Travel Tips To Minimize Flares

One of the biggest concerns or worries I hear from people when it comes to eating an autoimmune friendly diet for pain and fatigue are concerns around travelling ... "How can I do this when on vacation?" or more commonly, they believe they will fail if they even try. 

When it's your first time, I totally understand how un-nerving or restrictive this can feel. I remember travelling the first few times after the celiac diagnosis or worried my daughter was going to have a flare after walking all day in Italy.

But we were okay and you will be too.

I mean if you decide you want to have an extravagant meal, then go enjoy it and move on. That's called living a beautiful life and being an adult who can make decisions about what she puts into her body.

However, eating that way (or more accurately, not paying attention to by food plan) for 7 or 14 days in a row can be a recipe for disaster (flares and discomfort), which no one wants when travelling, especially if you're active. In my case, my sleep quality is terrible when I don't stick to the foods I know I do best with. My feet will swell, it hurts to walk, and I'll get lower back pain. I also tend to bloat (looking pregnant when my youngest is 19), have bathroom problems and get pretty irritable. 

This means a version of me who is no fun to travel with and it's also not how I want to spend my vacation (tired, sore, bloated and grumpy). 

In my case, I have a severe allergy to hazelnuts, dairy isn't always nice to me, and I've been 100% gluten free since 2018 when both my daughter and I were diagnosed with the celiac gene and our rheumatologists advised us to proceed with the diagnosis. For me, there isn't a lot of wiggle room AND I can still eat like a queen and want for nothing.

This week, I'm away in France (the land of croissants, baguettes, cheese and butter) with my besties from highschool, celebrating some milestone birthdays. 

Having lived in France and travelled quite a bit, I can say with 100% confidence that France is probably one of the LEAST autoimmune-food friendly, food sensitivity or food allergen friendly countries in the world. When you mention "allergy" or whatever food accommodation you need, the waiters will crinkle their noses and put on a fake smile while the hair sticks up on their backs (or at least that's my experience).

The destination was picked on purpose as one of our group lives in the south, full time. Her and I went to work in our early 20s (avoiding "real life") and she never came home. I've been back multiple times, and with this blog, you get the benefit of my years of travelling and workarounds in a culture that's not very accommodating to food issues.

Here's how I stick to my diet when travelling with girlfriends who want to stop and drink champagne and rose at every corner, surrounded by baguettes, croissants, butter and cheese.

Planes and Trains (Toronto > Paris > South Of France): 

Most airports and airplanes (even Air France) offer gluten free and specialty items (you can pre-select for transatlantic/transpacific flights). I find that gluten free meals on the plane are typically chicken, rice and 2 pieces of broccoli, loaded with cheese and cream. I don't do well with that, so I will:

• Have a really good meal at a proper airport restaurant before I board (think steak or chicken and vegetables). Most airports have an app you can use to check out allergies to find what works for you. 
• I'll pick up vegetables and fruit from the airport grab-and-go kiosks to round out the "plane" meals, or grab a big hearty salad that others will look at with envy as they're served their noodle cup. I also pack protein bars and nuts/seeds on me, if it's a really long flight.

On the plane, I don't wear compression socks, but many of my clients and family members do because they find they help. Instead, I'm the annoying person who gets up and walks around. I'll stretch and do mini twists. I personally don't care what others think ... I paid for my ticket, just like they did.

I also drink at least 1.5L of water with vitamin C travel packs while on the plane (not as much for a four hour flight). Dehydration will increase fatigue and pain. Sometimes it means I have to pop into the ladies room when we land (before customs), but sooo worth it.

Once in Europe, getting around by train is the norm. It's my experience that train stations (in any city I've visited) are terrible for food choices, and the "restaurants" on board typically only serve tuna or ham sandwiches, cookies and coffee.

This means I need a similar strategy as the airplane and will have a proper meal before boarding a plane. Sometimes, you can preorder a meal to go from the hotel or a local restaurant, which can be helpful if it's a long trip or overnight fare.

Big City Food Adventures

I live and breathe by the "Find Me Gluten Free" app when travelling to different cities in my home country and abroad. Users provide ratings and celiac-friendly establishments are highlighted. It has served me well in New York, LA, London, Paris, Rome, Florence and even small towns.

When eating out wherever I travel, I usually go simple and rarely share with others, unless it's my sister who follows the same food plan I do.

In Paris, I'll be sticking to omelettes for breakfast and steak, mussels and salads (Nicoise) for lunch and dinner, which you can get at pretty much any restaurant on any corner. There are also some amazing "foodie" places like Dessance (Michelin star) that offer gourmet gluten free tasting menus when reserved in advance. It was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life (french/south american fusion)!

