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Best Ways To Recover From Food Poisoning Abroad

  • January 22, 2021
  • Jules

As someone who travelled internationally over the last several years,  something I realized happened frequently, was food poisoning. It suddenly  takes a chunk out of your travels and can ruin planned activities. 

In this article, I will share with you my secrets and lessons on the best  ways to recover from food poisoning abroad.  

Causes of Food Poisoning Abroad 

Did you know 29% of the world do not have safe water to drink? There are  approximately 2.1 billion deaths each year caused by contaminated water. Depending on where you travel, restaurants’ hygiene may not be on par  with your country’s hygiene measures.  

Fruits and vegetables are usually high food poisoning causes as they are  either not washed or washed with contaminated water.  

Showering abroad and brushing your teeth with tap water can also lead to  sickness, which will make you think you got it from the local restaurants.  

It is very likely for off the beaten path travellers that you will end up visiting  a country where contaminated water is present. It is paramount to take the  necessary precautions abroad for your health. 

How To Avoid Food Poisoning 

Cooking your meals is always an excellent preventative measure. 

However, while travelling, we know it is not the most practical. To avoid  getting food poisoning abroad, here are my suggestions: 

Pick a Popular or Busy Restaurant.  

The restaurant will less likely have foods that are closed to expiry or on  their way out. 

Ask Your Drinks Without Ice 

You can also ask the waiter how the ice is made. If the ice cubes are made  from bottled water, you should be ok. 

Meats To Avoid 

Depending on the country, it is always safe to avoid fish. If you don’t know  where the fish is from, it’s likely not a good idea to ingest it. Rotten fish or  bad seafood can lead to a horrible case of food poisoning, and sometimes  you may not be able to tell the food has spoiled before it’s cooked. 

Avoid Fruit and Vegetables That You Cannot Take the Skin Off.  

For example, lettuce and tomatoes will likely be contaminated with dirty  water or are not washed altogether. 

Places such as Uganda and Sri Lanka lead me to be very sick from fruits  and vegetables. If you’re the one doing the cooking, soak your fruits and  vegetables in a bowl with bottled water and white vinegar. 

Daily Supplements 

Zinc is an excellent mineral source for diarrhoea, gut health, and keeps  your immune system in check. 

Daily usage of Probiotics is a fantastic choice as well. Probiotics are  merely just good bacteria your gut needs, thus helping your good gut  bacteria dominant over the harmful pathogens. 

Beyond probiotics, other natural compounds can significantly bolster your body’s defenses. Polyphenols, found abundantly in many plant-based foods, are renowned for their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds play a crucial role in supporting a healthy gut microbiome, which is essential for overall immunity and digestion, especially when exposed to new environments. Incorporating the best polyphenols supplements into your diet can further enhance these benefits, contributing to improved microbiome balance, cardiovascular health, and better blood sugar regulation. They offer a comprehensive approach to maintaining wellness and resilience against various health challenges.

Best Natural Ways To Recover From Food Poisoning Here I share with you my best ways to recover from food poisoning. 

It’s easy to pop an antibiotic, but it is not suitable for the body to always  take antibiotics if you travel often. The bacteria in your system will become  resistant to antibiotics, thus making the dose ineffective.  

Here is a list of the best things that have helped me while sick abroad: 

1. Activated Charcoal. Activated Charcoal is my #1 go-to for food  poisoning as it binds to the toxins and will flush them out.

2. Rehydration Salts or Electrolytes. It may not taste the best, but it’s  a vital role in avoiding dehydration from sickness. Your body is 

eliminating all the pathogens, and it’s getting rid of water at a fast  pace. If Gatorade is available in the country, you can go for that.  Rehydration Tablets are easy to carry and will contribute to a more  rapid recovery. 

3. Zinc – Zinc is known to help treat travellers diarrhoea. Zinc helps  restore the gut lining and helps reduce the severity of diarrhoea.   

Insight on Local Pharmacies & What to Pack With You 

In third world countries, use caution buying over the counter medication or  antibiotics. Fake drugs are a huge problem in countries in Africa. Look for  spelling errors on the package, or where the product is made. Make sure  you pick something made from a Western Country.  

Rehydration salts are small and easy to pack. It takes little space in your  luggage. However, rehydration salts are easily found worldwide.  

Activated Charcoal, on the other hand, is harder to find. In countries like  Thailand and Indonesia, they are widely available, but countries in Africa  may not be. Activated Charcoal takes little room in your luggage as well,  and keeping them on hand can play an essential role with the time it takes  

to recover from food poisoning abroad. 

What To Do After You Have Recovered 

So you recovered from food poisoning, fantastic, but getting food  poisoning abroad makes you very likely to have encountered parasites.  Doing a natural parasite cleanse can help your body get rid of any  pathogens that made a home in your intestinal tract.  

After returning from Sri Lanka, I only found out I had a parasite four  months later. My only symptoms in Sri Lanka was Travellers Diarrhea.  However, my stomach had not returned the same after recovery.  

Doing a natural parasite cleanse helped me recover completely, and it was  an easy way to give my body a reset after all my travels. I now do one  once a year as a preventative measure to keep the pathogens at bay.

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