Gut Health

6 Essentials when Traveling with IBS

1. Bring your own food and snacks for the plane: yes you will get it through customs if its not liquid. I’ve done it a million times. Sometimes I’ll roast sweet potatoes and bring them in a little lunch box and grill some chicken strips for protein or a gluten free sandwich. Whatever food I don’t mind eating cold. Other snacks I like to bring are popcorn, yogurt, nature valley bars (10g protein and 5g sugar), nuts and fruit. Depending on how long the flight is.

There is so many sugary salty snacks on offer as we get to our gate and they are pricey too! The plane food is usually full of salt, garlic or onions which bloats me like mad. If we’re gonna be sitting down for a long flight we are gonna want to have the best kinda food that we are used to sitting in our tummies with us.

2. Book an AirBnb with a kitchen. I know most of us want to eat out and not cook when it comes to traveling, but having at least one home cooked meal day or in the morning will make all the difference. For me it’s less stress having a kitchen there because then I’m not worrying as much about eating out all the time and checking all the ingredients.

3. Natural supplements: the ones I use everyday, especially while traveling:

• Peppermint tablets and peppermint tea. It works by reducing spasms of the colon and intestinal tract due to the presence of thymol and eugenol, which balance oral and intestinal flora, thereby reducing fermentation of undigested food. It also calms the muscles of the stomach and improves flow of bile which the body uses to digest fats.
• Probiotic, get a good probiotic supplement to help keep the good bacteria in your tummy, especially if there is alcohol consumed on your travels (alcohol kills the good bacteria) and a probiotic helps bring them back.
• Triphala (I got mine on amazon) is a blend of 3 Indian fruits with vitamin C and other antioxidants. It cleanses and supports the entire GI tract. It stimulates secretion of digestive enzymes to aid digestion and increases smooth muscle contraction to relieve any blockages, I take 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening when traveling.
• Lastly, magnesium in the evening to relax muscle cells and help sleep better.

4. Relax, the best thing we can do for our gut is chill. If it happens that we get IBS symptoms, remember that it will pass!! Stressing will only cause more flare ups. Make sure to have something on the plane to keep your mind occupied. Try and get some sweaty movement in after the long flight.

5. Be active around the airport as much as possible. Movement will help get things moving and prevent bloating. Instead of sitting down while waiting for the plane to arrive get those steps in. I swear, I had a flight to Ireland and the plane was delayed for an hour so I walked around in circles for an hour! Airport yoga, stretch your body, you know you want to. Do what ya gotta do! Nobody is really looking and nobody really cares annnnd you’ll probably never see any of them again.

6. Stay hydrated: bring your own bottle of water to refill. This will help you digest better and plane journeys will dehydrate you faster.

Can you relate to having gut issues while traveling? Do you know someone who could benefit from this blog? Please share it if you do!