Food Tips to Ensure a Healthy International Travel

International traveling is heavily common, whether for business purposes, to enjoy a vacation, to visit family members, to study abroad, or for volunteer work. No travel should result in a person becoming sick due to the lack of understanding of contaminated foods, which is why it's important to know how to avoid becoming ill while traveling.

Prior to take off, learn about the different foods your destination offers. This is especially important if you have food allergies, are pregnant or have a weak immune system. You may want to try new foods, but you don’t want to end up ill. Also, see a doctor prior to travel to ensure that you are in tip-top shape. Be sure to visit your doctor after your return if you begin to feel sick.

After learning of the different foods, and visiting your doctor to ensure you’re in good health, you should always be prepared in the event of becoming ill. Tips include packing smart, knowing how to treat yourself in any event, and sharing important information about your trip to your doctor and family. Packing smart includes bringing a first aid kit, medications to treat illnesses or injuries, and alternative foods in the event of becoming ill due to contaminated foods. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. 

During your travel, stay protected by being cautious of contaminated food and water. A person can become infected by drinking and/or eating contaminated food and/or water. One such example is infectious diarrhea, which affects the digestive system. Food and water precautions are very important when traveling to places that are poor in sanitation and personal hygiene. You should be cautious on a daily basis while traveling in order to reduce the risk of becoming infected. 

Although water may appear safe to drink, it may be infected. In the event that you cannot find water that you trust to be clean, you can disinfect the water yourself. Boil the water for three minutes to kill any organisms inside, let the water cool and hydrate yourself. Another alternative to making cleansed water is by adding two drops of five percent bleach or five drops of tincture of iodine in two quarts of water, which kills most organisms within thirty minutes. Interestingly, many would argue that bottled water is safe and should be used during an international travel. However, the source of water and bottling conditions are not standardized, thus it is safer to boil water yourself. 

Staying hydrated with cleansed water is important, but so is eating food to ensure your body gets the nutrition it needs to function properly. Food, just like water, can be contaminated and cause illness. There are simple ways to reduce the risk of becoming infected, such as not eating unpeeled fruit, raw vegetables, or raw meat, fish or shellfish. Also, avoid drinking unpasteurized dairy products. 

After your travel pay attention to your health. Do you feel the same or do you feel sick? Be sure to talk to your doctor to ensure that you came back home just as you left: illness free.