Live For Food

Photo: lauri koski

If your digestive system is like mine, it detects when you go on holiday and says, “What do you think you’re playing at? Where’s my routine? Why are you eating out so much? Where’s my fibre?”

If you don’t respond to it, the consequences can be unpleasant. So here are my top tips for keeping your tummy happy on holiday:

• Keep well hydrated, preferably with plain water, of the boiled or bottled variety (even in the UK).
• Have a glass of fruit juice with breakfast.
• Have a piece of (washed) fruit every day.
• Don’t eat to excess at every meal. If you have a big breakfast have a small lunch or a late afternoon snack instead of lunch.
• Don’t have three courses every night. Have a starter one night, and a dessert the next night.
• If you normally eat low fat or low carb, try and keep to this to some extent as a drastic change of diet is not advisable.
• Don’t have ice in your drinks if the ice is made from tap water.
• Avoid open buffets and street food.
• Avoid seafood.
• Ensure salads are washed.
• Eat some vegetables or salad every day.
• Make sure leftovers have been properly cooled and reheated.
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water.
• Avoid alcohol when its extremely hot.
• Keep various stomach medicines to hand: anti-nausea, glucose for rehydration, diarrhea and constipation treatments, and antacids for indigestion.

Make sure your stomach has a good time on holiday too!