Don’t let gut issues ruin your vacation. Try these 14 travel nutrition tactics and arrive energized and refreshed – recommended by a nutritionist
The last thing you want on vacation is an uncomfortable tummy.
“Gastrointestinal problems can be caused by a number of reasons, including food poisoning, contaminated water and poor hygiene,” says Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist at wellbeing company Healthspan.
“Typical symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea and weakness. If you want to maintain a healthy gut while traveling, it helps to prepare and plan before you go on vacation.’
Common reasons why things go wrong
“There are many reasons why your gut health can be affected by traveling abroad,” says Rob.
These include…
Dietary Changes. Traveling often means eating different foods, including new flavors and cooking styles, to your usual diet that can upset your digestive system. You may also be eating more unprocessed foods, which are high in sugars, fats and additives and this can negatively affect your gut.
Traveling exposes you to new bacteria and viruses they are not usually found in your home environment.
Dehydration can be a problem, especially in hot climates and on long flights. If you don’t drink enough fluids, this can dehydrate you and lead to constipation.
Jet lag and lack of sleep can disrupt your body’s internal clock system (controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, SCN, located in the brain) that governs circadian rhythms.
Chronic stress causes an ongoing slowdown in digestion, which disrupts the levels of friendly bacteria in the gut
The body clock regulates sleep, hunger, digestion and other metabolic cycles. It mainly receives its cues from natural light, but is also affected by changes in routine, temperature and diet. When your circadian rhythms are out of sync, it can affect your digestion and lead to gut problems.
Stress and anxiety can affect your gut in many ways. When the body is under stress, blood is diverted from the digestive system to the muscles. This causes the digestive system to slow down dramatically.
Chronic stress causes a constant slowdown in digestion, which disrupts the levels of friendly bacteria in the gut and leads to all kinds of digestive health issues as a result. This can also cause symptoms if you already have bowel problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Lack of physical activity and sitting for long periods of time can affect bowel motility and lead to constipation.
Alcohol. When you go on holiday, this often means you drink more which can lead to digestive problems.
READ MORE: IBS or SIBO Symptoms? How to spot these common gut problems
14 Gut-Friendly Travel Tactics
So what can you do to prepare your gut for holiday travel? Rob offers the following tips…
#1 Adjust your diet before you travel
Switching to new foods while on vacation can be a shock to the system. So it’s a good idea to give your body some time to adjust by eating the type of food that matches your vacation destination.
Increase your fiber intake to support good digestion by eating plenty of plant-based foods such as legumes, vegetables and whole grains.
#2 Take probiotics before you travel and while you are there
Prebiotics encourage the beneficial bacteria in your gut to thrive. These beneficial bacteria can help balance your gut microflora, which can be affected by travel-related stress that can lead to discomfort, bloating and diarrhea.
Prebiotics encourage the beneficial bacteria in your gut to thrive
Good prebiotic food choices include chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, bananas, garlic, leeks, onion, dandelion greens, oats, apples, burdock, and flaxseed.
#3 Take a daily probiotic supplement
Look for strains such as lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG), lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei and bifidobacterium bifidum. You can also eat plenty of probiotic foods leading up to your vacation and during your trip, such as kefir, fermented vegetables, and live yogurt.
Essay: Healthspan Triple Action Biotic£24.99 for 60 capsules.
#4 Keep well hydrated
Make sure you always have water with you, especially when it’s hot. You can stay hydrated with soft drinks, salad, herbal teas, soups (try gazpacho), and thirst-quenching fruits like watermelon, oranges, and grapes.
Try to stick to bottled water if your local water is causing you intestinal problems such as constipation or diarrhea.
READ MORE: Where to travel in 2024 according to your zodiac sign
#5 Avoid trigger foods
If you know certain foods – eg: wheat, gluten, dairy – give you digestive problems, avoid them in the days before your trip.
#6 Opt for gut-friendly snacks
Pack some gut-friendly snacks in your travel bag – eg. nuts, fruit, plain popcorn and whole grains. These can help you avoid the temptation of less healthy airport snacks or fast food and keep your gut health on track.
#7 Conscious nutrition
The holidays are a great opportunity to practice conscious or mindful eating. This means paying full attention to what you eat, your emotions, hunger levels and when you feel full.
The holidays are a great opportunity to practice conscious or mindful eating
It’s very easy to overeat and drink too much while on vacation. But by taking a more mindful approach to eating, this will help boost your natural digestive rhythm and prevent gut stress.
#8 Try natural remedies
Natural remedies may be helpful to relieve symptoms while you are away. So make sure you carry a physical first aid kit with you that includes some of the following:
Activated charcoal that helps relieve bloating and excess gas – Essay: Healthspan Activated Carbon, 90 capsules £10.99.
Fresh mint tea aids digestion and relieves bloating. You will find fresh mint tea is a popular drink in Turkey and Mediterranean countries.
Silicol®gel is an oral gel that contains colloidal coatings of silicic acid and coats the stomach with a protective gel layer. Ideal for treating stomach pain, abdominal discomfort, nausea, flatulence, reflux and heartburn – Try: Silicolgel Sachet 12 X 15 ml via www.amazon.co.uk
Slippery Elm can help relieve heartburn and mild stomach discomfort – Try: Indigo Herbs Slipper Elm Bark Powder, £12.45 for 50g – indigo-herbs.co.uk
READ MORE: 5 Reasons You Should Start Drinking Herbal Tea
#9 Supplement digestive enzymes
Different enzymes break down different foods. For example, amylase in saliva in the mouth breaks down carbohydrates, protease, in the stomach, breaks down protein and lipase, found in pancreatic and intestinal juices, breaks down fats.
The body produces twenty-two different digestive enzymes. Enzymes are also found in some foods. When there is an enzyme deficiency or activity is reduced, this affects digestion. For example, when you are stressed, enzymes are depleted more quickly.
To enhance enzymes, e.gin foods that stimulate the secretion of enzymes – eg: apple cider vinegar, bitter greens (eg: chicory, endive), green vegetables (eg: cabbage, spinach, lettuce, arugula), lemon juice, rhubarb, dandelion leaves, fresh turmeric root and fenugreek.
when you’re stressed, enzymes run out faster
Also, drink fresh vegetable juice, snack on vegetable sticks and eat raw salads.
Finally, take digestive enzyme supplements. Essay: Healthspan Digestive Enzymes60 capsules, £15.49 – contains a blend of digestive enzymes including amylase, bromelain, lactase, lipase and protease to aid digestion.
#10 Stay active
Physical activity can help keep your digestive system running smoothly. Even while traveling, try to move regularly—stretch, walk around the airport, or do some light exercise in your hotel room. Sitting for long periods of time can encourage constipation.
#11 Deal with the effects of Jet Lag
If you cross time zones, your digestive system can also feel the shift. Try to gradually adjust your meal and sleep times to the new time zone a few days before you leave to reduce the impact of jet lag.
#12 Choose your foods wisely
If you are traveling to places that are a bit out of the ordinary or where you are not 100% about hygiene levels, only foods that are cooked and served hot. Avoid food that has been sitting on a buffet. You may also want to choose plant-based options over meat and fish.
#13 Wash your hands often
Always wash your hands with soap and warm water, especially after using the bathroom and before eating. Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a backup.
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