This past year, I took a small leap of faith. My boyfriend and I sold everything we owned (at least everything that didn’t fit into our parents houses!) and moved to Southeast Asia. Okay, it really wasn’t that hard of a decision. And we were lucky enough to have time to travel, 10 countries in 6 months to be exact (we have a big bucket list!).
As you can imagine, traveling through Asia with a gluten-loving boyfriend had its challenges for the smoothie-loving nutritionist. However, when I travel out of the country, I like to experience all of the culture the country has to offer and let loose a little. That’s where my essential travel supplements come in handy, to keep me balanced and not having to do too much clean up work on my health once I get back.
There are a lot of things to consider when you are traveling- for example your stomach may not embrace the culture as much as you’d like it to. So it’s worthwhile to prepare. Here are my essential supplements I take on trips:
1: Host Defense – just two a day to keep my immune system balanced while being on the go in so many places.
2: Digestzymes –wonderful full-spectrum enzymes with HCL to help with all the new foods and exposure to new bugs. Your stomach should be the most acidic part of your body because the acidity helps break down protein, but it is also the first line of defense when it comes to parasites.
3: Ultimate Flora – an amazing probiotic that recolonizes the microbiome. Flying changes your gut bacteria and it takes awhile for your gut microbiome to adjust to new environments, water, food, etc, so 1/day while traveling keeps my digestion healthy, my skin clear, and my immune system strong. I usually suggest taking a higher dose consistently during travel, like 100 or 200 billion CFUs (unless you have SIBO, in which case, a soil-based probiotic of 5 billion CFUs should be supportive).
4: Activated Charcoal – I actually didn’t have this one with me when I needed it the most. My sister and I spent New Years in Bali and New Years day in bed (and the bathroom) with Bali Belly. It wasn’t the way we planned our sister trip going…but it was to be expected (our trips somehow always turn out this way). ANYWAYS, activated charcoal is amazing. It is most widely used medicinally as a detoxifier and poison antidote. I (usually) keep it on hand for spider bites, accidental ingestion of toxins or stomach bugs. Activated charcoal is also great for whitening teeth! This stuff is so amazing that in 1831, at the French Academy of Medicine, Professor Touery mixed a lethal dose of strychnine with activated charcoal, drank it…and lived.
5: Mucosagen – builds and protects the mucosal lining. Mucosagen includes a synergistic blend of ingredients that support the health of the GI lining while promoting inflammatory balance and liver detoxification pathways to support overall health.
You may think this is a lot of stuff, but when you really need it, you’ll realize it’s well worth it. And once you put it in little baggies or travel-size supplement containers, and just have them in your purse ready to pop at a meal, it’s quite easy. Taking care of your health while traveling makes for a much better trip because you can enjoy the local food and drinks with less worry, more energy, and (hopefully) no digestive upset. It can also help you avoid having to do a total cleanse when you get home….although that’s not a bad idea. 🙂
Now…some cool pictures from our life in Asia 🙂
Sissy, Gili T Island
Me and sissy, Gili T
Me and bae, Nusa Penida
Natural infinity pool, Nusa Penida
Chasing waterfalls, Bali
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
My love and Mount. Fuji
