Tips to Maintain Digestive Health While Traveling

I bet many of you will be traveling for the upcoming holiday weekend. The stress of traveling and being out of your usual routine can lead to digestive upset including constipation and diarrhea. Not exactly what you want at your Memorial Day party! And being out of your routine can also disrupt the natural balance of good bacteria in your digestive system. But this doesn’t have to happen. Read on …

*I am a paid spokesperson for Align, but all opinions are my own. However, I am a big fan of Align as a probiotic and frequently recommend it.   I will be referring to Align in much of this blog post

When we’re on the road, we tend eat different foods, drink less water … and maybe a little more alcohol. All of these, along with added stress, can cause your gut to sabotage your travels!

Here are some issues to be aware of and my suggestions to deal with it:

1. Stay hydrated. Chances are that you drink less fluid than usual when traveling. This can lead to
constipation. Make it a point to drink as much fluid (preferably water) as you do when home – and more if you’ll be in warm weather. In addition, consuming adequate fruits and vegetables can help you stay hydrated.

2. Consume adequate fiber. Most “on the run” foods tend to be low in fiber. Adequate fiber is important to keep our gastrointestinal system regular. Throw some high fiber items into your travel bag. I recommend individual travel packs of oatmeal, flaxseeds, chia seeds, dried apricots, prunes and high fiber energy bars (with over 8 gm fiber per bar). You can also pack some Metamucil or your favorite fiber supplement. Order salads and sides of vegetables in restaurants. Snack on fruits and vegetables.

3. Take a probiotic. Being out of your routine can disrupt the natural balance of good bacteria in
your digestive system. Taking a probiotic can help keep things in balance and maintain digestive health. I often recommend Align probiotic. All probiotics are not created equal. Align is the only probiotic supplement that contains Bifantis – a unique patented strain of beneficial bacteria that helps promote and support a healthy digestive system.* Align doesn’t need to be refrigerated, making it the perfect probiotic supplement to pack for all your travels this summer. Align can help fortify your digestive system to Live 24/7*§. Registered dietitian Ashley Koff  recommends taking a probiotic before, during and after a trip. She says “the best defense is a good offense” when it comes to maintaining digestive health. Watch her video here:

4. Maintain consistency. Try to keep your diet as consistent as possible so it’s not that different from the way you eat at home.

5. Exercise. Exercise helps you stay regular. And traveling is no excuse not to exercise! Pack your workout clothes/shoes and go for a walk, run or bike ride. Or do exercises in your hotel room. No gym membership or equipment needed. I recently took a class in NYC called Gut –Health Exercise taught by Vanessa Packer at Modelift (see me in the pic)  Her 5 signature moves that can easily be incorporated into your routine. Download the 5 exercises HERE

6. Manage stress. Traveling often leads to stress. Our gut is our “second brain”. Any stress that is perceived by the brain will quickly affect the gut … possibly leading to “gut sabotage”. While no one can predict traffic or flight delays, do your best to plan your trip as much as possible in advance. Travel and stress can disrupt the balance of good bacteria. Taking a probiotic such as Align may help to maintain digestive balance.

7. Avoid your problem foods. If you know that dairy containing foods send you running to the bathroom, don’t even think about having that ice cream cone on the boardwalk. If fried food triggers heartburn, think twice before indulging in fried calamari. Is it worth it to stay up all night in pain? Sometimes we get caught up in our “vacation mentality”. But you can’t trick your body … eventually you’ll pay the price.

Bottom line:
With a little planning, you can enjoy your travels without having your gut sabotage your plans. Have a great holiday weekend!

 §With continued daily use.  

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease

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