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We look forward to warmer, longer days all year. Summer is finally here and that means travel, extended holiday weekends, and plenty of reasons to gather with friends and family. That can also mean being out of routine with your nutrition, hydration, and exercise!
The good news is that supporting your gut health during summer doesn’t require perfection. Sticking to a few simple habits can help keep you on track so you can focus on enjoying the season.
Here are some tips for supporting your digestive health this summer:
Our gut operates more efficiently when we prioritize simple health and wellness foundations such as balanced nutrition, hydration, and sleep. You don’t have to master them all at once; start with one or two realistic habits and build from there. Small, consistent changes can have a big impact on your gut health over time.
One easy way to create a balanced meal to support gut health and healthy digestion is by using the balanced plate as a guide:
Even at a summer barbecue or cookout, look for simple ways to build a balanced plate using these guidelines.
Another important part of supporting gut health is maintaining your usual eating routine whenever possible. Try to avoid skipping meals and, instead, even if the foods you’re eating look a little different than usual, eat when you normally would! Our guts love a routine and if we are thrown off of it, it’s common to experience changes in digestion. In addition to that, skipping meals can cause us to overeat at the next meal, increasing the likelihood of bloating and other digestive discomfort.
With fresh fruits and vegetables in season during the summer months, this provides an opportunity to add more variety and more fiber into your daily nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are convenient when it comes to travel. Exploring a nearby farmer’s market or with more sunlight in the evening, you may feel inspired to try a new recipe for dinner at home.
Proper hydration and gut health go hand in hand. Fluids help to break down our food, facilitate smoother transport of food through the digestive tract, and allow for better nutrient absorption. Enough fluids aid in bowel regularity, which is commonly disrupted while being off routine like traveling.
To focus on hydration for your gut health, prioritize drinking half of your body weight in ounces of plain water, no-sugar-added teas, herbal teas, or infused water with mint or fresh fruits and vegetables like cucumber and melon.
You can also help boost hydration by eating fruits and vegetables that have a high water content like cucumbers, watermelon, oranges, zucchini, melons, and leafy greens. Other fun ways to get creative with fluids include enjoying a low-sugar or no-sugar popsicle.
There’s nothing worse than feeling sluggish and backed up during summer and especially while traveling. To help keep things moving:
Whether you're traveling out of state, vacationing another country, or staying local, these tips can go a long way:
Summer is meant to be enjoyed — not spent worrying about your digestion. While vacations and celebrations naturally shift our routines, returning to the basics can go a long way. Prioritize balanced meals, stay hydrated, include fiber when you can, and keep your body moving.
Remember, healthy eating isn't about perfection. It's about consistency over time, so enjoy the ice cream, the backyard barbecue, and the vacation meals knowing that your next meal is simply another opportunity to nourish your body.
To stay hydrated while traveling, bring your own reusable water bottle or purchase bottled water to keep hydration top of mind. You can challenge yourself by drinking water while dining out at restaurants or choosing foods with a high water content.
Traveling can affect digestion for many reasons. Being off routine, drinking less water, having less fruit and vegetables, or changes in exercise are common culprits. Other factors to consider include changes in sleep habits and circadian rhythms, which can impact the release of digestive enzymes and motility, or the speed in which we digest.
Packing snacks that you are familiar with and easy to travel with like protein bars, roasted edamame, whole grain crackers, trailmix, popcorn, or turkey jerky are all great options. If it allows, you can even bring fresh fruit and vegetables like apples, carrots, mini peppers, cucumbers, or clementines for a fresh choice!
