Ways to eat healthy while staying in foreign country!

It is often being said when you are out, watch out what you eat! I have been talking about staying outside in a foreign country for higher studies. I have also discussed about how to stay stress free there in my last blog post. Your taste buds may play a game, but your stomach will not always be up to take the challenge. Hence you need to stay conscious about what you eat, how to eat and where to eat. To stay healthy for smooth study schedule, one needs to find a middle road between satisfying the taste buds and treating ones belly well as to prevent spending half of your battle in the bathroom or in the hospital.

I am not saying that the food that you eat abroad is always harmful than the home food. It is just that your belly is not used to it. One of the most important differences that most of the Indians student may not know about is that most of the times chemical fertilizers are being used in Indian agriculture. Whereas most foreign countries use natural fertilizers that may produce food which will be carrying more bacterial load to your digestive system. Understanding and knowing all such facts may not be possible for you as you will be more focused towards your studies but following few rules will definitely help you to keep a healthy tummy.

Wash your hands often: It’s the golden rule to stay disease free. Do not behave like an obsessive-compulsive but executing it as a habit is good. Wash your hand before every meal and also wash them when you think you held something not clean like railing in public transport or rod of shopping cart in a supermarket.

Get yourself vaccinated: Many infectious diseases are specific or are prevalent to some areas. Such diseases are being recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); it’s always beneficial to check out the websites of these organizations before you traveling to a particular area. These websites also inform you about any ongoing threats you might face. Thus getting yourself vaccinated accordingly is always a good idea. 

Avoid street food: Food which is readily available on street may be unhygienically prepared by using hands and probably impure ingredients. Instead of this eat packaged food which is at least untouched by hands while being prepared. Even if you want to eat street food, avoid eating it from street vendor who carry food on the back of bicycles or carts, rather stick with kiosks and restaurants with proper facilities that follow basic health and safety regulations.

It always convenient to go to a restaurant and eat but at the same time it’s risky too. But if you are eating outside be sure that your dish is served hot. Have a look and check if it looks clean and well kept. Check if the restaurant is busy because as a rule the fewer the customers, the longer the food may sit before being served. If you’re in a non-English-speaking country, it’s always a good idea to ask about what the dished contains. When choosing a restaurant, our advice is similar: Go with the people flow. Busy restaurants typically serve fresh, clean and safe food. 

Buy food from local grocery stores: Always buy raw food items form a local grocery store or a super market near you. This will never be heavy on your pocket as by buying in bulk at the grocery store will cost you less and will ensure quality too. Likewise the most common source of dietary problems while traveling is drinking water, so always try buying branded packaged drinking water form a grocery store.

Cook yourself: Cooking food in your very own native way is always the best way to stay healthy. Though you have to invest some of your valuable time to cook but it will give you returns when you will complete your journey in a healthy manner. Every country has a staple food and most of staple food is vegetarian. In UK potatoes are easily available and are very cheap and hence one can cook them for an easy meal. 

Peel your fruits and vegetables: Always try to buy the fruits which have protective covering over it, so that you can peel and then eat them. This will help you to stay protected even if these fruits would have been stored in unhygienically or some chemical has been used over them. 

Stick to your eating schedule: Try not to skip your meal. Organizing yourself as it will help getting a positive response from your body when you are eating foreign food.

Being vegetarian is better: It is ok to eat non-veg dishes if you are getting your meat from a reliable grocery store or a super market and cooking it completely (temperature will kill all the harmful bacteria). But if you cannot do that being a vegetarian is always a better option. Benefits of being vegetarian for staying healthy were always known to all and hence you can rely on that. Most of the time it has been seen that food items like cheese burger contains beef patty but its name never sound like it may contain beef. So that is why it is always important to check before eating anything.

What to eat or drink that will never harm you: Food like nuts and other shelled foods are always a good choice. Coffee and tea are generally harmless, but it’s best to take your hot drinks black, without potentially contaminated milk. Fruits and vegetables you can peel yourself are usually safe. Moderation is the safest course of action. Supplements and vitamins, including iron pills, can help maintain balance when your diet is insufficient. Also, “sports bars” such as Balance or Power Bars are excellent, nutrient-packed travel snacks.

The real mantra to stay disease free while in foreign land is “Cook it, wash it, peel it or forget it.” I think now these all above discussed rules will help your stay easier and healthier in the foreign land. If you are also planning to study outside your country, these rules will always help you, so that you can focus on your studies. 

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