The Black Dress Traveler

Healthy Snack on the Go: Orchard Bar

I devote beaucoup space on my blog to rich food but I like to keep it healthy too. When traveling, it is so easy to fall into the trap of grabbing whatever greasy, sugary, and fatty snack is at hand. But, with a little planning, you can satisfy your hunger pangs and sweet tooth without loading up on empty calories.

I was just introduced to the Orchard Bar ($1.49-$1.99) and I am loving every bite. The juicy taste of the Orchard Bar is a nice alternative to dry granola. Vegan and gluten free, Orchard Bars are loaded with good-for-you fruit, nuts, and flax seeds. Low in sodium and high in Omega 3, Orchard Bars are available in 3 delicious varieties: Blueberry Pomegranate & Almond, Pineapple Coconut & Macadamia, and Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut. These bars are made in Washington State's orchard country by century old company Liberty Orchards. They really are delicious! Keep an Orchard Bar in your bag and you'll always have a great snack at hand.

Travel Pink: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It may not be a traditional autumn color but pink dominates the palette in October. More than just pretty, pink ribbons to raise awareness of breast cancer have been on the scene for many years but don't tune out the important message. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a women is diagnosed with breast cancer, on average, every 2.5 minutes in the United States. You can support the search for a cure and awareness efforts with your purchase of the travel friendly items below. The power of pink!

Fly and Drink Pink with Delta
Prettying up the skies year-round, Delta's pink plane raises awareness of breast cancer around the globe. Delta sweetens the deal in October by selling cups of pink lemonade for $2 each and all proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for a minimum donation of $250,000.

 

 

Proudly Pink Five Piece Brush Set by Sonia Kashuk
exclusively at Target. $14.99
Perfect for travel, Sonia Kashuk's sassy silver case is lined in pink and includes five synthetic brushes to make your cosmetics application simply flawless. Celebrity makeup artist Sonia Kashuk is a breast cancer survivor and 15% of the proceeds from this kit will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Because of her own personal experience with breast cancer, Sonia Kashuk’s mission is to to help women discover their true inner and outer beauty. I am a big fan of Sonia's brushes, especially her blush brushes - they sweep on the perfect amount of color to your cheeks which is a great technique for perking up your face after a long trip.

Ralph Lauren Square Pink Pony Sunglasses
$190
Stylishly camouflage jet-lagged eyes and support a great cause by purchasing this sophisticated pair of sunglasses from Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony collection. Through October 10th, you can save 25% on all items in the Pink Pony collection and 10% will be donated to the Pink Pony Fund for Cancer Care and Prevention.

Weekender Bag by Lug
$100 at ShopKomen.com (Official Merchandise of Susan G. Komen for the Cure)
Want your luggage to stand out from the crowd? Pack pink! Also available in black, this bag meets TSA regulations and has pop up handles and wheels for easy maneuvering. Like all Lug bags, the Weekender is very well organized with a myriad of compartments and pockets.



 

Sip for a Cause: Turn the Towns Teal Campaign to Promote Awareness of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer may be known as the silent disease, but the campaign for awareness of this illness is loud and clear. September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Frederick Wildman & Sons, wine & spirits importers, are supporting this important cause by donating $.50 from the sale of every bottle of Trapiche wines from Argentina and Folonari from Italy.



Up to $10,000 per brand will be donated to Turn the Towns Teal, an organization committed to educating women about ovarian cancer. During the month of September, volunteers hand out ovarian cancer symptom cards and tie teal ribbons around trees in their communities. In 2010 nearly 200 communities participated in 29 states. There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer so the Turn The Towns Teal awareness campaign is absolutely critical - the survival rate is 90-95% when caught early!

This is the second year Wildman is supporting this worthy cause and wine stores across the country will host promotions in support of ovarian cancer awareness. Throughout the month of September neck tags can be found on every bottle of Trapiche and Folonari, each depicting precise information on  ovarian cancer symptoms every woman needs to know. Ladies, let's raise a glass to our health!

Feeling Spent? Revive with Dr. Frank Lipman

We've all been there - tired, achy, cranky, and running on empty. Something just feels off and we can't quite figure out what the problem is. Tossing and turning at night, we finally decide to see our physician who prescribes a medication that offers some temporary relief, but we still feel out of sync. Sure, we get through the day (just barely) but at the end of it we're drained, bloated, maybe even a little sad. What the hell is going on? Well, Dr. Frank Lipman just may have the answer to what's ailing us: we're spent.

