Healthy Travels
Travelling, be it trips to exotic locations, or those with jobs that require travelling the country, can be a hazard on one's gut.
Sitting for long periods of time or stuck in a car all day can have us break a normal routine of good hydration, balanced nutrition and regular movement. Movement stimulates the gut, so sitting for long periods of time can cause bowel movements to become irregular. In turn, this can lead to unwanted and uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, indigestion and gas.
Those who have headed abroad, having survived the airport queues, plane, train and bus trips and questionable food choices, can then be hit by roaring diarrhoea or brutal constipation.
After trading in your daily exercise, litres of water and fibre-fortified morning cereal for buffet feasts, afternoon drinks and hours lazing by the pool, you may end up experiencing traveller's constipation.
Time differences can also pose a problem. Many people have a normal bowel-movement routine, but when jetlag or a new time zone shifts that schedule it can mess up that routine, causing constipation.
Because everyone’s microbiome is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all trick for preventing traveller’s constipation, but there are a few methods that typically prove helpful. Drinking plenty of water and eating high-fibre foods makes it easier for stool to pass through the intestines. Also it’s important to move around regularly, this helps overall circulation and your bowels will be happier for it.
Laxatives may come to mind when needing a quick fix for constipation. These can cause cramping with urgent, explosive movements and can lead to a lazy or dependent bowel. A gentle, natural option is Nature’s Sunshine Lower Bowel Support. It can be taken every day to support bowel regularity, elimination of toxins and parasites, smooth digestion and healthy liver function. This is an ideal addition for any traveller, home or abroad.
Diarrhoea and parasites are another traveller’s nightmare. Drinking contaminated water, eating rich delicacies, exotic street food, contact with animals and questionable hygiene can leave even the seasoned traveller running for the nearest loo.
Activated Charcoal is your first aid must have. Charcoal is a well-known remedy for food poisoning, diarrhoea, intestinal gas, nausea, and vomiting. This fast acting remedy absorbs and removes harmful toxins, cleansing and detoxifying irritants from the gastrointestinal system.
Probiotics can also pay a huge role in our intestinal health especially while travelling. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Boulardii) is a widely researched probiotic strain that has been shown to be successful in the treatment and prevention of travellers diarrhoea. It can be used with children and adults and is a must have while travelling
Parasites can also be picked up home or abroad, with many of us not even knowing we have them. Symptoms can include diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramps, bloating and gas, constipation, nausea, fever, fatigue, weight-loss, food allergies, hives, yeast infection, irritability and immune dysfunction.
A Parasite cleanse is also a must for travellers. Parasite cleansing is designed to rebalance disturbed intestinal bacteria, restore poor digestion, prevent allergic exposure, and repair the gut. We have a couple of great options here at healthy.co.nz. In a liquid form, the Harker Herbals Intestinal Cleanse provides a potent parasite cleanse that should be repeated after two weeks to eliminate any parasites that may have hatched after the first dosage and the Nature's Sunshine Para-Cleanse, which is a convenient capsule based detox kit.