Tips for gut health on holiday

It’s that time of the year when many of us get the chance to travel, destress and enjoy time away from work. So here are some top tips to keep your gut healthy while you’re on holiday.

  1. Stay Hydrated

It’s easy to get dehydrated if you’re travelling to a warmer country and keeping yourself busy with holiday activities. So remember to take a water bottle around with you and take water breaks to keep yourself hydrated. Also, make sure to check if the tap water is safe to drink where you are and look out for water refill stations to reduce plastic waste.

  1. Get your Fibre Fix

Holidays are the perfect time to indulge and try out different foods. While choosing meals, try and include dishes with fruits, veggies, wholegrains or legumes. Many cuisines around the world have really delicious vegetable dishes so give these a try! It’s a great way to get your fibre fix while introducing your palette to new and interesting flavours.

  1. Keep moving

Movement is important for overall wellbeing and for helping healthy bowel movement and keeping your gut bugs happyi. Keep moving on holiday – you can explore explore a city on foot, swim at the beach or trekking through picturesque landscapes. What’s most is important is that you enjoy it!

  1. Relax, it’s a holiday!

When you’re away from home, your daily routine will be different as you fill your day with various activities. It’s good to take time some time out  to exercise mindfulness and do something you enjoy – this could be a wellbeing activity like meditation, or reading a book or taking evening stroll, to help keep your mind at ease. Having a routine activity can also help ease anxiety and stress which often aggravates gut issuesii,iii.

 

References

  1. Monda V et al. (2017) Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev.2017:3831972.
  2. Janssen M et al. (2018) Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employees’ mental health: A systematic review. PLoS One.13(1):e0191332.
  3. Madison A and Kiecolt-Glaser JK. (2019) Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. Curr Opin Behav Sci.28:105-110.