Dr. Lipman's book "Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again" identifies the modern causes of energy depletion (stress, light deprivation, processed foods, too much sugar & too little sleep) and shares valuable information garnered from his thirty years of medical practice. A few weeks ago I was invited to hear Dr. Lipman speak and the experience has impacted me more than I first realized - his words keep popping into my head and I find myself bringing him up in conversation! At first I thought, how can I tackle such a serious topic on my blog? But then I realized, how could I not? Health is really the passport to a fulfilling life. Without health, traveling the world, or sometimes just across the street, can prove impossible.

“We all look to go away to rejuvenate, but the key is how to live in chaos and find the calm. Frank Lipman’s Revive is a Bible for how to heal and thrive in the midst of it all”.
Donna Karan

I've seen so many people that I love suffer from diseases like hypertension, heart disease, and cancer  - I know that I can absolutely not take my health for granted. One of the key things that I learned from Dr. Lipman is that while I may be genetically disposed to certain conditions, that does not mean that I just have to sit back and wait for the worse. I can make conscious choices to safeguard my health. 

Revive is chock full of information to help you "slow down, detoxify, replenish, and restore your body." That sounds pretty ambitious but Dr. Lipman has developed a simple day-by-day wellness program. You will learn to eliminate sugar, gluten, caffeine, and processed foods from your diet and replace them with foods that energize and heal. I really love the Daily Beats in the book - these are 42 daily actions that remove burdens from your body and add things that will help your body heal more quickly and make you feel better. Some of Dr. Lipman's Daily Beats are Laugh, Take Omega 3 Fish Oil, Reach out and Touch Someone, Take Gluten Out, and Meditate with Nature - each beat is accompanied by a scientific explanation of the benefits. Revive also features research-based exercises & stretches and delicious recipes. Skip that morning latte and have a Blueberry Pear Smoothie!

“When you’re running on empty, the first step can be the hardest. In Revive, Dr Lipman provides 42 options to jump start your body and keep it cruising.”
Dr. Mehmet C Oz

I could really go on and on about Dr. Lipman but you should know that he is the founder and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City and is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of Integrative and Functional Medicine. Truly a pioneer, Dr. Lipman is Board Certified in internal medicine and has also studied acupuncture, Chinese medicine, functional medicine, nutrition, herbal medicine, biofeedback, meditation and yoga. He now practices his unique blend of what he calls “Good Medicine”, combining all the systems in which he has trained.

Originally from South Africa, his background greatly influenced his medical practice. Dr. Lipman said,“I was born and raised in South Africa under apartheid. Apartheid literally means “separate.” Black South Africans did not have the same rights as whites and were forced to live in separate areas assigned to them by the government. My parents, who were political activists and fought the apartheid system, instilled in me a sense of social justice and the importance of questioning the status quo. This philosophy, in many ways, is the theme of my story as a physician."

In addition to Dr. Lipman's book, he offers a line of supplements to help you get started on your journey to wellness. "Most people start with CLEANSE, a safe and gentle 2-week detox. However, if you're totally exhausted and depleted start with REVIVE to restore your energy and boost your resilience to stress. If you’re just looking for the most essential daily supplements, then I recommend SUSTAIN to maintain your health."

Dr. Lipman generously provided me with the 2 week CLEANSE program. I have been procrastinating and coming up with every excuse under the sun (wine tastings, dinners out, time of the month cravings) but I think I'm almost ready to give it a try! Stay tuned.

Is Your Smile Travel Ready?

Yes, I am that weird lady that you've seen in the powder room brushing her teeth at a fancy restaurant after a particularly rich meal. I am just a tad obsessed with taking care of my teeth and always keep a travel toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste in my makeup bag. Who doesn't love a nice smile? When I am traveling, a friendly smile from someone else can make all the difference. And, I have found that offering someone a smile is an ultra effective way of communicating. Really, do you think that the ticketing agent is going to upgrade the snarling passenger or the pleasant one with a smile? Here are a few things you can do to keep your smile picture perfect at home or on the road.

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips
Suggested retail price: $54.99 (each kit contains 4 treatments)
Jetting out of town and your pearly whites are looking a little lackluster? You can literally apply Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips before you board the plane and land with a brighter smile. The thin and flexible strips are coated with a peroxide infused gel that safely whiten teeth in just 2 hours and the dazzling results will last up to three months. Each kit contains 4 treatments. I gave these a try yesterday and was very pleased with the results - my teeth felt nice and clean and were definitely whiter. I plan on using these every 3 months. Use these before your next vacation and your smile will be the star of every photo!


