From highly rated five-star icons to modest, basic, ones-star accommodations, hotel rooms can be toxic dumps filled with stuffy air, bad water, leaky toilets, bacteria, mold, cleaning chemicals, unknown stains, and personal care samples filled with carcinogens. 

Hotels are challenging micro-environments for maintaining your health due to:

• repeated use of space by people who lack personal hygiene habits
• cramped conditions and limited space
• poor air and sound quality
• stress and anxiety 
• noisy, pushy, and aggressive people in public areas
• loud & crying children heard through the walls
• germs
• bed bugs
• unknown stains – urine, body fluids

Hotel stays affect everyone differently, so customize our advice to what suits you the best.

Hotels

What to look for when booking:

• Air and water purification systems
• Water conservation
• Recycling programs
• Use of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
• Organic foods
• Allergen-free bedding

What to do at arrival:

• Immediately remove bedspread
• Purell or use sanitizing wipes to clean the phone, remote control, and bathroom fixtures
• Wash hands
• If you see any rust-colored stains on bedding, it could be a sign of bedbugs – request another room
• When sleeping, wear pajamas or clothing that covers your body
• Use your bed only for sleeping – no working or snacking on it
• Ask for a nonsmoking room
• Stay out of any public pool or hot tub
• Avoid baths unless you thoroughly clean them with your own cleaner

Stress
Hotel stays can be very stressful, but they do not have to be. 

What to do:

• Before booking a hotel, ask friends for recommendations and go to sites like tripadvisor.com
• Always book a nonsmoking room
• Know where your hotel is located and the surrounding area around the hotel – ask for advice – and always be on guard
• Confirm your hotel information 12 hours before travel time, then again 4 hours before arrival time
• Put vital documents – driver's license, passport, hotel and transportation information, and schedule – in one place and keep them there
• Never leave money in a hotel room unless it’s secure.  When traveling always spilt up your money – carry no more than $100 US and put 20 one-dollar bills in one pocket for tips, 4-8 five-dollar bills in another pocket for food and tipping, and then put the remainder in your wallet
• Separate your credit cards – take one credit card and put it in a place other than your wallet
• Pack light.  When you arrive at your room, try to place your luggage on a stand and avoid placing it on the ground
• Pack a pair of thongs or flip-flops – try the zen-like flops – and use these to walk around your room.  Never go bare-footed
• Pack photographs of your family, pets, and friends.  Display them where you can see them in your room – create a second home
• Pack your own alarm clock so you do not have to touch the hotel clock
• Hotel food is usually loaded with salt, fat, and refined products.  Always pack a survival kit filled with your favorite nuts, healthy snacks, and dried fruit
• Check in before 6:00 p.m.
• Be nice.  Getting annoyed at people or delays only increases stress
• Have the following, vitamins, herbs, and supplements on hand:
  • Ginko biloba extract
  • Ginseng
  • Bach Rescue Remedy
  • Lavender or chamomile oil – rub under your nose
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin E
• Eat lots of fruits & veggies
• Avoid sugary & salty foods while traveling
• Avoid dairy products – except low-fat yogurt
• Bring a good book, magazine, or DVD player

Two hours Before Hotel Arrival Take:

• 60mg of CoQ10
• 100mg of B Complex
• Magnesium, potassium, calcium
• Hyland’s Calms Forte
• 3,000mg of vitamin C
• 500mg of L-Tyrosine

Water
Never use hotel tap water.  Always have a bottle of water on hand for drinking and personal hygiene.  If you have dehydration symptoms:

• Thirst
• Dry, scratchy or bloodshot eyes
• Fatigue
• Wrinkled skin
• Bloat or constipation

drink at least 8 ounces of water immediately.  If you have an Emergen-C packet, add that to your water too.

