Taking time to switch off and relax is really what life is about. Your normal habits are left at home and your days unfold in new ways. It’s about disconnecting from the everyday hustle. The only downside is when your stomach ruins the peacefulness. When we travel our healthy habits are left at home. Our days start later and gone are the early bedtimes. Training is not a priority, except the walking around while exploring. New foods are tickling your taste buds and exciting beverages are sipped on. However, the drastic changes in your routine are not always approved by your tummy.
Taking time to switch off and relax is really what life is about. Your normal habits are left at home and your days unfold in new ways. It’s about disconnecting from the everyday hustle. The only downside is when your stomach ruins the peacefulness. When we travel our healthy habits are left at home. Our days start later and gone are the early bedtimes. Training is not a priority, except the walking around while exploring. New foods are tickling your taste buds and exciting beverages are sipped on. However, the drastic changes in your routine are not always approved by your tummy.
Having an upset stomach during a trip is never fun. You feel bloated, heavy and sluggish. You may even struggle to do your usual toilet business. Often we end up semi constipated or the other way around… When our digestive system is out of balance the whole body is affected. Tiredness, change in appetite, mood swings, worsen sleep, brain fog etc. It can be a real party killer.
This is me from one of my last trip being close to conctipation the whole weekend. Looks like I’m pregnant but nope, thats more a food baby. Not the look I was going for and extrmly uncomfortable.
So, how do you avoid or manage this holiday side effect?
- Drink plenty of water. It’s harder to stay hydrated while you’re away. Warm weather, more sugary or alcoholic drinks, new foods and being out exploring all day leads to dehydration. Water is important for your digestive system and to help keep everything moving as it should. Create a habit of starting your day with a big glass of water and have some with every meal. Aim to drink water as you normally do or if it’s hot outside, a bit more.
- Eat your greens. The food we eat during holidays is typically not the healthiest. Often it looks like heavy oils, white carbs and more sugar. Fibre is essential for your gut health and really important when you feel constipated. Make sure you still eat vegetables, salads, nuts and seeds during your trip.
- Keep moving. Being active helps to boost your digestion and detoxification system. If you are away on a relaxing vacation somewhere sunny then you might not want to exercise. Walking, swimming or gentle stretches are also helpful.
- Go to the bathroom when you need to. Not feeling comfortable to use public toilets or not finding one is a common problem (we’ve all been there). However, not listing to your body’s signals leads to problems and often shows up as constipation. Everyone poops, so there isn’t really anything to be ashamed of.
- Avoid overeating. Easier said than done when you are surrounded with new flavours, but your digestive system slows down when it’s too full. Imagine filling up a blender to the top, it will not do a good job. Eat until full and take a break between meals to allow room for digestion.
- Sleep a bit extra. This might sound like an obvious step to take during the holiday but because your wakeup and bedtime hours have changed, the body’s rhythm is resetting. Also, a new bed to sleep in, light peaking through the curtains and noises you’re not used to can affect your sleep. Lower quality sleep has a negative effect on your gut, which needs rest to fully reset and detoxify itself. Getting a bit extra will do wonders for you. Even a nap during the day can help your tired senses from a whole day of new impressions.
If you still arrive back home and feel a bit unsteady then no need to stress. You can take the tips above and give your body some extra TLC the first week back. The quicker you get back to your healthy habits, the faster your stomach will be back to normal. If you feel constipated, then more water and fibre can help you. Aim for food that is cooked. Warming spices and some oil will also help get things moving. If your stool is more on the loose side then it’s better to be gentle with the fibre intake. Instead, aim for raw and cold food that comes without sauces or oil. It’s also advisable to take a longer break between meals so your stomach gets time to reset. Aim for 4-5 hrs between meals and 10-12hrs between the last meal of the day and your first one. Water is still important in case there is something your body needs help to flush out and resetting the liquid balance.
