July 10, 2025 • 14 mins
We explore practical ways to combat inflammation while traveling to protect your hormone health. Inflammation, especially during travel, can disrupt cortisol levels and bamboozle your sex hormones, leading to irregular cycles and increased PMS symptoms.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey there and thanks for listening to episode 117 of
I'm Hormonal.
I'm your host, bridget Walton.
Today we're going to be talkinga little bit more about
inflammation, but we're going tobe making it super actionable,
especially for those of you galswho are traveling all the time.
I know a lot of you listeningtravel, whether that's for fun
or whether you are on the go forwork, and for me at least, I
(00:27):
don't know about you, but I havea suspicion.
Being on the road, being in anew environment, in hotels,
where you don't have that muchcontrol over what's in your room
or what's in the hotel, whatair are you breathing?
You don't have your normal cozyenvironment at home.
That's where there's a lot ofexposure to inflammation.
If you haven't listened toTuesday's episode yet, go back,
check it out.
You'll learn about whyinflammation is a thing that you
(00:49):
should care about, especiallyif you have period problems, pms
.
You're trying to get thingsback in order this short version
of why inflammation isimportant and be reminded that
inflammation is this kind ofoveractive immune response.
It's good, we love it, whenit's acute and in the short term
(01:09):
that can be helpful, but it'swhen it's prolonged and becomes
more chronic.
That's when our body says thisis too much, this is not working
.
For me.
What that means as far as yourhormones go is that oftentimes,
cortisol levels are going to begoing up.
Cortisol is your stress hormone, and when cortisol levels are
(01:30):
high, that is going to bamboozleyour sex hormones too.
Right, it's not sending thosesignals of safety.
It's saying, hey, there'ssomething chaotic here going on.
Maybe we don't ovulate thismonth, and what that could
result in is irregular orunpredictable cycles for you,
pms and more.
So.
(01:50):
That's the short version ofwhat we talked about on Tuesday,
but again, I'm going to jumpright into it here.
But what we're going to begoing through are some
considerations when you aretraveling on the road away from
home and what you may want tokeep in mind some easy swaps.
Let's dive in.
One source of inflammation thatmight not be as obvious is a
(02:12):
lack of movement.
Right, this is something you'regoing to experience when you
are on a flight, when you'resitting waiting for your flight,
maybe when you have a longdistance to drive and you're
just not up and about moving.
Maybe, when you have a longdistance to drive and you're
just not up and about moving,what's happening here is that
your lymph isn't flowing as muchas it would be if you are up
and moving around.
But that's so important becauseyour lymph system needs
(02:37):
movement, needs you moving,needs you taking deep, full
breaths in order to be the pumpthat moves those fluids
throughout your body.
And remember that your lymph isthat trash collection system,
part of your body and that'swhere some toxins or cellular
waste can collect and so, whenstagnant, that can lead to
(03:03):
additional inflammation.
So a couple of things toconsider here.
If you're in a situation whereyou're like, cool, we're getting
only you know whatever smallamount of steps in a particular
day, just remember that breathwork is really important and can
be something you can easilyintegrate anywhere sitting on
the plane.
It doesn't have to be something, it doesn't have to be a whole
(03:26):
production.
I guess that's what I mean tosay.
So, whether you are listeningto a video you found on YouTube
maybe there's another app thatyou like that's leading you
through an exercise or you'rejust taking three minutes, even
to really consciously andintentionally take big, deep
breaths in, big, deep breathsout.
(03:47):
That could be something that Ahelps you to feel less stressed
another source of inflammationbut also helps to move that
lymph and get things, keepthings from being stagnant.
One other thought here could beif maybe you're in a part of
your life when you get on a longflight, you get off the flight
and you have some swollen feetor swollen legs, compression
(04:09):
socks could be a good investmentfor you, because compression
socks are going to keep thatfluid from again stagnating in
your legs.