Poor Air & Comfort Quality

Symptoms:

• Noise
• Erratic air conditioning or heating fan
• Dry air or low humidity
• Variable temperatures throughout the room  
• Cleaning fluid smell
• You begin coughing & sneezing
• Cramped space

What to do:

• Pack your own sheets
• Remove your shoes and wear flip flops or thick, comfortable socks – never walk bare-footed on hotel flooring
• Always remove the bedspread
• Drink lots of water
• Spritz your face with water or take a wet napkin and moisten your face
• Bring your own skin moisturizer and hair care products
• Disinfect your room with Purell – wipe down all the common areas
• Wear comfortable clothes
• Exercise – use hotel gym or ask if they have any exercise equipment for your room – take long walks
• Use eyeshades for sleeping or napping – add a drop or two of lavender oil to them

Mold
Mold is common in hotels.  In fact, black mold is a big concern for most hotels, particularly for hotels located on coastal properties or bodies of water. Every person has a different reaction to mold. Diseases associated with the inhalation of mold -- fungal spores -- can include toxic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, tremors, chronic fatigue syndrome, kidney failure, and cancer.  Fungal antigens are able to cause occupational asthma, rhino conjunctivitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). 

Can Be Found On:

• Hotel fixtures
• Carpeting
• Bedding
• Air conditioning and heating systems
• Air ducts
• Bathroom fixtures
• Showers & toilets
• Walls

Symptoms:

• Allergic reactions
• Respiratory problems -- coughing, sneezing, wheezing, difficulty in breathing
• Hay fever-type symptoms
• Nose and throat irritation
• Nasal or sinus congestion
• Headache
• Watery, reddened, or burning eyes
• Sensitivity to light  
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Dermatitis -- skin rash or irritation
• Fatigue
• Infections

What to do:

• Consult a health professional immediately
• Take:
  • Acidophilus
  • Garlic – raw or capsules
  • Turmeric extract
  • Vitamin B complex
  • Grapefruit seed extract
  • Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic acid
  • Beta-carotene
  • Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
  • Vitamin E
  • Zinc
  • Omega 3 oils
  • Essential fatty acids
  • Vitamin A
  • Tea tree oil – external use only – rub on rash
• Eat lots of raw foods
• Avoid sugar and refined foods
• Avoid meats
• Avoid full-fat dairy
• Avoid soft drinks
• Eat lots of soy
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily

Chemical Exposure
Hotels are filled with many kinds of cleaning chemicals.  You might be exposed to detergent agents or industrial cleaners

Symptoms:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Lack of concentration
• Nausea
• Eye irritation
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Skin irritation

What to do:

• drink 8 ounces of carrot juice ASAP
• drink dandelion root tea
• buy a liver detox kit at your local health food store
• eat lots of fiber
• take:
  • Chlorella
  • Astragalus extract
  • 400mg of Vitamin E
  • 30-50mg of CoQ10
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
  • Garlic oil caps
  • Grapefruit seed extract
  • Bilberry
  • Apple pectin
  • Selenium
  • Zinc

Hotel Shampoos and Conditioners
In consumer advocate David Steinman and Dr. Samuel S. Epstein’s book The Safe Shoppers Bible, they report that a wide range of ingredients in shampoos break down to form carcinogens or may be contaminated with the carcinogen 1,4 dioxane.

Avoid Shampoo and Conditioner Ingredients:

• Coal tar (used in dandruff shampoos)
• Formaldehyde
• Laureth compounds
• Polysorbates 60 and 80
• D&C Red 33
• DEA
• TEA
• FD&C Blue, FD&C Green 3, FD&C Red 4, FE&C Red 40, FD&C Yellow 6

“The application of hot water and detergents (contained in these shampoos) enhances the absorption of these product contaminants.”

One research survey conducted by Massachusetts’ Boston University School of Public Health explored the potential risks of such exposure. 

According to Reuters, “The researchers surveyed 10 salons and interviewed a total of 56 workers. They found that 15% of the salon workers claimed to be suffering from asthma, eczema, and hives while 30% said they had hay fever. However, the study did not look to see if these conditions were a direct result of working in the salon.

"The team also noted that the salon workers did not have access to material safety data sheets--literature provided by the manufacturer that explains proper handling of chemicals and exposure risks. Nor did they have any control over the ventilation of their surroundings.

"(Hair) Relaxers contain lye and other caustic chemicals. These are needed to break the hydrogen sulfide bonds of the hair and make it straight. In addition, these products contain solvents such as propylene glycol, emollients, emulsifiers, perfumes and surfactants.

"Exposure to chemicals found in relaxers and coloring agents have the potential to exert biological and physical effects on the body," Watts noted. "These chemicals primarily enter the body through the skin and to a lesser extent through inhalation.

"Documented health effects based on previous toxicological studies include burns, irritation to mucus membranes, dermatitis, coughing and airway irritation.”