I'll also be heading into little grocery stores for some snacks (nuts, seeds, meat counter) when my girlfriends head to the crepe truck. Lucky for me, one of my friends on this trip is also gluten free (she also has an autoimmune and going gluten free has helped her joints and hormones substantially), so this may be the one of the very few times where I share meals! The two of us will definitely be heading to a gluten free bakery or two (there are many more now than when I was there last in 2019).

Ice cream? No thank you. I'll grab a sorbet instead.

Big City Down Time

The key to navigating time changes (and the negative impact on the body) is to get climatized to the new time zone as quickly as possible. If I'm arriving in the morning and running on a terrible sleep from the plane, I don't take any chances. I'll often book a hotel or AirBnB for the night before so I can walk straight in and have a two-hour nap. That extra cost means I'm able to get up, have a shower and feel refreshed, and be able to head to bed at a good hour, on local time. Sleep deprivation is a major trigger for inflammation and flares. When travelling so far, this extra night's stay is worth its weight in gold.

All the walking on concrete, dodging the hoards of people and standing in galleries can be hard on the lower legs and back. I personally love the subway or (if you're short on time for seeing things) the hop on/off bus to see a new city (you can walk or ride as much as you like).

I seek out parks for a quiet moment, taking in the sights, sounds and people. It's a good way to get rid of some of the frenetic energy of the tourists and chaos of major cities and attractions.

Back at the hotel, I always put my legs up the wall or on a chair to help with fatigue, lymph flow and my nervous system. It's a powerful restorative pose you can do anytime, any place.

I've also packed favourite Kalaya cream (has arnica and camphor), bands for stretching and Dr Ho's (just in case). When in France, I'll also be looking for some Traumeel at their pharmacies. French doctors are trained in homeopathics and the pharmacy will have lots of natural and traditional medicines. Traumeel is a wonderful homeopathic (oral and cream) that we can no longer get in North America. I've used it for years with broken  bones, bruises and other mishaps for myself and my kids (skiing). Even with my daughter's first flare - it was soooo helpful in managing pain. Unfortunately, they pulled out of Canada and the US years ago and it's too bad because it's a great, effective product. Beware of the amazon products (they're not sold in the US or Canada anymore). It may be a scam.

Rent A Home And Stay In Rhythm (En Provence)

I much prefer Air BnB when travelling versus a hotel because I can control what I eat and when. We do this yearly in Mexico, and have done so for the majority of our family trips since my daughter's autoimmune diagnosis.  It's actually less expensive and everyone prefers it because there are spaces to hang out, unwind and truly decompress versus a small, cramped hotel room where you pay $20 for a bottle of water and plate of french fries.

For the rental, I'm packing protein powder and chia seeds for smoothies and high-protein breakfast puddings, and a 1lb bag of almond flour so I can make bread while there (weird, but I enjoy it and saves a trip having to find a bun or something when I want it). Any additional speciality items can easily be ordered online in advance, but really, those three items are all I need, so I just bring them with me.

Renting is definitely how you're able to sink into the culture and truly enjoy the beauty of the country, living like locals.

Fruit and vegetables are grabbed at the market and we'll tag on a sight seeing event with it. For example, we are going to Arles market (one of the biggest in the south of France) where there is also a colosseum/ampitheatre commissioned shortly after the one in Rome was complete (I want to say it was Caesar's grandson, but I could be wrong).

Meat, cheese will be grabbed at specialty shops as needed, and yes, we will also be going to the regular grocery store for water, staples and other things for poolside (rose will absolutely be involved as it is the premier region of the world!).

I also prefer eating at restaurants for lunch versus dinner. It's an easy add-on to site seeing and with a long, leisurely lunch, provides the opportunity to rest (important).  I use the same meal-choosing formula that I use at the airport and in big cities (simple protein and veg, no sauces), which makes it easy for me and those I'm travelling with. When back at the rental, food is always light, easy and fun to cook with friends: salads, fish dishes, chicken ... making use of what is in season, local and available.

Downtime at the rental looks like reading, cards, dice games (right, left, centre), floating in the pool, and doing a little mobility yoga and lymph drainage (all that walking) with classes from our membership (Integrative Autoimmune Membership). And lots of legs up the wall ... the best pose ever.

Conclusion: 

• Eat before getting on the plane or train, and pack protein or fibre-packed snacks.
• Naps help make you (and the world) a better place.
• Plan meals in advance or use the Find Me Glute Free app to help you make choices.
• Take breaks in parks to decompress from the city chaos, and put your legs up the wall when at your hotel or home.
• Stick to your routine as much as possible, AND you can still indulge in some speciality meals.

I hope you found this helpful. If you like this blog (or want others), let me know and I'll consider it).

Bisous!