No one wants to get sick when travelling. Germs, viruses, pathogens, and bacteria assail us at all times. We always want to stay vibrant and well, and the last thing we need is to become violently ill. What follows are some tips for staying healthy when you travel.
Something that translates directly to health is hygiene. One element of personal hygiene that many people can always improve upon is hand washing. When your hands move through the day, they’re in contact with more than you might realize. Each new surface is a potential bio-hazard loaded with germs. Doors, faucet handles, and ledges and counters are just some examples of areas that collect germs and are seldom cleaned. Part of the problem here is that our hands have this habit of making contact with one point of contagion and then returning it to us. It’s always good advice to get into the habit of frequent hand washing. When this isn’t possible, carry hand sanitizer and learn to use it regularly. The point here is to stop the spread of germs and reduce your risk of contagion.
Hydration – that is, drinking water – has an almost magical effect on the body. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since, like most of the planet; we’re all made primarily of water. The water that we drink and even the water we ingest from other sources (such as fruits and vegetables), helps replenish us and does a lot of other fascinating things in the process. Water is required for the metabolic processes associated with digestion that allow foodstuffs and nutrients to find their way through the digestive tract and onto the micro-processes required for nourishment. But water also helps move waste out of the body, which is important to say the least. On par with digestion and moving stuff out of our systems, water is a great flush. Water helps clean away impurities that the body doesn’t want: thus, urination. Get in the habit of drinking water and lots of it. This becomes even more important when you fly. Staying well hydrated will help your body maintain balance when you travel at high altitudes and move through different time zones. Water is good. Water is our friend. Get into the habit of drinking water, especially during travel.
Food poisoning is not nice. Anyone who’s ever had it will understand just how much of an understatement that is. In fact, food poisoning is serious. It can put you in the hospital and it can kill you. So – how can you watch out for it? No one sets out to get food poisoning, but how do you safeguard against it? The best advice for avoiding food poisoning is to stay vigilant about what you eat and where you eat. No matter the region, try not to fall into the trap of thinking you owe it to yourself to try everything and anything you want. Try to stay with reputable eating establishments. Meats should always be fully cooked. Travelling is not the time to finally try your steak blue-rare unless you’re confident about the restaurant. Caution also applies to marketplaces where you buy your own foods. Raw fruits and vegetables that have already been peeled can easily become host to contaminants of all sorts. Depending upon where you travel, one wise adage is to choose foods that have been peeled, washed, and cooked right then and there. This certainly holds true if you are preparing your own foods. Also, freshly cooked foods are less likely to have time to acquire bacteria or other impurities.
Flus and viruses: We now live in an era where flus, the common cold, and a list of other viruses can travel the world in less than a day. Catching something as serious as the flu may not even be a question of where you go, because you can risk catching the flu from another traveller. It’s best in this case to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider about flu shots and other preventative measures. Here too, it’s to your advantage, and that of others, that you practice the best possible personal hygiene practices as possible. Tissues, cleaning, and hand wipes and sanitizers should all be part of your arsenal.
Many other factors come into play in maintaining good health while travelling. For one, be sensible about straying too far away from your regular diet. Your body might welcome new, exciting foods – but those same foods can be a detriment to you if you aren’t used to true international cuisine. Make an effort to continue with good rest and nutrition. If vitamins help you, try not to stop taking them if you know that you function best with, by example only, the B vitamins and vitamin C.
Maintaining good health while travelling doesn’t need to be like the spin of a roulette wheel. Take measures to learn about your destination and the region. Read about any potential health hazards. Consult with your doctor or healthcare provider, including for the prospect of getting the appropriate immunizations and vaccinations.