Do you have a job that requires you to travel frequently? Or are you simply an adventure lover who loves traveling and taking regular trips? Well, if you fall in either of these categories then there is one major issue that worries most travelers and that is this: keeping healthy and avoiding illnesses while traveling. Here are some tips on how to prevent illnesses or other health complications while traveling.
Be Selective About Your Meals
Seek to understand how your food was prepared. Of course this doesn’t mean tracking down the chefs or stalking the waiters to know exactly how they are cooking the chicken satay, but it means making smart choices on the kind or type of establishments you are visiting. Whereas that ‘Green ways’ place might be popular among the locals, it may be a joint where only their stomach can tolerate how the food is prepared. By eating or dining in well-established restaurants, which in most cases are slightly expensive, you can be assured that the food preparation process is taken seriously.
Avoid uncooked food
Unfortunately, fruits shouldn’t be part of your diet while traveling. To be extra careful, it is advisable that you avoid any uncooked vegetables and fruits. This however, may make you crave for some fresh food. To address these cravings you may need to spend more time preparing your own food. Thoroughly wash and peel fruits yourself and also ensure that fruit is completely dry before you eat it. Alternatively, you can wash your vegetables and fruits using filtered water, scrub them and for extra precautions use veggie spray.
Avoid ice and straws
Typhoid is serious disease, and is normally transmitted through contaminated (tap) water. While most people usually remember to avoid tap water, it is often forgotten that ice is water, and if it’s not properly handled, that blended and refreshing drink may have the tap water you are trying so hard to avoid.
To avoid this you can ask the waiter whether the ice is made from filtered water or tapped water. Also, if you order a soda, ensure it’s from a can. Soda bottles are most often refilled more than water bottles. In some countries straws can go unwashed or are not properly stored and hence can be a source of contamination
Seek out local foreigners
To truly understand and experience a country, one will always want to live like a local. Having a friend who is a local foreigner can be quite helpful in identifying the popular local fare that serves food that is free from disease and unhealthy bacteria. Hostels and hotels are the best places to find local foreigners who have been in that country for some time.
Bottled water
It is wise to always carry your own bottled water. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, you can buy some water flavored packets before you embark on your journey. Also ensure that you use bottled water when brushing your teeth and keep your mouth closed when showering.
Be cautious of the dairy
I know vanilla milkshake and cardamom lassie are some of the things you can’t live without, but just be careful. Dairy, while it is healthy and delicious, can harbor some harmful bacteria. However, cream, cheese or milk cooked in meals are safe.
Guest Author: Annabel Taylor
Anna is an avid reader and blogger. Since her early years she’s had a passion for writing. Her areas of interest are food, reviews (Book/Movie), Travel, Fashion, Lifestyle and fitness. She works as a guest blogger on her chosen areas of interest. Her articles where published on different blogs namely golfgurls, pricestylist and many more. She is a permanent Guest Contributor at ArchitectWeekly. Currently she works for Sri Lankan Visa.
Photo from Women’s Health Encyclopedia.
