Craig Pacheco knows a few things about eating right and taking care of yourself. The Toronto-based dietitian and digestive health expert has learned to surround himself with queer clients as part of his private nutrition practice.

But his career wasn’t always so cozy—he encountered plenty of homophobia when he previously worked in hospitals and pharmacology. “Health care isn’t always the most inclusive place for queer people to work and exist,” he says. “I often talk to people about some of the negative comments I’ve received.”   

He now devotes his time to running a private practice, Queerly Nutrition, and teaching nutrition courses at Toronto Metropolitan University. For him, it’s important to help people of all backgrounds, identities and income levels, but helping queer people has always been on Pacheco’s mind. In fact, it’s the reason he shifted from hospital work and pharmacology to dietetics.

With his fellow queers in mind, Pacheco has offered up some valuable travel-related health tips. 
 

What are some tips that you’d share with someone attending, say, an international Pride or another festival abroad? Bonus points if it involves a hangover cure.

So the big one is hydration. A lot of the tips I give for going to things like Pride, or travelling in general, involve having consistent meals, especially if you’re passing a time zone and adapting to a local eating schedule. I think a lot of people withhold eating and skip meals, purposely or not. A big thing about hangover prevention and keeping your body nourished, is truly trying to eat as consistently as possible. 
 

Unfortunately, there aren’t many amazing remedies for once you are hungover. At that point it’s about hydration and self-care. You obviously don’t want to make it worse with prolonged sun exposure and not having enough food in your system. 
 

When I work with people who want to maintain good digestive health, especially during events like Pride, I tell them it’s truly just knowing what your safe foods are. And safe snacks as well. Whether you’re staying in a hotel or you’re on buses or trains or planes, it’s making sure you’re optimizing snacks with high-fibre, high-protein—protein bars, trail mix, things like that. So if you can’t control what your meals are, at least you have some safe, well-nourishing snacks.
 

Since hydration is very important, but buying bottled water isn’t very eco-friendly, what are some alternatives you would suggest for someone trying to stay hydrated?

I always tell people to be aware of what water safety is like in the country they’re in, because in a lot of places, it is quite okay to drink the water. You can always check, and depending on the place where you’re staying, they might have their own water purification system.

Drinking plenty of water is huge, especially in the summer. A lot of people have digestive issues simply because they’re dehydrated. If you want to keep good digestion during Pride or while at festivals, try to reduce or limit carbonated beverages. I find that carbonated beverages often create a lot of stomach distress. It also makes people feel full when they’re really not nourished.
 

I imagine you have some clients who have special diets—vegetarians and vegans, for instance. What tips would you give them if they’re travelling in a place that’s very meat-centric? 

Most countries and cuisines have vegetarian options, even just vegetable soups. Research the options available, including ingredients that are high-protein. If you’re going to a country that doesn’t use tofu in their ingredients—do they have beans and lentils? If you’re Celiac and can’t have gluten, what gluten-free, natural products do they use? 

When a lot of people travel, they sometimes assume they’ll have the same variety of foods at their disposal. But depending on where you’re going, you might have limits as to  which types of vegetables and fruits are available locally. That comes back to doing your research. 
 

What advice would you give to someone who’s routine-minded, someone who is used to eating a certain number of meals or at certain times of the day when they’re home?

One thing I often tell people is that when travelling, it’s important to get adjusted before resuming their workout routine. A lot of times, digestive issues or eating issues occur because of jet lag and time zone differences. Try your best to first have a consistent sleep schedule and to get some optimal sun to help reset your circadian rhythm. Your whole diet, your appetite, is more regulated when your body is on a certain calendar. 

Is there one thing that you personally cannot travel without? 

If we want to stay on the topic of food, I always bring protein bars, because I’m a hungry person who eats every two hours. You never know when you’re not going to be fed on a plane. 

I also always bring an over-the-counter digestive like Pepto-Bismol or Tums. You can do everything right, but sometimes your body just doesn’t align well. Other countries have different types of bacteria that your body isn’t accustomed to and might not be able to tolerate.

There’s also some evidence that probiotic supplements can help with things like preventing traveller’s diarrhea. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.