ANKENY, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 28, 2023--

Holidays are great – but travelling can take its toll on your body and mind, particularly when flying long distances. “When you consider that pressure, temperature and oxygen levels fluctuate in the aircraft, add in the fact that humidity levels are lower than sea level – it’s not surprising flying can upset some of your body’s normal functions,” says Dr Chun Tang, medical director and GP at Pall Mall Medical. “Not forgetting, most people feel varying degrees of stress before take-off too.” So, if your summer holiday is set to include a hefty flight, what are some of the key things to think about when it comes to health and wellbeing? Dehydration “Airplanes can dehydrate you because half of the air circulating in the cabin comes from the outside, and when you’re at a higher altitude there is hardly any moisture in the air,” says Tang. If you want to help mitigate the impact of dehydration while flying, consider what you eat and drink both before and during. “Eat something light, like a salad and fruit. Avoid salty fast food, especially before flying, as this can cause bloating and dehydration,” suggests Tang. “Many people like to have an alcoholic drink in the departure lounge prior to flying, but you are just dehydrating yourself further. Avoid coffee too and stick to fresh juices and water. “After you’ve flown, tempting as it is to go and get an alcoholic beverage, keep drinking water to restore hydration.” Germs Tang explains: “When you fly, you’re exposed to more germs because you’re near others – that’s why it’s common to catch a cold or sniffle following a flight. Your tray table, seatbelt and other surfaces that are frequently touched will also be covered with germs. “Carry a small bottle of hand sanitiser and cleaning wipes with you,” he suggests, “and wash your hands frequently during travel.” Sleep Jet-lag is a pain and can easily ruin the start and end of a trip. So, how can you mitigate its impacts and keep your sleep cycle solid? “Exposure to light is incredibly important for regulating your body clock. When it’s dark outside, you’re more likely to fall asleep,” says Tang. “If you’re travelling west to the USA or South America, for example, you should seek light in the evening time. If you’re headed east, then you want to restrict light exposure if you’re arriving at night-time and seek it out in the morning. “Studies show that blue light from your smartphone or tablet can keep you awake, so avoid these when you’re trying to get some sleep,” he adds. Ears Tang says another possible “side-effect of flying can be stress on your ears due to pressure changes in the cabin”. This is why it’s often advised that people avoid flying if they have an ear infection, for example.“When the outside pressure changes quickly during take-off and landing, you may feel your ears pop. Sometimes this imbalance can cause motion sickness because your brain is receiving conflicting messages,” says Tang. “Try swallowing or yawning to open the eustachian tubes [which connect the middle ear and throat] during take-off and landing.” Circulation Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a very real concern for many people when flying. These blood clots, which usually affect the legs, can be extremely serious. “One of the most common causes of DVT is prolonged periods of inactivity when travelling long distances,” says Professor Mark Whiteley, leading venous surgeon and founder of The Whiteley Clinic. “When people significantly reduce the activity in their legs, the blood flow becomes very sluggish in the deep veins – therefore putting people at a higher risk of a clot forming. “It is important to keep as active as possible when flying by regularly stretching and going for a walk up and down the cabin aisle, at least once per hour if it is a long flight,” he adds. “I would also advise wearing properly fitted flight stockings. This speeds up the flow of blood in the veins and therefore reduces the risks of the blood clotting.” Anyone can potentially get DVT, but if you have a history of blood clots or may be at increased risk, always speak with your doctor before travelling. What if I have a pre-existing condition? “If you have pre-existing health conditions, then it’s best to check with your GP on any specific aspects of flying that may impact you,” says Tang. “You’ll also need to ensure that you have purchased adequate travel insurance that will cover you should you require any medical attention while abroad.” Another important consideration is to make sure any medication you will need is stored in your hand luggage/carry-on bag, and not in the hold (in case it goes missing). Some countries may also have restrictions on certain medications – ensure you speak with your doctor well in advance of travelling. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How do heterosexual celebrities become LGBTQ+ icons? More help with childcare costs for families on universal credit from end of June Menopause and menstruation guidance launched for workplaces to support employees

