The problem: Trapped wind
The solution: Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal, the same material used in most air and water filters, is medically proven to reduce flatulence and is a popular remedy for digestive complaints such as indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, and diarrhoea.
Due to its innate negative electron charge and complex porous structure, activated charcoal moves through your body attracting positively-charged toxins and impurities. This includes the gases that the bacteria in your intestine produce, including methane. It traps them until they are expelled from your system, without having been absorbed or let out noisily!
These toxins and impurities, left unchecked, are what can make your body a negative environment where pathogens (harmful microorganisms) thrive, which in turn causes yet more toxins to be released, making matters even worse.
Many digestive issues, and indeed other health complaints such as skin rashes and inflammation, do not only occur when we are overrun by these foreign invaders but can get even worse as your immune system fights them off. This is due to the wave of toxins that are released by dead and dying bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms.
Charcoal is also nutritionally neutral, so it’s to take as many capsules as you need, within reason. However, you should not take charcoal within 3 hours of taking any other supplements or especially medication, because it will trap them and stop you absorbing them. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water with it.
The ultimate detox supplement, charcoal would be a strong addition to the natural remedy kit when you go on holiday. Not least, in addition to being a handy way to treat wind and diarrhoea, it’s also useful for clearing your system of toxins after illness, infection, or a heavy night out!
The problem: Constipation
The solution: Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium Citrate is a highly absorbable form of this essential mineral, in which it is estimated up to 50% of people in the UK could be deficient, and is widely used to fortify a person’s dietary intake to improve sleep, maintain energy levels and support healthy brain & muscle function.
However, when taken in high doses with lots of water on an empty stomach, it’s also an outstanding natural laxative. Taken this way it will be absorbed very quickly, which relaxes your bowels and pulls water into your intestines, encouraging natural bowel movement.
Comparatively gentle compared to some very high-strength laxatives, but completely safe and highly effective, magnesium citrate is a clean, healthy way to treat constipation, soften stools and maintain regularity.
Two common complaints about long plane journeys are not being able to sleep and feeling constipated. Magnesium Citrate can help with both, making it the right electrolyte to take on your flight.
The problem: Diarrhoea or colic cramps
The solution: Probiotic Bio cultures
Prebiotic and probiotic supplements do not treat your digestive symptoms directly. They work by promoting the success of ‘good’ bacteria in your gut microbiome to displace ‘bad’ organisms which, left to their own devices, would continue to multiply and release more and more unwanted toxins into your system.
Probiotics refer to these ‘good’ bacterial strains which benefit your health. Each strain performs a slightly different role, but in most cases, they thrive on breaking down the fibres and sugars that we cannot digest ourselves, and more often than not this process releases natural chemicals that are beneficial to us, such as vitamins.
Prebiotics refer to the various natural fibres and complex sugars in foods that our bodies cannot digest without the assistance of probiotic bacteria. Introducing more of these substances to your diet will provide structure and fuel to boost the procreation of good bacteria in your gut, increasing the benefits.
Combining probiotics with prebiotics makes them more effective, so any good supplement will hopefully contain both already, but it can never hurt to eat highly prebiotic foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrains with probiotic foods such as yogurt, miso, pickles & sauerkraut at the same time.
Although please be warned, whilst the vast majority experience no side effects, for some people this rebalancing process can cause some minor upset the first time you take a new probiotic. These, often quite windy, effects are very short-lived and could be considered a positive sign that the probiotics are making beneficial changes to your microbiome, but it can take a couple of days to adapt.
For a more gentle introduction, you can take a half-dose for the first couple of times, then increase to the full dosage from there. Also, whilst taking it with water on an empty stomach may boost the speed of absorption, taking it with a meal will reduce the likelihood of any such side effects.
Of course, there’s always a small chance that any particular food or substance won’t agree with any individual and probiotics are no different, so if symptoms persist for more than a couple of weeks with no sign of improvement, then of course desist and try something different.
Taken daily, multi-strain probiotics will help your digestive system to stay more robust and adaptable, increasing nutrient absorption and vastly improving how well you break-down and digest certain foods such as lactose, gluten, and other common digestive irritants.
Delivering a potent dose of as many different research-backed strains as possible, multi-strain probiotics are widely recommended for reducing symptoms from chronic digestive complaints such as IBS and colitis, and for restoring microbial balance after antibiotic courses.
Many of the digestive problems suffered whilst on holiday are due to your microbiome having to adapt to all the new substances and un-before-seen microbes it encounters. An established regime with a good multi-strain probiotic can help to make your system more robust to these changes.
The Problem: Indigestion and lethargy after eating
The solution: Apple Cider Vinegar Probiotic
Apple Cider Vinegar is highly nutritious and contains polyphenols and acetic acid, which studies indicate can lower triglyceride levels and may promote fat loss and flatten blood-sugar spikes, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
We’ve fortified this formula with sought-after probiotic bacterial strains: Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Bifidum – two of the most heavily researched strains available with proven benefits for rebalancing the gut microbiome.
We’ve also included the prebiotic inulin to help these friendly bacteria, and those already present in your gut, to procreate more rapidly and prosper for longer – increasing benefits to metabolism, digestion, and general wellbeing.
If you like to binge out on carbohydrate-heavy meals once in a while on holiday, and most of us do, then you might want to pack some apple cider vinegar capsules – taking ACV a short while before a high-carb meal will help to flatten off the resulting blood sugar spike and reduce the negative impact on your health. There you go, what a good excuse!
A word of caution
These are remedies for temporary problems like holiday diarrhoea, or milder tummy issues like gas. If you suffer from long-term tummy problems, then you could have something serious. Here are the warning signs that mean you should see your GP:
- your stomach ache is getting much worse very quickly
- stomach pain or bloating will not go away or keeps coming back
- you have stomach pain and problems with swallowing food
- you’re losing weight without trying to
- you suddenly pee more often or less often
- peeing is suddenly painful
- you bleed from your bottom or vagina, or have abnormal discharge from your vagina
- you have diarrhoea that does not go away after a few days
And these are the warning signs that you need to call an ambulance or go to A&E right away:
- your stomach ache came on very suddenly or hurts so much you are struggling to talk or move
- you’re vomiting blood or your vomit looks like ground coffee
- your poo is bloody or black and sticky and extremely smelly
- you cannot pee
- you cannot poo or fart
- you have diabetes and you’re vomiting