So if you are like me, I wenton a flight to Europe a couple
of months ago and I was like, ohokay, bridge, yes, we are in
that phase of life wherecompression socks are necessary.
(04:30):
My feet look like hamburgers,basically, they were so round.
So hopefully that was 1% funny,but hopefully just another
piece of inspiration to investin compression socks.
The next thing I want to talkabout here are receipts,
specifically, because receiptsthat are used when they have you
(04:53):
know when it used gosh what'sthe term I'm looking for, you
know what I mean.
You get a receipt at the gasstation, the receipt that gets
printed out at a restaurant whenyou go to dine.
It uses heat to print thatreceipt really rapidly and those
types of receipts are high orrelatively high in BPA.
So BPA is one of the gazillionchemicals that's out there, and
(05:16):
BPA is a chemical that's used toprint out receipts.
The reason why I'm calling thisout is because we oftentimes,
just right, we spend our wholelife grabbing the receipt from
the cashier, even though we'regoing to just throw it out.
It's a super easy thing thatyou can just forego taking or,
you know, go ahead and wash yourhands afterwards.
It doesn't have to be a bigproduction.
(05:38):
Again, these are easy, quickrecommendations that I'm making
for you.
Again, these are easy, quickrecommendations that I'm making
for you.
But just being aware that BPAcan certainly impact
inflammation levels, which canimpact ovulation, and it also
can impact weight retention,which, if that's something that
is on your mind too, justconsider what is your exposure
(06:00):
level to BPA too.
Just consider what is yourexposure level to BPA.
Okay, the next thing I want tomention here bringing your own
cup for coffee or tea, whateverhot beverage you prefer.
I think that's such a clutch,easy move, not only because kind
of off topic, likeenvironmentalism, love the
planet, love to not wasteanother one time use cup, but
(06:23):
it's also going to prevent youfrom having potentially
additional exposure to BPA,which is oftentimes in the lids
of those coffee cups when thecoffee, or rather the steam from
the coffee collects on that lid, it gets hot.
Some of the BPA can leach outand then just drip back down
into your coffee.
So spare yourself.
(06:44):
Just avoid those reusable cups.
Go ahead, pack your ownstainless steel or glass cup mug
to bring with you and that'llsave you.
That'll make things easier foryou.
Limit your BPA exposure.
Something else that could beeasy could be to bring your own
pillowcase when you travel.
If you are somebody who travelsquite often, this can just be a
(07:07):
normal part of your rotation.
Where cool pack in mytoothbrush, pack in my deodorant
, let me grab this pillowcase.
The reason why this issomething to consider is because
you don't know what detergentis being used at the hotel that
you're staying at.
You don't know what detergentis being used at the hotel that
you're staying at.
You don't know what else is itexposed to whether that's kind
(07:28):
of dust or other chemicals thatyou're going to be putting your
face on and breathing all nightlong.
So this isn't something to bescared of.
Like using hotels pillows.
Please don't misunderstand mewhen I say that, but this is
something that could beadvantageous for you.
(07:48):
Could be worth taking for aspin to see if you like it, if
it's worth packing.
Now.
The next thing I want to mentionare blue light blocker glasses.
If you've listened to thepodcast before, then you know
that blue light can disrupt yourcircadian rhythm.
Well, your circadian rhythm isthis normal pattern that
(08:10):
cortisol takes throughout theday higher in the morning, lower
in the evening and that's howwe like it.
That's how we want it, becauseyou want cortisol to be lower in
the evening so that you can layyour precious head down on the
pillow and fall right to sleep.
Well, when we are out and about, especially traveling,
especially in airports, thereare so many fluorescent lights,
(08:31):
overhead lights, whichoftentimes have that blue light
in them.
You wouldn't know by looking atit, right, but fluorescent
light bulbs equals blue light.
So if you are able to invest ina pair of blue light blocking
glasses, that could be a goodway to just help give your body
a little bit of support.
Oh, I can't believe I didn'tmention, right, your screen.
(08:53):
Your screen whether it's yourlaptop, your phone probably is
emitting blue light too.
