The Must-Have Essential Travel Product

As much as I love traveling, I have to confess that leaving home, even for a simple domestic trip, always impacts my digestion and stomach— and not in a good way to say the least.

I feel bloated, stuffed and generally uncomfortable- come international trips where jet lag is involved, forget it. I’m a mess the entire time I’m away.

Enter Bloat by Arrae, the product that has literally turned my travel life around around.

Co-founded by Siff Haider and her husband Nish Samantray in 2020, it’s a supplement loaded with natural ingredients such as ginger, dandelion root extract and lemon balm. I have irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that has me limit diet to avoid gut inflammatory foods, so my stomach is sensitive to begin with, but Bloat has been a miracle in giving me some relief. I feel lighter when I’m on the road and so much better overall.

Thanks to Arrae, I no longer dread getting on a plane and going anywhere in the world for fear of how my stomach will fare.

I spoke with Siff recently about how travel changes your digestion and her inspiration for starting her company. Excerpts from our interview follow.

What inspired you to start Arrae?

I’m someone who turned to holistic remedies out of desperation. When I saw the profound change it made in my life, I wanted to create a brand that would make natural wellness exciting for consumers. My husband (and co-founder) and I had noticed a huge white space in the wellness industry compared to skincare. As a skincare consumer, I was able to buy high-quality, targeted, beautifully packaged products for whatever skin concern I had – hyperpigmentation, dark circles, you name it. We wanted to bring the same experience to the supplement space which historically felt sterile, confusing, and very ugly. The solution was Arrae – 100% targeted supplements, formulated by Naturopathic Doctors, and really beautiful so consumers would feel excited to use the products.

Speaking from personal experience, I know that travel can wreak havoc on your digestive system. Why and how does this happen?

Travel typically involves a huge change to our routine – it could mean a trip on a plane, irregular eating times, and different time zones. There are so many factors, and the body is really thrown for a loop. When our body goes into fight or flight, digestion is one of the first things to get disrupted. Essentially during travel, our body is trying to adjust to a number of different factors which makes digestion a little harder.

What can we do to make travel a better experience for our stomachs?

Minimizing difficult to digest foods on flights is helpful, making sure we’re well-hydrated through the use of electrolytes, taking a probiotic, getting in some movement in our new location, and taking our Bloat Capsules all help. If going to a different time zone, it’s also helpful to eat according to the time zone you’re in vs. your old time zone as it helps the body adjust more quickly.

How much are you on the road for work, and how do you combat the stress of travel?

Typically we’re on a flight almost every month. I do everything above – I try to fast on flights to make it a little easier on my stomach as digestion is inherently harder while flying. If it’s a longer flight, and fasting isn’t an option, I eat easier to digest foods and take Bloat Capsules and electrolytes while on the plane. I stay away from processed foods on flights because they tend to make my stomach hurt. I also don’t drink alcohol on flights. When I arrive at my destination, I ensure I’m well hydrated and try to develop a routine that somewhat mimics my routine at home.

If travel is for work versus vacation, how do you approach your diet?

I’m someone who tends to gravitate towards nutrient-dense foods and loves vegetables. However, whether it’s for work or vacation, my approach to food is always 80/20. I will order vegetables and a protein at every meal, and eat those first before moving out to something a little more indulgent like pizza or pasta or whatever that may be. My one big rule is that I always start the day with a savoury breakfast to avoid any blood glucose spikes which is what leads to a hunger rollercoaster, and the tendency to make less than ideal food choices. My overall rule is that I never restrict, but rather, see food as something that nourishes both my body and soul, which means balance.

What’s your eating strategy for vacations? Is it possible to indulge food-wise without having negative consequences to your stomach?

Here are a few things I always do:

1. Savoury breakfast every single day. Even if I’m in Europe and want a croissant, I’ll make sure I eat something savoury – either eggs or veggies – before eating the croissant.

2. Order veggies & protein at every meal.

3. Enjoy dessert after a meal – I try to avoid something sweet on an empty stomach as it causes a blood glucose spike.

4. Bloat Capsules and Probiotics go with me everywhere.

I think it’s possible to minimize negative consequences by doing the above!