International Travel

[squirrel]

I love to travel, but the biggest challenge with traveling is the fear of food borne illness. I've traveled many places and always managed to avoid throwing up. In fact, I haven't thrown up since the 2nd grade.

Right now, I am living in Korea and I've been sick a lot. I had digestive troubles for the first 2 weeks I was here, and off and on since then. Because of that, I eat a lot of junk food...since I feel that I can't trust other foods not to make me sick. Every time I do try actual foods...my digestive system becomes upset.
Today for instance, I have digestive problems.

It makes life miserable, since, well, I can't sleep at night because of the anxiety that I am going to throw up...so I often stay up late or go to sleep sitting up. I feel if I sleep sitting up, I will be less likely to throw up...as irrational as that is.

Anyway, I will be in Korea for another 2 months, then a month in a half in China. I have anxiety about going to China, because food cleanliness standards are even worse than here.

Does anyone else travel? How do you cope with the fear? I eat pepto bismol regularly to ease any digestive problems...real or imagined.

I really don't want to be limited by this fear any more. But it is so hard, since I just don't know how I can face...throwing up. I know it will happen someday and I just...don't know how to deal with it. I don't know when it will happen and since it has been so long since it has happened...I don't even know what to expect or how to know it is coming.

Anyway, I feel alone and anxious here. I love traveling, but I will be happy to return to the U.S. where I feel I can trust the food a little more.

[ann32]

i travel a lot and I really eat where the locals eat..i love it...I have never had any issues. also, go to the most popular places!!!

[catlobster]

I've been all over the world, and have become ill from food once (who in their right mind eats pizza in Columbia anyway!?)- never threw up though.
There are a few key things to remember:
1) eat only at popular places: this means that the food is moving, and it's not sitting somewhere growing things after it's been prepared
2) eat only fully cooked meats. Be careful of raw fruit and veggies- don't avoid them, but remember if you're in a a tropical area, beware that untreated water can have critters. Icecubes too, for that matter.
3) Be extremely wary of eating food from roadside stands/peddelars. Some people have been fine, some have been violently ill. Cleanliness tends to be a little...less...at roadside places.

Sometimes it's acclimating your system to the types of food/spices that makes all the difference. If you've ever ate Indian food but weren't used to it....that is the effect (best example I could think of...my first time with Indian food, after living a bland New England diet for 18 years without so much as a clove of garlic or slice of onion... amazing food, but I wanted to die). I tend to stay away for dairy in any country not USA, Canada or Europe, but that's me (I go back to the pizza in Columbia here).

But like Ann32 said...eat where the locals eat. Ask people where their favorite places are. You are brave, going to China and Korea...I've always wanted to go, but am extremely wary of the food too (not for cleanliness...I don't eat meat; it doesn't look like the options are very varried if one doesn't eat meat). Enjoy it though...and Pepto is your friend

ps- if you're having issues with the Korean food, start out slow...plain rice and steamed veggies...always safe...and go from there.

[_katherine]

All I can say is that when you're in a place where you SHOULDN'T drink the water, be careful. Don't get ice in anything (it's made with that water), don't get salads (again, washed in that water), and only eat fruit that is peel-able (oranges/bananas are okay, for example, but not an apple).

Eating yogurt in the country that I am visiting seems to help too. It introduces new (benign) bacteria into your gut that helps to digest the local food and you won't get uncomfortable, I promise. I did this in India and I was the ONLY one who didn't get sick from any food.

To cope with n*, I wear "Seabands" and eat crackers.

Just go slow, ok? Stay away from really saucy, fatty, oily, or strong foods. Work your way up and take your time.

[Leigh6870]

I love to travel, but the biggest challenge with traveling is the fear of food borne illness. I've traveled many places and always managed to avoid throwing up. In fact, I haven't thrown up since the 2nd grade.

Right now, I am living in Korea and I've been sick a lot. I had digestive troubles for the first 2 weeks I was here, and off and on since then. Because of that, I eat a lot of junk food...since I feel that I can't trust other foods not to make me sick. Every time I do try actual foods...my digestive system becomes upset.
Today for instance, I have digestive problems.

It makes life miserable, since, well, I can't sleep at night because of the anxiety that I am going to throw up...so I often stay up late or go to sleep sitting up. I feel if I sleep sitting up, I will be less likely to throw up...as irrational as that is.

Anyway, I will be in Korea for another 2 months, then a month in a half in China. I have anxiety about going to China, because food cleanliness standards are even worse than here.

Does anyone else travel? How do you cope with the fear? I eat pepto bismol regularly to ease any digestive problems...real or imagined.

I really don't want to be limited by this fear any more. But it is so hard, since I just don't know how I can face...throwing up. I know it will happen someday and I just...don't know how to deal with it. I don't know when it will happen and since it has been so long since it has happened...I don't even know what to expect or how to know it is coming.

Anyway, I feel alone and anxious here. I love traveling, but I will be happy to return to the U.S. where I feel I can trust the food a little more.

How old are you? Every single word you wrote sounds just like me! Even down to the popping the peptos and sleeping sitting up. Sounds rational to me! =)

[Leigh6870]

Do any of you watch the Amazing Race on CBS? I cannot fathom traveling to all of those different countries and eating all the possibly bad food. And, on this season a team got food poisoning. Exactly why i don't eat out. I'll be Charlotte from Sex and the City and eat pudding the whole trip. Ha!

[aferneb]

I hear you, about the not v* in a loooong time and forget what to expect or how to know when it's going to happen. I think that's what I'm most scared of, the unknown.

[vixki]

I loooove to travel (unfortunately I'm young & broke so I can't travel much, but I WILL one day...!)
I often worry about food in different places, like, if its OK to eat, will I get ill, etc. I think its good as someone else has said to eat at a popular place cos then the food will be fresh. Eat food which is local - ie, don't eat fish if you're landlocked! But also avoid things which use a lot of local flavouring/foods you don't usually eat cos your body will not be used to them - introduce your self bit by bit.
And I know people who travel the world and haven't got food poisoning!
Its not as common as you may thing, so long as you're hygeinic

[DoonDoon]

I spent a month touring Europe a couple summers ago and was totally fine. Though, I was going through a phase where my emet wasn't nearly as severe as it is today. I ate at many different restaurants and felt sick only once (after eating fish and chips in London, with scales?!?! I didn't v* though). I would just stick with the guidelines that people have mentioned so far, and just remember to be calm. As long as you are wise about your food choices you should be good.