fbpx

7 Ways to Prepare Your Gut for Travel

This post is sponsored by BC30™ through Maverick Mindshare.

Have you ever been overseas and had tummy troubles? The dreaded Bali belly? Eaten street food and thought twice?

Food and travel go hand in hand. When I’m on vacation I can’t wait to try all the food. I’ve done food posts in Turkey, Greece, Israel, Bali, Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, and more. A holiday is not complete for me without a food tour of some kind.

But there have been some pretty touch-and-go moments where I wish I had been better prepared. So, in conjunction with BC30™, I’m helping you prepare your gut for travel in what I wish I knew previously.

Take Probiotics to prepare your gut for travel

Two weeks before you head overseas begin taking probiotic supplements. This will work to help restore digestive health.

I chose BC30™. It’s a spore-forming probiotic which means it has a natural protective shell to safeguard its arrival into your gut where it can start to help, promote and restore your digestive health.

Gut Health - muslie bars

Probiotics work by nurturing the good bacteria in your gut. But not all of them make it to your gut or can be included in everyday foods and beverages. This is why I like BC30. It’s actually very easy and convenient to add the health benefits of BC30 into your daily routine as it can be found in a variety of food and drinks. Just look for the logo! No pills. Just eat or drink something you enjoy.

BC30 doesn’t need to be refrigerated so I found it in some delicious oat bars, which I even bring on the trip with me. You can also drink it as I do in this delicious green juice. How easy is that? Drinking it in a juice in the morning, snacking on it in the afternoon.

 

BC30 is natural and safe for everyone.

Don’t forget your fiber intake

Consume a fair amount of fiber before and during travel to ensure the health of your gut for travel. Fiber is found in foods like beans, seeds, peas, barley, oat bran, and some fruits and vegetables. In simple terms, fiber helps poop speed through your intestines faster.

Choose what you drink

As mentioned above you can find BC30 in liquids to help prepare your gut for travel. But also make sure when you’re on vacation you don’t over-consume drinks with lots of sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. These drinks can actually irritate your GI system.

Gut Health - drinking BC30

Prepare your gut for travel by increasing your water intake before you go so that your digestive system is clean when you go. This will also help you crave and consume even more water while you’re traveling. Drinking lots of water will ensure your gut is being flushed regularly while you’re out discovering the amazing cuisines other countries have to offer.

Also, be careful what water you are consuming in what country. There are many places where traveler’s diarrhoea can occur after eating food or drinking water that’s contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. This also goes for ice. Consistently ask for your drinks without ice in places where the water from the tap is not drinkable. You can travel with a built-in filter water bottle or make sure you only use bottled water.

And while there is some truth to red cordial keeping stomach bugs away, I wouldn’t rely on that as any type of hard and fast miracle cure to go out and drink any water anywhere.

Attempt to stay away from processed foods

Processed foods can cause inflammation in your gut, which of course leads to uncomfortable symptoms. Keep up with your fresh fruit and vegetables, fiber, and probiotics when eating out overseas.

Also, I know you want to jump in and try everything, but just be mindful of what your stomach is used to. Chowing down on a spicy curry in Thailand might not be the best idea if you’re not usually consuming spicy food. Go gently in.

Take a break from restaurants

To give your stomach a rest from restaurants and processed foods, consider a trip to the supermarket or local markets to prepare your own meal once in a while. This will help with your fiber intake, and help you avoid processed foods. Just make sure you wash your fruits and vegetables in safe water and ensure all meat is thoroughly cooked.

Use the Bathroom

If you’re drinking loads of water you should be visiting the bathroom regularly and don’t stop. Sometimes we tend to avoid public restrooms, but holding on does more harm than good. Go to the toilet. It will work to deregulate your bowel system.

Wash Your Hands

If we’ve learned anything during these last few years it’s the importance of hand-washing. And this, of course, is even more important as you travel to places your gut is not a usual participant in.

Our hands pick up so much extra bacteria that we can often forget about. So, make sure you take a disinfectant with you to use regularly and hand wash before meals to avoid digesting anything you may have come in contact with.

I love street food. I love trying local snacks and cuisines at cheap prices. And a little bit of time and groundwork can help prepare your gut for travel. It’s as simple as taking your body back to basics to keep the gut in the best possible health for its upcoming travel experiences. If you take the time to prepare your gut for travel, when you’re on the trip you will be able to enjoy all the deliciousness that comes from visiting a new and exciting country and its mouth-watering cuisine.

 

LOOK HOW EASY IT IS TO PIN THIS!

DON'T MISS ANYTHING!

FOMO - do you have it?  Well there is no need to Fear On Missing Out here at Explore With Erin. Sign up to receive updates directly to your in box. I won’t spam you, but I do promise a whole lot of awesomeness. What are you waiting for? Join Me!

PS: We hate spam too, read our Privacy Policy here.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Showing 2 comments
  • Victoria
    Reply

    Love this article! I recently signed up for a service trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and it is my first service trip where I get to experience how the country lives. I’ve heard many stories about bad gut experiences and wanted to educate myself to prepare. I spent a good 20 minutes taking notes on this article because it was actually interesting and had facts and tips I never knew! Thank you, Erin!

    • Erin Holmes
      Reply

      You are so welcome Victoria. Thanks for reading!

Start typing and press Enter to search