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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 12:03 AM
I thought it would be useful to start this thread: How to avoid Food poisoning while travelling / staying in Asia or Latin America?
From my own experience ,I have been food poisoned several times in China and once before in Korea. I spent more than 5k in total before for hospital costs because of this ( I didn't have any Insurance).
Bare in mind,I never took any street food and I avoided Spicy food and i never got food poisoned before in Europe.
So I would like to know from other members: how do you avoid getting food poisoned when you travel or stay in Asia or Latin America? All tips are appreciated and will save myself and other members a lot of hapiness / money.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 12:26 AM
Avoid eating food from transportation hubs, airports, train stations, bus stations, Search out restaurants where there are lots of locals even if they look shitty or dirty. dirty looking full of locals is better than clean looking empty or only tourists places. travel with a bottle with built in filter for when you cant get your hands on clean water.
Dont wash your hands or use hand sanitizers. I have traveled to some 80 countries and rarely wash my hands. I rarely get sick. like a cold every few years. combined with a healthy lifestyle I think this has exposed me to a variety of germs in low doses training my immune system. Your results may vary
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 12:50 AM
Don't go to India, if you get food poisoning easily. You're guaranteed to get deathly ill there.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 12:51 AM
I've been in SEA for almost 1.5 years and never got a case of food poisoning. Sure, a couple times I got the Bangkok belly that put me on the toilet multiple times in one day, but it was never more than a 24 hour thing. The one time I got food poisoning was right in the good ol' USA and was laid up in bed for a week with fever and vomiting.
Here's one tip if you like street food... only go to the stands with very high turnover rates.
Because they run out of food quickly and have to resupply every so often, their food is fresher and cleaner than the street stand with very few customers. If you buy food from a street stand with no line, you don't know how long that food has been sitting there in the sun, heat, and humidity!
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 02:44 AM
Avoid street food when possible. If the worker doesn't have access to running water, that means he is taking a piss or a shit and has nowhere to wash his hands, then he makes your food with hands that have urine splash or fecal matter on them.
Then you get sick.
To lower your odds of becoming ill, you want to eat at businesses where workers have access to running water after they touch their genitals or wipe their asses .
Also, if you go into a restaurant and you're the only customer, leave. If you're the only customer, the food in the kitchen could be days or weeks old and will get you sick. You want to eat at places that have high traffic, as that makes it much more likely the ingredients are fresh.
If you want to avoid spending all night in the shower vomiting and shitting uncontrollably, then eat only at restaurants with running water and a high volume of traffic.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 03:27 AM
I've never gotten food poisoning in Asia, but I did once in Venezuela; woke up in the middle of the night because I farted in my sleep and it was a wet one. Reach back, touched my boxers and it was a Hershey surprise. I exploded with diarrhea on the toilet, was about 3 a.m. Ran out of toilet paper almost immediately because the room staff left one half-used roll there. Woke up a while later and puked all over the toilet, had to shower to clean off. Woke up later and took a massive diarrhea shit and had to shower to clean. Repeated about one more time.
I can't remember what food I ate that made me sick. I just felt like sharing that.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 04:21 AM
Anecdotally, I find eating fermented foods helps mitigate the risk of food poisoning (maintains healthy gut flora). This differs from place to place, for example:
- Kimchi (Korea & much of Asia)
- Natto (Japan & much of Asia)
- Sauerkraut (Europe, America)
- Milk Kefir (Europe)
- Kombucha (anywhere there are hipsters)
- Mango Pickle (India)
- Regular Pickles (everywhere)
- Yogurt (everywhere)
Haven’t been to South America / Africa, but they both have traditionally fermented foods as well I am sure. All cultures do because before refrigeration it was one of the best ways to preserve food.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 10:01 AM
Well, plenty of people get food poisoning in the West - there isn't really a counter to it unless you just eat pickled stuff all day. I don't think your chances of getting food poisoning at that much higher in Asia, even in cities that have dirty looking restaurants it's largely just a chance game.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 10:18 AM
It's all part of the experience. Shit happens.
However I only eat seafood in coastal towns.
Dreams are like horses; they run wild on the earth. Catch one and ride it. Throw a leg over and ride it for all its worth.
Psalm 25:7
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 11:42 AM
I've got food poisoning in the city of Medan, Sumatra. I've spent 2 shitty days.
Then 2 days before taking the plane from Sumatra to Europe, I've decided that if I eat outside it was only at the McDonald's restaurant close to my hotel.
It must be hard to shit on yourself in a plane.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:20 PM
A good tip would also be to check if the staff at food trucks are wearing rubber/plastic gloves while preparing your food. In SEA I would regularly go to a Banh Mi place and it was always delicious and good to go. I would meet up with them when they're family came and set up their cart at the same time every day around like, 3 or 4pm and buy 20 cent fresh sandwiches.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:35 PM
Strengthen your immune system.
Cut back on soda and energy drinks and sugar in general...and other high acid drinks like coffee and black tea.
I agree with eating fermented food as mentioned below.
However, know the difference between fermented and pickled.
Pickles and most sauerkraut are NOT fermented...but pickled.
I eat any and all street food in Mexico, every country in Central America, Colombia, Paraguay, and NE Asia and SE Asia.
