How to Prioritize Gut Health While Traveling

It’s sweet summer time! A popular time of year for us to take that PTO and book those bucket list vacations. Oftentimes, as we think about taking time to unplug and reset, our healthy habits are put to the side. According to the Mayo Clinic, traveling often can disrupt gut microbiome, digestion, and bowel habits. This can be due to a number of things when on vacation including disruption in normal mealtimes, dehydration due to drinking less water, drinking more caffeine/alcohol, and eating more fried/processed food. Below are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when traveling so that you can keep your gut healthy!

1. Stay Hydrated: Dehydration is extremely common when traveling—often due to being in warmer climates and flying to different destinations (fun fact: flying increases the amount of dry air you inhale so this can cause you to get dehydrated before you even arrive to your destination!). Dehydration can quickly lead to uncomfortable GI issues while you’re trying to enjoy time with your loved ones and relax.
   Travel Tip: Prioritize drinking half your body weight in ounces of water each day and consider even bringing some electrolytes to help you reach your traveling hydration goals!
2. Prioritize Fiber: Oftentimes when traveling, we want to try some delicious local restaurants/foods (which we should! It’s half the fun). But oftentimes we can go all out on eating fried foods and carbs—forgetting to prioritize healthy fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
   Travel Tip: Have the goal of getting one good source of fiber with your meals and snacks. Examples can include: apples, bananas, whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat toast, whole wheat buns), colorful veggies, and seeds.
3. Keep Moving: Vacation is an easy time to abandon healthy habits including consistent movement! Unfortunately, abruptly taking a break from these routines like walking, running, or working out can slow down our GI tract. This increases our risk of constipation/gut issues while traveling.
   Travel Tip: Even if you’re not doing your normal physical activity routine while on vacation—try to still prioritize movement throughout your day. This can include walking, hiking, swimming, and even relaxing movement like stretching and yoga!
4. Be Aware of Travel Risks: Traveler’s diarrhea is a real thing (and quite unfortunate)—especially if you’re traveling internationally or in an area known to have poor sanitation. Make sure to wash your hands to avoid contaminating your foods with harmful bacteria or viruses that can affect your gut.
   Travel Tip: Pack travel size hand sanitizer so that you have the ability to clean your hands at any time! Additionally, if traveling internationally, you may want to avoid water that isn’t bottled, ice, unpasteurized dairy, and food that has been sitting out (including buffets and even food carts). Local water and foods like these can harbor bacteria that our bodies aren’t used to, which can lead uncomfortable gut issues, including diarrhea.
5. Consider Probiotics: Before your trip, it may be worth checking in with your healthcare provider about ways to help your digestive system adjust to your destination. Depending on where you're headed, a probiotic can be a helpful tool for supporting gut health as you encounter new foods, water sources, and routines. A little preparation before you leave can go a long way toward helping you feel your best while traveling.
   Travel Tip: Don't worry—you may not need to schedule a full appointment to get this advice. If your provider's schedule is booked out, a quick phone call or message through the patient portal may be all it takes to get guidance on whether a probiotic is a good fit for your trip.