I have truly had it with the phenomenon of constipation induced by/associated with traveling. It is nonsensical but a significant butt-pain that is a detriment to vacation fun.
Why does this happen? Here are the opinions of a self-styled “forensic nutritionist”, who blames numerous factors (including something termed “latent constipation”), most of which convince me that he’s nuts.
There is even, god help us, a website devoted to vacation constipation.
I look back on the most recent episode in the light of continued evidence that, in my usual routine I am a most regular guy. I do little that is different on trips. Activity level (apart from maybe 2-3 hours on a plane) is similar. I eat and drink much the same stuff. Time zone - unchanged. What the hell is going on, or rather not going on?
I have a friend that this happens to. All I can say is that it must really suck and I have a lot of sympathy.
I am OK when traveling though since I tend to consume more alcohol and more caffeine when I travel I always carry Immodium AD. It’s a very mild and easily correctable problem though.
I just thought of something - one difference between normal routine and traveling is that I listen to a lot of music on the Ipod during my uh, regular work day, but not on trips.
Should I create a Smart Playlist for trips? All I can think of to include are (in addition to “Constipation Blues”), “Move On Down The Line” and maybe the greatest hits of the Electric Prunes. :dubious:
My theory is dehydration. You may think you’re eating and drinking normally, but with travel you get off your routine without realizing it. Also, time spent in cars or other modes of transport means decreased activity … and may also mean you’re drying out more than you realize with heaters blowing on you.
For me, the issue is that I usually don’t eat enough fruit or vegetables while on vacation. For example, a couple of months ago we went to Disney World. We stayed in a nearby hotel that provided a “continental breakfast,” consisting of toast, muffins, waffles and oatmeal. No fruit. Then of course, we had dinner at the park every day - pizza, fried chicken, hamburgers etc. with no vegetables unless you count french fries.
In an attempt to prevent any plumbing issues I had packed a bag of prunes (I actually do like them). I also stopped at store near the hotel and bought a bunch of apples and bananas so I could keep some in my purse to eat at the park. It helped somewhat, but not enough. So I ended up doing what I do on every single vacation: taking Fiber-Con pills.
The travel itself can be the problem. Long plane rides, long stretches of sitting in the car, all that SITTING sorta shuts the guts down.
This also explains the problem of ahem gas after a long day of travel. You stretch out on the bed, and BLOOEY! You’ve been sitting all day, those folds of intestine have been kinked on top of each other, and everything inside has come to a grinding halt. Once you uncurl your body and lay flat out on the bed, the gas pockets perk up, move onward, and there ya have it!
People tend to hold off on drinking a lot of water while traveling by car or plane. Stumbling over seatmates to go tinkle often is a hassle. And when driving by car, you don’t want to stop at every fire plug and tree, you want to hurry up and get to your destination. Healthy guts need water to (wait for it) smooth things along.
Another vote for dehydration. When I’m at home, I have water available virtually wherever I am, even in the car. When traveling, I always carry bottled water around with me, but tend to drink it less frequently. Plus, I tend to perspire more when traveling, due to hours of walking or hiking each day. I also don’t eat as much fresh fruit or veggies when I travel.
I think that dehydration does have something to do with it, but I think that most of the problem is indeed lack of fiber. Even if you eat at a restaurant that’s not fast food, usually the default veggies are salad and baked or fried potatoes. These provide SOME fiber, but not really enough, especially if you ate fast food for lunch.
Prunes are actually pretty darned tasty, they keep well, and they will satisfy the blue/purple food group if you eat the rainbow. Apples and bananas are good, except that they have a tendency to get bruised. And I have to put in a good word for the Metamucil fiber wafers, though you do have to make sure to drink enough water when you eat them.
I always put it down to stress. Not necessarily negative stress, but even having a good time on vacation is a stressful event for the mind/body. I also eat a lot less when I’m on vacation (I don’t feel as hungry as usual when I’m not bored), so there’s less to excrete out anyway.