Germs, Jetlag, and Dry Skin: Princess Teresa’s Guide to Staying Healthy (and Moisturized) at 30,000 Feet

Picture this: you’ve just flown across the country for the big meeting with the big client, or the big interview for the big promotion. You’re prepared, you’re pumped, you’re…jetlagged as all hell. And that tickle at the back of your throat? That’s the first sign you’ve got a cold coming on. Now you get to give that exhaustively researched and rehearsed presentation while struggling to suppress a coughing fit.

It’s no secret that if one person on your flight has a virus, then you will too by the time the wheels hit tarmac. Recycled air on jetliners, travel fatigue, jetlag, and the lack of nutrition outside of that available from peanuts can make taking care of yourself while on a business trip all but impossible.

But don’t dispair, because I’m about to share with you my rules for staying healthy while traveling. Some of these might seem silly, but if there’s one thing we princesses know, it’s how to take care of ourselves. So recline your seat back, pull up a tray table and learn from the best. These seven little rules will get you to your destination in tip-top shape:

Rule One: Get extra vitamin C for a week before your flight, and during your trip. I like Emergen-C. Dissolve a packet in two fingers of water and you get a huge hit of vitamin C, plus vitamin B12 for energy. You can get Emergen-C in the supplement aisle at just about any drug store. Don’t take it every day though, as too much vitamin C has serious health drawbacks. But using it only while traveling will make sure your immune system is humming right along.

Rule Two: Bring along a bottle of zinc lozenges or tablets. Zinc is killer for viruses. Get some in your system the second you feel a cold coming on and you might just head it off at the pass. I prefer the tablets, as zinc lozenges taste like lemons would if they were made out of tin.

Rule Three: Make sure to get enough sleep the week before your flight. Nobody ever sleeps as well or as much as they tell themselves they will on the airplane. Don’t kid yourself. Plan ahead with the sleep.

Rule Four: Get a scrip from your doc. Most doctors will write you a prescription for five or six tabs of Halcyon or another common sleep aid such as Ambien if you’re going on a red-eye or changing a lot of time zones. Take the dose a half an hour before you would normally go to bed at local time in your destination and wake up with no jetlag. But don’t use sleeping pills if you don’t have a full, uninterrupted 8 hours to sleep. And whatever you do, don’t mix the pills with alcohol - you’ll be asking for an attack of the zonks.

Rule Five: Pack goodies. I never go to the airport without face wash, chap stick, moisturizer, eye cream, hand lotion, a toothbrush and yummy toothpaste in my carry on bag. I like Tom’s of Maine apricot toothpaste for flying. You can get it at your friendly neighborhood Trader Joe’s. It’s my personal belief that a fresh mouth and moist lips and skin make all the difference in your personal comfort level on a flight. And comfort reduces stress, which increases your immunity to disease.

Rule Six: Walk around when the fasten seatbelt light is off. This prevents your muscles from cramping up and can keep blood clots from forming in your legs - which can happen when you fly for a long time. Stand up and stretch as often as you can. Your fellow passengers may think you’re a bit odd, but it’s better than feeling like a sardine or worrying about having an embolism mid-flight.

Rule Seven: Drink plenty of water. The altitude, pressure changes and dry air of the airplane cabin can dehydrate you fast. Make sure you bring a water bottle along and take advantage of in-flight drink service to get some ice. There is also nothing wrong with politely asking the flight attendant for an extra drink of water even when it’s not time for drink service.

Finally, don’t deny yourself the guilty pleasures you usually avoid outside the airport. If you’re one of those people who chronically reads the tabloids in line at the grocery store but refuses to be seen actually buying one - go ahead and pick one up at the airport. There’s nothing to distract you from a case of mid-flight jitters like Paris Hilton’s latest escapade. Of if you usually skip dessert, bring along a sweet treat for midflight. Airports and airplanes are a little like Las Vegas, what happens there stays there. Breaking a few of your minor rules for everyday living will bolster your spirits and counteract the traveling blues.

Fly safely!