So consider getting a filterfor that.
But essentially you're justdoing yourself a favor to keep
your cortisol levels in check,kind of where you want them to
be, and I think that could beworth spending a couple bucks on
.
If you're like me and you wearprescription glasses, then a lot
(09:18):
of vendors these days are likewell, I get my glasses from
Warwick Parker, but I have toimagine everybody and their mom
offers it.
Anyway, you can pay a coupleextra bucks to get the blue
light filter added on as well.
All right, my next thought here.
This one will take a little bitmore effort, a little bit more
research to get into, butsomething that is becoming more
(09:40):
and more popular are hotels thatare actually prioritizing clean
air, using less disruptive,less harsh products in hotel
rooms, as well as maybeproviding an additional filter
for the water in those rooms.
Tying this back to inflammationpollution in the air can
(10:01):
certainly contribute toinflammation, depending on are
you in the city, is thereconstruction nearby, just what
kind of pollutants are in thedust that's in your hotel room?
There are also a lot ofpotential contaminants, or there
are also a lot of potentialcontaminants or inflammatory
agents that you can get throughyour water.
So definitely filtering yourwater where you can is going to
(10:22):
be good.
One of my best friends got mefor Christmas a few years ago, a
water bottle that has a filterright in it.
So you fill it up with whateveris the water source at your
hotel and then it's going tofilter the water right at your
hotel and then it's going tofilter the water right there in
your bottle.
So just another note there aresome cool things out there.
It's not always the best to, orI should say.
(10:44):
My first thought, my firstrecommendation isn't like hey,
go spend a bunch of money onthings that you can bring to
travel with you, but I think itis good to know what's out there
.
Make an informed decision aboutwhat might suit your goals or
suit your budget.
I got a little bit off trackthere because I was wanting to
talk about hotels that haverooms specifically designed for
(11:10):
wellness.
You can check out Pure Wellness, their website.
That's just one organizationthat works with hotels to curate
rooms that align with what Ijust mentioned.
Where there is an air purifier,there's a filter for the water,
they use different productswhen cleaning the room.
So you can go to their website.
You can check out what hotelsare a part of their program, and
(11:34):
that spans different types ofhotels Marriott, hilton,
ritz-carlton, etc.
So you have some options there.
In my quest to figure out whatoptions are out there in this
regard, I also discovered thatthere are some air purifier
necklaces.
Now I've got some questionsabout how that works and exactly
(11:55):
what the efficacy is there.
But again, just to say, thereare different options out there
for you to check out, learnabout and really just take
control over.
What are you interacting with?
What are these sources ofinformation that you can
mitigate contact with and thengo from there?
The last thing I want to leaveyou with, super briefly coming
(12:18):
back to snacks.
When I'm on the road, maybewhen you're on the road
traveling, figuring out whatyou're going to eat and where
can you get quality food from isa huge task.
So just making sure you havethose clean snacks that you like
that you can go back to.
You have those clean snacksthat you like that you can go
(12:38):
back to, also thinking like, hey, dehydration in and of itself
can be a source of inflammation.
So do I have the water bottlethat I need to stay hydrated?
Do I want to bring electrolytes?
Can I pack some nuts?
Can I pack some of these thingsthat are going to make life
easier for me, less stressful?
Get me the nutrients that Ineed which equals less
(13:02):
inflammation and help me feelgood and happy while I'm out and
about away from home.
I hope that those were a coupleof good ideas to spark some
thought for you.
Let me know what you think.
Let me know if you do any ofthese things or recently started
implementing them, and howyou've been liking it.
I'd love to connect with youover on Instagram.
You can find me at.
I'm underscore hormonal, andthat's it for today.
(13:22):
I'll see you back here nexttime for a long form episode
after this shorty, and we'll seeyou on the next one.
If you loved today's episodeand got something good out of it
, make sure you subscribe sothat these episodes show up
automatically in your feed.
