Do you have trouble getting through the holidays without eating something your body doesnt agree with? Do you worry that your digestive tract, bladder, skin, or other symptoms will flare while you are traveling? Have you had to sit in your room or close to the bathroom while your family is skiing or walking on the beach?
When your inflammatory symptoms are under control, you feel excited to travel! You will be able to eat foods you have not eaten in years. You will feel sexy in that new outfit you bought for the holidays. You will feel able to fully engage in the holidays and not be so stressed out by them.
I’d like to share a story about a client that experienced a transformation such as this –
Rita came to me after 10 years of bladder issues. She hated traveling because she worried about being in the car for any length of time. She had to use the bathroom every couple of hours and sometimes the urge would come on suddenly while she was sitting on the runway in a plane. Travel had become unbearable and Rita had not seen her grandchildren for over a year.
On the first visit I learned that Rita had both digestive and bladder issues. We did two tests, one to look at her bladder microbiome and the other to look at her digestive tract. We found that the bacteria in Rita’s bladder were out of balance. We also found that Rita had low digestive enzyme function and was reactive to gluten. I had Rita start by removing gluten from her diet and add in digestive enzymes. Then we addressed her bladder microbiome with supportive antibacterial herbs and probiotics.
Rita returned to my office for follow-up after a couple of months. She told me she had significantly less urinary frequency and was able to eat foods without becoming bloated. She had gone to her daughter’s house for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time with her grandchildren.
If this sounds familiar to you, and if you want to be able to travel with ease like Rita and not have to worry about being close to a bathroom, here are some simple steps you can consider trying.
First you can try a simple elimination diet to identify the causes of the bloating. Digestive enzymes may be helpful as well. Quercetin and nettles can also be helpful to decrease reactions if you still cannot identify the triggers. PermAVite powder and DGL combined with aloe, marshmallow and slippery elm can also help to calm both the bladder and the digestive tract.
These are just a few of the things I like to include in my Holiday Survival Protocol. You can learn more about them below:
-
Perm A Vite Powder: This is my go to for whenever my digestive tract is acting up. Usually a scoop of this in water will calm things down. I also find it is soothing to my bladder. It is something I take whenever I am eating out because my digestive tract is very sensitive. This contains ingredients that decrease inflammation and heal both the digestive tract and the bladder.
-
DGL with marshmallow, slippery elm and aloe. This will protect both my bladder and my digestive tract. This, along with PermAVite will protect my digestive tract and decrease inflammation. I use this when I am going out to eat because it is easier to travel with. But I find that sometimes I need both products, so I always have them in my hotel room if not in my purse.
-
Quercetin and Nettles: This is the only quercetin product I have found that does not have vitamin C. For those of you sensitive to vitamin C, this product is great. Quercetin and nettles will interrupt the inflammatory response. This is great when you have eaten something you have a reaction to. I take this when I am going to a potluck or a friend’s or family member’s house for dinner. These are times when I may not know all the ingredients I am getting in my meal. I will also take it after a meal if I suspect I am having a food reaction.
-
PharmaGABA: This is mainly to calm me down if I am feeling anxious or if I am unable to sleep. When I travel, I may not be comfortable in my surroundings or in my room at night. This helps me to relax and get back to sleep if my mind is racing.
If you want more information about these products, or to try any of them, I have created a holiday survival protocol that can be found through my Fullscript account. These are things I never travel without. Please follow the link on our website for more information. If you have any questions on any of them, or want to create your own individualized protocol, please reach out and schedule your Discovery Session!