Stay healthy on the road

Outsmart on-the-go health bothers so you can enjoy weekend getaways and beach days!

- —BY BRENDA KEARNS

The sweet way to keep dehydration at bay

Keeping fluid intake steady can be hard on busy vacation days, and at least 60% of us end up dehydrated. The fix? Nibble on berries. They're rich in fruit sugars and electrolytes that Georgia Institute of Technology experts say help tissues quickly absorb water. That means more of the fluids you're drinking stay in your body instead of being lost through urine.

Ease achiness with deep stretches

A long car trip can leave you stiff and sore— and so can a busy day of sightseeing. What can help? Stopping once each hour to do a deep muscle stretch. (Try straightening your legs with your toes pointing up so you feel a strong pull in your calves, or reach your arms high and lean from side to side to stretch your rib cag.) Danish investigators say that deep stretches make your pain threshold soar, plus they boost circulation to muscles and joints to ward off stiffness.

OR RUB ON ROSEMARY

Rosemary essential oil contains powerful, natural painkilling compounds that absorb easily through skin. And Duke University research suggests mixing 2 drops of the oil into 1 Tbs. of lotion, then massaging the mixture into sore spots can ease achiness as effectively as OTC painkillers can.

The sweet way to keep dehydration at bay