Travel Health

Lauterbrunnen Valley to Jungfraujoch Switzerland

Switzerland is also known in Latin as Confoederatio Helvetica. That is why their internet domain is .CH. You will need to use the Swiss Franc (CHF) when in Switzerland.

Flying to Switzerland
If you are flying from the USA, you would probably fly into either Geneva (373.6 m – French speaking area of Switzerland) or Zurich (408 m -German speaking area of Switzerland). Basel Airport ( EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg ) is also an option but it is actually located in France. Basel EuroAirport serves Germany, France and Switzerland.

Altitude Sickness
Take your time in these lower elevations to acclimate to the altitude. You should drink plenty of water as you recover from your flight especially if you are flying across the Atlantic from the USA.

Interlaken
From any of those cities, you will need to get a train to Interlaken ( the city between lakes Brienz and Thun at 566m). Interlaken is a good base to explore the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Bernese Oberland. The train system is excellent in Switzerland and runs on time like Swiss clockwork.

Bernese Oberland and the Lauterbrunnen Valley
There is so much to see in the Bernese Oberland (Bernese Highlands) area. You can use Interlaken as a base camp to travel further south in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Interlaken has all the modern conveniences you need. If you are not into too much walking, just ride the train from Interlaken Ost Station to Jungfraujoch. Jungfraujoch (Virgin Pass) is the highest railway station in Europe or Top of Europe. You will be going up in elevation from 566 meters in Interlaken to 3454 meters in Jungfraujoch.

Jungfraujoch
There is more than one way to get to Jungfraujoch. You can take the train from Interlaken (566m), Zweilütschinen (652m), Lauterbrunnen (795m), Wengen (1274m) (car free), Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) (beautiful place to stop) and then on to Jungfraujoch (3454m). The other option is to take the train from Interlaken, Zweilütschinen, Grindelwald (at 1034m another very beautiful place), Kleine Scheidegg and on to Jungfraujoch. Take one way up and another way down as the journey can be the destination on this route. You will pass through Alpine scenery and then on to see the snowy peaks above timber line. Jungfrau stands at 13,642ft or 4158m. Jungfrau, Eiger (3967m) and Monch (4107m) peaks form a massive range overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley.

The Lauterbrunnen Valley
The Lauterbrunnen Valley is a must see area of Switzerland. The contrast between the snowy peaks with the green Lauterbrunnen valley with many waterfalls is a site to see. The picturesque Lauterbrunnen village with the 300m high Staubbach Falls cascading down the mountain is breathtaking.

Wengen
From Lauterbrunnen, you can take the cogwheel train to Wengen (car free) to get a gorgeous view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Take time and smell the mountain air and soak in the Alpine scenery. Beautiful view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley for your photos for instagram.

Gimmelwald Village
Or from Lauterbrunnen, take a cable car to Grütschalp and then by mountain rail to Murren. Then hike downhill to Gimmelwald Village to go back in time. Enjoy the alpine scenery, the flowers and breathe in the fresh mountain air. It is well worth it. There is even a gondola that goes to Schilthorn from Gimmelwald for more exploration. The options seem endless. You can be lost in the Bernese Oberland and loving it.

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5 Health Benefits of Travel

If you’ve been looking for a good excuse to book your next vacation, your search is over! There is actual scientific evidence that taking vacations improves your health.

Time Zone Globe Schiphol Airport Netherlands

Here are 5 reasons why you should travel for better health:

  • 1. Even just planning a trip will make you feel happier, and mental health matters!

A 2002 study by researchers at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom found that people are at their happiest when they are anticipating an upcoming trip. People who were planning a trip experienced more joy and even felt better about both their health and their economic situation.

People perceive their overall quality of life to be better when they are looking forward to the next adventure.  And as if that were not enough evidence to get you started in planning a trip, a 2014 Cornell University study found that looking forward to a travel experience caused more joy than anticipating the purchase of something special.  We are happier when we have new experiences than when we acquire more “stuff”, according to another Cornell study in 2010.

Sunway Resort Pool Malaysia

And how often should you plan a trip?  Diamond Resorts International did a study in 2014 and found that over 75% of people reported feeling happier when they planned a trip at least once every year. 

What if you actually go on a trip after all that planning? 

  • 2. Traveling helps your mental health

Women who go on vacations more often experience less depression than women who stay home.  A 2005 study by the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin found that women who vacation less often than once every two years are more likely to be depressed and stressed than women who vacation at least twice a year.  This benefit would undoubtedly be similar for men. 

The American Psychological Association conducted a survey in 2013 about stress in America and found that vacations help reduce stress and negative emotions because they take us away from the usual sources of our stress, such as the activities and environments that trigger us the most.  So it’s not always about where we go, but more about the escape that helps. 

At any rate, our health is better when our stress is lower.  One study found that even three days after a vacation, people who had traveled were in a better mood, felt more well-rested, and had less anxiety.  These effects even lasted to some extent for weeks after they returned home. 

Myrtle Beach South Carolina USA
Myrtle Beach South Carolina USA

The vacation doesn’t even have to be very long.  One study showed that a four-day long weekend helped people feel better for as long as 45 days.  Those who traveled somewhere on that break reported more well-being and less perceived stress, and they scored better on recovery and strain.

Clearly, we have established that travel helps your mental well-being.  But what about your physical health?

