Travel Health

9 times out of 10 travelers get diarrhea because of something they eat or drink. In fact, in many parts of the world there’s no choice but to drink bottled water. Even the locals do it. The tap water may not only be contaminated but may also contain unhealthy amounts of heavy metals. You’ll be safe with sodas, tea and water that’s boiled for a few minutes.

Be wary of sketchy street food sitting in the sun http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487767@N02/

At the same time drinking local water from good springs and wells can be recommended as that way you acquaint your body with the local antibodies to keep you healthy against infection. Mineral water that’s been bottled for months on a shelf isn’t a good long term substitute for local flowing water.

If you have to drink some dubious water than a few drops of iodine will make it safe. Again this is only a short term solution as you don’t want too much iodine to build up inside.

Street food is notorious for giving travelers diarrhea. The food has often been sitting around for a long time and, in warm temperatures where there are many flies, all kinds of bacteria have time to multiply.

Water should be boiled for a few minutes http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorne-enterprises/

Never eat rice in a warm climate that’s been sitting around for more than a couple of hours. It’s a moist food and a particularly good host to bacteria that can cause diarrhea.
Only eat salad or fruits with peel if you’ve washed them well yourself. Parasites have no ability to hold on and so if you scrub your apple or lettuce well then it should be okay. Watch out for holes in the fruit though where some insect could have burrowed in carrying parasites.

Rice, oats and whole wheat bread will keep your bowels in good shape.

If the climate is cool or damp you’ll want to eat less raw food and more warming dishes like soup and ginger tea. Ginger in particular is a good remedy for both diarrhea and constipation.

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