Traveling with TUMMY Troubles

by AMY HILL

Traveling can wreak havoc on the digestive system, especially if you’re an anxious or nervous adventurer. Here are a few tips to help soothe your sensitive stomach on a long-haul flight.

Diet Starts Now

To maximize your digestive comfort during flights, it’s important to avoid carbonated beverages for as long as possible leading up to your airport arrival. Avoid sodas and sparkling waters to prevent excess bloating and gas during the flight. When in doubt, an herbal tea or water is the optimal choice to maximize hydration and minimally impact your bowels in a negative way. Increasing your water intake throughout the flight is actually the best option for your skin as well, as planes are notorious for leaving passengers with dry, cracked skin. When it comes to food, sticking to a relatively bland diet plan is a safe bet, as consuming overly greasy or fatty foods ahead of and during the flight can cause unwanted intestinal side effects.

AISLE SEAT, PLEASE

If you’re nervous about mid-air emergencies, it is imperative to book your plane ticket in advance in order to select an aisle seat. Unless you enjoy making an enemy out of your seat-mate for hours, no one wants to repeatedly climb over another passenger each time they need to run to the restroom. Prioritize convenience and comfort over window views to relieve yourself (no pun intended) of the stress of any unexpected urges.

IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

If your nerves are notorious for impacting your digestive system, it’s best to regulate your nervous system and emotions as much as possible before arriving at a stressful, busy airport. Now is not the time to skip that SSRI or take on any extra stress. Get plenty of rest ahead of your flight, maintain your exercise routine until the day you leave, and utilize healthy coping skills and distractions to keep a cool head.

Dress The Part

While some travelers enjoy dressing up for the airport, as airports are prime people-watching locations, uncomfortable jeans and tight clothing are counterproductive when it comes to tummy troubles. Sacrifice fashion for comfort in the short-term by wearing loose-fitting, cozy clothes to sit in for hours on end. Feeling comfortable in your clothes will also help trick your mind into a less stressed mental state, which can only have a positive impact on your digestion. Steer clear of any complicated zippers, buttons or contraptions that can cause last minute interruptions in the event of a bathroom-related emergency.

Plan Ahead

Some stomach issues are unavoidable, which is why it’s best to come prepared. Keep a supply of antacid, anti-diarrheal and motion-sickness medications handy for when worst comes to worst. Packing these medications at home is a much safer bet than hoping to find them at an airport or in a different country, and simply knowing they’re available to you will help ease your mind.

Consult A Physician

If you’ve taken the above steps in the past to no avail, perhaps it’s time to consider talking to your doctor about treatments available or any undiagnosed conditions impacting your quality of life. Life is too short to feel limited by bodily functions.

by LESLIE SPEAS

We are called to love our neighbors, but some people can make it REALLY difficult. Bullies are probably among the most difficult to love. Let’s explore what bullying is. A simple definition is “one who uses superior strength or power to intimidate people.” As further definition, it is harmful, targeted behavior that can happen in the workplace, at church, in the community or in life, in general. You can even be married to or in a close relationship with a bully! I have seen bullying in action more than I’d like to admit over the years. In my years as a Human Resources leader, I have seen (and personally had) some bullying bosses and team members.

Bullying happens a lot with children, but, in this article, we will focus on adult bullies. You would think that adults would be past bullying others, but many did not change their ways after middle and high school. They take their insecurities into their adult lives and pick on others they view as weak and susceptible.

• See the human behind the behavior.

I don’t think that people set out to bully others or cause them pain. In most cases, there is probably some underlying reason that is motivating them to act this way. This may often be a result of their own experience and pain. Maybe they were even bullied, and this is their way of dealing with that.

• Don’t let bullies influence what you think of yourself. Remember that bullying is their issue, not yours. It shouldn’t impact what you think of yourself in any way.

• Address bully behavior early on – before you become a long-term target.

Tell the bully to stop the behavior. You can do this by describing the behavior and sharing how it’s impacting you. It is possible that they may not understand the effect that their behavior is having on you, and this may alter their behavior going forward. If they aren’t receptive, at least you tried!

• Use your body language.

Standing up tall, arms at your side and keeping your nose up can send a message to the bully that you aren’t going to succumb to their behavior.

• Let them know what behavior you will not put up with in the future.

Stand your ground, and let them know if they cross a line. Walk away if you need to!

If bullying is occurring at work, I would suggest first trying to talk with the other person to let them know how their behavior is impacting you. If this doesn’t work, document the bully’s actions, and escalate to management or HR if you need to.

In conclusion, we will all likely come across a bully at some point in our lives. We can let it impact us negatively, or we can try to be the better person and deal with it in an empathetic way while standing our ground by employing some of the tips above.

Triad Area Events in May

May offers a variety of interesting and exciting events for families to experience in and around the Triad. Here are some of the top offerings:

Fundamentals of Digital Photography

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

May 2, 9 & 16, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

$179/$159 for members

This three-part course is being taught by photographer Elizabeth Larson. The goal is to take better photos with your DSLR or mirrorless camera.

School of Filmmaking Fourth-Year Films

UNCSA ACE Main Theatre

May 5, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Free

A screening of undergraduate thesis films created by student crews. These films are the culmination of the students’ four years of study and the official start of their professional careers.

MANÁ: México Lindo Y Querido Tour

Greensboro Coliseum

May 6, 8 p.m.

Tickets $39 and up

Considered to be the most influential Latin rock band in the world, MANÁ continues to transcend generations with their music. MANÁ, which means positive energy in Polynesian, was started by four friends in Guadalajara, Mexico. MANÁ has 133 Certified Gold Albums and has won four Grammy Awards and nine Latin Grammy Awards.

Branford Marsalis, Greensboro Symphony

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

May 11, 8 p.m.

Tickets $35 to $80

The Color Purple: The Musical Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance

May 12-21, 8 p.m.

Tickets $21 and $19

The musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over 40 years forms the arc of this story. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, the performance is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life.

Sleeping Beauty – Triad International Ballet

Carolina Theatre of Greensboro

May 24 at 2 p.m., May 25 at 7 p.m.

Tickets $15 to $35

Truliant

One of the world’s most loved fairytales and most famous ballets comes to life in a performance by the Triad International Ballet. Young and old will be able to enjoy their favorite fairytale characters in this delightful tale of love, dreams and magic spells.

Collaboration in Craft

GreenHill Center for NC Art

Through June 24, various hours

Tickets $6

Guest artist Branford Marsalis has spent his career exploring his jazz art. From his early acclaim as a saxophonist, he has refined and expanded his talents as a musician, composer, bandleader and educator.

Emilio Rojas: tracing a wound through my body

Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art

May 11-August 20

Pottery Gallery, free

Emilio Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily with the body in performance, using video, photography, installation, public interventions and sculpture. This exhibition re-examines Rojas’ corpus and reckons with the legacies of colonial and border traumas.

Masters of contemporary craft media from across the state who work collectively with other artists to create collaborative works in clay, wood, glass, metals and fiber are highlighted in this exhibition.

Black Mountain College: Seedbed of American Art Reynolda House

Through June 25, various hours

Tickets $18

This exhibition explores the work of faculty and students who attended Black Mountain College in western North Carolina. The school operated between 1933-57 and was known as a place where free spirits could explore new ways of learning and fresh approaches to various subjects. The exhibition is curated by Wake Forest University Professor Emeritus Thomas Frank, Ph.D., an editor of the “Black Mountain Studies” journal.