Whether it’s a trip home to visit family, a weekend getaway, flying to the islands or heading off on an adventure tour, it’s a time to relax, have fun, soak up the sun and indulge in delicious food. But we all know enjoying too much of Uncle Bob’s famous mac and cheese, tucking into rich, delicious local cuisine and/or sipping one too many creamy tropical cocktails can make our neurogenic bowels feel a little neglected or, worse, overwhelmed. This has the potential of ruining part or all of your vacation.

Let’s face it, savoring a daily breakfast croissant or a warm baguette while wheeling the streets of Paris is hard to resist. But all that gluten has the potential of backing up our bowels for days, or longer. While this might seem worth the risk, constipation can contribute to low energy levels, abdominal discomfort, gas and/or urinary incontinence from added pressure on the bladder. All of these consequences, especially the last, can dampen our travel experience and result in ruined plans, unintended expenses and unneeded stress.

Upon returning home, it can take days or weeks to regain some semblance of balance to regular bowel programs. As a nutritionist, I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to prevent potential bowel issues, keep things moving manageably, decrease stress, avoid excessive weight gain and maintain energy levels without sacrificing the ability to enjoy local fare.

By following a few easy steps, planning, and being mindful, you can immerse yourself in new culinary adventures, savoring unique foods and flavors without worry. Bon voyage and bon appetite!

Bowel Basics

First, no matter your destination, stick to your regular bowel-management routine as much as possible. Bowels love routine, but if you suddenly adopt a Mediterranean lifestyle and start eating dinner close to midnight, sleep in, and switch your routine from morning to midday, your bowels might go rogue.

Next, plan ahead. Any vacation involves planning. You’ve put considerable time, effort and money into organizing your vacation, so put the same energy into planning for your bowel program. For example, if it’s been your dream to scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef, book your dive on a nonbowel-routine day to avoid possible mishaps in your wetsuit. Planning also includes ensuring you’ve packed all of your bowel supplies and medications. This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you get caught up with packing spare tires, inner tube patches and adaptive equipment — plus booking accessible hotels and trying to sort out transportation — these necessities can easily be forgotten. Once you discover that you’ve left your laxatives at home, you’ll be scrambling to find the nearest pharmacy, which may not carry your same brand or dosage. This can lead to intestinal irregularities or accidents. This is not the way you want to start or spend your trip.

Similarly, if you rely on nutritional supplements to help answer nature’s call, take them along with you. Just like with bowel medications, different destinations will not necessarily have the same products, strains or dosages, and changing these up can lead to undesirable effects. I recently drove to Key West for five weeks and made sure to pack my regular fish oils, probiotics and hemp seeds — and below I explain why these three are my must-haves when traveling. When we arrived, my friends laughed at my stock of health goods, but within two days they were feeling “vacation constipation” and reaching for my hemp seeds to mix into their smoothies.

Vacation Constipation

Vacation constipation can become an issue for any traveler, regardless of age or disability. It can occur for any number of reasons, such as changes in altitude, schedule, diet and stress levels — and travel-related stress can be enormous for users of mobility devices due to the risks for devices getting damaged or lost, and resulting loss of function, independence and well-being. If you haven’t had a bowel movement for three or more days, consider yourself constipated. Here are some ways to prevent and/or relieve it.

Stay Hydrated: Dehydration slows the movement of waste through our intestines and contributes to hardened stool. Many people with mobility impairments, me included, intentionally dehydrate themselves prior to and during flights because of the challenges of accessing tiny onboard washrooms. Add in flying altitude, and you have a perfect recipe for vacation constipation before your trip has even begun. Some people also dehydrate over the duration of their holidays because of limited or nonexistent accessible washrooms. To combat the risk of dehydration:

• Drink at least 2 liters per day leading up to the day of your flight.
• Drink 500 milliliters of water as soon as you land.
• If you day-dehydrate during your trip, drink 16 ounces or 2 cups upon waking and do a preventative pee before leaving your accommodation for the day. When you get back, drink another 50 ounces over the course of the evening.
• Search online for major hotels or fast-food restaurants close to where you’ll be going for the day. These facilities usually have accessible washrooms so you won’t have to parch yourself.
• In warmer climates, keep a water bottle handy while exploring. Consider drinking coconut water, which replenishes electrolytes lost when sweating.

