7 Ways to Recover from Accidental Gluten Exposure While Traveling
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Please consult your dietician or healthcare professional for any medical advice. This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. XO, Zoë
Traveling can put you at risk of accidental gluten exposure. When you travel, you’re interacting with different cultures and airlines that may not always respect or understand the concept of celiac disease or gluten cross-contamination. Even the tiniest speck of gluten or gluten-cross contamination makes me very ill as a celiac. It’s a combination of pain and other uncomfortable symptoms that are never fun to deal with, especially while traveling.
Unfortunately, accidentally eating gluten or being cross-contaminated sometimes happens. It can put a wrench in your travel plans if you’re least expecting it, so it’s vital to prepare a strategy just in case. From my experience, I’m sharing my best tips to recover from accidental gluten exposure while traveling.
While it’s impossible to reverse the damage done by eating gluten as a celiac, there are ways to alleviate pain and start your road to recovery sooner. I always travel with an arsenal of products and supplements that help to ease my symptoms and restore my digestion quicker. I am NOT SPONSORED by any of these products – they’re simply what I genuinely use and stand behind.
Let me know in the comments what you do when you accidentally eat gluten. Sharing your personal experiences is a great way to build community on the site, and I would love to know what you do to overcome gluten exposure!
7 Ways to Recover from Accidental Gluten Exposure While Traveling: Overview
- Digestive Enzymes
- Pro-Kinetic (like Iberogast)
- Ginger Tea
- L-Glutamine
- Eat a banana
- Multi-vitamins
- Hot Shower, Water, and Sleep
First, the good news:
Some cultures are extremely accepting and vigilant of the celiac community and gluten exposure. Europe is highly cautious. The EU has strict gluten guidelines when it comes to labeling food as gluten-free. In the EU and UK, a food can only be labeled gluten-free if it contains 20 parts per million (ppm) or less of gluten. I also find that food is much higher-quality in Europe than what I’m used to in America. I’ve never been sick from gluten in Europe before, and most supermarkets across Europe and the UK always carry labeled gluten-free products.
Here’s an example: In Italy, (ironically, the land of pasta and pizza), I always mention I have a gluten allergy right at the start of the meal. Waiters immediately replace my plate and silverware with a new set and move the bread away from my plate. If only America took Celiac disease that seriously!
Eating gluten-free while traveling is entirely possible (and even exciting to try new gluten-free foods). However, accidental gluten exposure can happen. Here are my tips to recover from accidental gluten exposure faster:
Tip 1: Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes are the first thing I take to recover after accidentally eating gluten while traveling. Digestive enzymes contain an enzyme blend supporting your body’s digestion of protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, and dairy. While it’s not going to reverse the gluten you’ve already eaten, it can help your body digest other meals. I also find that it helps to alleviate any bloating that may have been caused by gluten ingestion.
I am partial to Digestive Enzymes Ultra by Pure Encapsulations. I will reiterate that no, I am NOT SPONSORED by this product or any other products mentioned here…I am merely relaying my personal experience and tried and tested products that help me recover from accidentally eating gluten.
Digestive Enzymes Ultra contain a blend of amylase, protease, glucomylase, lactase, lipase, beta-glucanese, invertase, cellulase, alpha-galactosidase, phytase, and hemicellulase. It is a vegetarian and non-GMO blend (and is gluten-free, duh!)
After accidentally eating gluten, I take two Digestive Enzyme tablets immediately. I continue taking 2 tablets with every meal for the next few days until my body regains normal digestion.
While traveling, I recommend putting digestive enzymes, vitamins, and other supplements in a small bag or pouch that you can stick in your bag or pocket and take with you during a day of sightseeing.
Tip 2: Prokinetic (like Iberogast)
A prokinetic is a substance that promotes intestinal motility and helps the contents of the stomach empty faster. In other words, a prokinetic helps your digestion move quicker. This can be especially helpful if you find your digestion has slowed after accidentally eating gluten.
I use Iberogast. It is a liquid that contains 9 herbs to soothe the stomach and relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, like bloating and constipation. I’m so sorry, this is not a glamorous article to write.
Iberogast contains a blend of herbs including licorice root, lemon balm, peppermint, angelica root, celandine, bitter candytuft, and chamomile flower. Mix 20 drops of Iberogast with water and drink immediately after accidentally eating gluten.
I find Iberogast to be one of the most effective methods of recovering after accidentally eating gluten. Iberogast comes in a 100 mL bottle, so it is safe to take on airplanes in your carry-on bag!
