Does food anxiety follow you on holiday?

I’ve been fortunate enough already this year to spend time on a yoga retreat in Sri Lanka - and what an incredible experience it was. I have to thank the wonderful Dee Stockman at Space Yoga, and the truly inspirational tribe of women who shared the experience alongside me.

If you are ever able to invest in one of Dee’s retreats – or whatever floats your boat, whether it’s wellness, hiking, writing, anything - I promise you, you won’t regret it. They are an investment, there’s no doubt about it, but what you receive in return is something very special. 

Everything is thought through in advance. You get a stunning location; beautiful surroundings; incredible food; yoga, of course - but also optional activities, adventures, downtime.
And perhaps best of all… the conversations. Those nourishing chats around the dinner table that remind you that women are extraordinary*. Funny, intelligent, complicated, wise. You arrive with strangers and leave with a sisterhood. 

And all you have to do is get yourself there. 

It’s very special. 

Now… on a more practical note (because, of course), travelling can come with a familiar side effect: a dicky tummy. We’ve all had this at one time or another. 

Whether it’s constipation (very common), a disrupted routine, a change in diet, or in some unfortunate cases food poisoning… digestion can wobble when we travel. That’s normal, and in most cases, it should pass within a couple of days. 

But if it doesn’t? If it doesn’t pass - if you find yourself constantly needing the blandest option, constantly restricting, constantly managing symptoms - that isn’t normal. 

If you have not been formally diagnosed with a digestive condition, and you cannot tolerate changes in food after an initial adjustment period, something more is going on. 

If you are always scanning menus for the “safe” option…
If you’re saying no to meals out because you don’t trust your gut…
If you’re avoiding travel because you fear the consequences…
If you feel anxious every time you eat because of what might happen later… 

That is not “managing your symptoms”. That is your symptoms managing you. 

It’s no way to live. 

Now, to be clear, there are conditions where restrictions absolutely matter - coeliac disease, lactose intolerance, confirmed allergies and others. Those restrictions should be followed. 

But outside of diagnosed conditions like these, we should be able to chop and change our food intake based on environment without ‘paying’ for it. 

We should be able to go somewhere new and, after a potential day or two of adjustment, enjoy local food. 

We shouldn’t have to fear vegetables; or legumes (a classic trigger for many); or spices - and I’m not even talking about fiery heat here, I mean spices in general. 

If you cannot tolerate them, there is usually more going on that can be addressed. 

Which brings me to another thing: the food sensitivity trap.

Many people with reactive digestion - who have had serious conditions ruled out - end up resorting to food sensitivity testing. 

Usually, this comes in the form of an IgG food panel: a test that claims to measure your reaction to 100 or so foods at once. 

The results often come back with a long list of “problem foods” and the advice is typically: remove everything flagged. 

And yes - sometimes, in the short term, people feel better. 

But the science behind these tests is not particularly strong, and in many cases is outdated and doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. 

Because IgG levels can be a normal immune response to exposure to food. In fact, higher IgG4 levels may simply reflect tolerance - an immune system doing exactly what it should be doing. 

So the test result can lead you down a path of unnecessary restriction, and over time that can backfire. Diet becomes more and more limited, digestion becomes more and more sensitive, and mealtimes become miserable. 

And that’s before we even touch on the emotional and practical impact of it all. Because living with a “banned list” is exhausting. Especially when you’re away from home. 

It’s like being held hostage by your digestion.
It turns socialising into stress.
It turns holidays into planning exercises.
It shrinks your world. 

And again… that is no way to live. 

The underlying cause is rarely what’s on your plate 

The cause of digestive symptoms is very rarely the food itself. The food is often just the trigger. 

What we need to do is address what is happening underneath. 

There are many potential contributors, whether you’re on holiday or not: 

• historic or recent antibiotic use 
• stress 
• eating too quickly (bolting food, distracted eating) 
• ageing-related changes, such as reduced stomach acid or digestive enzyme production 
• nutrient deficiencies. Eg, did you know that zinc is necessary in stomach acid production? 
• inflammation 
• intestinal permeability (often referred to as “leaky gut”) 
• overly restricted diets that reduce resilience in the gut 

And sometimes, it isn’t one thing. It’s a combination. 

Which is why the solution is rarely “cut more foods out.” Much better to rebuild digestive function and resilience. 

What does proper support actually look like? 

We start with basics because they matter far more than people might think. We look at lifestyle: 

How well are you sleeping?
How stressed are you?
How varied is your diet?
Are you getting adequate nutrients?
Are you eating in a way that supports digestion - or are you constantly rushing? 

Then we consider what might be driving inflammation in the gut. Because if you’re experiencing ongoing bloating, loose stools, discomfort… chances are there is inflammation present. 

And if we can reduce that inflammation, everything becomes easier. 

There are a number of tools we can use for that. Sometimes supplements can play a role - ideally short term - to support digestion while the gut normalises. But the overall point is this: 

There is so much we can do. 

It doesn’t have to stay like this. 

It doesn’t have to be your normal. 

Because the goal isn’t simply to “cope” with digestion. The goal is to restore confidence & freedom. To get you to a place where you can travel without anxiety; eat the local food without fear; & go out for meals without overthinking.

A couple of days of constipation or loose stools while travelling can be normal.

But long-term restriction and food anxiety is not. 

And a final word from Sri Lanka… 

One of the greatest gifts of the trip has been the reminder of how life-affirming it is to spend time with women. To come together with a common purpose. 

Some arrive as friends, some as strangers, some as passing acquaintances… and all leave with a sense of genuine connection. 

To witness the humour, strength, and brilliance that women bring into every space. It is incredibly enriching. 

And it’s also a reminder that we are not meant to struggle alone. 

Not with life. Not with health. Not with menopause. And certainly not with something as fundamental as digestion. 

If your gut has been running the show for too long, know there is another way forward. 

If you recognise yourself in this - if your digestion feels unpredictable, restrictive, anxiety-provoking, or increasingly difficult to manage - don’t just accept it as “normal”. 

Send me a message and we can have a conversation about what’s going on and what support might look like. There are practical, evidence-based steps we can take to reduce symptoms and rebuild digestive confidence. 

Because your digestion shouldn’t be shrinking your world. And you shouldn’t have to live on the bland option forever. 

*And some blokes are pretty great too!!