Two weeks ago, my friend Stephan, who owns a South African safari company, asked me, “Why do some of my clients seem to develop gut issues around day 3 or 4 of their trips?”
He had no idea that simple question would lead to a two-hour conversation on gut health and bile flow!
That conversation inspired me to create a travel wellness handout for his clients on how to prevent getting sick while traveling (you can check it out HERE), and it also got me thinking about the travel illness prevention protocols that have kept me feeling amazing for years.
When you travel to new places, you’re exposed to new microbes in the air, water, and food.
Add in richer meals, fattier foods, desserts, alcohol, disrupted sleep, and a different schedule, and it’s no wonder your gut can get thrown off.
More often than not, it’s not food poisoning or a parasite. It’s simply a shift in your gut ecosystem and there’s a lot you can do to support your body before problems start.
One of my favorite travel essentials is a shelf-stable probiotic like Ther-Biotic Synbiotic by Klaire Labs. I also never travel without ginger chews and Enzymix Pro by Apex, a digestive enzyme that helps break down richer foods more effectively.
For diarrhea from overindulgence or digestive upset, I like keeping the traditional Chinese herbal formula Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Pian (Stomacare by Active Herb) on hand.
To help prep for new environmental exposures, my go-to immune support trio includes:
• CoFix Rx Iodine Nasal Spray
• Beekeeper’s Naturals Propolis Throat Spray
• EuroMedica Glutathione Tablets
You can find them all on my Fullscript dispensary.
Before flying and during long flights I repeat the CoFix nasal spray several times and use the propolis spray before and after travel.
I start glutathione tablets 48 hours before traveling and continue them throughout the trip and for 48 hours afterward.
This protocol has helped many of my clients avoid getting sick on cruises even when everyone else around them came down with a bug.
If you do end up getting sick while traveling, I’ve recently been following up with Complete Commensal Probiotic by Designs for Health (also on Fullscript) to help restore not just the microbiome, but the entire gut ecosystem.
When you’re investing hard-earned money into travel, especially bucket-list experiences like Stephan’s safaris it’s worth taking time to prep your body so you can fully enjoy the experience.
In Episode 612 of my podcast that comes out today, I dive deeper into priming your heart and immune system for travel.
Tomorrow, I’ll also be talking about the concept of “training for vacation” to help prevent blisters, aches, pains, and altitude-related struggles.
If you missed it, I also created a free PDF outlining all of my favorite travel sickness prevention tips and more!
Here’s to enjoying every bit of your vacation to the fullest,
Dr. J
P.S. Travel N Transform is officially open for business! If you’re looking to book a rejuvenating trip with exclusive perks beyond what hotel credit cards offer plus a wellness concierge to help ensure your travels align with your healthy lifestyle goals — email me and tell me what you’re dreaming about.
I work on commission, so there’s no additional cost to book your trip with me!
