Top Tips to avoid Food Poisoning when you are overseas

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that 1 in 6 Americans suffer from food poisoning every year and depending on the destination or time of travel, between 30 to 70 percent of travelers can suffer from traveler’s diarrhea. When you’re traveling overseas, it is important to watch what you eat or drink. This is because if you eat contaminated water or food, some of the parasites and bacteria that cause diarrhea and gastroenteritis can get into your body and make you sick. However, you can reduce the risk of suffering from food poisoning by exercising caution and knowing how to stay healthy while on your trip.

Eat with the Locals

The World Health Organisation estimates that 1 in 10 people worldwide become sick after eating contaminated food, and a further 420K die every year. When you’re abroad try to avoid eating street food and dining in touristy restaurants whenever possible. Although such restaurants may be tempting, their food may not be safe because they can get away with poor food standards since they don’t have repeat customers. If you want to eat the local food, look for eateries that are frequented by the locals. The food will probably be cooked in a sanitary environment. Because of the high number of customers, they’ll be constantly cooking fresh food, and because the locals are eating there, you can be confident that the food is affordable and healthy. However, no matter how much you exercise caution, you may get sick due to food poisoning. So before you travel, make sure to prepare yourself by getting a travel insurance plan in order to receive treatment. An even better option is to use a prepaid health card in case of an emergency. This will enable you to save money by only covering food poisoning or any other disease of your choice in your policy.

Opt for Sealed Bottled water and avoid raw food

Always stick to bottled water when traveling around in a foreign country. You cannot determine whether the tap water used there is contaminated or not, so don’t risk it. However, bottled water may also not be safe. This is because refilling of used bottles with tap water is a common problem in many parts of the world, so only buy sealed water bottles. It may also help to use bottled water when brushing your teeth and close your mouth when showering, in order to avoid drinking the water by accident. When it comes to food, avoid eating raw foods because if they have been washed at all, it’s likely to have been in tap water. Avoid salads and fresh fruit juice. If you have to eat a fruit, make sure to peel it yourself and wash it with water that you trust.

Travelling around the world should be full of adventure and you should never be afraid of getting sick. If you follow these healthy tips, you will feel confident about your health and enjoy your stay overseas.

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