I came across some interesting writings from Tim Sanders at http://sanderssays.typepad.com. He has some good, solid advice for travelers about how to take extra steps to keep from getting sick while traveling. I used to travel quite bit myself for work, so his tips really hit home.

Briefly, he recommends washing your hands - a lot. We come in contact with many different kinds of people everyday even when we are not traveling. Our potential exposure to viruses, particularly ones that originate overseas increases manifold when spend much time in an airport. Add to that we may be meeting with people who are also traveling from other parts of the country, and the world, and we can see how easy it could be to come in contact with diseases that our immune system is not ready for.

Another tip he gives is to avoid sugar, as consuming too much sugar can lower the effectiveness of the immune system. Tim’s post gives a reference on some research that was done connecting the typical over-consumption of sugary foods during the winter holidays and the increase of illness during those months.

There is a very good business reason for taking these precautions. When you are down because of illness, your ability to be productive suffers. And getting sick when on the road is the worst. You’re wiped out when your traveling and meeting with clients, and then when you get back home you can’t enjoy the time with your family because you need time to recover - maybe just to back on another airplane.

So, when you are traveling, remember to eat healthy, wash your hands, and don’t catch anything!