I've had food poisoning only two times...outside the US.
1. an expensive restaurant in Guadalajara, Mexico
2. some bad pork from a butcher shop in eastern Korea.
Maybe my immune system is strong because I ate Tijuana street food since I was a kid.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:38 PM
I will also add to eat raw garlic as a preventive measure.
It's a natural antibiotic and will help suppress any food poisoning caused by bacteria and fungus. If anything, raw garlic should be a daily staple in your diet.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:44 PM
Be aware that while you are drinking bottled water the ice in your drink may have been made from tap water. Freezing doesn't kill all the bacteria. This is generally not an issue in Thailand which took steps to make sure restaurants use filtered water to make ice. I can't speak about other countries in the region though.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:52 PM
The best advice is don't drink the tap water. I have never been sick in Mexico and I don't worry about what I eat. I must have developed good immunity over the years. But I only drink purified drinking water. Of all the countries I have been in, the only place I ever got sick from food poisining was in Ukraine.
Rico... Sauve....
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 01:55 PM
One thing that I did in my prepper bag was to buy a bunch of OTC animal antibiotics. They're the same stuff that needs a prescription but labeled for animals.
It might be worth popping one of these during a violent case of the runs.
Even then, it's sometimes best to just drink a lot of fluids, lemon juice, gatoraid, and some ramen to help let the misery pass.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 09:14 PM
My only rule: Only eat at places with lots of local customers. And in Asia that means eating the street food.
That rule applies everywhere in the world and it has always worked fine for me. And I eat anything I can get my hands on.
Now for story time:
I drank tap water in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam without issue. The only time in my life I've gotten food poisoning is when I decided to eat a packet of Chick-Fil-A sauce that had been in my car for over a year.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-03-2017, 10:15 PM
I buy and cook all my own food (SEA and EE)
I drink/sip Hot coffee or tea or bottled water or juice drinks (boxes or bottles)....uhm you won't easily find TEA in the Philippines sadly I had to find a specialty shop to get 3 teabags (all they had) once (savages)......pack your own tea!
I bring bottled water to my residence (daily along with beer)
I buy fresh fruit and clean it at my residence
never eat fish or sushi
I eat a lot of eggs (2 raw ..gulped down in the morning)
Along with the below
one apple a day no matter what for break-fest (dunno why but I must)
Not one issue
Primary reason I shop/cook and eat a lot at my place....I'm at the age where I need HIGH fiber to shit every day...most countries diets you'll be constipated for weeks...LMAO
Ive never seen "raisin bran" in SEA or EE...actually I don't recall any morning cereals at both
but you can buy "walnuts" eggs apples kobasa( salted heavily preserved meat), rye breads ..for a half decent high fiber breakfast as an example
HEY I LIKE A DAILY SHIT ...shoot me
Shoppings is a great way to meet chicks anyways
Final note....give 5 hours in any SEA country to watch for cockroaches...actually don't waste the time ...I just put ALL garbage in the fridge and dump it daily
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-04-2017, 12:25 AM
Probably the biggest cause of food poisoning is poor hand hygiene.
Wash your hands or use antibacterial wipes to give your hands a REALLY good clean.
I travel extensively in third worlds and Asia, and I eat street food all the time, if you are careful, examine the vendor and watch locals, you will be fine.
I swear I get sick eating Expat food, or going to 5 star hotel restaurants much more often than my favorite street vendors, especially in Thailand.
Also, avoid Ice cream and dairy.
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-04-2017, 12:55 AM
my experience is definitely an exception. traveled india for 6 months, lived in brasil for 18 months, traveled elsewhere where one is normally worried about sickness, never experienced food borne illness...
Always bottled water where you are sketchy on the tap. Don't use antibacterial soap, you need to get your bacterial environment accustomed to the locale. Watch servers and food preparation, dont be scared to walk away if something doesnt look right (ex. chicken meat hanging in the open air for who knows how long in india).
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-04-2017, 02:20 AM
Most people think food is the culprit but 95% of the time its from accidentally drinking tap water, more specifically the ice in restaurants. Stick to bottled drinks and bottled water and be suspicious of ice used in drinks at mom and pop diners.
The urban myth about street food causing you sickness is mostly bullshit IMO, specifically because the meats are usually cooked very well done anyways. I never got sick eating street tacos but def gotten sick drinking ice made from tap water in nice restaurants. The locals have guts that can handle it, you probably can't
The people telling you to drink the water in Vietnam are the same bros saying that the pull out game is 100% effective. Some of the advice here, lol don't wash your hands really??
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How to avoid Food Poisoning while staying / travelling in Latin America and Asia
11-10-2017, 10:53 PM
I got food poisoning twice in my 5 months in Ecuador. Once was from eating at a bus station as Prince Charming alluded to (I think it was in Riobamba). I was out of commission for two days. I suspect that the second time was from having blackberry juice. In Quito fruit juice stands are very common and it's usually $1 for a refreshing fruit drink which I would often get as a nice treat. The one time I had blackberry juice I got pretty bad food poisoning, I couldn't really eat for about a week. I was later told that the blackberries often have worms in them. That's a very specific piece of advice but something to keep in mind.