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Writer's pictureMary Maciel Pearson

Healthy travel tips from abroad

Updated: Jan 6, 2021

Our bodies like routine. Change is a form of stress that requires adaptation. Some of us are more resilient than others. A sudden change in mealtime, meal type and daylight exposure can have a profound impact on digestion. We are programmed to release hormones at a certain time of day and if these hormones are altered: digestion, absorption and elimination become disrupted. 

Constipation is often a product of dehydration or excessive refined grain consumption - think continental breakfast. Although most people believe that it is exposure to foreign germs that causes traveler’s diarrhea, more often than not it is altered time and change in eating. 

Traveling east across many time zones has been a challenge for me in the past. This time I did my homework. I prepared well in advance. 


Several days before the trip, my husband wisely encouraged me to awaken much earlier - 4:00 AM. On the day of the flight I hydrated well, drinking lots of water. We took a 6:00 PM flight to Brussels. I passed on dinner and all beverages after boarding, and was comfortably asleep within an hour of take off. Having been up so early that morning helped. To stay asleep I took some melatonin. I slept unusually well while flying and awakened when breakfast was being served. I ate a full breakfast and drank some caffeinated tea. 


We were checked into our hotel by 8:30 AM, but our room would not be ready for hours. By 10:00 AM we were doing a walking tour, exposing ourselves to natural daylight, reprogramming our internal clocks to adjust to our new time zone. I did sample some of the local delicacies, but never over-indulged. Other than sharing a local wild fermented beer, no alcohol. For the first few days, I did not eat meat, which is even more difficult to digest when our natural light/dark cycles have become altered. 

Recognizing that we do experience suboptimal digestive function when crossing many time zones, my husband and I have been content to fuel our very active days by eating a large healthy breakfast and later lunch - only two meals most days - no snacking. So far I've had no need for the herbal laxative I brought. I've not felt sleepy during the days. I've experienced abundant energy, unlike the last several trips we'd taken overseas.


Based on my research, and now healthy experience, here are my top 8 healthy travel tips:


  1. Hydrate well prior to getting on the plane. No caffeine prior to boarding, or on-board other than breakfast if arriving in the morning. Drink at least one glass of water per hour while in the air, when not sleeping.

  2. When you get an urge to move your bowels do not ignore it. (Easier said than done at times. I know.) Withholding stools is a big no-no because they can dry out and jam up.

  3. To minimize radiation exposure I tend to choose not to go through the heavy duty scanners. I prefer to be patted down if need be. However, cosmic radiation is the main concern. I always take vitamin C with bioflavonoids upon arriving at the airport. 

  4. It is tough to adjust to continental style breakfast while traveling. Pastry or other white flour products and refined cereals can act like glue in the digestive tract. Choose some fibre rich foods like prunes and steel cut oats but don't overdo it. Like most things, we have been mislead to believe that more is always better when it comes to fibre. We should be able to get plenty of fibre from whole foods. I know I have over dosed on fibre, by consuming abnormal amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and seeds when traveling, and become uncharacteristically constipated, because it can cause a large bolus that is hard to move through the digestive tract. 

  5. When you travel and eat larger portions at unusual times, you may have a lot of trouble breaking down meat, especially when combined with lots of easy to digest carbohydrates. Undigested meat will putrefy. Choose fish more often, which is easier to digest. 

  6. Expose yourself to natural daylight first thing in the morning, and at noon, to facilitate adaptation to the new time zone.Turn off all electronics by 9 PM. A melatonin supplement taken within an hour of bedtime should improve sleep quality. An epsom salts bath 90 minutes before sleep, if you are fortunate to have a bathtub, helps too.

  7. If constipation becomes and issue, take an herbal laxative like Renew Life's Cleanse More, one capsule with a glass of water on an empty stomach. 

  8. Move around when possible while flying. Use compression socks to improve circulation and prevent blood clotting.


Combining supplements with medicine may be harmful to health. Talk to your health care provider to supplement safely.

There is so much we can learn from travel abroad. Feeling healthy and receptive enhances the experience and facilitates treating locals with the respect they deserve. This trip has been a life enhancing experience. I am grateful and look forward to sharing much of what I am learning.


Originally published July 14th, 2017


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