by Harry

Some might find the Culinary sampling of street foods a bit risky. Others get a thrill from sampling the local diets in street cart form. Why the hesitation? Comfort, cleanliness, and maybe the fear of getting “Volcano Booty” or even worse regurgitated street food. Luckily I have a few tricks up my sleeve to insure that I decrease my chances of the stomach bug.

5 Tips for avoiding stomach sickness…

1. Grapefruit seed extract. I keep a bottle of this with me and drip it into my water every so often. I find that it really helps kill any parasites and bacteria.

2. The Digestive. Yes, I will be the first to admit that there is no such thing as the booze that is good for you. But, in times of need a “digestive” really does aid you’re stomach. Bruce and I prefer Fernet, but we like trying local digestives such as rice wine, moonshine, or rum.

3. Sugary starches. Yes, this is bad if you are trying to lose weight, but great if you are trying to slow your digestion. I find that a little starch goes a long way, and if you’re afraid of the sugar hitting your blood stream too quickly, eat a little meat with it.

4. Avoid street carts that are not busy. This may seem like common sense, but I see tourists doing it all the time. If the food looks like it’s been sitting on the shelf for all day it’s probably been sitting for two.

5. Eat the natural parasite killers. In SE Asia this is usually chilly, ginger, garlic, and lime. If these are given to you in the dish, use them. It will help you in the long run I promise.

So there you have it. Five simple guides to keeping your booty in check. The next time you see street food and have “I don’t want to get sick” as your excuse. Think again…