We want the friendly germs, not the mean ones!
January 11, 2010 10:58 PM Subscribe
How can my family help ensure we don't get sick while working in a small Mexican village?
Next week the Northwest family are going to a small village outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to do some community work. We have a lot to do and will be very busy, I don't want to spend time sick.
We plan to stock up on bottled water on our way there, are there precautions such as yogurt to prevent GI problems? Cipro? If so do you just keep it on hand or take it prophylactically?
Any suggestions to keep us healthy and enjoy our stay would be appreciated.
Next week the Northwest family are going to a small village outside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to do some community work. We have a lot to do and will be very busy, I don't want to spend time sick.
We plan to stock up on bottled water on our way there, are there precautions such as yogurt to prevent GI problems? Cipro? If so do you just keep it on hand or take it prophylactically?
Any suggestions to keep us healthy and enjoy our stay would be appreciated.
Living in India tips: Don't eat any meat ever, at all, ever, at all. And take lots and lots and lots of baby wipes. Wipe your hands before you eat or drink anything. And then wipe them again. And wipe your forks, knives and tops of bottles/cans you're drinking from. Don't use straws. Don't eat salad vegetables or unpeeled fruit. If you can't peel it or cook it, don't eat it.
And don't smoke the dope.... ok ,that 's more an India thing.
Have fun possum!
posted by taff at 12:52 AM on January 12, 2010
And don't smoke the dope.... ok ,that 's more an India thing.
Have fun possum!
posted by taff at 12:52 AM on January 12, 2010
Peel it, boil it or forget it. And wash your hands.
posted by makonan at 1:43 AM on January 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by makonan at 1:43 AM on January 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Take along oral rehydration salts. Make sure you have at least 2-3 packets on hand, ie replenish stocks as they get used. At best, they prevent you from getting much sicker than you would. At worst, they can save a life.
posted by tavegyl at 2:03 AM on January 12, 2010
posted by tavegyl at 2:03 AM on January 12, 2010
I've actually gotten sick more times from "nice, clean restaurants" than eating off the street. Getting sick may be inevitable.
If you get sick (and if it's available) coconut water is your new best friend. (Not coconut milk but the water that comes from the green fruit.) Drink it while you're sick to help you stay hydrated--lots and lots of electrolytes--and then keep it up after your anti-diarrheals have started working to help regulate things down there. If you don't care for the taste, drink it as cold as possible. If you're buying it fresh, a vendor should be able to guide you to the sweetest ones, too.
posted by wallaby at 2:18 AM on January 12, 2010
If you get sick (and if it's available) coconut water is your new best friend. (Not coconut milk but the water that comes from the green fruit.) Drink it while you're sick to help you stay hydrated--lots and lots of electrolytes--and then keep it up after your anti-diarrheals have started working to help regulate things down there. If you don't care for the taste, drink it as cold as possible. If you're buying it fresh, a vendor should be able to guide you to the sweetest ones, too.
posted by wallaby at 2:18 AM on January 12, 2010
I've taken a European and and American down to visit remote Mexican villages. They ate everything and nobody got sick. This isn't India. There is so much traffic between Mexico and the US now that the bacteria arent' as foreign as they used to be.
The most important tip to follow: Do as the locals do.
1. They don't drink the water either. They drink bottled water or they boil water on the stove before drinking it.
2. For prepared foods, make sure everything is thoroughly cooked. Street vendors are actually fairly safe, contrary to popular opinion. You can see what you're getting instead of wondering whats going on in some back kitchen. They cook things right in front of you and then serve you the food with disposable plates. When I was in Michoacan last month, the taco vendor was using plastic gloves to handle money.
3. Lime juice. A powerful anti-bacterial agent. Mexicans rub it on everything! For the taste mainly but, hey, it also reduces bacteria.
posted by vacapinta at 5:52 AM on January 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
The most important tip to follow: Do as the locals do.
1. They don't drink the water either. They drink bottled water or they boil water on the stove before drinking it.
2. For prepared foods, make sure everything is thoroughly cooked. Street vendors are actually fairly safe, contrary to popular opinion. You can see what you're getting instead of wondering whats going on in some back kitchen. They cook things right in front of you and then serve you the food with disposable plates. When I was in Michoacan last month, the taco vendor was using plastic gloves to handle money.
