Get Your Tummy Travel-Ready
One of the best ways to discover an exotic land is through local foods. While traveling with us, our guides and cooks always ensure your culinary explorations are authentic, delicious, and above all - safe. Even then some travelers may experience mild tummy troubles due in large part to:
Changes to dietary routine - The time zone difference for many travelers visiting Nepal is between 6 and 12 hours. Just when your stomach is expecting a light breakfast it is receiving a big and delicious dinner. That can disrupt your digestive cycle depending on how adaptive your body is.
New spices and flavors - Nepal’s foods are packed with tasty and healthy spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, and cumin, but travelers not accustomed to those ingredients may find they take some getting used to.
A robust serving of veggies - Nepal is a veggie-centric culinary culture. While protein from chicken and buffalo is common (for those who want it), a typical plate is loaded with rice, lentils, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, chilis, and a wide variety of other vegetables. In short, it’s a good amount of fiber, perhaps more than many people are used to.
How To Prepare Your Stomach for a South Asian Adventure
Shift your eating routine - If your daily routine includes the same foods at the same time each day, a big deviation could present challenges. We suggest mixing things up for 2-3 weeks before your trip. That regular morning smoothie at exactly 8am each day can be a travel trouble-maker. Try mixing things up with different foods at different times of the day.
Introduce probiotics into your system - You can either buy probiotics at your local health food store or pharmacy, or you can simply include more foods into your diet like yogurt, pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, olives, apple cider vinegar, kombucha, kefir, and some fermented cheeses. Basically, if it stinks it’s probably just what your body needs to build up a strong digestive engine.
Mix up your menu - There is one way to almost guarantee a wonky belly on far-flung travels. That is to eat the same things at the same time, every day, all the time. Some of our travelers prep for their exotic travels by folding in unfamiliar foods at atypical times of day. Instead of having your daily ham sandwich at 12:15 every day, try hitting the Thai food truck you see every week, but at 3pm. Or ditch your routine evening salad at 6pm for a 10pm taco session. It sounds crazy, and may not hit your system perfectly, but it will get your body ready for your upcoming travels. Consider it culinary calisthenics.
Over the years we have found the travelers who struggle the most are those with strict and specific diets at home. Just keep in mind, that precise diet is going to be impossible to replicate in the Himalayas. And that’s a good thing, if you’re ready for it.