Except for perhaps a blessed few, everyone is familiar with travel bloat—that icky, swollen feeling you get after finishing a long flight or road trip, or arriving in a new time zone. Sometimes it even rears its ugly head after a few days of hotel room service or too much local cuisine. It's annoying, it interferes with your vacation, and it is undeniably the worst.
Traveling to new environments, and eating new foods is going to shock your body, no matter what. That means bloating—or even constipation—may follow. But thankfully, there are a few precautions you can take to keep the discomfort at bay. Put these six expert-approved tricks on your next packing list and enjoy your vacation a little more from now on.
Related: 13 Ways To Make Traveling Suck A Little Less
You might think the reason you get bloated during air travel is because of the pressurized cabin air or the change in altitude. But Lisa Ganjhu, DO, gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, explains there's not enough evidence to support this popular theory. The actual culprit, she says, is that you're not moving around enough. (That also explains bloating during road trips or any other form of lengthy travel.)
To help counteract this, she recommends getting up and walking around every one to two hours, especially on longer trips. This will help activate your digestion system, and, she adds, give you time to pass some gas—which isn't exactly easy to do when you're cramped in a window seat.
Dehydration is another reason you may feel bloated while flying. "The lack of humidity in cabin air can quickly pull fluid from the body," says Emily Cope-Kyle M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., and this can promote bloating and constipation. (It's also why your skin may feel dry and your eyes itchy.)
The best way to fix this? With lots and lots of water, of course. Abby Langer, R.D., recommends avoiding beverages that might dehydrate you (cough, cough, alcohol). Instead stick strictly to water. Sip it regularly throughout your flight and immediately when you arrive at your destination. It might make you pee a lot, but that will give you more opportunities to get moving.
Many people chew gum on planes to keep their ears from popping at higher altitudes. If you're a fan of this trick, it's important not to opt for any sugar-free gum varieties. "Sugar-free foods are made out of a non-absorbable sugar, so the bacteria [in your gut] tries to break it down and that causes a lot of gas," says Ganjhu.
Additionally, she explains that chewing any type of gum causes you to swallow more air, which in turn will make you more gassy. In other words, it might be best to simply check this habit at the gate.
Treat yo'self, for sure, but try not to overdo it. "Your body doesn't know that you're on vacation; it's going to react the same way to what you eat as if you were eating it at home," says Langer.
While eating high-fat, high-salt foods is often part of the travel experience, she encourages keeping your meal routine as close to the one you have at home as possible. It's also important to pack in fiber-rich foods whenever you can.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy the local delicacies (you absolutely should!). Just don't waste stomach space on not-so-amazing food. Instead of going ham on your hotel's continental breakfast, opt for yogurt and save your splurge meals for something more memorable, like that insane slice of pizza in Rome.
Little to no kitchen access is often a major part of why it's so difficult to eat healthy while traveling. That's why Langer recommends hitting up the nearest drug store as soon as you get to your hotel. She likes to stock up on Greek yogurt, granola, veggies, fruit, and other nutritious, no-cook snacks you can easily store in the hotel minibar. In addition to being the healthier option, these goodies will also keep you from dropping dollars on expensive (and less satisfying) snacks later on.
Take these snacks on your next flight or road trip too. (Indulging in carbonated drinks and salty peanuts on a flight is a recipe for some serious bloat). Opt for unsalted nuts, granola, and lots and lots of water.
Moving through time zones flips your circadian rhythm (AKA your body's internal clock) on its head. This disrupts everything from your sleep patterns to, you guessed it, your digestive health. "You're eating when you should be sleeping, and you're sleeping when you should be eating," which Langer says can promote constipation during the first couple days of your trip.
She recommends forcing yourself to stay awake when you arrive at your destination. "If it's local dinner time, have something to eat and stay up until it's time to go to bed locally." And it's important to make sure that those first few meals are especially full of fiber, she adds. Save your indulgences for later on in the trip when your body's better adjusted.