Supersmile Quikee
$16
I also keep a tube of Supersmile Quikee in my makeup bag - it is great for those moments when you need more than a breath mint but can't get to your toothbrush. This mint flavored paste is designed to instantly remove stains and freshen breath - no rinsing required. You just apply a pearl sized drop to your teeth and smooth it across with your tongue until completely dissolved. Easy breezy brilliant smile!

Marvis Travel Size Toothpaste, Classic Strong Mint
$4.50
This is the queen of peppermint toothpaste - from garlic to gin, it knocks out bad breath in an instant. Imported from Italy, this pretty little tube of toothpaste is the one I carry for those on-the-go brushing sessions.

PS. Wondering what to do if you chip your tooth while traveling? According to Women's Health Magazine, "for a small chip, use an emery board to file down sharp edges, just as you do to fingernail. Since cracked tooth enamel can leave nerves exposed, if you feel pain you can temporarily seal the area with Krazy Glue. For bigger chips, put broken tooth pieces in a container filled with cold milk; the sugar compounds can keep tooth cells alive for 72 hours."  

 

Can You Sip Your Way to Beauty Sleep with reBloom?

In this 24/7 global village some people wear their lack of sleep like a badge of honor - bragging about how they conquer the world on just 2 hours of sleep and obscene amounts of Starbucks. Whatever. I try to get 6-8 hours of sleep most nights and I am queen of the cat naps. One of the downsides of traveling is that changing time zones is so disruptive to a healthy sleep cycle. And, sometimes, even at home, we hit the pillow and just can't fall asleep - so frustrating.

reBloom Beauty Sleep Drink is designed to ease you to sleep without any harmful side effects. The drink contains well-known natural sleep aids, including Valerian, Melatonin, Chamomile and Lavender. Each bottle is a travel-friendly 2.5 oz. and contains only 5 calories. Just sip one bottle 30-60 minutes before you want to fall asleep and reBloom does the rest. 

I gave reBloom a try last night and I did sleep 7 hours straight-thru and I usually get up at least once in the middle of the night. If you are wondering about the taste, it isn't sweet but reBloom has a very earthy & herbal flavor that I liked and was easy to sip. According to reBloom's clinical trials, "reBloom helped subjects fall asleep 35% faster and get over 30 minutes of additional sleep."

Many of us grew up with our moms and grandmothers reminding us to get our beauty rest and they were so right. A good's night sleep gives our bodies a chance to rejuvenate and wake up without dark circles under our eyes and lifeless complexions. reBloom was founded by Jonathan Bunt to help his wife Andrea because her sleeping issues had her concerned that she would have to take the prescription drug Ambien for the rest of her life. Jonathan wanted to find a natural, healthy solution for his sweetheart and worked with doctors and beverage scientists to develop reBloom. A real life Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming!

reBloom can be purchased at their website. A 7-pack is $21.95, a 4-pack is $14.99 and a 2-pack sample is free ($4.95 shipping & handling).

Stay Fit On the Road: Tips from "Just 10 LBS" by Brad Lamm

Who hasn't joked that the TSA's invasive full body airport scanners might actually be an incentive for getting in shape. I don't know about you, but I want my X-Ray scan to look hot! But on a serious note, travel can really pose some challenges when it comes to exercise and eating well. And, of course, looking good is not the only incentive for losing a few pounds - it can really make a difference in your overall health and well-being.

Just in time for the New Year and for your next trip, "Just 10 LBS: Easy Steps to Weighing What You Want (Finally)" by Brad Lamm offers ten steps that will help you lose ten pounds in 30 days. In general, I am not a fan of diet books but I like the fact that Just 10 LBS recognizes that managing weight isn't just about counting calories and working out but about having a healthy relationship with oneself.

 

Author and Educator Brad Lamm

I received a copy of the book yesterday and Lamm's approach to weight management seems comprehensive and manageable. The book is divided into ten chapters, including Start a Moving Meditation, Appreciate Your Body, and Eliminate Excuses. The book also helps you determine your eating style - it turns out that yours truly is a Sensual Eater which means that I "appreciate food and relish every bite" and that I am "a bit of a thrillseeker, always on the lookout for meals more complex and intriguing than your last." Trying new foods is absolutely one of the high points of my travels and I tend to give myself carte blanche on the road to eat whatever I want. However, Lamm proposes that I can remain a sensual eater without sabotaging myself by watching portion sizes and eating slowly. Another good tip: "Clear your palate, not your plate. Once you've had your little taste, have a drink of water or brush your teeth. If the taste of food lingers in your mouth, it will trigger more eating."