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Defining Dishes is an IndyEats column that explores the significance of food at key moments in our lives. From recipes that have been passed down for generations, to flavours that hold a special place in our hearts, food shapes every part of our lives in ways we might not have ever imagined. There is a family scene I would love to engrave into my memory that involves my father, myself and my son, all making prawn wontons in one kitchen. Prawn wontons are so simple, like all good dishes, and they have a really special place in my heart. I have very fond memories of making them with my father, who is from Hong Kong, when I was growing up and it is my favourite dish. Now, it’s my five-year-old son’s favourite dish as well and he’s the same age I was when I first started making prawn wontons with my father, so it makes me excited to share the dish with him. When my son was younger, his Ye Ye (grandfather) would bring homemade wontons whenever he came over to my house in Peckham. But just recently, we were over at my parents’ home, and he made his first wonton. We were all very proud! It’s so nice because it’s a dish that has run right through my family, it was brought and championed here by my dad. He moved here in 1975 and has the classic first-generation immigrant story. He worked three jobs, moved around a lot, saved money and opened his first restaurant in 1985, 10 years after arriving in England. He finally retired in 2017, but he couldn’t get away from my restaurants. I opened my own establishment, Mr Bao in Peckham in 2016, and then Daddy Bao in my father’s honour. Even now when he comes around to visit, I make him talk more about restaurants. I think he enjoys it, though, and it reminds him of home. That’s really important now because ever since the 2019-2020 mass protests in Hong Kong, the country is a sad place at the moment if you’re from there. But it’s still an amazing place. My favourite part about making wontons from scratch was always the time spent with my dad. The chit chat between us, me kneeling on a stool and him standing at the counter. My hands were not as dextrous at that age and I certainly wasn’t practised, but he would be there to help show the right way to make the little parcels and finish them up for me. The bonding moment is what I cherish the most. Mum is English and she got involved too, she is actually amazing at it. Prawn wontons are also part of Christmas time for my family. Our big tradition is to have a massive steamboat on Boxing Day, which most people of Chinese descent will be familiar with. It usually involves a big, steaming pot of soup on a constant boil, and everyone sits around the table cooking fresh, raw ingredients in it and eating as they go. Prawn wontons are a big, big part of that meal for us, especially now that we have a couple of young kids running around at Christmas time, they really love it. The thing I remember most about making wontons with Dad is the filling. He has his own method for making the prawn mince that goes inside the parcels. He gets his prawns and chops them up, mixes them with any additional ingredients like garlic, and then he would make me pick up a handful of the mixture and throw it back down onto the chopping board, pick it up and throw it back down. It somehow aerates the mince and softens it, and makes it stickier so there aren’t big chunks of prawns floating around. I haven’t really adapted Dad’s recipe for myself, aside from the type of dipping sauce I like to have with them. We keep it very traditional. Oh, I suppose I do have a slight modification, actually. I like to mix gambas (white) prawns from the southwest coast of Spain with North Atlantic shrimps, which are tiny, tiny little crustaceans the size of your nail. They have got a really good flavour. I like to chop those up into the mince with the bigger prawns, add a bit of salt and white pepper, stir it through and then do the throwing method as my dad does. We usually make our own wonton skins. In a pinch, we’ll use shop-bought ones, but when we know we’ve got time we’ll make our own. At the moment, Dad makes handmade dumplings with my sister for her business so they have a dumpling skins machine – but we used to make them by hand, old-school style. He would roll them out because he could get the thickness of the skins right. It wasn’t possible when I was young as I had no idea and was clumsy! They have to be thin, but not so thin that they break or the wontons will open up in the water. It’s something I haven’t managed to master, but there’s still time. Some places don’t even use the regular wonton skins, and they are still amazing. One of my favourite restaurants ever was in Hong Kong – it has closed down now – but it was a hole-in-the-wall type of place that served two types of wontons: classic wontons or fish skin wontons. That was their entire menu. They used fish skins instead of pastry skins to wrap their wontons, and they were something like £1.20 for a bowl at the time. It was definitely the best meal I had with Mum, Dad and my sisters in Hong Kong. The wontons get boiled for two minutes. You can make a wonton soup with a base stock, using ginger, spring onions, salt, pork bones. Boil that down and skim off the top. Or, you can dip the wontons into a chili garlic sauce, which is how my dad likes – although another way I differ from Dad is that I like to add black vinegar to the sauce of soy sauce, garlic and chili, to add an extra layer of acid. You can also eat them as they are, they are completely delicious. My stomach is rumbling as I think about them. As my son gets older, it will be really nice to be able to make wontons altogether, the three generations of us at the kitchen island, chatting away. That’s what I’d like my son to take away from those sessions, the memory of doing it with his Ye Ye and me. I’d also like him to, in time, be able to link quality to food and what you’re putting in your body. I want him to understand that even though it’s so easy to go to the shop and buy something, everything starts out as a living thing. A prawn is an animal and a chive is a real plant grown in the soil. You don’t have to make it yourself and you should go to restaurants to support them, but when you do go, you’ll have a better appreciation for it. Frank Yeung is the chef-owner of Mr Bao and Daddy Bao in London. 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