Maintain Fiber Intake: When it comes to keeping your bowels on track, fiber is your friend. Fiber is critical to proper functioning of the large intestines and can help prevent or reverse constipation. It provides roughage that passes through the digestive tract relatively unchanged while simultaneously softening stool, which promotes regularity. When traveling, we’re often tempted by new varieties of refined carbohydrate-rich foods and tend to eat more of them than we normally would at home. Think pastries, naan, baguettes, croissants, cakes, bagels and pasta. While delicious, these high-carb items are low in fiber.

Enjoy these foods, but don’t go overboard with your consumption. Have a couple bites of the baguette instead of the whole thing. Share that Danish with your friend. Then balance your intake with fiber-rich foods. The bonus is that fiber will also help balance your blood sugar levels to sustain your energy so you can partake in all your planned activities, and it’s beneficial for weight management as you’re eating those carbs. Here are some easy tips to increase fiber intake throughout the day:

• Add hemp, ground flax or chia seeds to your breakfast smoothie or yogurt. If I’m going out for breakfast or staying in a hotel, I take along a Ziploc bag of hemp hearts. Just 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts provides 3 grams of fiber. People with spinal cord injuries should shoot for 19 grams per day.
• If staying in an Airbnb, stock your fridge with hummus and baby carrots and pack high-fiber travel snacks to eat throughout the day.
• Make sure you have some vegetables every day. Keep it simple and have a salad for lunch and a side dish of vegetables with dinner.
• When trying local breads and pasta, incorporate whole grain versions if they have them.

Take Probiotics: A healthy balance of good bacteria in the intestines can enhance peristalsis and help prevent constipation. Not only will the following fermented foods help maintain regular bowel function, but they will also enhance your overall immunity:

• Eat yogurt or kefir for breakfast several times a week.
• Order sauerkraut as a side dish or to load on your bratwurst sausage.
• Take a daily probiotic supplement, preferably one that contains 8 billion to 15 billion microorganisms and has at least five different bacterial strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria.
• To help ward off altitude-induced constipation and potential stomach upset from unfamiliar bacteria, two to three days before I leave on vacation, I double up on my daily probiotics.

Take Omega-3 Fish Oils: Fish oils can help alleviate constipation. These healthy fats help to lubricate the intestines and soften stool. Take one to two 1,000-milligram capsules to help prevent or manage constipation. As with any supplements, always consult with your health care provider first.

Keep Moving: Holidays are a time when we tend to throw our regular exercise routines out the window. It’s also challenging to keep active when you’re stuck on a plane or sitting in a car on a long road trip. However, physical activity and movement not only help to burn off calories, but they also play a crucial role in maintaining regular bowel function. Make it a routine to:

• Take daily, leisurely wheels along the boardwalk and exploring the surrounding streets. These are relaxing ways to keep moving without feeling forced into a monotonous workout routine.
• If you’re able and so inclined, rent a handcycle or go swimming.

Traveler’s Diarrhea

You’re now equipped to keep things flowing, but what to do if they don’t stop flowing? Traveler’s diarrhea from the introduction of new dishes and/or unfamiliar bacteria from foods and drinks can wreak havoc on your travel plans. Here are some strategies to help prevent and manage this digestive dilemma.

Drink Alcohol in Moderation and Avoid Foods High in Processed or Saturated Fats: Vacations are meant to be fun, but introducing or overindulging in ice cream, candy, chips, alcohol and greasy fast foods is known to cause the scoots. The extra fat in a lot of these foods breaks down in the colon, causing the release of extra fluids, which will suddenly have you propelling your chair at speeds you never thought possible. Be hyperaware of what and how much you’re eating and drinking. Ask yourself if that extra order of deep-fried shrimp is really worth it.

Know and Listen to Your Body: Part of the travel experience is trying new foods, but if you’re lactose intolerant at home, you’re still lactose intolerant in Rome. Skip the gelato.

Increase Soluble Fiber: You read that right. Fiber acts as a regulator of bowel movements, regardless of whether you are suffering from constipation or diarrhea. For diarrhea, soluble fiber can help absorb excess water, leading to better-formed stools. Fiber also helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome, providing nourishment to beneficial bacteria, which improves digestion.

• Eat oats for breakfast.
• Snack on apples and sunflower seeds.
• Include legume and lentil dishes in your regular meals — they’re loaded with soluble fiber.
• Increase these fiber-rich foods gradually.

Eat Foods That Bind: If you’ve been spending more time sitting in the lavatory than the lounge chair, then bananas, white bread, eggs and applesauce can help bind.