How to Avoid Delhi Belly
So you're gearing up for your dream adventure to India, and you are starting to dream of all the incredible food you can’t wait to try. If your anything like me, food is 99% of the reason you travel and you’ve heard Indian food is some of the best in the world. Yet, amidst the excitement, there's that lingering fear of the infamous Delhi Belly creeping into your thoughts. You've heard the horror stories, and you're determined to do everything in your power to avoid falling victim to it. The internet becomes your ally as you dive into research, seeking out every tip and trick to safeguard your stomach against the notorious traveler's ailment. But how do you navigate this culinary minefield and emerge unscathed? I may not have the best advice, because I DID get sick, but I can tell you it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be (before I left I literally told everyone I was probably going to have a trip to the hospital and that did not happen). I think the things I did made it “not so bad” and allowed me to still have an incredible trip for the 14 days I traveled around (check out my 2 week itinerary here). Let's delve into the strategies and precautions you can take to ward off Delhi Belly and ensure your Indian getaway is filled with memorable experiences rather than uncomfortable ones.
this photo was taken less then 24 hours after I got sick! I followed some simple steps and I was able to start exploring the Blue City!
2 Months Before Your Trip
Two months before you leave, start preparing your gut. Speak with your doctor about getting a strong probiotic and start taking it at least 30-60 days before your flight. Make sure to get any vaccines they recommend and speak with your doctor about any prescriptions you can get to help with traveler’s diarrhea in the event you do get sick. My doctor gave me a double dose of Azithromycin to have on me and let me tell you - I am SO grateful.
In addition, I started taking Grapefruit Seed Extract and Oreganol Oil twice daily. These can be a little tricky to figure out how to take. My trick was to fill a shot glass with water, add in the drops, pretend I’m still in college and chug it back. Both of these oils support digestive health by promoting a healthy balance of gut flora. This can help strengthen your immune system and improve your body's ability to fight off infections.
The Ultimate Delhi Belly Packing List
At this point, you should have a nice and prepped gut and you should be starting to think of all the things you’ll need while in India. Here is my “med kit” all about Delhi Belly.
Travelers Diarrhea Antibiotics | My Doctor prescribed my Azithromycin and it absolutely saved me! She had me taking 500mg twice a day for three days and it did the trick. I am not a doctor, so please speak with yours!
Pepto Bismol | Do not leave America without enough of this to cover you every single day (twice a day). I’m pretty confident I would have needed to go to a doctor if I didnt have this. I really liked the cooling liquid, but I did wish that I had tablets for certain scenarios.
Anti-Nausea Medicine | Whether your nauseous from Delhi Belly or the insane driving, I highly recommend bringing some Meclizine. I’m not someone who usually gets car sick, but I used this pretty much everyday.
Ginger Chews | On the nausea train, this is very helpful if your belly is feeling uneasy.
Buscopan | We don’t have this in the United States, but if you come from a country that does have this, I would bring it to help with stomach cramps!
Travelan | Take everyday before you eat a meal to help with digestion, gas, cramping, ect. I didn’t end up using this much, but other travelers swear by it.
Activated Charcoal | Toilets are hard to find and when you do it usually a whole in the ground, not very clean and no toilet paper. This is not ideal if you have the runs. Activated Charcoal will definitely help stop the diarrhea and get the bad stuff out of your belly!
Immodium | Same as the charcoal, but taking out the big guns.
Gas X | Sometimes the only symptom you’ll have is cramping - I swear by gas x to help with this!
Saltines | Saltines are my comfort food when I’m sick in America and I cannot recommend them enough for your trip to India. Having plain crackers (that I knew weren’t going to give me any other type of food poisoning) when I was sick helped me SO much.
Electrolytes | After a day of throwing up and shitting out your brains, the thought of eating any more food is scary. But your body needs nutrients. Having electrolytes handy and drinking immediately after being sick cut my recovery time in half.
LifeStraw Waterbottle | Water is one of the main sources of getting sick in India! I loved having this waterbottle with me so that I could always have clean, filtered water.
Antibacterial Wipes & Hand Sanitizer | Bring both - I brought just hand santizier and there were so many times I wish I had wipes too! Especially to wipe down my phone!
Baby Wipes | Your butt is going to hurt. Just trust me.
Trust the locals! They kept giving me coconut water and it helped me feel so much better!
Tips to Avoiding Delhi Belly
On your first day, try to limit the number of dishes you try. Keep it to just one at each meal. Your body is going to get hit with a lot of different new spices and they will be intense, so try to limit it the first few days!
Have curd (known as yogurt in the US) before your meal. It helps balance your gut and puts some good bacteria in your stomach before you eat
Wash your hands (literally all the time), but make sure you dont leave water on them! The water is often what makes you sick
Speaking of water, only drink bottled. Do not even attempt to try the filtered (I did and threw up for 2 days because of it)
It may seem like a “Duh” but check that the seal is actually sealed. There are alot of scams in India around selling “fake” water. People will just fill up bottles with unfilited water and sell it. You will get sick.
Speaking of scams, check the brand of the water. The company Bisleri is a reputable company, but you’ll see knock offs like “Bilseir, Bisferi and Bisllari”.
Avoid street food unless you are taking a walking tour. I really loved this tour in Delhi (check out my 24 hours in Delhi guide here) and this tour in Jaipur (check out my Jaipur essentials here)
What To Do If You Get Delhi Belly
Rest as much as you can. Your first day, you may just need to sleep all day. Its ok! Just do it, you’ll enjoy the rest of your trip more.
Hydrate and use electrolytes. I know everyone always says hydrate when your sick, but seriously! HYDRATE! And asbolutly have electrolytes. I felt like a new person about 2 hours after I finished my first electrolyte package
Get fresh coconut water as soon as you can. I would drink two a day and I instantly felt better after!
When you can tolerate eating, start with curd and banana. I did this for two days and it was perfect. If you can get your hands on plain rice or fresh naan thats great. But please do make sure that both are fresh. Naan and rice are often a huge source of sickness as some restaurants just reuse them :(
Listen to the locals - they have the best advice and will get you feeling better quickly!
If you need a doctor, don’t wait. Its not worth ruining your trip for a quick (and cheap!) trip to the doctors.
Despite getting sick, I can still say every bite of food I ate was worth it. India’s cuisine is amazing and while there are definitely some improvements that can be made on hygiene, in my opinion, its worth the risk.
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