How to Poop When You Travel
Traveling really takes away your fun, except when it comes to poop. This can stay with you for a few days, making your vacation a lot less enjoyable. Here’s what causes constipation disorder and what you can do to prevent it from happening.
If you’ve ever set off on a trip and were unable to drop cargo for several days in a row, you’ve had Vacation- Induced Constipation (VIC) or constipation while traveling. You feel discredited, look bloated, and want nothing more than to let shit out. Basically, it’s the dreadful opposite of traveler’s diarrhea, which is a completely different inner monster.
According to David Poppers, M.D., Ph.D. , gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, the VIC has a number of reasons. First, travelers tend to change what they eat and drink, and this affects gut bacteria. If you’re like me, going on vacation mode means eating a lot of carbs, drinking a ton of coffee, and drinking more alcohol than usual. All of these can negatively affect your regularity. Other factors include stress (even regular pilots can get nervous); not getting enough sleep (getting up early or going to bed late to catch the flight); and prolonged sitting in an airplane or car (movement stimulates the intestines). Last but not less important , Dr. Brooke Gurland, colorectal surgeon from Cleveland Clinic, explains that travel frequently violate our royal routine. We usually have certain times of the day when we want to take the porcelain throne, but the journey throws us off that schedule and confuses our body’s internal clocks.
How to maintain regularity? Many preventive measures involve minor changes to your daily routine. Try not to change your diet, avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, sleep a lot before and during travel, and give yourself room to move around. Take a plane ride, stop at a rest stop, stroll and exercise as usual in the hotel gym. And if you can, give the opportunity to poop when you normally do, no matter what time zone you are in. This could mean evening delivery when you usually do it in the morning.
Brooke Alpert, a New York City nutritionist, also recommends drinking plenty of water to improve bowel function and recommends snacking on fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha. It’s not always easy to eat healthy foods while traveling, but microbiologist Elizabeth Beek explains that you can make choices that will help your gut to function properly. High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables are good for you, and choosing a salad over baked goods at the airport food court may be enough to save you some extra luggage. Of course, if none of this works, you can always try a dose of an over-the-counter laxative like polyethylene glycol ( Miralax or Glycolax ).