No work needed on your side.
(13:43):
Let's put it on autopilot.
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
(14:05):
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
All right, we'll see you on thenext one.
Hey there and thanks for listening to episode 117 of
I'm Hormonal.
I'm your host, bridget Walton.
Today we're going to be talkinga little bit more about
inflammation, but we're going tobe making it super actionable,
especially for those of you galswho are traveling all the time.
I know a lot of you listeningtravel, whether that's for fun
or whether you are on the go forwork, and for me at least, I
(00:27):
don't know about you, but I havea suspicion.
Being on the road, being in anew environment, in hotels,
where you don't have that muchcontrol over what's in your room
or what's in the hotel, whatair are you breathing?
You don't have your normal cozyenvironment at home.
That's where there's a lot ofexposure to inflammation.
If you haven't listened toTuesday's episode yet, go back,
check it out.
You'll learn about whyinflammation is a thing that you
(00:49):
should care about, especiallyif you have period problems, pms
.
You're trying to get thingsback in order this short version
of why inflammation isimportant and be reminded that
inflammation is this kind ofoveractive immune response.
It's good, we love it, whenit's acute and in the short term
(01:09):
that can be helpful, but it'swhen it's prolonged and becomes
more chronic.
That's when our body says thisis too much, this is not working
.
For me.
What that means as far as yourhormones go is that oftentimes,
cortisol levels are going to begoing up.
Cortisol is your stress hormone, and when cortisol levels are
(01:30):
high, that is going to bamboozleyour sex hormones too.
Right, it's not sending thosesignals of safety.
It's saying, hey, there'ssomething chaotic here going on.
Maybe we don't ovulate thismonth, and what that could
result in is irregular orunpredictable cycles for you,
pms and more.
So.
(01:50):
That's the short version ofwhat we talked about on Tuesday,
but again, I'm going to jumpright into it here.
But what we're going to begoing through are some
considerations when you aretraveling on the road away from
home and what you may want tokeep in mind some easy swaps.
Let's dive in.
One source of inflammation thatmight not be as obvious is a
(02:12):
lack of movement.
Right, this is something you'regoing to experience when you
are on a flight, when you'resitting waiting for your flight,
maybe when you have a longdistance to drive and you're
just not up and about moving.
Maybe, when you have a longdistance to drive and you're
just not up and about moving,what's happening here is that
your lymph isn't flowing as muchas it would be if you are up
and moving around.
But that's so important becauseyour lymph system needs
(02:37):
movement, needs you moving,needs you taking deep, full
breaths in order to be the pumpthat moves those fluids
throughout your body.
And remember that your lymph isthat trash collection system,
part of your body and that'swhere some toxins or cellular
waste can collect and so, whenstagnant, that can lead to
(03:03):
additional inflammation.
So a couple of things toconsider here.
If you're in a situation whereyou're like, cool, we're getting
only you know whatever smallamount of steps in a particular
day, just remember that breathwork is really important and can
be something you can easilyintegrate anywhere sitting on
the plane.
It doesn't have to be something, it doesn't have to be a whole
(03:26):
production.
I guess that's what I mean tosay.
So, whether you are listeningto a video you found on YouTube
maybe there's another app thatyou like that's leading you
through an exercise or you'rejust taking three minutes, even
to really consciously andintentionally take big, deep
breaths in, big, deep breathsout.
(03:47):
That could be something that Ahelps you to feel less stressed
another source of inflammationbut also helps to move that
lymph and get things, keepthings from being stagnant.
One other thought here could beif maybe you're in a part of
your life when you get on a longflight, you get off the flight
and you have some swollen feetor swollen legs, compression
(04:09):
socks could be a good investmentfor you, because compression
socks are going to keep thatfluid from again stagnating in
your legs.
So if you are like me, I wenton a flight to Europe a couple
of months ago and I was like, ohokay, bridge, yes, we are in
that phase of life wherecompression socks are necessary.
(04:30):
My feet look like hamburgers,basically, they were so round.
