Packing your bags and setting off on a new adventure is an exciting prospect. But for many of us, the thrill of travel is often accompanied by an unwelcome travel companion - digestive distress.
Whether it’s airplane bloat, vacation constipation, or dreaded traveller’s diarrhoea, our guts can really take a beating when we hit the road.
What is it about the act of travelling that so easily upsets the delicate balance of our digestive systems? As it turns out, the very things that make travel so enriching - new foods, disrupted routines, increased stress - can wreak havoc on our gut health.
When we step out of our normal environments, our bodies are forced to adapt to a whole new set of conditions. The gut, being highly sensitive to change, often bears the brunt of this adjustment process.
Suddenly having to contend with unfamiliar cuisines, irregular mealtimes, and the physical stresses of travel can leave our stomachs in knots and our digestive tracts in turmoil.
The good news is that with a little preparation and some savvy strategies, we can take steps to keep our guts happy and healthy, even when we're far from home.
Elizabeth Sharp, MD, IFMCP, a functional and board-certified internal medicine physician. “None of that is fun — not at any time, but especially when you’re on the move.”
Sharp recommends doing five things to help maintain a healthy gut while you’re travelling. As always, talk with your doctor about any gut health concerns and seek emergency care when needed.
Eat a balanced diet, with peelable fruits and cooked vegetables: “One of the biggest issues that people experience as they travel is that they’re eating different foods than they do in their day-to-day lives,” said Sharp. Of course, trying new foods is a key part of the travel experience.
“To help stabilise your gut, Sharp suggests incorporating fruits and vegetables as much as possible — the fibre helps regulate the gut.
As an extra precaution, she recommends eating fruits that you must peel to eat (e.g., bananas, oranges, and avocados) and cooked vegetables. This helps reduce exposure, as much as possible, to microbes that could cause traveller’s diarrhoea.
Get enough pre- and probiotics: Prebiotics balance out gut microbiota by providing food sources for healthy gut bacteria and inhibit the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
When you’re on the go, Sharp says that unripe bananas (they contain the prebiotic inulin and prebiotic-like starches that aren’t found in ripe bananas), flaxseed, and oatmeal (the less processed, the better) are some convenient ways to get them.
Generally, research shows that prebiotics like inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) can help prevent and improve gut imbalances like constipation and diarrhoea.
For probiotic foods, Sharp says that kimchi and yoghurt are great sources to incorporate into your meals whenever you can.
Space out your meals: Giving yourself time between meals helps your body move food through the digestive tract and regulates your gut, Sharp says.
It allows the migrating motor complex (MMC) — a pattern of gut movement that’s designed to propel food down the small and large intestines — to activate.
About two hours after a meal, the MMC is triggered, and it re-engages every 90 to 120 minutes until you eat again.
But it activates only between meals — when you’re not eating or drinking (except for non-caloric beverages like water, plain coffee, or tea). That means if your meals aren’t spaced at least three to four hours apart, you can increase your chances of constipation.
Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated helps keep all your bodily functions flowing, including your digestive system. Sharp says that in addition to getting plenty of water, adding electrolytes like magnesium, potassium, and calcium can help you rehydrate.
Move your body: “Exercise is one of the best ways to help in terms of keeping some regularity with digestion,” said Sharp. Research shows that it increases metabolism and acutely modifies gut microbiota activity to optimise digestive health. And it can improve mood by regulating the gut-brain axis.
According to Sharp, it doesn’t have to be an intense gym workout: If you walk, especially while you’re exploring a new city, you could get up to anywhere from four to 10 thousand steps a day without even realising it.