How To Survive Long Haul

At the end of 2017, we took the trip of a lifetime to South East Asia to celebrate hubby's big birthday.

This was a trip that I enjoyed far, far more than I thought I would, seeing the most amazing sights in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. I saw things I'd only seen in books and on TV - from the manic streets of Hanoi with its constant toot of moped horns to the absolute quiet of the jungle lake in Thailand. The golden temples of Bangkok, the quiet splendour of Angkor Wat (complete with live scorpion!) to huntsman spiders and orange cloaked monks.

And in all that time - almost a month - we were completely untroubled by tummy issues. We ate local almost always - sometimes from street barbecues, sometimes from stalls on the street, and very occasionally at more 'upmarket' restaurants.

We met folk that had terrible tummy problems, who couldn't safely stray more than a few feet from a loo. And there was a reason for the difference between them and us.

So here are my essential top tips for surviving long haul.

1. Preparation

Prep started a good 10 days or so before out flight. We took a prebiotic, non pathogenic yeast daily. This helps the gut bacteria form and establish colonies and helps feed them.

2. Probiotic

We took a good quality probiotic daily from about a week before we left.

3. Bottled beer

Even though I don't drink beer, I learnt to on this trip. I wanted to make sure that I didn't get any ice cubes because you can't always be sure where your ice has come from. In Cambodia, I saw a massive chunk of ice being delivered to a street vendor. It was open to the elements - a mini iceberg being dragged from the flatbed of a truck and dumped into the dirt on the road. From there the massive chunk was chipped into smaller chinks of ice. Mind you, I did have a G&T occasionally, when I could be relatively sure the ice was good - from good quality hotels, for example.

4. Stir fry

We ate many, many stir fries. We ate fruit with natural yoghurt, but we didn't usually eat salad. The reason? Salad is washed, and you can't be sure of the quality of the water. But if you stir fry the veg, the heat will kill off most pathogenic microbes. The fruit was usually without skin - watermelon, papaya etc.

5. Eat local

Local dishes prepared by local people. They know exactly how to cook them, and how to serve them, and how to avoid contamination. Eating European food in Asian countries could be asking for trouble. Sometimes, dishes just don't travel well.

So there you have it. How to stay safe on long haul holidays. Wish you were there?

#Longhaul #GutHealth #Holiday