Medical doctor and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz wrote the foreword for Just 10 LBS. and his show will follow Lamm as he embarks on a cross-country bus tour to inspire America's 20 fattest and fittest cities. Founder of the Change Institute and a board-registered interventionist, Lamm has battled binge eating, bulimia, alcoholism, and drug addiction and is the Creator and Producer of an upcoming series for OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network).

While Just 10 LBS. is not written specifically for travelers, the book encourages healthy habits that will help you make better choices on the road.

Sickly Chic in Cleveland: Diane von Furstenberg Hospital Gowns

I pray that you never land in the hospital when traveling, but if you do, the Cleveland Clinic has a designer hospital robe waiting for you. The diva of dresses, the legendary Diane von Furstenberg, has created a gown for the Ohio hospital that mimics her iconic wrap dress. Von Furstenberg's design has side ties that eliminate the dreaded peek-a-booty. Finally!

Click here for more information.

Vacation Deprivation Can Lead to Health Problems

I cringe at the thought of hard working people not taking advantage of their earned vacation time but a recent Expedia.com survey reports that more than one third of American workers do not use their entitled time off. Of course, in this climate of economic uncertainty many people simply can't afford to go away but recent studies indicate that, in terms of of our health, as women we can't afford NOT to take a break from the rat race. Look at these sobering facts that appeared in the article, Breaking News: Many Workers Skimp on Vacation - and Pay the Costs (The New York Post).

- "Women who took vacations only once in two years were more likely to experience depression, tension, fatigue and marital dissatisfaction than women who took time off at least twice a year, according to a five-year study of 1,500 women by Cathy McCarty of the Marshfield Clinic."

- Women are twice as likely to have a heart attack - while men are a third more likely - if they don't take regular vacations, according to research by Elaine Eaker of the Framington Heart Study project."

- Women are more likely than men to feel guilty about taking time off from work (40 percent of women vs. 29 percent of men), according to Expedia's Vacation Deprivation Survey.

"The studies that are out there seem to point to a correlation between vacation and long-term physiological and psychological problem," says John de Graff of Take Back Your Time, a vacation and paid leave advocacy group." According to Take Back Your Time, working Americans average a little over 2 weeks vacation per year, while Europeans average five to six weeks.

Ladies, the prescription is simple - pack your little black dress and go!!!!

Seven Simple Tips for Preparing for Medical Emergencies When Traveling

As the summer winds down, many of us will pack our overnight bags with bathing suits, walking shoes, beach reads, and of, course, a little black dress! But don’t forget to prepare yourself for any medical mishaps that may happen while you’re away from home.

Follow these seven useful tips from The Black Dress Traveler’s favorite medical professional, Mary Stein (RN, NP-C). She is a Nurse Practitioner based in New York City specializing in Primary Care & Travel Medicine. Mary offers more travel medicine advice and complete travel medicine consultations (including yellow fever vaccination) at Plaza East Internal Medicine in Manhattan. Call 212-750-7404 to make an appointment or you can reach Mary at marystein4@gmail.com. 

1.   Before you travel, be honest with yourself about your health status.  Are you well enough to travel? Have you had a recent physical exam or annual check-up?  You may want to talk to your primary care provider before planning your excursion.  

2.  Plan your itinerary.  Then, have other people –friends, family, colleagues, people who’ve been on the vacation that you’re planning - look it over.  An overly-ambitious itinerary can make for a very tired (and thus, accident-prone) traveler. 

3.  See a travel medicine expert for a consultation prior to any foreign travel.  A trained travel medicine expert will prepare you with the immunizations and medications you need to protect you from everything from hepatitis to malaria to altitude sickness.

4.  Find out and take with you: the addresses and phone numbers of the clinics, hospitals, and the U.S. embassy nearest where you are staying, the numbers to call in case your wallet/credit cards get stolen, and the numbers for your insurance company.

5.  Bring your U.S. health insurance card and information with you.  Call your health insurer; find out if they will cover you overseas in the event of an emergency.  Don’t let their answer influence your decision to buy travel insurance.  You should! 

6.  Buy travel insurance.  It may seem like an unnecessary expense.  Again, accidents and emergencies happen (even if you are doing all this preparation to try to prevent them!).  The small amount of extra cash you’ll spend will be so worth it if it means you’ll be reimbursed for a cancelled vacation or if you need medical assistance or evacuation during your trip.