  • 3. Traveling decreases your risk of heart disease

The Framingham Heart Study is a long-running study which found that both men and women who traveled at least once a year were less likely to suffer a heart attack or develop heart disease.  The theory is that regular travelers are less stress or anxious, or that at least taking a break from the usual stress has great benefits. 

  • 4. Your immune system is stronger if you travel

Travelers are exposed to different environments (and therefore different viruses, dirt, gut bacteria, etc.) which cause your body to create stronger antibodies.  Research shows that this gives your immune system a boost.  So travel more, and get sick less! 

Keukenhof
  • 5.  Traveling helps you live longer

It doesn’t matter whether you travel short distances or trek the globe, research shows that life expectancy is longer for travelers.  Research indicates that the stress reduction from travel actually helps increase brain health.  That in turn leads to living both better and longer.  Part of the brain health benefit comes from the fact that your brain makes new pathways and connections as you see and experience new things.  That’s great for the added benefit of increased creativity as well as brain health. 

So you see, there’s no need to feel that your desire to travel is frivolous.  It’s actually great way to take care of yourself.  Travelers experience a better quality of life and even live longer.  Clearly, most of these benefits are related to lowering your stress, which we know is a good idea for so many reasons.  There you have it, our permission to take a break.  Now, get started planning your next vacation – remember, even the dreaming and planning will help you feel better! 

Kuala Lumpur Tower Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Tower Malaysia

Keukenhof Gardens in Netherlands

 

Keukenhof Flower Gardens is the most beautiful flower garden I have ever visited. During a long layover between flights during Spring at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (a fantastic transportation hub integrated with bus/train depots) , I took a bus to Keukenhof Gardens.  People are friendly and helpful in Amsterdam and they speak good English. The bus driver was a joy. Once you get to the gardens which is open only in Spring, you will see millions of bulbs of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and more.  Not to mention about all the flower displays at the pavilions and fun Spring events. You can even take a boat ride in the Garden Canals from the Dutch Wind Mill. You can also grab a bite to eat and enjoy free WiFi at the same time! Pictures cannot describe the beauty of this place. You just have to get out and walk around and enjoy the beautiful scenery and breathe the clean Spring air. It helped break my jetlag and made a tired layover into a memorable fun trip.

 


How to cope with Jet Lag

How to cope with Jet Lag

I enjoy working with IP communication as an extension to my existing work experience in Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks. Voice Over IP (VoIP) is revolutionizing the way Globalink is connecting customers across the world. My work and travel interests have taken me around the world.

Travelling can be fun and tiring. It is amazing that Christopher Columbus left Palos, Spain Friday Aug 3rd,1492 and made it to San Salvador (some island in the Bahamas), Oct 12th, 1492. It was 2 months and 9 days. Now you can travel across the Atlantic in less than 7 hours (depending on your flight path)  faster than your body can keep up with the change. Hence jetlag.

Fighting jetlag is key. So how do I do it?  I am usually awake keeping track of the flight on the map and tired when I land. But with the Dream Sleep Supplement, I was able to rest and get some much needed sleep on my long distance flight. I  was able to wake up just fine when they started serving breakfast before the flight landed. I also took EnerLean Supplement that gave me the energy to keep moving during my long layover in Amsterdam, Holland. I was up and wake and off to exploring Amsterdam before I boarded my next flight.


Do You Need To Be Revived?

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Do you need to be Revived?

I have been having fun looking through all the ingredients in the Uncorked supplements to decide which ones to highlight first.  The only problem is that I don’t quite know where to start!  So many of the ingredients are supplements that I’ve tried individually  over the years, but now  I have products that put several of them together for a synergistic effect, using only top-quality ingredients (something I didn’t always do a good job of looking for before).

So, in my quandary of where to start, I decided to start with the most complicated of all – Uncorked’s Revive multivitamin.  You can check out the entire list of ingredients and see for yourself, that there isn’t much that isn’t packed into this multivitamin.

I know that my energy levels are better since I’ve been taking Revive.  It’s just full of ingredients that help your body function well and feel good.

To break it down, you get:

*Probiotic blend

*Citrus complex that includes Quercetin, which is great for immunity and fighting inflammation and pain

*Flaxseed with Omega 3s

*Special fruit and vegetable complexes – 100 mg each of great stuff that a lot of us don’t get enough of in our diets

*Whole foods and green complex that includes spirulina and chorella, both great for health

*Herbal complex including garlic and echinacea for strong anti-viral help

*Mushroom complex with Shiitake, maltake, and reishi mushrooms

*Digestive Enzyme complex, with bromelain, amylase, etc.

*Nice add-ons like lutein, boron, and inositol

*High quality ingredients that you you generally expect to see in a multivitamin, like Vitamin A and C, Folic Acid, but also including copper and chromium and panothenic acid

I have found all these supplements very helpful on a daily basis but especially when I need the extra boost when travelling. I am usually awake keeping track of the flight on the map and tired when I land. But with the Dream Sleep Supplement, I was able to rest and get some much needed sleep on my long distance flight. I  was able to wake up just fine when they started serving breakfast before the flight landed. I also took EnerLean Supplement that gave me the energy to keep moving during my long layover in Amsterdam, Holland. I was up and wake and off to exploring Amsterdam before I boarded my next flight.

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Order Revive