Getting Your Gut Right While Travelling

We all have, at some point or the other, have heard that maintaining ‘gut health’ is extremely vital. But what does it exactly mean? Well, having good gut health means that the organs of your gastrointestinal tract, like the oesophagus, stomach and intestines, are working together effectively to digest food without discomfort. However, when you are travelling, sometimes the gut health goes for a toss.

It happens so because most times during travel, the normal, healthy diet is not available. We all tend to eat out more, including consuming more processed foods, which puts an overall stress on the digestive system. In such cases, the upset stomach or digestive issues might bring your fun trip to a screeching halt, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, loose stools, constipation, heartburn, nausea or vomiting.

Traveling can get you to a great state of mind and body, and open the door for new opportunities for adventure and fun. However, the traveling aspect itself can be a struggle. This is even more true for those who tend to get stressed prior to a flight or become nauseated during long car rides. Anxiety may exacerbate common forms of physical discomfort, like cramped muscles or back pain, as well as gas or constipation—all of which are often associated with traveling and longer bouts of stagnation and sitting, too.

How to Maintain Gut Health When Traveling

Thankfully, there are many relatively easy measures you can take to ensure that your travels are not compromised by gut issues.

1. Eat Fruits

Whenever you are travelling, always have fruits for breakfast because it is a great way of investing in your gut microbes and also acclimatize to the local and the typographical region. Remember the thumb rules: Eat local, eat seasonal and live global.

2. Consume Fruit Juices

You can have a lot of fruit juices when you are travelling because it is a great way of hydrating yourself and keeping your energy levels up.

3. Avoid Raw Salads

Do not eat raw salads when you are travelling to a new country because these are gut microbes that might irritate your gut lining. Instead, have fruits, which are easier to digest. In cases when you really want to have those veggies, always make sure to ask for steamed salads.

4. Limit Your Carbs

Limit your carbs for breakfast, and keep them for lunch. You can eat as much junk as you want for lunch, but remember to eat only 80 percent of your total appetite.

5. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration stands for danger when it comes to one’s gut. Therefore, drinking lots of water is a must. Of course, we also have to ensure that the water being consumed is safe for drinking. The safest way to do so is of course to stick to bottled water or when in a pinch, boil the water before drinking.

So, go enjoy that holiday, relax and unwind while keeping your gut health intact.