Tip 3: Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a natural prokinetic that speeds digestion and helps relieve uncomfortable symptoms of accidental gluten exposure like bloating and constipation. If you don’t have Iberogast, ginger tea is your next best bet!
You’re probably thinking – how am I going to get my hands on ginger tea while I’m traveling in a completely new country? Valid question! I always pack instant packets of ginger tea with me in my carry-on bag. They are safe to take through airport security and have never been confiscated. These little packets are quite handy and small enough to pack in your pocket during the day.
There are a few ways you can make your on-the-go ginger tea.
Option 1: Mix a packet of instant ginger tea with water in your water bottle. Shake well, and drink up!
Option 2: If you’re in the USA or Europe, go to any cafe or coffee shop and request a cup of hot water. Mix the ginger tea packet with the hot water and drink!
Tip 4: L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is the primary fuel for cells of the small intestine. It helps limit the release of secretory IgA (a marker of inflammation) to prevent the attachment of bacteria to mucosal cells.
L-Glutamine has been shown in research studies to be an effective method of healing leaky gut and intestinal permeability. After accidentally eating gluten, cells in the small intestine are attacked. L-Glutamine can help heal the lining of the small intestine and prevent the onset of leaky gut. I always take 3-5 grams of L-Glutamine to recover after accidentally eating gluten. I also find that L-Glutamine helps reduce my pain.
I use L-Glutamine Powder from Klaire Labs. This is also TSA and airplane safe, so you can store it in your carry-on bag while traveling. Let me warn you, TSA may question what your L-Glutamine powder is. Take L-Glutamine powder out of your bag and place it directly into the tray when you are going through security. Or else, TSA may stop your luggage and do a quick swab of the L-Glutamine container. For TSA officers, L-Glutamine is an unknown white powder that might be something else… so just prepare for your bag to be checked.
To take L-Glutamine, mix a scoop with water and drink up! I can’t carry an entire tub of L-Glutamine with me during a day of sightseeing, so I keep it safe in my luggage and have a scoop at night before bed.
If you try L-Glutamine, let me know in the comments below if it helps!
Tip 5: Eat a banana
Bananas are a nutrient powerhouse in a small package. They contain vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin B6. Vitamin C helps restore your immune system after accidental gluten exposure. Magnesium helps repair DNA and promotes sleep, due to its role in boosting the nervous system. Potassium is an electrolyte that regulates muscle movement and fluid balance.
For these reasons, both magnesium and potassium are key nutrients that can help manage symptoms of accidental gluten exposure.
I also find that eating a banana soothes my stomach and helps reduce some of my pain (or maybe it’s just placebo, but hey, I’ll do anything sometimes!) Bananas are available in grocery stores across most countries around the world, so they’re easy to find. Bananas are also a portable snack option good for a day of busy sightseeing. To recover quicker after accidentally eating gluten while traveling, stop at a grocery store and grab a banana.
Tip 6: Multi-vitamins
The small intestine is designed to help our body absorb nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from our food. The lining of the small intestine is comprised of villi. Villi are small, hair-like structures that absorb nutrients from our food, once the food is digested and broken down by our stomach.
Gluten proteins attack and destroy the villi in our small intestine, hindering our ability to absorb key nutrients. Yikes. No wonder I felt terrible and had a million vitamin and mineral deficiencies before I was diagnosed with Celiac!
After accidentally eating gluten, it’s important to pump your body with vitamins. I take a multivitamin tablet from Freeda. Like with the digestive enzymes, I typically take a couple of vitamins in a small pouch and add it to my purse, so I can take my vitamins on-the-go.
Tip 7: Hot Shower, Water, and Sleep
I saved this tip for last because it goes without saying. We all know that water and sleep are essential to our health. Drink plenty of water to speed up your body’s process of getting rid of toxins and waste. A good rule of thumb is to drink 0.5 – 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
Sleep is our body’s primary way of recovery. Any healing your body will undergo after accidentally eating gluten occurs in Stage 3 of sleep, also known as “deep sleep.” During this phase, the body repairs muscles and cells that have been damaged or under stress.
I find it difficult to sleep after accidentally eating gluten, because I’m often in pain. That’s why following my preceding six tips will help you heal, manage pain, and sleep better after accidental gluten exposure!
I also find it helpful to take a hot shower. The hot water helps soothe my pain and relax my body, so that I can recover faster. There’s probably a lack of science supporting this tip, but if it helps me, I hope it may help you, too!
I hope this article was helpful! I’m always willing to share my tips on how to recover from accidentally eating gluten while traveling. If you try any of my tips, let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear from you.
