Eating while visiting the U.S. (sorry, a bit of grossness)

I'm thinking about going organic or free range for the duration and maybe that'll help some?

It certainly couldn't hurt!

I never have a problem with eating when I go back to the US - I always manage to arrive with a terrible cold which totally kills my appetite for the first two or three days, so I'm not eating at all.

I always found food in the US gave me a lot of bloating and..."bowel problems" shall we say.  The main thing that always happened to me though is that I would get loads of pimples, I don't know if it was the water or food or what but I have clear skin normally but when I go to the US it's like I am a teenager again.

I don't think it's just a travelling thing either, last time I was there I was there for 3 months and suffered throughout the duration pretty much!

I don't think its the food, I think its the change in water. I had this same problem when i was a college student and I went from LI to Buffalo New York.

Whenever I fly long distances.... I seem to blow up like a balloon.  By the time I land I swear I look like im pregnant.  Ive tried eating nothing, eating healthy, eating whatever... always happens. It then takes me a few days to adjust as well.

When I first came to the UK i spent for first few days well quite intestinally ill.  I think the water was even making me sick to be honest.  But look out for dairy because i was told once that its pasterized differently in the UK and US...not sure how reliable my source is on that one though... so dont quote me on that one.

But look out for dairy because i was told once that its pasterized differently in the UK and US...not sure how reliable my source is on that one though... so dont quote me on that one.

I had the same problem with the milk here in the UK when Dh & I got back from the States last Dec. I had a glass of milk everyday for breakfast with my apple fritter while back home I didn't have that many stomach problems while in the States. but when I got back to the UK my stomach was in alot of pain whenever I had anything with milk in it. I would say it took at least a good couple weeks to work itself out so I had to make my porridge with water & no cereal till I was ok.

I always found food in the US gave me a lot of bloating and..."bowel problems" shall we say.  The main thing that always happened to me though is that I would get loads of pimples, I don't know if it was the water or food or what but I have clear skin normally but when I go to the US it's like I am a teenager again.

I don't think it's just a travelling thing either, last time I was there I was there for 3 months and suffered throughout the duration pretty much!

That's exactly it! Those are the same problems I have. Not the pimples, I don't think. But the bloating and "bowel problems."

I've talked to DH, and we decided to cut out beef and cut down on dairy this time around, in addition to just getting better ingredients in general. Hopefully those will keep us, if not healthy, at least healthier.

That's exactly it! Those are the same problems I have. Not the pimples, I don't think. But the bloating and "bowel problems."

I've talked to DH, and we decided to cut out beef and cut down on dairy this time around, in addition to just getting better ingredients in general. Hopefully those will keep us, if not healthy, at least healthier.

For problems try a McDonalds milk shake. Somehow they are able to put air in it???
We love Jack in the Box milk shakes. They cost a lot more but they use real ice cream.
Back to the subject. Dairy products do do a number on our digestive system, you have that right.

The only real difference I can think of between US and UK food is that in the US they use a lot of high fructose corn syrup for sweetening things. It's neither better nor worse than what's used here, but if your body isn't used to it, could that be what's causing a problem?

The only real difference I can think of between US and UK food is that in the US they use a lot of high fructose corn syrup for sweetening things. It's neither better nor worse than what's used here, but if your body isn't used to it, could that be what's causing a problem?

That is one ingredient I can actually rule out as a problem. Things made with HFCS actually make me sick but in a completely different way so I very rarely have anything that's made with it. Basically, it would make me ill alright, but I'd know where it came from. 

Well, whatever happens, it'll make coming home at the end of the trip super sweet.

I was going to say HFCS - but since you've got that, you might also consider the preservatives in food? Just from my experiences, in the States it seems like preservatives are in everything!!

One thing I'd suggest, find a place like Whole Foods or Trader Joes and stock up on things like granola, nuts, easy/quick energy foods?

I have major food issues so I go on really bland diets when I get ill (oatmeal, tea, toast, chicken/salmon & rice or pasta, plenty of uncooked veggies) and find being on a routine where you know exactly what is in everything you're eating is super handy to figure out. It's quite dull, but at least you feel better fairly quick.

Is your eating routine, especially in the morning, different when you're traveling? I've finally figured out that drinking tea or juice on an empty stomach in the morning was causing a lot of my gas and stomach pains. If I eat first, I'm usually fine.

Elynor,

That's a good idea, actually! I do eat differently when I'm traveling: more set meals as opposed to snacking all day when I'm home.


therani,

That's funny! My mom used to make me oatmeal to calm my stomach when I was a kid. And still, if I'm feeling off, I'll eat it for breakfast for a week to straighten myself out. Great stuff, oatmeal.

We get the bloating and ill feeling, but generally that's because all we do is eat out and get force-fed by my family (food magically reappears on your plate).     If you're doing a lot of eating out and you don't normally do so on a regular basis it will affect your stomach.

I don't think its the food, I think its the change in water. I had this same problem when i was a college student and I went from LI to Buffalo New York.

Yep.  Every time I travel or move any distance I get it.  Some people are more sensitive to water changes than others, and some water changes are more severe than others.

I had a mild case of it this past week when we went to the IoW.  The worst was when I was a teenager and moved to Europe for a year.  I was so ill for days.  But later I was grateful it wasn't as bad as it could be.  A girl from Canada ended up being hospitalized for it.  She turned out ok, but geez.

You know, it could be. For some reason we get dehydrated a lot quicker in the U.S. and have to up our water intake. Maybe we not upping it enough?

Terri, you can bet we'll be trying your remedy next time.

I know that dehydration can cause a lot of the symptoms you're describing. I know that my daughter gets very ill when she travels and she's been told it's the dehydration, especially in the summer when there is a severe difference in humidity from where we live (very dry climate). She's leaving on a school trip this week to Spain for a week, and we were advised to start an 'airborne' type product now to boost her immunity system, so she's been taking that for a while. I hope it helps. I've also heard that people can react to the different bacteria found in different parts of the world quite severely. Maybe this is the problem? I hope you find a solution to help before your trip.