Health.
CLEANLINESS.
EXERCISE.
PREVENTION.
WHO CAN AFFORD HEALTH?
Often when people travel, their regular diet goes out of the window. For short periods, depending on the person’s overall health, this should not be a big problem.
Guests who are trying to “eat on a budget” may choose less expensive foods that are overflowing with carbs. Add sugars and alcohol in more significant quantities than usual, and this is often the underlying problem in feeling like yuck.
This lousy eating is the wrong approach when traveling for two reasons. One, it’s not healthy, and when you are moving, you need to be putting high-octane fuel into the system. Two, travelers skip the incredible local cuisine, which is part of experiencing the location. In many countries, the diet has a better balance (healthier) than the cheap meals thrown towards travelers.
WHERE TO EAT.
If you see a restaurant filled with tourists and few (or no) locals, keep walking. Go to where you find the locals eating. They know where the “real” local food is. This indication is a non-verbal review.
If you see the menu out front in six languages – this is probably a place for tourists. And you are not a tourist.
If there is a carnival barker out front pleading for you to go in – WHY would you even consider it?
Except for breakfast buffets, I usually avoid any place where the food is sitting out. Exceptions include seafood or meat on a well-built bed of ice or a prebaked dessert.
Strive for balance in your meal. I like to order several plates and share them with the table. A few appetizers, a few entrees (one less entrée than the number of people), is usually enough. You get to sample several items, and you should have a balance in your meal.
Meat or seafood will provide protein that replenishes your muscles. Keep in mind; muscles are probably getting more of a workout than they do back home. Protein also helps resist infection.
Just about every cuisine out there (except the U.S.A.’s) is decadent on vegetables and fruits (nutrition). They also have healthy amounts of carbs. I usually lose a few pounds on a trip and not because I starved.
WHEN TO EAT.
Sampling the local cuisine is NOT where to cut your budget. Often my big meal of the day is a late lunch. Then, I do not have a full “meal” later in the day. I prefer opting for small plates and a “taste” of local specialties. This style is the opposite of my home diet. It’s healthier for me to travel.
I also drink more wine than I do beer (carbs). Unless it’s vodka in Russia or Sweden or Scotch in Scotland, I do not drink much hard liquor while traveling. This change is a considerable saving on the budget. It also leaves more room for the local / house wines that are usually inexpensive and delicious.
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO…
When traveling, we have no idea how many different things our immune system comes into contact with just by doing simple things. For instance, in an airport, we pass people traveling from/through countries whose location we do not know. These people may be carrying bacteria and other disease-causing organisms, our immune system has never encountered. Stay away from people whose health is questionable.
Airplanes are pretty much Petri dishes that they seal and shoot through the air. How refreshing it would be if sick people would stay home. But “they paid for the #%^$ ticket, and they are going even if it kills them.” (and everyone around them). Unfortunately, with the overbooking of most flights, the option of changing seats is not an “option.” Luckily, I grew up in the generation that built robust immune systems through scrapes, scratches, and the occasional mud pie. For those with weaker immune systems, consider a mask for your nose and mouth, especially for longer flights. Another option is to see if I am on your plane. In that case, you are safe. The person who can cough (hack) for 13 hours straight will be sitting directly behind me. You’re welcome.
When we travel, we like to touch things. Think how many hands touch the hand railing on the stairs leading to St Peters Basilica every hour? That thought may have worked as an appetite suppressant. That can be good for your health.
So we should seal ourselves in a ziplock and never come out? That wouldn’t be fun, especially if the bag is as airtight as they claim.
Don’t wash your hands; scrub them, often. Before meals, before drinking, in other words, anytime you are bringing them closer to your mouth, nose, or eyes. These are all jumping off locations for viruses and bacteria.
SANITIZERS – Helpful or harmful?
Hand sanitizers help keep bacteria at bay but have little to no effect on viruses. Please don’t get a false sense of security that they put an invisible barrier (bubble) around you. They are good, but constant washing and being aware of the health of others around you will go much further.
DISINFECTANT WIPES.
Although I have seen a few people I would like to use these on, you should only use them on the surfaces around you. Trying to polish every handrail at St Peter’s is probably out of the question. But what about that tabletop at THAT American fast food joint you promised not to visit while traveling? Hotel rooms do get cleaned, but how well? Days of the sash across the toilet seat saying “sanitized” seem to be “behind” us. A swipe around light switches, faucets, phones, and the desk is not a bad idea.
The only thing more volatile on a plane than the kid sitting behind or next to me (or both) is the petri dish that easily (ha) folds down into your 1 foot by 2-foot desk/table. Have you ever been on a plane that makes a stop but you stay on the plane? Did you see anyone wiping down the tray tables? How do you think they turn planes around in 15 minutes? Although hazmat suits are a bit much considering the width of plane seats these days, a healthy swipe with a wipe is not a bad idea.
Let me leave you with one additional thought. I had a lady with a lap child between me and the window. She said she needed to get up and change the darling little one’s diaper. She then proceeds to do it right there on my seat (after putting a blanket down), but where do you think she places the used diaper until she finishes? If I were you, I would wipe down the tray table (or leave them in the upright and locked position unless you need it.
EXERCISE.
If you are exploring a place correctly, additional exercise is probably not necessary. The Mayan pyramids and hilltop towns are better than a step-master any day. If you are on a cruise, do a few laps around the deck or use the stairs.
NOTE: If you do not exercise currently, you may not be able to keep up with the crowd when traveling.
Can you walk 2-3 miles for 1-2 hrs, with stops to look at sites? If no, then you owe it to yourself to get up off the couch and go for a walk. Take the stairs when only going up one flight or down two. Its great exercise, and you can save hours not waiting for elevators.
Please don’t miss out on something for no other reason than you couldn’t keep up.
You are spending too much money on this trip to sit. GET UP!
For travelers who have mobility issues, that’s a different story. However, in the U.S.A. and a few other countries, people are addressing accessibility issues. This act is making many more things reachable than ever before. There are whole websites and travel companies that address these challenges.
PREVENTION.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So would it kill you to check out your destinations on the World Health Organization website?
Look under the “News and Features” tab to see if there is anything currently out of the ordinary. You might want to take precautions before you travel.