When our bodies are exposed to chemicals, they may respond by producing antibodies, which can cause a reaction. Constant or repeated exposure to toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants from shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, and other products used in salons can lead to the following symptoms:

Exposure Symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Tiredness (regardless of the amount of sleep)
• Abnormal metabolism
• Depression
• Learning & behavioral disabilities
• Skin rashes
• Watery or teary eyes
• Chronic respiratory inflammation
• Ringing in ears
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Headaches

What to do:

• Eat lots of fiber
• Drink 8oz of carrot juice daily
• Drink only bottled water
• Drink a cup of miso soup daily
• Buy only organically-grown fruits & veggies
• Avoid processed, refined, or canned foods
• Eat legumes and super foods
• Eat a bowl of high fiber cereal – sprinkle with brewer’s yeast, toasted wheat germ, and lecithin granules
• Drink green and chamomile tea daily
• Take long walks
• Avoid protective waxes found on fruits & veggies
• Have as many massages, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments as you can afford
• If pregnant, avoid all hair salons during first trimester

Take the following vitamins, herbs and supplements daily:

• Garlic oil
• Dandelion
• Grapefruit seed extract
• Bilberry extract
• Astragalus
• Siberian ginseng
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
• Vitamin E
• Coenzyme Q10
• Vitamin B complex
• Zinc
• Manganese

Sleeping
Sleeping is about achieving comfort.  Some travelers like to take sleeping pills, but I do not recommend them for a variety of reasons.

What to do:

• Darken your room – shut the blinds, curtains, and put a towel on the floor covering the door entrance
• Eat light meals
• Eat a banana 1-2 hours before you want to sleep
• No sugary or salty foods
• Chew pieces of crystallized ginger (the sugar is minute) before you want to sleep
• Take valerian extract
• Take Hyland’s Calms Forte
• Take melatonin – 3mg to 5mg
• Take 400 IU of vitamin E
• Bring your own eye shades
• Bring a small tincture of lavender oil and rub some oil just below your nose
• Bring your own pillowcase and use it for the airline pillow

Jet Lag (if flying)
According to Wikipedia, “Jet lag, also jetlag or jet-lag, is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to the circadian rhythm. Such disturbances result from shift work, daylight saving time, altered day length, or, as the name implies, transmeridian travel as on a jet plane. They are known as desynchronosis, dysrhythmia, dyschrony, jet lag, or jet syndrome. The condition is generally believed to be the result of disruption of the 'light/dark' cycle that entrains the body's circadian rhythm. It can be exacerbated by environmental factors.”

Symptoms

• irregular sleep – fitful sleep, insomnia, early waking or excessive sleepiness
• irritability
• difficulty focusing or concentrating
• headaches or grogginess
• aches and pains -- muscle soreness
• tender tummy, constipation or diarrhea

What to do:

Pre-flight prep

• Drink 8 ounces of carrot juice 24 hours before flight
• Exercise for at least 30-45 minutes 12 hours before flight time
• Eat grilled fish or soy 24 hours before flight
• Eat whole grains, green veggies, and magnesium-rich foods 24-48 hours before flight
• Avoid caffeine
• Avoid alcohol
• Take 1-2 hours before flight:

• 8 to 16 ounces of water
• 100mg of vitamin B complex
• 1000mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids – or take an Emergen-C packet
• Beta-carotene
• 500mg of glutamine
• Echinacea and goldenseal extract
• Chew a couple pieces of crystallized ginger

Flight

• Drink 8 ounces of water per hour
• Follow sleeping instructions above
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid caffeine

• Do in-flight exercises
• If you have any stopovers, try taking a shower and walking throughout terminal

Hotel arrival

• Drink 8 ounces of water per hour for the first 12 hours
• Walk as much as you can in the sun
• Exercise aggressively
• Take a sauna, steam, hot shower or bath
• Try to stay up until it’s your “normal” bedtime for that time zone
• Avoid liquor
• Chew a couple pieces of crystallized ginger
• Drinks lots of tea:  green, chamomile, and passionflower
• Eat leafy greens
• Take:
  • 100mg of vitamin B complex
  • 1000mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids – or take an Emergen-C packet
  • Beta-carotene
  • 500mg of glutamine
  • Vitamin B1
  • Grapefruit seed extract