TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKEN
Staying Healthy When Traveling
I
t’s one of the worst-case travel scenarios: You save up for months, book a life changing trip, pack your bags, travel halfway across the world and promptly fall foul of a mystery illness that wipes you out for days. From poor food hygiene to communicable diseases, there are a multitude of health-related reasons that can turn a year of holiday planning into a health-related disaster; not least in the current pandemic environment. To help you avoid succumbing to this exact scenario, I’ve rounded up some of the ways you can try and remain happy and healthy on vacation.
Water Consumption Drink Bottled Water: It may not be the most environmentally friendly suggestion, but drinking bottled water is good way to avoid some of the nasty bacteria you’ll often find in tap water in countries with questionable water supply. If you do have to fall back on bottled water then ensure that the seal remains clearly unbroken and, ideally, the cap is plastic wrapped and intact. I’ve seen evidence on several occasion during my travels of stores refilling used bottles with tap water and selling them as bottled water. Buyer beware! Background: The Scottish Highlands
Water Purification Options: A more environmentally friendly, but not always
practical, option is to consider using one of the multiple water purification options to purify local tap water. When I first started traveling this typically meant resorting to boiling water twice or using purification tablets such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or iodine (the latter is no longer recommended). However, over the past decade a whole raft of filtration options have entered the market, including the much heralded LifeStraw, the Steripen, or the Water-To-Go bottle. Avoid Salads: Not all water consumption issues relate to drinking it. Salads (and fruit) washed in tap water can be equally problematic. If possible, I would refrain from eating salad in countries that have questionable tap water supply unless you have personally seen that it was cleaned utilizing a filtered or purified water source. Don’t Take Ice in your Drinks: You should assume, unless specifically told otherwise, that all ice is made using tap water that hasn’t been filtered or purified and is therefore no different to directly drinking tap water. Luxury hotels will often use filtered/purified water; however, you should certainly ask before you make this assumption. Clean Cans: Finally, if you’re swapping out water consumption for soft drinks sold in cans, then make sure that you wipe the cans with anti-bacterial wipes before you drink directly from them. Cans could have been sitting out for any length of time and may have been exposed to all manner of bacteria before they reach your mouth!
Food Intake Avoid Buffets: Buffets are notorious breeding grounds for E.Coli, Salmonella and Listeria. Serving utensils are often dirty, food is kept at inappropriate temperatures, meals can sit for hours before reaching your plate, and cross-
contamination between foodstuffs is rife….and I haven’t even begun mentioning how unsanitary the average buffet patron is when it comes to picking things up with their hands, putting things back, and coughing/sneezing over food not protected by sneeze guards. Summary - leave buffets well alone! Be Careful with Street Food: I love street food! Until a few years ago if there was anything I could guarantee it was that, regardless of where in the world I was, I would be sampling something from a street food vendor. Then I got hit hard by food poisoning after eating a dodgy chicken empanada in Colombia. After 3 days locked in a hotel room, I have reevaluated my take on street food. I now take a much closer look at raw food storage, avoid reheated foods, ensure food is piping hot throughout and like to see the vendor is practicing some sort of food hygiene. I’m definitely not saying avoid street food (I could never do that). Just make sure you pay closer attention to hygiene. Reconsider Raw Food: When you can’t vouch for the safe storage of raw food prior to consumption, especially things like raw seafood, you’re asking for trouble. You should ideally be sticking to thoroughly cooked and steaming hot food – only that way can you mitigate the risk of consuming bacteria. Play it Safe: Sometimes, and despite one of the main benefits of travel being to sample other cultures, it pays to play it safe and stick to the food you know. By doing so your stomach can recover from unusual ingredients, spices and bacteria. Whilst traveling around Vietnam this was a tactic I often deployed. One day I’d be eating giant rat that had moments ago been presented to me in a bloodied plastic bag, and the next I’d revert to the classic staple of room service pizza. It’s a fine balancing act that often pays off!
Photo: Lauren Fleming instagram.com/lfbphotography
18 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