3. Lime juice. A powerful anti-bacterial agent. Mexicans rub it on everything! For the taste mainly but, hey, it also reduces bacteria.
posted by vacapinta at 5:52 AM on January 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
No ceviche
Don't eat any meat ever, at all, ever, at all
Following this advice would mean the saddest and least enjoyable trip to coastal Mexico ever.
Vacapinta has it. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere; street vendors are great, cheap, and you can see whether they are keeping hot things hot, etc.
Don't take Cipro or other antibiotics prophylactically (unless your doctor tells you to do so because of your individual medical needs, of course). You probably won't get sick, but if you do you can buy anything you might need (from rehydration mix to Cipro and beyond) at the nearest farmacia.
Everyone blames the water and the street food for their diarrhea, but in reality it comes more from direct contact with other people. Bob didn't wash his hands after pooping; you shake Bob's hand; you pick at that thing stuck in your back teeth. Wash your hands occasionally (not obsessively, but before sticking your fingers in your mouth, say) and you have short-circuited this part of the oral/fecal cycle.
posted by Forktine at 6:33 AM on January 12, 2010
Don't eat any meat ever, at all, ever, at all
Following this advice would mean the saddest and least enjoyable trip to coastal Mexico ever.
Vacapinta has it. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere; street vendors are great, cheap, and you can see whether they are keeping hot things hot, etc.
Don't take Cipro or other antibiotics prophylactically (unless your doctor tells you to do so because of your individual medical needs, of course). You probably won't get sick, but if you do you can buy anything you might need (from rehydration mix to Cipro and beyond) at the nearest farmacia.
Everyone blames the water and the street food for their diarrhea, but in reality it comes more from direct contact with other people. Bob didn't wash his hands after pooping; you shake Bob's hand; you pick at that thing stuck in your back teeth. Wash your hands occasionally (not obsessively, but before sticking your fingers in your mouth, say) and you have short-circuited this part of the oral/fecal cycle.
posted by Forktine at 6:33 AM on January 12, 2010
I agree with vacapinta and Forktine. The best you can do for yourself is wash/sanitize your hands before every meal, try not to touch your face, and try to relax and enjoy yourself. One of the most common parasites, giardia, gets passed as a cyst. Yes, it is most commonly found in water (in America people usually get it from drinking water while camping), but it can live anywhere, and I've read that money is a common trajectory. The take-away from that is that hyper-vigilance about water and food is not going to protect you from everything, and could really take away from your enjoyment of your trip.
I am of the personal opinion that if hyper-vigilance leads to a huge reduction in calories and vitamins (like, you stop eating most vegetables), it can weaken your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to illness than moderate precaution would have.
posted by carmen at 6:53 AM on January 12, 2010
I am of the personal opinion that if hyper-vigilance leads to a huge reduction in calories and vitamins (like, you stop eating most vegetables), it can weaken your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to illness than moderate precaution would have.
posted by carmen at 6:53 AM on January 12, 2010
Seconding the following:
- Don't take the antibiotics prophylactically. Use them only if someone gets diarrhea that doesn't seem to be getting better.
- Prefer cooked food.
- If it isn't cooked, make sure it's peeled, preferably by you.
- Drink bottled water, which should be widely available.
- Wash your hands. I carry antibiotic gel.
I'd add:
- Don't take Immodium or other gut-stoppers unless you really have to (a bus journey with no access to a bathroom, for example). Normal diarrhea serves a purpose and will resolve itself.
- Avoid rich food that's been sitting at room temperature for a long time.
The only time I got sick in Mexico was when I politely ate guacamole that had clearly been sitting at room temperature. It was brown and warm. I was very thoroughly sick for one night and feeble for one day.
I was just in Thailand and got slightly sick. I suspect the room-temperature raita (yogurt and raw cucumber) at an Indian restaurant.
Both suspects included raw ingredients and fat and had apparently been sitting around unrefrigerated. They might have made me sick in any country.
posted by PatoPata at 6:56 AM on January 12, 2010
- Don't take the antibiotics prophylactically. Use them only if someone gets diarrhea that doesn't seem to be getting better.
- Prefer cooked food.
- If it isn't cooked, make sure it's peeled, preferably by you.
- Drink bottled water, which should be widely available.
- Wash your hands. I carry antibiotic gel.
I'd add:
- Don't take Immodium or other gut-stoppers unless you really have to (a bus journey with no access to a bathroom, for example). Normal diarrhea serves a purpose and will resolve itself.
