Traveling with IBS

Last week I spent 4 days in New York City-fun, yes! but unfortunately my stomach had to go with me.  It can be more of a challenge for an IBS sufferer to travel.  At home it’s easy to control your meals but traveling presents a lot of different challenges-not to mention changes in regularity.

My advice is to plan ahead as much as possible.  Find the supplements and foods that travel well. Be creative:  hard boiled eggs, homemade trail mix, veggies and fruits. I have even traveled with squash and salads on the airplane, not only does it save money but it travels well with little refrigeration.  Find out what you will have available at and near your accommodations: a mini-fridge, a kitchenette; nearby grocery stores? Does the hotel provide breakfast and what kind-full service or bread and jelly?

I may also loosen the rules to give more variety and purchase pre-made snacks such as KIND low-glycemic bars .  I usually tolerate them well even though they do have chocolate.  It’s the fact that they are only 5g of sugar, which is what I like as opposed to most “health” food bars with upwards of 30g of sugar per serving, no-no for someone with fermentation issues!  I also take with me plenty of protein powder.  I use RAW MEAL, which only has 1g of sugar per serving and is vegan.  It is loaded with lots of great veggies and sprouted grains, which are easier to digest.

So breakfast was covered.  The Airbnb I stayed in provided fruit, which I sprinkled with my “Nut-ola” (see last post for recipe!)  and a protein shake. It was great tasting, balanced and nutritious.  It even tided me over till lunch, which is great when fasting in between meals is best for digestion.

Lunch and dinner in NYC may be a little more expensive than your local fare but at least there are plenty of choices for eating healthy!  Organic food, salad cafes, vegetarian, vegan, meat eaters, whatever, it’s there!  But what about those places not as full of variety? That’s where you need to ask a lot of questions.  It’s in the restaurant’s best interest to provide and accommodate the best they can for their customer and it’s YOUR job to function and feel the best YOU can, especially while traveling.

And if things don’t work out as they do at home in a controlled environment, try not to stress!  Stressing can make digestion worse.  Try to remember to always take your digestive enzymes, just in case!  I always keep them in my purse for instances where I can’t control the menu.

And lastly, have fun!  Traveling can be stressful, especially for those of us with digestive issues but don’t let that take away from the wonderful and exciting experiences that come with traveling.  And for goodness sakes, when traveling to France, try that freshly baked croissant! Just make sure your digestive enzymes are in tow!

Have a happy and healthy day (and travels)!!

Jill