Holiday Travel Kit

Whether it's traffic jams, unexpected luggage fees, or flu germs, holiday travel can be a downer—exactly when you want to feel merry and bright. With a little planning, though, you can pack what you need to fight seasonal "bugs" and relieve stress involved in getting home—or wherever you choose to spend the holidays.

Here's what you need:
• Start small. Pick up 3.5 oz natural hand lotion, moisturizer, mouth wash, and shampoo from the miniatures bin at your favorite natural products stores. (These carry-on sized beauty products also make great stocking stuffers and inexpensive ways to "gift" party hostesses or office coworkers.)
• Pack healthy snacks—energy bars, nuts, trail mix—to prevent the munchies and give your digestive system enough fiber to keep things moving smoothly. Check out the calories, though, and make sure you're getting healthy (not trans) fats.
• Take antioxidants along. Vitamins C and E fight damaging free radicals—even among airline pilots who are regularly exposed to damaging radiation. And don't forget zinc lozenges, proven effective when taken at the onset of colds and flu.
• Be smart about germs. Hand sanitizer, herbs (echinacea and elderberry), homeopathy (Oscillo), nasal spray (look for xylitol that fights bacteria while soothing and moisturizing), and pocket-sized packs of tissues may be more effective—and are certainly friendlier—than a face mask.
• Chill out with anti-anxiety herbs (like kava, which also relieves muscle tension, and valerian, safer and found as effective as Valium) and Rescue Remedy. If your travels take you across time zones, pack melatonin for jet lag.

It's important to stay hydrated, so treat yourself (and those you care about) to a BPA-free water bottle for car or train travel. Once past the security gate, pick up bottled water that doesn't come from a tap (some offer electrolytes and vitamins too). Go easy on alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.

Try to get up and move around as often as possible on planes and trains. If you're driving, allow time to walk around a little at each rest stop, and make sure your GPS and maps are updated to the latest highway construction.

Most valuable when traveling this time of year is your own holiday goodwill. Remember, we're all trying to reach family and friends. So kick back a little, tune in to soothing sounds on your i-Pod, and go with the flow.