- Avoid rich food that's been sitting at room temperature for a long time.
The only time I got sick in Mexico was when I politely ate guacamole that had clearly been sitting at room temperature. It was brown and warm. I was very thoroughly sick for one night and feeble for one day.
I was just in Thailand and got slightly sick. I suspect the room-temperature raita (yogurt and raw cucumber) at an Indian restaurant.
Both suspects included raw ingredients and fat and had apparently been sitting around unrefrigerated. They might have made me sick in any country.
posted by PatoPata at 6:56 AM on January 12, 2010
I took a group of students to Mexico to do service work and we all avoided getting sick by paying attention to where our water was coming from and washing our hands a lot. We were doing construction at an orphanage and had kids (germ carriers) crawling on and around us most of the time, but since we were washing our hands frequently after contact with them and their toys (any idea where that soccer ball has been?), we were ok. Some people decided to take 1-2 Pepto Bismal tablets/day with a meal, some didn't. I did that in India and other places but didn't feel the need to in Mexico. I don't think it will hurt you if you aren't taking it too long and want that layer of security. And there was always a place to get Coca-Cola or other bottled drinks if we were unsure of the water situation (no straws--they might be "recycled").
Also, if your community work is organized by some organization that is in Mexico a lot, they will have a lot of experience keeping Americans healthy. They don't want you to be sick, either, and have probably paid a lot of attention to the sources of your food and water to make sure that you can keep working all week. Most of our meals were organized by the organization we were working with, but I'd also recommend taking some familiar packaged snacks just in case a few of those meals aren't to your taste.
posted by BlooPen at 7:37 AM on January 12, 2010
Also, if your community work is organized by some organization that is in Mexico a lot, they will have a lot of experience keeping Americans healthy. They don't want you to be sick, either, and have probably paid a lot of attention to the sources of your food and water to make sure that you can keep working all week. Most of our meals were organized by the organization we were working with, but I'd also recommend taking some familiar packaged snacks just in case a few of those meals aren't to your taste.
posted by BlooPen at 7:37 AM on January 12, 2010
You've gotten some good advice here, from vacapinta on down.
I've lived in Mexico for almost 5 years now and have gotten food poisoning exactly once in that entire time, and I eat pretty much everything (well, everything that vegetarians eat). We think the culprit in my food poisoning was the milk in my coffee, as otherwise my husband and I ate exactly the same things (seriously, we each ate half of what we had ordered and then swapped our plates...) and he didn't have any problems. My husband, likewise, has had one case of food poisoning, after eating a catered meal at a graduation event. It isn't inevitable that visitors to Mexico will get food poisoning, and blanket statements like 'don't eat from street vendors' can give a false sense of security when eating at restaurants that look fancier. I know my sister-in-law wishes she hadn't eaten the meatballs that had been sitting around under warming lights at the Jose Cuervo restaurant in Tequila.
So yes, drink bottled water. I'd be very surprised if your 'small village' doesn't have a tiendita fully stocked with Coca Cola products, including Agua Ciel. Use that bottled water when you brush your teeth too.
Avoid food that has been sitting around for who knows how long, regardless of whether it's in a street vendor's cart or a sit down restaurant.
Wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Wash your hands before you eat. Wash your hands before you stick them in your mouth or your nose.
As far as fresh produce goes...I do eat lettuce, tomatoes, etc at restaurants as well as at home. Restaurants disinfect their produce just like I disinfect it in my own home. For a short visit like you are on, though, you'll probably want to play it safe and not take the risk.
I can't provide any anecdotal evidence re: street tacos, as I don't eat meat. The conventional wisdom is that if it's a busy stand it's pretty safe, as the food is being turned over quickly, and the fact that so many people are eating there indicates that it doesn't have a reputation amongst the local people for giving people the runs.
I hope you have a lovely, healthy trip!
posted by toodles at 9:09 AM on January 12, 2010
I've lived in Mexico for almost 5 years now and have gotten food poisoning exactly once in that entire time, and I eat pretty much everything (well, everything that vegetarians eat). We think the culprit in my food poisoning was the milk in my coffee, as otherwise my husband and I ate exactly the same things (seriously, we each ate half of what we had ordered and then swapped our plates...) and he didn't have any problems. My husband, likewise, has had one case of food poisoning, after eating a catered meal at a graduation event. It isn't inevitable that visitors to Mexico will get food poisoning, and blanket statements like 'don't eat from street vendors' can give a false sense of security when eating at restaurants that look fancier. I know my sister-in-law wishes she hadn't eaten the meatballs that had been sitting around under warming lights at the Jose Cuervo restaurant in Tequila.
