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Traveling is a favorite pass time experience for many people all over the world. From discovering the best ecotourism in Florida to visiting the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador or experiencing the beauty of the big five in Kenya; traveling brings about exhilarating experiences. Unfortunately, many people often get sick during their travels and end up ruining their whole travel experiences. However, unknown to them, most of it is attributed to eating foods that make them sick. Ok, I know what you are thinking of, we have all been there. Below are five foods you should avoid while traveling.
- Undercooked Poultry And Meat
Lovers of medium-rare or rare meats are in for a rude shock when traveling. When eating in a new place or in a foreign country that doesn’t have food regulations, restrict yourself from ordering undercooked meat. Stay alert on the condition of the restaurant you want to eat in. Instead of choosing flashy places aimed for tourist, aim to eat at sites popular with the locals. As meats tend to easily contaminated, if you are unsure of hygienic conditions, avoid meats altogether as E.coli and salmonella pose a threat to your gut health.
- Fresh Salad
Though salads are often seen as the safest bet when traveling, this is not always the case. Salads, especially those containing spinach, romaine lettuce, and iceberg should be avoided. Often, waiters in countries with untreated water supplies, they rinse vegetables using local and sometimes untreated water. With that said, such water supplies might have an unlimited number of unknown bacteria, that can cause serious infections resulting in getting you sick. When eating vegetables, order well-cooked vegetables or opt for veggies that have a protective skin to limit infections or prepare them yourself.
- Runny Or Uncooked Eggs
As a traveler’s secret, unless it’s boiled eggs, you should avoid eating eggs altogether. Even though eggs are the perfect choice for an instant protein fix, avoid ordering your eggs runny or over easy. Reason being, the heat used isn’t enough to kill the salmonella bacteria. That is why eating undercooked eggs puts you at risk. Additionally, avoid uncooked eggs on top of your pasta dishes, salads, or steak. Such can cause severe stomach cramping and diarrhea.
- Unpasteurized Dairy
Often many people drink tea and coffee with milk every single day. Additionally, cheese is also a staple in many households. However, when you are traveling, choose to postpone your love for dairy products until you are back home. This is because it’s hard to tell unpasteurized dairy products from raw dairy products. Avoid them to minimize the risk of you getting infected with listeria, E.coli, and Salmonella. Drink black tea and coffee for a change. If you are finding it extremely difficult, then be extremely picky about your choices by avoiding unpackaged milk and soft cheeses altogether.
- Bush Meat
When traveling where hunting of game animals is allowed, resist eating any wild meat. Wild animals, including monkeys, gorillas, chimps, rodents, and crocodiles are known to be breeding grounds for various bacteria. Additionally, bush meat can increase the risk of suffering from diseases like severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. Often this is attributed to exposure to fluids and blood from an infected animal, which leads to catastrophic results.
Conclusion
As seen above, different food types are easily contaminated. It’s best to avoid eating food from the streets while on vacation or traveling to a new destination. Additionally, take steps to prepare the food yourself if possible or only eat from a brand chain that you trust. Overall, ensure that the water you drink is safe for human consumption hence protecting yourself from any possible infection.