Traveling can be tough for people with IBS-D (diarrhea predominant) and traveling (particularly airplane travel) can worsen constipation.
But new research on the microbiome has shown that traveling through time zones has a negative effect on everyone’s gut by adversely effecting the microbiome.
It turns out, not only do YOU get jet lag but so do the millions of bacterial living in your body.
Bacteria also have biorhythms, which are thrown off by crossing time zones, a phenomenon now being called “gut lag”.
When bacterial biorhythms are impaired, immune function is also disturbed. This is what makes people more vulnerable to getting sick or having issues like travelers diarrhea. The body can become more vulnerable to contracting parasites and other infections.
While jet lag may mean trouble sleeping, feeling tired or hungry at the wrong times for you, gut bacteria also go through readjustments.
From personal experience, traveling to Argentina and the stressors it created was probably why I got infected with parasites. There were other factors that lowered my immunity, like living in an apartment with mold mycotoxins.
I luckily was able to catch and treat the pathogens before they started causing a problem. I write about what I did to address it here.
Knowing the effects of travel helps you prepare better
Even when it’s fun or exciting, travel is a physical stressor. Bodies like homeostasis: for everything to be the same and familiar.
Your gut and nervous system work best with stability and routine. Your gut generally functions better when you know what to expect in your daily life. While your mind may like discovery or adventure, your body prefers a familiar routine, schedule and foods.
Change, is a gut stressor and travel is about changing your environment and routine. Recognizing this and knowing how to navigate those changes can help offset the negative effects.
Travel is a stressor for everyone, yet some people recover very fast due to the resiliency in their system. They just need a good night’s sleep. People with preexisting gut issues may struggle more with travel. But how you take care of yourself leading up to your trip matters. It will dictate how quickly your immune system/bacteria recover.
Below are some tips on how to understand, plan for and recover from travel.
Travel considerations
If you’re in the midst of a multi-month gut healing protocol, I suggest putting travel off till you’re done. Changing your routine will likely throw a wrench into your progress.
The magnitude of the trip also matters. International travel will be a lot more stressful than flying to a neighboring state to visit friends or family.
If you’re familiar with your new environment, have a place to cook, plenty of down time, a calming itinerary and good sleep, it can minimize the stress of traveling.
Below are some tips on how to recover from your trip and smoothly sail through without gut flares.
Travel with antimicrobials
When you fly, not only are you breathing recirculating jet fuel, but also the germs, colds and viruses of people from all over the country or world.
Supporting your immune system is key to staving off germs during your travels. Using antimicrobial during and after your trip can help.
Wipe down everything as soon as you sit down in your seat with a tissue and an essential oil mist. I like this one. Or make your own with a tiny spray bottle with cinnamon, clove, frankincense and tea tree oil in a bit of water and vodka. Spray down your tray, tv screen, top of your seat around your head and arm rest. Turn on your fan vent.
You can also take 5 to 10 Biocidin drops on your tongue as you enter the plane. Biocidin is one of my favorite broad spectrum antimicrobials and biofilm busters. For those who prefer capsules, my favorite are oregano oil pearls for extra pathogen protection. Just one pearl before you board.
Another option to keep from getting sick is to use colloidal silver nasal spray before entering the airport, once on the airplane and once out of the airport. Colloidal silver is a broad spectrum antimicrobial that will support the immune system while preventing germs from colonizing your nasal passages from the air on the plane.
Lavender essential oil is also a great tool for calming travel anxiety (hello turbulence or bumpy take offs). Bring a tiny mister of lavender to keep calm and refresh your face.
Fasting while traveling
Not everyone can go for a long time without eating. But those who can should try to fast on the plane. Stop eating 2 hours before travel and don’t eat again until you land at a normal meal time.
If you are someone who gets hangry or suffers from unstable blood sugar, traveling with powdered elemental diet formula is a good solution. It’s a complete food source with carbs (glucose), protein (amino acids), fat (MCT oil powder), vitamins and minerals. People can survive on nothing but elemental formula for weeks. It’s a good meal replacement that requires no digestion. It is typically used by people with SIBO to reduce bacterial overgrowth.
A scoop of elemental powder is mixed with water. Nutrients are directly absorbed into the small intestine without need for digestion.
This is a great travel snack for people who suffer from SIBO. The elemental formula can nourish while keeping you hydrated.
The reason for fasting is that it helps your bacteria reset their biorhythm faster. Also your digestion can be wonky while in the air. While I rarely get bloated after meals, I frequently get bloated if I eat on the plane.
Also, when your body is busy digesting it takes energy away from the immune and detox functions. The less you eat while flying, the stronger your immune system will be.
