How To Cope With Digestive Problems While Traveling

Finally, you’re on your well-deserved vacation! But then, after you have finally arrived at your destination and are ready to relax, your stomach starts acting up. Maybe your stomach is a bit upset or you’re feeling a bit nauseous from the long flight? Maybe you shouldn’t have chosen the spiciest dishes from the hotel buffet? Maybe you’re getting bloated because you haven’t had a bowel movement for days and you can feel your shorts getting tighter around your belly? Nothing to be embarassed about. Yep, we’ve all been there…
Therefore, we’ve come up with a little cheat sheet on what to pack in your travel kit to keep your belly happy.
Against nausea
- Ginger tea / peppermint tea
- Chew on a piece of ginger
- Drink lemon juice or keep a piece of lemon in your mouth
- fresh air
- nibble on crackers or toast
Against stomach cramps
- Camomile tea
- Fennel tea
- Mallow tea
- Several smaller meals
- Hot-water bottle
- No fatty foods
- Avoid foods which are hard to digest, like: cabbage, bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, leek, etc.
- No hot spices, like: chili, pepper
Myth: Coke against diarrhea
When struggling with diarrhea, make sure you provide your body with sufficient fluids and minerals – especially sodium and potassium. Coke contains lots of sugar which deprives your intestines even more of the liquids they need. As a consequence, your diarrhea will get even worse. Therefore, don’t try to combat them by drinking a coke, but nibble on some pretzel sticks instead (they contain sodium). Or, even better, try one of the following remedies:
Against diarrhea
- Grated apple (peel included)
- Mashed banana
- Carrot cream: Cook 500g in 1 l water, then puree and add boiled water until you’ve got 1000g; season with 10g salt
- Mashed carrots: Cook 500g carrots in ¼l water, then puree them; add ½ tsp salt and 2 tsp corn sugar, as well as a dash of lemon juice
- Dried blueberries: Nibble on them every now and then, max. 300g per day
- Cocoa with water: Mix unsweetened cacao powder with ¼ l boiling water; sweeten with corn sugar, if necessary
- Mashed blueberries: Bring ¼ l water, 20g dried blueberries, cloves and a cinnamon stick to a boil, strain and sweeten with corn sugar, if necessary
- Rice gruel: Cook 50g short-grain rice with a little salt and nutmeg in ¼ l water until soft; mix and strain
- Blueberry tea: Let 1 Tbsp dried blueberries soak in cold water for 10 min, then boil for another 10 min ⇒ drink max. 500ml blueberry tea per day
- The “Rossi Solution”: 1/3 Russian tea, 1/3 sodium solution, 1/3 fresh orange juice, corn sugar
- DIY drinks: isotonic drinks
Against constipation
- Drink a lot
- Several smaller meals per day
- Let dried plums soak in water over night; drink the water & eat the plums the next morning
- Acidophilus milk
- Whole grain products
- A glass of orange juice on an empty stomach
- Fruit & vegetables, raw or as a juice
- Flax seeds, psyllium husk
- Avoid rice, bananas, white bread, cakes, cookies
With this list, you’re good to go & prepared for an upset stomach when out and about. Make sure you always pack some camomile, fennel or mallow tea in your first-aid kit or carry-on luggage. In addition, throwing a cherry pit pillow in your suitcase is always a great idea. Regarding acute problems, consult a local doctor or pharmacy or call your family physician.
I wish you a great, relaxing vacation!
Bye for now,
Vera
PS: Print this little cheat sheet with just one click (next to the social media icons) and pack it in your bag to start your vacation with a great (gut) feeling 😉
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