Stay Healthy on Family Vacations –

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations

How to Avoid Tummy Trouble and Travel Diarrhea

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Your family travel destination will have doctors, pharmacists and all the comforts of home, but YOUR child’s tummy troubles will happen on the train, in the middle of the night, or on the airplane FAR from those things…because of Murphy. You remember him? They named that nasty Murphy’s law after him.

The good news is that you can do a LOT to avoid Montezuma’s revenge and stay healthy on family vacations!

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations : Preparing for a trip

**Ideally everyone is in tip top shape before family vacations. Add probiotics to your regime and give everyone a strong tummy to begin the trip. Even if you do encounter a virus or food poisoning you’ll shorten the duration of the misery with probiotics.

**Visit the CDC website and research your family travel destination. Are there any vaccinations you need to get? Are your travelers up to date on vaccinations?

**Google your family travel destination.  Right now South America, among other places, are having a terrible time with the Zika virus. Find out what is common in the area so you can make informed decisions.

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations : Food Safety

Some travelers are very adventurous eaters and others want bread, pasta and soda for the duration of your trip. Whatever category suits you and yours, make careful choices regarding food safety to ensure a healthy trip.

**Always eat hot food.  If it has been sitting out, at a buffet for example, beware. Other countries have very different rules and regulations concerning food safety.

**Watch the locals. If there is a long line of locals waiting for food then you have come to the right place. Food will be hot and fresh.

**Peel it yourself. I’m a lover of salads and fruits of all types, but I really scale back the types of things I eat on vacation. Anything washed with the local water, such as lettuce, can be a problem so I avoid completely. Also, fruits like grapes and apples are no-nos. Instead, go with citrus or bananas and peel them yourself. Better safe than sorry.

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations : Drinking Water

**Drink bottled water. Read before you go on whether or not you should drink the local water. When in doubt, drink bottled water AND be sure to use it for brushing teeth. Warn children not to drink water in the pool or in the shower or bathtub.

**Bring flavors for the kids. I like to bring powdered Crystal Light or Kool-Aid to make water more palatable for the little ones. These little packets are lightweight and easy to toss in your day pack for drinks on the go. Kids drink something flavored a lot easier that plain water.

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations : Snacks for Kids and Hungry Travelers

**Comfort food. When you aren’t feeling your best or you feel a little queasy, nothing makes you feel better than saltines or dry cereal like Cheerios. These small packages make them easy to toss in a daypack just in case. Give everyone in the traveling party a few.

**Be careful not to go too long between meals. Calorie watchers or very full itineraries can leave you with long stretches between meals. This can make everyone weak and very crabby. Bring snacks, or buy them along the way. Make sure to plan time in your day for food.

Stay Healthy on Family Vacations : First Aid Kit

**Do NOT buy a pre made kit. I don’t know who makes those things you see at Walgreens or the sporting good stores, but they rarely have much more in there than what you need for cuts and bruises. Bandaids and tape will NOT help you at 3 am when you have a sick traveler.

But if you are going to rely on bandaids…they might as well be fun ones like this!

**Visit your Doctor. Visit your dr and the pediatrician or send them a note online. Outline your trip and ask them to recommend some traveling medicines for your group. I like to take an anti-vomiting medication and anti diarrhea medicine. Read the packages and the prescriptions to make sure they are suitable for the entire family. Know the doses.

**Think About Your Group. Plan for your group. I have to take en epipen and allergy medicine because of food allergies. Also, visine is always in my first aid kit. What special issues do you have with your family? Plan ahead.

Pack your own first aid kit and read here about what goes in it. Then, perhaps Murphy’s law will work in reverse….like the only time you DON’T need an umbrella is when you remember to bring it with you.

Happy and uneventful 😉 travels,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist