One of the many joys of traveling, especially to another country, is to try, to taste, to indulge and enjoy the delicious & authentic cuisine of the country you are in. Even for a primarily gluten free/dairy free, health nut such as myself, during my time in Austria, I embraced leaving my structured, clean eating lifestyle of green smoothies, leafy greens + protein, fruits & veggies, nuts & seeds and “lived a little” — I ate bread, cheese, dessert, drank lots of European rotwein and enough schnitzels + pommes frites to last me until my next trip!! Haha Of course, portion control is important when eating these heavier foods.
Naturally, when consuming foods you wouldn’t otherwise eat, this can throw your digestive system a bit out of of whack. And yes, you will most likely return home carrying a few extra pounds — just be okay with this! Life is meant to be lived & experienced — one of life’s simple pleasures is food. There’s no sense in traveling all that way to not enjoy yourself….you might as well just stay home. Seriously.
This advice, I give to you & a reminder to myself as well. My healthy habits were right here waiting for me when I got home. The wonderful thing about being committed to a healthy lifestyle is you have the leeway to indulge a bit and it not have much of an effect on your waistline.
With all that being said, no one likes the feeling of being bloated and/or constipated — 2 extremely common side effects of travel. 3 very helpful digestive aids I packed to take along with me on my trip…
1) Apple Cider Vinegar. I start my day and often even end my day with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a bit of water in a small glass and just as if I were home, I did the same thing every single day in Austria. I bought myself a nice big bottle of Bragg ACV and between my dad and I, we nearly polished off the whole bottle by the end of our trip! ACV aids in digestion, boosts your metabolism + your immune system.
2) Digestive Enzymes. Digestive enzymes are awesome little helpers, working to assist your tummy in braking down protein, carbs & fat. I take them at home when needed and packed a bottle to have with me while away. I use my digestive enzymes for the following food situations:
– eating later than usual
– eating foods I don’t normally eat – particularly gluten and/or dairy
– when eating red meat
3) Dandelion Root Tea. A big fan of the Dandelion Root, this Dandelion Tea works as a digestive aid helping to break down fats, is natural diuretic, anti inflammatory and detoxifier to both your kidneys & liver. Able to drink up to 4 cups per day, I boiled a big pot of water, steeped 2 tea bags, covered for 15 minutes and enjoyed my tea throughout the day.
Much Love, Health & A Happy Tummy, xx
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