time. On many occasions we prefer the using and consuming the leaves sporadically and in cooking such pickled ashitaba or chaya leaves in mexican recipes etc.
Please give these measures a try and leave us a comment here. We are interested to know if there are any measurable effects for others. Mahalo