I am , again, participating in the Indie Challenge hosted by Bootsnall. Just like last year, I’d be posting an article a day, based on the question / challenge of that day.

>>you can join the challenge by clicking here

Nov 26
Staying Healthy While Traveling

Getting sick while traveling sucks, so answer one or all:
QUESTION 1:
What are your tricks for staying healthy (while traveling or in general)?
QUESTION 2:
Have you ever gotten really sick while traveling (tell us all the gory details)?
QUESTION 3:
Have you learned any strange or new cures from your travels (or does your family have any non-traditional sickness remedies you grew up with)?

Update July 2023:
I’ve been vegan for almost 6 years already. My diet is still based on salads. And I enjoy finding vegan places to eat at.
Aside from walking a lot, I’ve been dancing Argentine Tango for the past 6 years as well.

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Back in 1999 I started cutting out sugar , white bread and red meat from my diet. It did lead to weight loss , which I wanted, but it also opened up a new world for me. For a while I was vegan (2008-2009) but was unable to sustain it. I now go from being vegan (during summer) to eating dairy and fish but hardly ever other types of meat.

My tips include my trusty FitBit (the one pictured above is a Charge HR which I got this March but I had FitBit One before, since June 2014) since we do love to walk everywhere we can, weather permitting.

My diet is based on salads. When I am home and when I travel. After all, there would always be a market to get veggies from or a store with pre-packaged veggies.

Since I have a good dentist I started taking care of my teeth a lot better than before (I know, I know, you can lecture me now). So I am careful what toothpaste I use and I schedule 6 months appointments with her way in advance (in my calendar).

I’ve started taking immunity boosters (Echinacea extract) last year. Basically the whole month of September and then the whole month of November I take one pill a day. Knock on wood, I haven’t gotten severe cold in years (5 to be exact).

Which brings me to the second question: without jinxing myself, I have never gotten sick while traveling. I mean severely sick. Sure, getting a runny nose was pretty “standard” when I traveled by train during winter month. Back in 2008 when I traveled to Bacau in late October I arrived there with a runny nose but a “diet” of hot tea fixed that.

I am really picky with my food mostly because I do have a slight lactose intolerance. This means, I cannot drink warm / hot milk but I am fine with anything else and I can eat a lot of diary! Ha!

I am not much of a street-food fan either. Never been. I may make an exception when we go to a Christmas Market but I go for the “safe” foods anyway.

As for the third question, I have “inherited” some weird cures.

* For sore throat, mix 3 tsp of raw honey with 1 tsp of grated horseradish.

* For a cough, make onion tea.

* If you are bloated and cannot pass gas (sorry, TMI), make cumin tea (and be sure not to stay in the vicinity of others afterwards).

* As soon as the cold season hits, add garlic to everything (and say good bye to your social life)