Advice for Staying Regular When You Travel

I believe travel is an important part of life. It expands our understanding of the world around us which makes us better humans. Meeting new people, seeing amazing beauty, having special time with loved ones and trying new foods can be transformative. Unfortunately, there can be a side effect. If you get constipated when you travel, you are not alone. Disrupting our regular routine, changing time zones and eating that new food can be hard on our gut health. Try some of these strategies to help you worry less and have more adventure. 

Focus on fiber and bring (organic) prunes.

Fiber is magic for constipation. Fiber is the indigestible component of food that adds bulk to our stool. Traveling can make it challenging to eat your daily fiber minimum. Bringing fiber supplements along for the ride can make your journey easier. Prunes are a great option. They travel easy and make a sweet snack on the go. Many people only need three to four to maintain a regular bowel movement. Other great options include chia seeds to add to smoothies, psyllium husk or ground flaxseed. Berries are also rich in fiber and antioxidants. 

Stay hydrated.

Dehydration can be a big culprit contributing to constipation. Travel with a favorite refillable water bottle and aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. 

Drink something warm.

The warm beverage with or without caffeine can trigger motility. Regular or herbal tea, hot water or coffee are all great options. A small amount of caffeine such as a cup of coffee or espresso may be helpful for resetting the gut and getting things moving. If drinking caffeine, enjoy the cup in the morning so that it does not interfere with your sleep and melatonin production. 

Take magnesium.

Magnesium is a mineral found abundantly in the body and involved in many different enzymatic reactions in the body. There are several different types of magnesium, but in particular magnesium citrate is a safe laxative. I recommend that people start with one capsule per night and increase every one-three nights by one capsule until they get soft stools once or twice per day.

Even with a combination of these tips, some people still feel “off” while traveling. That’s ok. Give yourself a day or two to recover. However, if constipation is a regular occurrence there may be something more significant for you to address. Schedule an appointment with Relish Health and let's figure it out together. 

Advice for Staying Regular When You Travel

I believe travel is an important part of life. It expands our understanding of the world around us which makes us better humans. Meeting new people, seeing amazing beauty, having special time with loved ones and trying new foods can be transformative. Unfortunately, there can be a side effect. If you get constipated when you travel, you are not alone. Disrupting our regular routine, changing time zones and eating that new food can be hard on our gut health. Try some of these strategies to help you worry less and have more adventure. 

Take magnesium.

Magnesium is mineral found abundantly in the body and involved in many different enzymatic reactions in the body. There are several different types of magnesium, but in particular magnesium citrate is a safe and great laxative. I recommend that people start with one capsule per night and increase every one-three nights by one capsule until they get soft stools once or twice per day.

Focus on fiber and bring (organic) prunes.

Fiber is magic for constipation. Fiber is the indigestible component of food that adds bulk to our stool. Traveling can make it challenging to eat your daily fiber minimum. Bringing fiber supplements along for the ride can make your journey easier. Prunes are a great option. They travel easy and make a sweet snack on the go. Many people only need three to four to maintain a regular bowel movement. Other great options include chia seeds to add to smoothies, psyllium husk or ground flaxseed. Berries are also rich in fiber and antioxidants. 

Stay hydrated.

Dehydration can be a big culprit contributing to constipation. Travel with a favorite refillable water bottle and aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. 

Have some caffeine.

A small amount of caffeine such as a cup of coffee or espresso may be helpful for resetting the gut and getting things moving. Enjoy the cup in the morning so that it does not interfere with your sleep and melatonin production. 

Even with a combination of these tips, some people still feel “off” while traveling. That’s ok. Give yourself a day or two to recover. However, if constipation is a regular occurrence there may be something more significant for you to address. Schedule an appointment with Relish Health and let's figure it out together. 

Should You be Taking Magnesium?

Magnesium is an important mineral that is abundant in our environment and our body. It is crucial to our health and is involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in our body.

At Relish Health, I view food as medicine. Luckily, magnesium is readily available in foods. I often encourage foods that are generally high in fiber like legumes, whole grains and vegetables because they are also high in magnesium. Broccoli, squash, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, and my personal favorite, chocolate are all particularly high in this important mineral. For all its abundance, however, magnesium deficiencies are common in the US. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 68% of the US population is not meeting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of this important mineral.

Because deficiencies are common, supplementing with magnesium can be helpful in some cases. Nourishing our bodies with the nutrients it needs can help improve a number of concerns like constipation, migraines, PMS, blood sugar control and even our mood. There are a number of available forms of magnesium so picking the appropriate version of the supplement is important.

At Relish Health, I often recommend one of these forms of magnesium:

·      Magnesium glycinate is a highly-absorbable form of magnesium. It is useful for relaxation, PMS and cardiovascular health among other indications.

·      Magnesium citrate, on the other hand, is less absorbed. It tends to stay in the gastrointestinal tract and promotes loose stools. This version of magnesium is useful to address constipation.

·      Epson salts are magnesium sulfate. Enjoying a warm bath infused with these salt crystals can provide relaxation not only for the mind, but also tight muscles and joints.

Curious if you would benefit from trying magnesium? Let’s talk.

Already enjoy the benefits of magnesium? Order more here.

How did you sleep last night?

Yesterday was World Sleep Day. Research is showing that sleep is not only important to our energy level and mood but is also closely tied to our longevity.  If sleep eluded you last night, try some of these tips for better rest tonight and in the future:

Cut back on caffeine. Response to caffeine varies person to person, but this drug remains in your system far longer than most people realize. The half-life of caffeine is several hours. This means that your morning coffee is still hanging around at lunchtime, and you may still have a quarter of the caffiene in your system at dinnertime.

Move during the day. People who exercise regularly report more satisfying sleep. Be sure to finish your workout at least three hours before bed to make sure you have proper time to relax and cool down.

Make your room dark. Light can disrupt our body’s natural secretion of melatonin. Making your room dark and avoiding blue light that is emitted from electronic devices before bedtime can help ensure our body maintains its natural circadian rhythm. If you needs some help blocking blue light, try blue light filtering glasses. 

Avoid alcohol within three hours of bedtime. While alcohol can make you sleepy, it alters the brainwave activity in your brain, preventing restorative sleep.

Relax before bed. Create an evening routine that puts you in a relaxed frame of mind. Try reading a neutral book, journaling or taking a hot bath. A hot bath with Epsom salts relaxes muscles and reduces tension through the help of magnesium sulfate.  

If sleep continues to be a concern let’s talk. Addressing hormones, blood sugar balance and stress management are also important for proper sleep.

Schedule an appointment with Relish Health today.