Summer Travel Tips – Protecting Your Gut Health On the Go

Summertime is the most popular time for travel. And this can be a big trigger for many gut symptoms, including bloating, heartburn, and constipation. You may find your health falls to the wayside when traveling, whether falling back to old habits or straying from the usual routine. Let’s talk about some top tips for gut health while traveling to keep you feeling great.

You don’t want these symptoms to ruin your trip around the world. These are some of my top recommendations for traveling, and the best part is that they can fit right into your carry-on or purse!

In this blog post, we’ll cover:

• Why do you need to stay hydrated on your trip

• Helping to reduce annoying gut symptoms like bloating and heartburn

• Tips on staying active

• Keeping up with your regular routine

Essential Summer Travel Tips for Maintaining Gut Health While Traveling

Stay hydrated, Did you know that the humidity level on planes is usually around 10-20%? This is extremely low. To put it into perspective, Arizona humidity is about 50% with their “dry heat” (if you’ve ever met someone living in AZ, you know how they like to emphasize their dry heat). The low moisture in the air pulls out water from your body, putting you more at risk for dehydration. On top of this, your mucus membranes will dry out, particularly in your sinuses and this can put you more at risk for getting sick from viruses and bacteria.

If your trip calls for spending more time in the sun or being active, make sure you’re staying hydrated. If you find yourself drinking a bit more alcohol while away, make sure you’re balancing this with some water!

Experiencing symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, feeling lower energy, experiencing dry skin, mouth, and lips can all be signs of dehydration.

Carry a water bottle with you while on vacation so you don’t forget to drink water. Consider adding in electrolytes to further support your hydration level. Don’t skip the water before you hop on the plane! And make sure you’re hydrating throughout the trip. Need some other tips to stay hydrated this summer? Check out my blog post on How to Drink More Water Effortlessly Everyday.

Beat the bloat & heartburn. You may find yourself eating out more on vacation. Try to not stray from what you normally eat, and don’t overdo it. Is there a food you normally avoid that aggravates symptoms like digestive upset, heartburn, or even skin issues like eczema? Continue to avoid that food as best as you can while on vacation. You don’t want your hard-earned vacation spent on worrying about not feeling good.

I love to pack some of my favorite healthy snacks when I go on vacation to carry with me. This is best for those times when you find yourself hungry and don’t have healthy options for snacks. Some of my favorites are almond butter packets, grass-fed beef jerky, and nuts.

Practical Ways to Support Your Gut Health While Traveling This Summer

Sometimes it’s unavoidable and you may find yourself a bit more bloated or ending the day with heartburn. Here are some of my favorites I keep in my purse to help with bloating:

• Gutsy Essential Oil by Saje: a mix of essential oils like fennel, chamomile, and peppermint for a relaxing relief to bloating.

• Gas Relief by Hilma: an easy go-to travel essential to carry around with you after a meal leaving you with the feeling of being a little too inflated.

• Digest zymes by Designs for Health: digestive enzymes are a great way to help your body break down food to help prevent bloating and heartburn.

• DGL Synergy Chewable by Designs for Health: glycyrrhizinate licorice (DGL) is a great herb to help soothe and calm irritated tissues, which commonly occurs in heartburn. This can be used in place of Tums.

Check out our online dispensary where you can find these supplements!

Stay active on the go. I’m sure your to-do list has nothing but “lay on the beach” which is great! I love that you have some time to chill out and use this form of self care. But you may find that you feel better by incorporating some movement into your vacation.

Try going for a walk on the beach to break up your day, visit the hotel gym, or walk and bike around town, when safe to do so, instead of hopping in an Uber. Exercising helps to support your immune system, improves your mood, and boosts energy. Staying active is a key part of maintaining gut health while traveling.

Keeping up with your normal routine. A different environment means that you may stray from your normal routine. Your body loves consistency. With that being said, try to stay on your normal routine as much as you can. This may look like going to bed around the same time each night and waking at the same time each morning. But don’t forget about regularly scheduled meal times and any medications or supplements that you are consistently taking.

Your vacation may be busy, but remember not getting enough sleep can not only weaken your immune system, but throw off your circadian rhythm and increase feelings of tiredness throughout the day. That’s no fun on vacation.

Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy your well-deserved vacation. You booked this vacation for some R&R. Unplug, relax, and spend time with your loved ones while protecting your gut health while traveling.