Traveling to another country always sounds like a lot of fun, but nothing can turn a great trip into a nightmare like getting sick or hospitalized. The truth is that there can be quite a few dangers lurking in other countries in the category of creepy crawling microbes and toxins. Nobody wants to lug a bag full of supplements in their suitcase, so I’m going to give you my top 3 picks for supplements to keep you healthy while traveling.
First, here are some of the health dangers you face while traveling:
- Water: Foreign microbes in water that could give you diarrhea or worse.
- Air: Toxins from poor air quality in countries without emissions testing on vehicles or regulation of factory pollution.
- Food: Sometimes we’re forced to eat what’s convenient instead of what’s healthy.
- Animals: Having your legs torn up by “no-see-ums” can keep you up at night, but there are other poisonous animals that can ruin your whole trip if you’re not prepared.
My favorite supplements for avoiding these issues are:
- Activated charcoal
- Nascent iodine
- A powerful antioxidant supplement
Microbial Infections Come in From Contaminated Water or Food
How many stories have you heard of people who went on a fun trip to Mexico but ended up with Montezuma’s revenge? They may have picked up a parasite such as giardia from contaminated water or other food-bourne illness.
Others have picked up illnesses in foreign countries that become so serious that they end up passing away in those countries. This is not stated to scare you but only for the purpose of telling you that these things are possible – so you can protect yourself by taking precautions.
Another way to pick up these bugs is to breathe them in on the flight to your destination. It’s not uncommon for people to breathe in this re-circulated air in the cabin and then end up with a cold, flu bug, or even pneumonia.
The air quality in many countries without regulation on emissions and factory pollution is also a factor. All these toxins in the air can make you drowsy, tired or even sick.
The Secret is Activated Charcoal and Iodine
There’s something you can do to prevent these creepy crawling microbes from ruining your vacation. It’s a secret that many travellers have known for years but it’s one that is not known by much of the public or even most medical doctors.
The secret is to take powdered activated charcoal and/or capsules of it. Activated charcoal is a black substance and it is capable of staining clothes so make sure you wrap it in a Ziploc bag and then another for extra precaution. Iodine usually comes as a small dropper bottle and is also easy to pack.
How To Use Activated Charcoal When Traveling
If you know you are going to be exposed to a higher level of toxins or microbes, that’s the time to get the remedy out of your luggage. Mix up one teaspoon of activated charcoal in about 8 ounces of bottled water and drink it. You can follow this with another bottle of water.
You can repeat both of these methods every 4-6 hours if the symptoms don’t resolve. Repeat either method every 12 hours if the symptoms have resolved themselves quickly. There’s no toxic dose associated with charcoal; it’s one of the most harmless substances on the planet.
Use this same procedure when you have any infection, or even blood poisoning. Activated charcoal has antiviral properties and works against dysentery, cholera and digestive tract infections. You might even want to bring a few pounds to offer as a gift to some communities you’ll be visiting if they have a problem with infectious diseases.
How to Use Iodine While Traveling
If you know you’re going to be drinking water that’s a bit sketchy, just put a few drops of nascent iodine in the water and shake it. That should kill most of the microbes in the water within several seconds.
Iodine is one of the most important supplements for your health and is needed in every cell in your body. In fact, most Americans and Europeans are deficient in iodine which has lead to many thyroid problems and other healthy issues. Iodine also happens to be one of the most powerful anti-microbial substances. It’s still used to this day to disinfect the skin before performing major surgeries.
Activated Charcoal for Bug Bites and Snake Bites
Your activated charcoal may come in handy if you’re bitten by a bug such as a poisonous spider or even a snake bite. With wounds to the skin, you can make a poultice and apply it to the skin. This is very simple. Take a paper towel, preferably non-chlorinated, and lay it down on the table. Then in a small bowl, moisten a teaspoon charcoal with water so it forms a paste.
Spread the paste over the paper towel in an area large enough to cover the wound. Then cover the charcoal paste with the rest of the paper towel, making a little bandage of your own. By this time, some of the water from the charcoal paste will have come through the bottom of the paper towel. This is a good sign, as it’s the side you will lay on top of the wound.
Cover with plastic wrap and then add another ace bandage on top of it to hold it in place. Then simply let the charcoal do the work and remove the venom. At the same time, take one teaspoon charcoal and mix in a glass of water and drink.
