Do you have any potions, plans or secrets to stay healthy while traveling or before you take off?
We often take a bolus of vitamins or airborne before we leave on a trip. Drinking lots of water and getting sleep along the way makes us feel like we have a chance of staying healthy. I attempt to stay away from anyone coughing-- keeping that six foot distance. When we feel that tickle in our throat we start with the hot salt water gargle.
Reply to this I have heard of people drinking high percentage alcohol every evening when staying in critical countries. I did not do that. I rarely get sick. Even in Maroc or India. There were times when I took a good drug against diarrhea with me. But recently I have forgotten to do that. Necessary vaccinations should be took of course.
Reply to this Hmmm, I never thought to do prior to take-off -- what a good idea! I agree about the sleep and water.
At home, I keep ascorbic acid and drop a teaspoon of it in water and drink it down like a shot when the sick season seems to be approaching. I also crave spicy food and soups (wherever I might be) when I get sick . . . especially kimchi and kimchi chigae.
I was chuckling to myself when, MJ, I read about you keeping a 6-ft distance. I remember being on a flight once next to a girl who had wrapped herself in a blanket and kept on itching herself all over the entire flight. I didn't see any mosquito bites, and just crossed my fingers that it wasn't contagious as I had no other seat to move to. Thankfully, I was fine afterward. 😉
Reply to this What a nice thought......do we have to stay 6 feet from any people spitting??
Reply to this Ok. But how do you do that for example when buying tickets or on trains?
Reply to this We stick to a nearly vegan diet (only in India, chai tea with milk is sometimes ok) and always go to restaurants that a crowded and offer freshly cooked food. We never eat buffet style. Like this for most of the time, we avoid the typical digestive bugs. Even in India it hit us only on our fourth visit.
We stopped drinking alcohol. Because alcohol is weakening the immunity system (and it is not at all killing bugs). This has helped us a lot as well.
And several travels to India you get immune when it comes to spitting - but before eating, washing (if not possible desinfecting) the hands and a nice shower in the evening is always welcome and essential. But the best medicine is not to worry too much. Like this you do not give your energy into the illness - and you will not get sick.
Reply to this We always start with getting the recommended vaccinations for the country we are visiting. Then when travelling we make sure we drink lots of water and try to only eat where there is a high turnover of food and preferably where the locals are eating. In tropical countries we are very mindful of never leaving the hotel room without applying insect repellent, especially at dusk.
Reply to this I've fallen ill in the past while traveling...and even blogged about it....but apparently I'm becoming knock-on-wood wiser by discovering little tricks for sickness-free trips. First, I see a travel doctor and make sure I have all my shots and preventative medications before I go anywhere. I have a little medical bag with everything you'd need. I make sure to take a dose of Dukorol. I drink tons of water, especially on any longhaul flights. I use hand sanitizer like a freak. I cover my face with a hoodie to avoid the idiot cougher I always sit next to. Plane food and coffee/tea are bacteria laden, so I avoid. I travel to some regions during their dry season to avoid mosquitos. I always try to eat where the locals go or if it's freshly made, no packaged stuff....sandwich in plastic carton is my kryptonite. I try not to get run down by overdoing it, or lack of sleep, stress, drinking too much, sun overexposure. Looks like a lot of our bloggers here do the same!
Reply to this In response to: Msg #200938 Ah yes, I forgot to mention my frenzied hand sanitising too. I carry antibacterial gel, spray and wipes - the wipes are used on plane tray tables etc...filthy things that they are! Even just typing that made my skin crawl a little 😊
Reply to this Oh... I have never been too bother about this, but reading your comments made me start worrying! I never thought about the plane trays... which Ella loves to open as soon as we sit down... I need to get some wipes asap!
The only time I got seriously ill while traveling was in India: fruit juice, ice in drinks and buffet food did it for me - I was naive thinking that a 5 star hotel will be safe, but I was wrong! I have learned my lesson.
We've never been outside of Europe with Ella and I think within Europe is quite safe (plane trays... argh!) but I need to get more info about this before we travel with her somewhere else... I wouldn't want her to end up in a hospital in India like I did!
Reply to this I would like to add something more: I was in Morocco, India, Malysia and twice in China and never had something serious. Knock on wood.
Reply to this I purchased a small kettle style cooker and it's been the most valued thing in my backpack. I can heat boiling water and cook all kinds of things on this small gem...
It's so hard to stay on budget and eat healthy in SE Asia as everything is riddled with sugar and fat and no uncaffeinated drinks either!
I was crazy on hand sanitizer but when your traveling for so long it's impossible and impractical. If you're going to get it you might as well get it out the way sooner rather than later... although I always carry the sickness tablets and codeine to bung me up, just in case...
Reply to this The only thing in our travels that has ever hit us both is ice from local water in beer in Nicaragua. Suzanne was ill for 2 days after and I was rough for about a day. We'd been really careful for about 7 months and one slip was so costly...I couldn't finish a pizza I'd bought. We are so careful about ice now.
Reheated rice in Chaing-Mai on a trek hit Suzanne for about 5 days. I've got a stronger stomach though so rarely get ill. Been lucky so far I think. Just don't mention Vietnamese buffet food in Middleburg in The Netherlands to Suzanne. That was a night to forget.
Reply to this I always make sure all my vaccinations are up to date, and check if there are any other shots recommended for the country I'm travelling to - such as a polio vaccination or booster shot for Myanmar.
Other than that, I swear by eating yogurt everyday starting at least a week before travelling. A happy gut can make your journey much more pleasant.
Reply to this The usual, I take a dose of multivitamins and ascorbic acid just too boost my immune system. Another is, I only take distilled water wherever I travel. No Tap Water!!!
Reply to this I am a bit late adding to this discussion , but just noticed it on the forum.
My one real disaster was 2 days after flying to Spain I got vertigo ... it was like a major dose of sea sickness . I was alone but the place I stayed go a doctor out to me and got me medication from the pharmacy. All I could do was lie still in bed !
It did abate but returned when I came home and I was on medication for about a month...so now I always take that medication with me ..just in case. Doc said it could have been a virus !
Reply to this I agree that airplanes can be pretty dirty, but studies have found that the filthiest part of any commercial airliner is the seat-belt buckle. While tray tables may get wiped down by the cleaners between flights, seat-belt buckles are almost never cleaned.
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