If you love the feeling of stepping off the plane lighter, clearer and ready to slip into swimwear, a simple two-week mini health reset before you travel can make all the difference. No fads or punishment workouts- just a clean Mediterranean-style plan, gentle movement, and a few smart travel tweaks to reduce bloating, steady energy and help your skin glow.

The Food Plan: Clean Mediterranean, High Protein, Low Processed Carbs

For the next 14 days, think Mediterranean reset – fresh produce, lean proteins, quality fats – tailored to be easy to digest, clean, and anti-inflammatory. You’ll naturally cut water-retaining, bloat-triggering foods and keep digestion calm. On travel day, these habits will translate into less “jet-bloat,” easier digestion, better hydration, and water retention! All lining up for a brilliant holiday!

Nutrition: how to build each plate

Protein first (palm-size): eggs, chicken, turkey, fish/seafood, lean lamb/beef, tofu/tempeh, legumes (if they sit well).

Colourful veg (½ plate): leafy greens, cucumber, tomato, zucchini, capsicum, fennel, herbs. Many people find that roasted vegetables are easier to digest than raw. 

Low-processed carbs (fist-size): roasted potatoes, pumpkin, quinoa, brown rice, black rice. 

Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, salmon, avocado, olives, nuts/seeds (eat nut butters if you find bloating from nuts). Drizzle olive oil over your cooked meals. 

What to crowd out

• Refined/ultra-processed carbs (biscuits, pastries, chips, lollies).
• Dairy and gluten during the reset window (both can be bloat-triggers for some).
• Highly fried foods
• Sugar and sauces with hidden sugars; switch to olive oil, lemon, herbs, tahini.

Simple day-on-a-plate 

Breakfast: Smoothie, omelette with spinach & herbs + side of berries; or coconut-yoghurt chia pot with berries, chia, toasted almonds.

Lunch: Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, served with quinoa and herbed mayo.

Snack: Handful of nuts or nut butters, DF dips, DF yogurt with berries, smoothies, plant-based protein balls. 

Dinner: Salmon with broccolini & lemon-tahini drizzle; or tofu tray-bake with capsicum, zucchini, fennel & olives over brown rice.

Tips for bloating

• Chew slowly, slow mindful eating
• Avoid big late-night meals (no later than 6.30pm)
• Don’t eat when rushed or stressed
• Go for a 10–15 minute walk after eating in the warmer months
• Consider a peppermint tea or ginger after meals
• Key foods that bloat: legumes, FODMAPS foods such as onions, garlic, lentils, chickpeas, raw foods.

Hydration, Coffee & Alcohol

Water: 1.5-2L/day in the lead-up; consider adding a pinch of electrolytes for hydration. Pre-flight hydration is key. 

Coffee: keep to 1 cup in the morning (skip afternoon caffeine for better sleep/less bloat).

Alcohol: minimise over the fortnight prior to travel. If you do drink, alternate with water and keep it to 1–2 nights total.

Movement: Restorative exercise over HIIT

We want circulation up, cortisol down. Swap high intensity exercise for slower, restorative exercise such as pilates, weights, yoga, walking. HIT can cause cortisol to spike. 

Sleep & Body-Clock Prep

Fix a regular bedtime/wake time – prioritise sleep and early nights.

Morning sunlight within 30–60 minutes of waking to help balance your circadian rhythm.

Pack a tiny travel-health kit (carry-on)

Your regular meds, electrolytes, simple pain relief, motion-sickness option (if needed), multivitamin, magnesium, vitamin C, natural sleep support, natural stress support, probiotics. 

Protein bar you trust (blue dinosaur is low sugar), plain nuts, rice cakes or GF crackers, protein balls, dark chocolate!

Buy a large water bottle after security (or carry an empty to fill)

Hand creams, eye creams, moisturisers, face mist, eye mask, makeup remover, and most importantly, lip balm. 

Want to Go Deeper? A Microbiome-Level Gut Reset

If bloating, unpredictable digestion, or skin flare-ups tend to derail your trips, a consult with The Naturopathic Co. can help you reset your gut and microbiome before you travel. Getting holiday-ready from the inside out starts with mapping your symptoms and food sensitivities (we can even use microbiome testing to understand what’s inside your gut). Then we build a practical mini reset: Mediterranean-style meals, gentle tweaks to meal timing and fibre, targeted probiotics or custom herbal medicine in line with what your body needs. A deeper gut reset means less bloating, better digestion, weight loss, and better energy – before you board and when you land. If you’d like help with a pre-travel nutrition plan or if you need a deeper gut reset, contact The Naturopathic Co. Australia-wide and online.