7. Consider sleeping aids.  This may seem a strange thing to put on a list of “how to avoid travel emergencies.”  Here’s why it’s here:  many emergencies occur because of jet-lag or lack of sleep.  Simple use of sleeping aids will assist you to combating jet-lag, getting into the local time rhythm, and beating fatigue.  There are several prescription sleep aids that do not cause morning hangover. In addition, some over-the-counter medicines (like Benadryl) work just fine for many people. I suggest you “test drive” your sleeping medication prior to your excursion.   

Click here to read more of Mary’s tips.

Travel RX: First Aid Kits, Medications and More

Even the most perfectly planned vacation can be derailed by a medical emergency. Having personally experienced the stress of requiring unexpected medical attention away from home, I reached out to my favorite health care provider, Mary Stein (RN, NP-C), for some tips on how to better prepare for these scenarios. A Nurse Practitioner based in New York City, Mary specializes in Primary Care & Travel Medicine. 

In addition to the fabulous tips listed below, Mary offers more travel medicine advice and complete travel medicine consultations (including yellow fever vaccination) at Plaza East Internal Medicine in Manhattan. Call  212-750-7404 to make an appointment or you can reach Mary at marystein4@gmail.com.  She will usually see you within 24 hours for a travel medicine consultation. Happy Venturing!

Why does the Black Dress Traveler need a first aid kit?  Because it’s about being prepared while traveling: in case of a new minor health issue or an upswing in an already existing one. An example of the first would be a minor scrape you get because of being in an unfamiliar environment while on vacation. The second would be treating a bee sting when you already know that you’re allergic. What goes into the traveler’s first aid kit depends on the state of the traveler’s health going into the trip, the destination, the duration and type of excursion. Your first aid kit will look different if you are going on a business trip to Chicago for two days or if you’re going trekking in Nepal for several weeks.  There are commercially-prepared first aid kits in travel stores and on the Internet – just check carefully that the kit is appropriate to your needs.  You may need to take out some bits and add others;  again, depending on where you’re going and what your trip is about.

What should be included in a traveler’s first aid kit?

When you check out our suggestions below, the list may seem lengthy or unwieldy. Again, tailor the list to your needs;  you may not need all of the items listed. More importantly, of those that you DO need, you don’t need to bring many of each (i.e., you only need to bring a few Band-Aid adhesive bandages, not the whole box). 

First, consider packing a card that contains your demographics, allergies and medication information.  In addition, names and phone numbers of local hospitals and clinics put you in the “extremely prepared” traveler category. To really cover all bases, pack a copy of this card in EACH PIECE of luggage!

Your daily medications  (may be hard to believe, but travelers are often so preoccupied they forget about these).  If you are traveling domestically, forgetting any or all of your daily medications is usually not an issue.  A quick phone call to your health care provider and those medications can be called to a nearby pharmacy. Although it’s usually possible to reach your health care provider from anywhere in the world, it may pose a hassle if you are overseas.  If you are traveling overseas, we suggest you bring each of your prescriptions in the original containers.  If possible, obtain copies of the prescriptions from your provider or the pharmacy. Have your health care provider write a short note if you are carrying unusual amounts of narcotic medications, injectable medications (except for insulin if you’re diabetic) or syringes. It’s also a good idea to have someone back home have copies of each of your prescriptions. 

The medications you were prescribed for this trip.  This list includes medications like:  antimalarial medication, antibiotics in case of diarrhea or respiratory infection, sleeping aids, altitude-sickness medication, medications for anxiety of flying, or Epipens for known allergies. 

Other medications you might consider bringing with you:

Antihistamine (nonsedating type like Claritin/loratadine or Zyrtec/sertraline, or Benadryl/diphenhydramine)

Decongestant (Sudafed, but be aware of side effects)

Analgesics for simple pain or fever (Advil/Motrin/ibuprofen or Alleve/naproxen or Tylenol/acetaminophen)

Mild laxative  (senna or Swiss Kriss)

Antacid

Antibacterial or antifungal cream or a combination cream

Hydrocortisone 1 % cream

Water purification tablets

First-Aid Items:

Adhesive bandages of different sizes

Gauze (a few 4 x4 gauzes and a small roll of 2 - inch gauze)

First aid tape

ACE- type bandage

Hot/cold pack

Tweezers/small scissors

Antiseptic lotion

Non-latex gloves (2 pair)

Antibacterial hand wipes

Hand sanitizer

Moleskin (for blisters)

Thermometer (digital)

Other items to consider:

Condoms

Plan B

Extra pack(s) of oral contraceptives

Tampons/sanitary pads

Hope this makes your excursion safer and more fun!