Bloating Remedies While Travelling

Sorry about the lack of posts for most of this week. I’ve been lucky to be away travelling this week with my family, on a boat trip to the lovely European city of Bruges.

We had a great time! We had overnight ferry journeys there and back plus a couple of days in Bruges itself.

Unfortunately, I was sorely reminded how my bloating and general stomach problems seem to strike with a vengeance whenever I’m away from home. Does this happen to you too?

Why are we bloating sufferers more prone to bloating when travelling? It could be for many reasons, but I suspect it might be to do with the change in routine, different mealtimes and altered eating habits.

It got me thinking: when travelling, what are the best bloating remedies (or better still, prevention measures) for when the dreaded bloat strikes?

1. Try to eat at regular times

I tend to have bloating problems when I eat at unusual times. When we were travelling this week there were times when we had quite a wait till mealtimes. There were also other times when we ate a couple of meals soon after each other. If you’re prone to a sensitive stomach anyway, this is a recipe for instant bloating.

As far as possible, try to eat at regular times when travelling.

2. Don’t eat too late

On our recent trip we’d been busy all day, sight-seeing and doing the whole tourist thing. We didn’t get back to hotel till around 7, and then had to spend more time wandering around looking for something to eat.

By the time we’d finally eaten we were so hungry that I simply ate too much at once. Added to this, we then walked back to the hotel on a full stomach and went straight to bed.

Eating dinner late means that you go to sleep while your body is still trying to digest your food. This leaves food undigested, causing fermentation and bloating.

It’s not easy when travelling, but try not to eat too late if you can at all help it.

3. Watch what you eat

It’s easy (and often necessary) while away from home to rely on quick, fast food. This sort of food is often low in fiber and can be greasy and salty. Eating this way definitely leads to bloating!

Make a real effort to eat something fresh and raw a few times a day. On our recent trip, I made a conscious decision to eat a salad meal on the ferry home, which did wonders for me. I almost instantly felt less bloated.

My tip: as difficult as it is while away from home, try to keep up the fiber and fresh food intake.

4. Take a probiotic

Probiotics are great for returning the balance of friendly bacteria to your stomach. Probiotic products are easy to get hold of, such as in yoghurt drinks, and they’re usually small and portable too.

If you’re travelling, try to take a probiotic drink or two each day. Your stomach will thank you for it.

5. Carry your favorite bloating remedy

I know from fellow bloating sufferers that everyone has their favorite bloating remedies. For me, it’s peppermint oil capsules. I almost never leave them at home if I’m travelling anywhere.

Because travelling can upset your digestion, it’s doubly important to know you can get some bloating relief when you need it most.

I popped a couple of peppermint capsules after each meal and it definitely helped relieve my bloating symptoms.

Bon voyage!

Travelling needn’t mean bloating misery. Just be mindful of how and what you eat and make sure you have bloating relief at hand if you need it.

Does anyone else have problems with bloating or general digestion problems when travelling away from home? Any tips on how to combat it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!