Delhi Belly avoidance techniques

Call it the runs, trots, or Delhi Belly, it doesn’t matter, the bottom line is that diarrhea is one of the most common challenges facing international travelers. Before arriving in India for a 5-month stay we did our research on Delhi Belly and how to avoid it.

Our experience is not dissimilar from the results of a quick Google search and yet, totally different.

1. Be prepared: bring anti-diarrhea medication with you and have some rehydration sachets in your first aid kit.

1. Hygiene: COVID-19 reinforced the need for hygiene and we haven’t stopped washing our hands frequently, especially around meal times. When soap and water aren’t available we use Dettol hand wipes. We wipe tables and utensils before eating. We also haven’t lost the pandemic habit of washing hands the minute we get home from being out anywhere.
   

2. Use safe water: We use bottled or boiled water for everything - even washing the dishes and brushing our teeth are done with safe water. A kettle is a minimum requirement wherever we stay and if we’re on an overnight train, the water being lugged around is as heavy as the backpacks, but that’s just the way it is. No complaints.

1. Avoid raw food unless you’re cleaning it yourself with safe water and salt. It takes some adjustment, getting used to only eating cooked vegetables when you’re eating out - especially if you’re a fruit and salad lover. But it’s not worth the risk. Don’t eat the garnish and also avoid unpasteurised dairy products. Oranges, pineapples, papayas, mangoes, bananas, melon, and lychee are great as long as you’re peeling the skin off yourself.
   

2. Safe food sources: This is one area where we do not agree with the online advice of “eat food from reputable restaurants and vendors that have hygiene practices and avoid street food.” We met a couple of foreigners who told us they got sick from eating in fancy restaurants. Our approach? Go where the locals are queuing. They know where the good food is and with a high demand for fresh dishes, the ingredients are being cooked fast, hot, and immediately. All the things needed to kill food-based bugs. We were careful to stay away from food that looked like it had been sitting out for a while.

1. Without ice please: Avoid ice in your drinks. Even if you’re told it is made with safe water, don’t. Just don’t.

1. No free water please: In many coffee shops and restaurants, they bring you a free glass of water for the table. Unless you’ve seen it coming from a water purifier, just say no thanks.

1. Attitude: If you expect to get sick, it’s going to happen. We’ve mostly eaten street food in all the countries we’ve visited (Kenya, Mauritius, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Nepal) and we’ve had sauces out of containers that need a good wipe down, but we’ve also used common sense and careful consideration all along the way.

As of 1 April, after 11 months of travel, neither of us has had to run or trot to the bathroom in haste and discomfort. Long may this last as there’s no going home. We don’t have one :)

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@ingridlotze @gavinmoffat

Join the journey: https://linktr.ee/7tshirtseach

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Two individuals. Wife and husband. Business partners. Adventurers. Scuba divers. #NomadWorkLifestyle. Suitcase only fits 7t-shirts each.

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