So yes, drink bottled water. I'd be very surprised if your 'small village' doesn't have a tiendita fully stocked with Coca Cola products, including Agua Ciel. Use that bottled water when you brush your teeth too.
Avoid food that has been sitting around for who knows how long, regardless of whether it's in a street vendor's cart or a sit down restaurant.
Wash your hands after you use the bathroom. Wash your hands before you eat. Wash your hands before you stick them in your mouth or your nose.
As far as fresh produce goes...I do eat lettuce, tomatoes, etc at restaurants as well as at home. Restaurants disinfect their produce just like I disinfect it in my own home. For a short visit like you are on, though, you'll probably want to play it safe and not take the risk.
I can't provide any anecdotal evidence re: street tacos, as I don't eat meat. The conventional wisdom is that if it's a busy stand it's pretty safe, as the food is being turned over quickly, and the fact that so many people are eating there indicates that it doesn't have a reputation amongst the local people for giving people the runs.
I hope you have a lovely, healthy trip!
posted by toodles at 9:09 AM on January 12, 2010
PS. In my experience, in most public places (restaurants, schools, etc) the facilities for handwashing consist of a cold water tap...no hot water, no soap, nothing to dry your hands with. So at a restaurant, for example, I'll give my hands a good rinse and rub under the cold water, then let them air dry back at my table and finally slap some hand sanitizing gel on them once they've dried. Many places now have little tables at the entrance with a bottle of hand sanitizing gel 'for your convenience' as a (completely useless) measure against influenza.
posted by toodles at 9:43 AM on January 12, 2010
posted by toodles at 9:43 AM on January 12, 2010
nthing the above advice.
I have eaten tacos from street vendors and in a wide variety of Mexican restaurants from the high end, marble floor, filet-mignon places to the place where they cook the taquitos on a gas stove, and the pot is the top of the stove that has been crudely beaten into a concave shape. I've never been sick from eating in Mexico. Um, put lots of salsa on your food. It's anti-bacterial.
That being said, know that the locals don't drink the water, either. Bottled water. Drink soda or beer from the bottle. No ice cubes in the soda. Don't eat fruit that has been cut up already - peel it or slice it yourself.
Here's the hard part - don't brush your teeth with tap water, and don't open your mouth in the shower.
posted by Xoebe at 10:14 AM on January 12, 2010
I have eaten tacos from street vendors and in a wide variety of Mexican restaurants from the high end, marble floor, filet-mignon places to the place where they cook the taquitos on a gas stove, and the pot is the top of the stove that has been crudely beaten into a concave shape. I've never been sick from eating in Mexico. Um, put lots of salsa on your food. It's anti-bacterial.
That being said, know that the locals don't drink the water, either. Bottled water. Drink soda or beer from the bottle. No ice cubes in the soda. Don't eat fruit that has been cut up already - peel it or slice it yourself.
Here's the hard part - don't brush your teeth with tap water, and don't open your mouth in the shower.
posted by Xoebe at 10:14 AM on January 12, 2010
>...the taco vendor was using plastic gloves to handle money.
But did he remove them to handle the tacos? This is something that always baffles me about the newish plastic glove wearing trend. I've seen food handling/preparing people wearing gloves, but for touching everything, from food to doorknobs.
Good point about street vendors though; I've always heard warnings against them, but it makes so much sense that cooking in public goes a long way in terms of ensuring safer food.
posted by sentient at 1:00 PM on January 12, 2010
But did he remove them to handle the tacos? This is something that always baffles me about the newish plastic glove wearing trend. I've seen food handling/preparing people wearing gloves, but for touching everything, from food to doorknobs.
Good point about street vendors though; I've always heard warnings against them, but it makes so much sense that cooking in public goes a long way in terms of ensuring safer food.
posted by sentient at 1:00 PM on January 12, 2010
« Older I just don't want to be jobless. | How do I learn programming to create web-based... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
There is no magic bullet, only the usual precautions, i.e. drink bottled water, wash your hands, don't eat any food that has not been cooked thoroughly (including fruits and vegetables!!), don't even brush your teeth with tap water.
posted by randomstriker at 11:08 PM on January 11, 2010