Keep hydrated
Air plane travel is very dehydrating. This can make you feel sluggish, tired and headachy.
Drink water when you fly. Stay away from alcohol and sugary drinks and opt for bubbly water if you can tolerate it. Water with gas bubbles helps oxygenates the body, which will make you feel better.
Support your immune system
If you don’t already, traveling is the perfect time to take probiotics. My favorite probiotic for immune support is Megasporbiotic. It is SIBO safe, shelf stable (not heat sensitive) and will help support your immune system by attacking invading pathogenic bacteria.
Loading up on supplements like vitamin C or reishi mushroom tincture will also help boost immune function. Try to get as much sleep as possible the night before you fly.
Keep circulation flowing
It’s important to keep circulation flowing while you fly. A stagnant lymphatic system will impair detox function and make you feel crummy.
Get up, stretch at your seat or walk down the aisle to get your lymphatic system pumping.
If you get leg cramps from sitting too long, magnesium oil spray is great for easing cramps. And will help your body/muscles relax.
Build in recovery & detox time when you land
Giving your body time to recover when you arrive will make a huge difference. Don’t hit the ground running.
Rest.
Get outside and breath fresh air to detox your lungs. Cough when you exit the airport to clear your lungs.
Sweating is my favorite form of detox. A hot bath, exercise or a sauna will do the trick. Contrast showers (switching between hot and cold water) is a great way to stimulate circulation and lymphatic flow after a long bout of sitting.
One of the best ways to help your nervous system recover from traveling is putting your leg up the wall to detox lymph and activate your parasympathetic response. Take time to recover before you head off on your adventures. It will make a difference.
Bring healthy snacks
Preparation is key. Pack healthy snacks so you’re not left hungry with no healthy options. You’ll also be less tempted by unhealthy airplane food/snacks.
I always travel with a bag of snacks. Healthy snacks on the road are hard to come by. Bring your own.
Here’s a blog post about my favorite travel snacks. My current favorite travel food are plantain chips, unsweetened banana chips, my parasite ball busters and these coconut butter cups.
Kitchen access is key
Renting a hotel room or air b n b with a kitchen will be a game changer. If you’re hard core bring a mini blender like a Nutribullet. Smoothies are easy to make and digest. A great breakfast option.
Cooking your own meals and breakfasts will make it easy to stay compliant to your gut healing diet and routine. And keep blood sugar stable, which will lessen inflammation and promote stable energy and mood.
Restaurant food tends to be lower in quality, and you can’t always control the ingredients. Even when you clearly ask for what you want. If you get “gluten” or eat something that does not agree with you take some activated charcoal capsules to help clear your system.
Research gluten-free restaurant options or health food stores before you arrive. Call ahead and ask about menu options. The more prepared you are the less stressed you’ll be about eating.
For travel related constipation or diarrhea or digestive upset I suggest:
Magnesium citrate is my favorite way to coax my bowels to move after travel. It also helps relax the body/muscles/mind.
Activated charcoal is not just a wonderful binder to clean up the damage of eating something you shouldn’t have, it’s also a great way to manage bloating or any IBS flares. It binds to inflammatory compounds in the gut and escorts them out of the body.
Charcoal is also a good way to help prevent travelers diarrhea. Another way is to keep your stomach acid up by taking a capful of apple cider vinegar or digestive bitters right before you eat. Boosting digestion and stomach acid will help defend against ingested pathogens.
Immune boosting probiotics, anti microbial herbs, stomach acid support, down time, and avoiding gut irritants like sugar, gluten and alcohol will help support your gut as it navigates new foods, new routines, and new microbes in a new environment.
Fun and relaxation on vacation helps relieve stress and tension. Keeping yourself flare-free with the tips above will help your body reboot and your defense stronger.
Travel prep is everything
Understanding the effects of travel on your body and gut, planning accordingly, thinking ahead and focusing on self care is a critical part of returning home from a trip in better shape than when you left.
I have heard so many stories of people crashing and burning on vacation because they finally slowed down their hectic pace and their body could no longer compensate with the anti inflammatory effects of cortisol.
If you are feeling burn out in your life and overwhelmed, a staycation may be a better option than a vacation. Traveling when your body is already stressed or burnt out will add to its burden.
Travel can make your body more vulnerable due to the the microbial shift and nervous system disruption, so it’s very important to take extra good care of yourself on the road.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease or a disease at all. IBS is a body out of balance. It’s an invitation for change. After solving her own IBS mystery more than a decade ago Angela trained as a health coach to help others.
Angela uses both science and intuition to help people figure out what’s out of balance in their body. She works with lab tests, dietary changes, supplementation and nervous system rebalancing. Get help rebalancing your digestive system and solving your IBS mystery here.
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