Expert advice for happy family road trips
dailyrecord.co.ukFAMILY motorists taking longer road trips in the weeks ahead are being offered advice about everything from journey snacks to keeping the kids happy and packing tips.
The experts at Scottish-based automotive finance firm CarMoney have investigated the food and drinks to avoid – with the help of nutritionist Daisy Hill.
First up, the team warns that the high caffeine levels in energy drinks can cause distracting heart palpitations and lead to slower reaction times after just an hour.Daisy said: “A healthy alternative would be Matcha green tea as it can have the same uplifting effect but without the nasty side effects.”And while porridge and oatmeal provide a good, slow release of energy, they can also reduce alertness.
Oatmeal naturally raises blood sugar and contains melatonin, which relaxes the body and aids sleep.The nutritionist recommended avoiding them on long night-time journeys and instead have snacks such as bananas or berries and nuts.Coffee will only keep you alert for a short while and is likely to result in more toilet stops on a long car journey. “Drinking water, especially with ice in it, is refreshing, provides your body with what it needs and can make you feel more alert,” said Daisy.Chocolate can often trigger indigestion – although dark chocolate with 85 per cent or more cocoa is far less likely to cause the adverse effects.Apples may seem like a good healthy alternative but they can cause uncomfortable bloating thanks to their high fibre content that reacts poorly with their natural fructose.But although peppermint is known for settling an unhappy stomach, don’t eat too many mints as they can easily trigger acid reflux or even diarrhoea.CarMoney spokesman Andrew Marshall said: “When driving, you need
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