So hopefully that was 1% funny,but hopefully just another
piece of inspiration to investin compression socks.
The next thing I want to talkabout here are receipts,
specifically, because receiptsthat are used when they have you
(04:53):
know when it used gosh what'sthe term I'm looking for, you
know what I mean.
You get a receipt at the gasstation, the receipt that gets
printed out at a restaurant whenyou go to dine.
It uses heat to print thatreceipt really rapidly and those
types of receipts are high orrelatively high in BPA.
So BPA is one of the gazillionchemicals that's out there, and
(05:16):
BPA is a chemical that's used toprint out receipts.
The reason why I'm calling thisout is because we oftentimes,
just right, we spend our wholelife grabbing the receipt from
the cashier, even though we'regoing to just throw it out.
It's a super easy thing thatyou can just forego taking or,
you know, go ahead and wash yourhands afterwards.
It doesn't have to be a bigproduction.
(05:38):
Again, these are easy, quickrecommendations that I'm making
for you.
Again, these are easy, quickrecommendations that I'm making
for you.
But just being aware that BPAcan certainly impact
inflammation levels, which canimpact ovulation, and it also
can impact weight retention,which, if that's something that
is on your mind too, justconsider what is your exposure
(06:00):
level to BPA too.
Just consider what is yourexposure level to BPA.
Okay, the next thing I want tomention here bringing your own
cup for coffee or tea, whateverhot beverage you prefer.
I think that's such a clutch,easy move, not only because kind
of off topic, likeenvironmentalism, love the
planet, love to not wasteanother one time use cup, but
(06:23):
it's also going to prevent youfrom having potentially
additional exposure to BPA,which is oftentimes in the lids
of those coffee cups when thecoffee, or rather the steam from
the coffee collects on that lid, it gets hot.
Some of the BPA can leach outand then just drip back down
into your coffee.
So spare yourself.
(06:44):
Just avoid those reusable cups.
Go ahead, pack your ownstainless steel or glass cup mug
to bring with you and that'llsave you.
That'll make things easier foryou.
Limit your BPA exposure.
Something else that could beeasy could be to bring your own
pillowcase when you travel.
If you are somebody who travelsquite often, this can just be a
(07:07):
normal part of your rotation.
Where cool pack in mytoothbrush, pack in my deodorant
, let me grab this pillowcase.
The reason why this issomething to consider is because
you don't know what detergentis being used at the hotel that
you're staying at.
You don't know what detergentis being used at the hotel that
you're staying at.
You don't know what else is itexposed to whether that's kind
(07:28):
of dust or other chemicals thatyou're going to be putting your
face on and breathing all nightlong.
So this isn't something to bescared of.
Like using hotels pillows.
Please don't misunderstand mewhen I say that, but this is
something that could beadvantageous for you.
(07:48):
Could be worth taking for aspin to see if you like it, if
it's worth packing.
Now.
The next thing I want to mentionare blue light blocker glasses.
If you've listened to thepodcast before, then you know
that blue light can disrupt yourcircadian rhythm.
Well, your circadian rhythm isthis normal pattern that
(08:10):
cortisol takes throughout theday higher in the morning, lower
in the evening and that's howwe like it.
That's how we want it, becauseyou want cortisol to be lower in
the evening so that you can layyour precious head down on the
pillow and fall right to sleep.
Well, when we are out and about, especially traveling,
especially in airports, thereare so many fluorescent lights,
(08:31):
overhead lights, whichoftentimes have that blue light
in them.
You wouldn't know by looking atit, right, but fluorescent
light bulbs equals blue light.
So if you are able to invest ina pair of blue light blocking
glasses, that could be a goodway to just help give your body
a little bit of support.
Oh, I can't believe I didn'tmention, right, your screen.
(08:53):
Your screen whether it's yourlaptop, your phone probably is
emitting blue light too.
So consider getting a filterfor that.
