Gut Healthy Travelling

Winter has well and truly arrived in Sydney, and if your social media feed looks anything like mine, half the city has already fled to Bali, Europe or Japan in search of sunshine. There's a lot to love about escaping the cold — but nothing brings a dream holiday to a screeching halt quite like a tummy bug. Here's what many travellers don't realise: traveller's gastro isn't simply bad luck. There are proven, practical ways to reduce your risk before you even board the plane — and smart strategies to manage things if a bug does find you. As with so much in gut health, preparation is everything.

Start Two Weeks Before You Fly

The best travel insurance for your gut isn't purchased at the airport — it's built in the weeks before you leave. I recommend my travelling clients begin preparing their gut at least two weeks before departure.

Two key players I prescribe during this window:

Saccharomyces boulardii — a well-researched probiotic yeast with a long history of use for supporting the gut against traveller's diarrhoea. Because it's a yeast rather than a bacteria, it's naturally resistant to antibiotics and stomach acid, making it a hardy travelling companion.

GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides) — a gentle prebiotic fibre that feeds and helps increase your Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. Think of it as fertiliser for your gut's good bugs. A well-populated, resilient microbiome is far better equipped to crowd out unwelcome visitors, improving your chances of dodging tummy bugs altogether.

Starting early gives these beneficial species time to establish themselves — a strong home team before the away game begins.

Simple Prevention Practices While You're Away

Once you've landed, a few time-honoured habits go a long way. In destinations where water quality is uncertain, stick to bottled or filtered water — and remember that ice cubes, salads washed in tap water, and even brushing your teeth at the bathroom sink all count. When it comes to food, the old traveller's wisdom still holds true: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it. Choose freshly cooked, piping-hot meals over anything that's been sitting in a buffet bain-marie or a street cart's afternoon sun, and be cautious with raw seafood, unpasteurised dairy and anything that looks a little questionable. Finally, don't underestimate good old-fashioned hand hygiene — wash your hands thoroughly before eating and carry a hand sanitiser for the moments when soap and water aren't an option. Simple? Absolutely. Effective? Remarkably so.

What to Pack: Your Gut First-Aid Kit

Even with the best preparation, sometimes a bug slips through — bringing gastroenteritis, diarrhoea and dehydration along for the ride. The good news? A few well-chosen supplements tucked into your suitcase mean you're ready if it happens.

High-strength allicin — a concentrated garlic extract with antimicrobial properties that can work to help kill off some gut bugs. Nature's been in the antimicrobial business a very long time, and garlic remains one of her finest.

Activated charcoal tablets — helpful for absorbing and clearing out parasites or infectious bacteria you may have ingested. One important rule: take activated charcoal at least two hours apart from food and any medications, as it doesn't discriminate about what it binds to.

Enterosgel — my all-time favourite travel companion. This absorbent gel is gentle on the gut, binds pathogenic bacteria and their toxins, and helps reduce diarrhoeal symptoms without disrupting your beneficial flora. It never leaves my suitcase.

Imodium — a good emergency option when you absolutely need to stop diarrhoea in its tracks (think long-haul flights or an eight-hour bus ride through the countryside). One important caveat: if pathogenic bacteria are the culprit, it's always best to help your body clear them out rather than blocking them in. Reserve Imodium for genuine emergencies rather than reaching for it first.

Electrolytes — arguably the most important item on this list. Diarrhoea depletes your fluids and minerals quickly, and dehydration is what makes people truly unwell. Pack electrolyte sachets to add to your clean, bottled water and replace what you're losing frequently.

Your Two-Week Pre-Travel Toolkit

• Saccharomyces boulardii (practitioner-prescribed) — start at least two weeks before departure and continue to take while travelling and after you return home

• GOS prebiotic — to build up your Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species

Your Travel Essentials List

• High-strength allicin (garlic extract)

• Activated charcoal tablets (taken two hours away from food and medications)

• Enterosgel

• Imodium (for emergencies only)

• Electrolyte sachets

• Probiotics

Gut Healthy Travelling: A Final Word

Being prepared for gut healthy travelling before you go is the very best way to ensure you have a wonderful time, your gut included. And if a stomach bug does crash your holiday, these tips will help you manage it and get back to enjoying yourself sooner.

That said, please don't hesitate to seek medical attention if symptoms become more serious — high fever, blood in the stool, severe or persistent dehydration, or symptoms that simply aren't improving all warrant proper medical care, wherever in the world you are.

If you're planning a trip and would like a personalised pre-travel gut protocol, I'd love to help you get holiday-ready. Safe travels — and may the only thing unsettled on your trip be your itinerary. Schedule your online consultation well before your travels.

This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for individualised advice. Supplements should be prescribed with your personal health circumstances in mind — book a consultation for tailored support.

Health and love

Deena

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