Third time was the charm, In the past I had never gotten food poisoning. I have traveled to areas around the world and always prided myself on my stomach of a goat.
Well this year it got me.
It just reminded me that I have to go back to the basics of travel, since I have been here before I got too confident and felt that I could eat anything on the first day.
Pre-Travel Stomach Prep:
Eat Fresh Yogurt.
Yogurt with active cultures help prepare the stomach and builds the good bacteria, which allows it to better processes new food.
I did this for a week everyday twice a day before traveling.
While Traveling:
Go Slow, Introduce food slowly.
Make sure they are fully cooked.
Don’t over eat. Eat smaller portions, more often over a longer period of time, giving your stomach time and energy to break down the new food properly.
Always wash your hands or at the very least use hand sanitizer.
Allow yourself about a week for your digestive system to start getting use to the new water. Water is very important. I have the habit to drink drink from public fountains and taps, this may not always be a good idea. I have been to the K[orea] Work water treatment facilities and water here is excellent, but that is not always the case. Drinking bottled water can be the safest route.
Don’t eat Sushi on the first day!
This was my fatal mistake. Well not fatal since I am still here but really painful mistake. Just because I have eaten sushi before, and just because it did come from a restaurant, DO NOT ASSUME you body is ready to process raw foods from a new region. Allow for your stomach to toughen up to handle raw foods.
And in the event that you do happen to get sick. DON’T PANIC. I can’t say this enough
Do:
-Drink plenty of water.
-Decaf tea
-Bland food diet or BRAT diet which is Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.
Don’t:
Take harsh medicines right away, your body is trying to get rid of something it doesn’t like. Let it come out. You have to give your body a chance to get rid of the potentially harmful substance.
After 72 hours when most likely everything is out of your system then you can introduce some medications or if symptoms of fever or abdominal pain do not go away then SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
Thankfully my bug just lasted the night. In the morning I was just fine. But really it reminded me that I have to remember the basics.