But essentially you're justdoing yourself a favor to keep
your cortisol levels in check,kind of where you want them to
be, and I think that could beworth spending a couple bucks on
.
If you're like me and you wearprescription glasses, then a lot
(09:18):
of vendors these days are likewell, I get my glasses from
Warwick Parker, but I have toimagine everybody and their mom
offers it.
Anyway, you can pay a coupleextra bucks to get the blue
light filter added on as well.
All right, my next thought here.
This one will take a little bitmore effort, a little bit more
research to get into, butsomething that is becoming more
(09:40):
and more popular are hotels thatare actually prioritizing clean
air, using less disruptive,less harsh products in hotel
rooms, as well as maybeproviding an additional filter
for the water in those rooms.
Tying this back to inflammationpollution in the air can
(10:01):
certainly contribute toinflammation, depending on are
you in the city, is thereconstruction nearby, just what
kind of pollutants are in thedust that's in your hotel room?
There are also a lot ofpotential contaminants, or there
are also a lot of potentialcontaminants or inflammatory
agents that you can get throughyour water.
So definitely filtering yourwater where you can is going to
(10:22):
be good.
One of my best friends got mefor Christmas a few years ago, a
water bottle that has a filterright in it.
So you fill it up with whateveris the water source at your
hotel and then it's going tofilter the water right at your
hotel and then it's going tofilter the water right there in
your bottle.
So just another note there aresome cool things out there.
It's not always the best to, orI should say.
(10:44):
My first thought, my firstrecommendation isn't like hey,
go spend a bunch of money onthings that you can bring to
travel with you, but I think itis good to know what's out there
.
Make an informed decision aboutwhat might suit your goals or
suit your budget.
I got a little bit off trackthere because I was wanting to
talk about hotels that haverooms specifically designed for
(11:10):
wellness.
You can check out Pure Wellness, their website.
That's just one organizationthat works with hotels to curate
rooms that align with what Ijust mentioned.
Where there is an air purifier,there's a filter for the water,
they use different productswhen cleaning the room.
So you can go to their website.
You can check out what hotelsare a part of their program, and
(11:34):
that spans different types ofhotels Marriott, hilton,
ritz-carlton, etc.
So you have some options there.
In my quest to figure out whatoptions are out there in this
regard, I also discovered thatthere are some air purifier
necklaces.
Now I've got some questionsabout how that works and exactly
(11:55):
what the efficacy is there.
But again, just to say, thereare different options out there
for you to check out, learnabout and really just take
control over.
What are you interacting with?
What are these sources ofinformation that you can
mitigate contact with and thengo from there?
The last thing I want to leaveyou with, super briefly coming
(12:18):
back to snacks.
When I'm on the road, maybewhen you're on the road
traveling, figuring out whatyou're going to eat and where
can you get quality food from isa huge task.
So just making sure you havethose clean snacks that you like
that you can go back to.
You have those clean snacksthat you like that you can go
(12:38):
back to, also thinking like, hey, dehydration in and of itself
can be a source of inflammation.
So do I have the water bottlethat I need to stay hydrated?
Do I want to bring electrolytes?
Can I pack some nuts?
Can I pack some of these thingsthat are going to make life
easier for me, less stressful?
Get me the nutrients that Ineed which equals less
(13:02):
inflammation and help me feelgood and happy while I'm out and
about away from home.
I hope that those were a coupleof good ideas to spark some
thought for you.
Let me know what you think.
Let me know if you do any ofthese things or recently started
implementing them, and howyou've been liking it.
I'd love to connect with youover on Instagram.
You can find me at.
I'm underscore hormonal, andthat's it for today.
(13:22):
I'll see you back here nexttime for a long form episode
after this shorty, and we'll seeyou on the next one.
If you loved today's episodeand got something good out of it
, make sure you subscribe sothat these episodes show up
automatically in your feed.
No work needed on your side.
(13:43):
Let's put it on autopilot.
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
(14:05):
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
All right, we'll see you on thenext one.
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Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
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