The food in India is UNREAL. Hands down. It’s one of the main attractions that bring people to India. But, I was certain that half-way through our trip, I would be so over curry. Little did I know just how diverse Indian Cuisine actually is and I kept discovering new dishes almost every day…. every meal! We ended up having different curries 2… sometimes 3 times a day! And to be honest, at the end of our trip, after 17 days, I was still craving curry 😛

However, we’ve all heard of horror stories regarding Traveler’s Diarrhea or,  in regards to India, more commonly known as “Delhi Belly.”

Delhi Belly – the bacterial stomach infection results in intense diarrhea and discomfort for days. This usually is attained by consuming the tap water here; whether that’s by brushing your teeth, opening your mouth in the shower, having a cool drink with ice made from the tap water, or even eating raw fruits and vegetables that are “washed” with this water.

For the 3 months leading up to our trip, the first response anyone would comment when finding out we were going to India was in regards to Delhi Belly.

“Oh, be prepared to sh*t yourself!”

Out of the numerous people we knew who had visited India before, NOT ONE person managed to avoid getting sick. Obviously, this didn’t boost our confidence at all, but I was determined to take all precautions necessary.

🚨 Spoiler Alert: NEITHER OF US GOT SICK! ⭐️

So, how did we manage to eat like this and avoid the inevitable bacteria from melting our insides?

A lot of research and questions, but these precautions are real considerations that shouldn’t be taken lightly by those from western cultures who are not immune to this bacteria. I had a bag full of remedies that included:

• USANA Probiotics
• USANA Digestive Enzymes
• Activated Charcoal
• Pedialyte & Nuun Tablets
• Imodium
• Gas-X Tablets
• Antacid Tablets
• Ibuprophen and Cold/Flu Acetaminophen
• Daily Multi-Vitamins and Antioxidants
• Ginger Chews

 

The USANA Probiotics are literal LIFE SAVERS as they come in a powder sachet that are manufactured in a way so the good bacteria stays live and viable without refrigeration. You can either pour the powder straight into your mouth, or mix it in a glass of room temperature or cold water. This makes them PERFECT FOR TRAVELLING.

On a normal basis, I take one USANA Probiotics every second day. In preparation for India, I took one sachet every day the week leading up to our trip to really boost my immune system and bacterial defense. Once our trip began, we continued to have one sachet every morning.

The USANA Digestive Enzymes is a mix of your natural digestive enzymes that your body already makes with an added boost of artichoke extract, which also helps the digestive process and decreases bloating.

With every meal, we would take one USANA Digestive Enzyme tablet, as well as an Activated Charcoal Tablet.

A few other sources told me to forget about the sugar intake and order a Coke-a-Cola when possible to kill anything else harmful. Also, a challenge I want to throw out to you in lieu of you staying healthy: Just stay away from any raw fruit or vegetables while you’re there. It will be a high risk unless you can guarantee they were thoroughly washed with non-infected water. It’s actually harder to do than you think!

And be sure to have some daily multi-vitamin and antioxidant on hand since you will be missing these nutrients by steering clear of fresh fruits and veggies. I rely on USANA CellSentials for their purity and general absorbency rates, but I order them through what USANA calls a HealthPak, which conveniently packages them in AM/PM sachets making them super easy to travel with.

The pharmacist I spoke to in Canada also recommended I get a prescription for an antibiotic, in case we were unfortunate to get Delhi Belly during our trip, but when I saw my GP in London (who’s from India), he refused me a prescription and said I can just get it at any pharmacy upon arrival…. Skeptical and rather annoyed, I had no other option than to wait and see what they had at the airport pharmacy. Sure enough, upon arrival in the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, there’s a pharmacy just past the customs security gate at arrivals. I showed the pharmacist a picture of the antibiotic/anti-amoebic that my London GP told me about, and without hesitation, she had it there, costing just over INR 1,000… or $1.10 USD! In London, it would’ve cost £9 (about $10 USD, as all prescriptions cost this). Remember, these are antibiotics and should NOT be taken unless you have actually come down with Traveler’s Diarrhea. Misuse can lead to Antibiotic Resistance… as in, they will not work in the future!

Other than these oral remedies, hand sanitizer and wet wipes were commonly used. Pedialyte and Nuun Tablets were great for replenishing electrolytes since it is pretty humid in India and especially if you do end up getting sick, you’ll need to replace these. I always had an emergency pharmacy in my purse or daypack as you just never know when the bacteria may strike. Ladies – you may want to think about extra pantyliners and tissue, as well…

Also, don’t forget to check which travel vaccinations are recommended and be sure to get these well in advance so they actual have a hold in the body before travelling. I believe Typhoid, Hepatitus A and B are the 3 main recommended travel vaccinations for India. You may have to have them done at least 3 weeks prior to your departure.

Even with all of these precautions, there were times where we had a couple runny bowel movements and crampy stomachs, but that just reiterates how important it is to take precautions while indulging. I hope I was able to help you feel a bit more prepared for your trip (P.S. You’ll never completely feel ready for India…). It’s going to be completely awesome and don’t shy from the food as it is honestly some of the best in the world!

Check out my travels on Instagram #EarthDragonTravels.