Restaurants: How to *not* get sick

[pandabear]

Hi all

Im going to tulum for the first time in a few weeks.
I travel alot in Central America and I am always super careful about food and not getting sick (I travel with someone who has extreme food allergies and i have a weak stomach)

You guys seem to be eating anything and everything at the restaurants in tulum and playa and im wondering how you do it or how you know its safe to eat and not going give you the water bacteria. Im jealous. In guatemala i ate cooked chicken, rice, and beer since i was so careful.

Are the restaurants trustworthy and use clean water? is it even an issue?

Thanks for your help. looking fwd to my first trip!

[DougSR]

Some people say I'm wrong for doing it this way but the only way I get by is a doctors script for Cipro. I can't make it without it.

[PhyllisB]

I think the food down there is fine. If you stay in the touristy areas, particularly along 307 or the beach road, they'll use purified water.

Lime juice is also an excellent preventative- you'll notice that you will get a lime on your plate very frequently.

But I generally don't worry about anything -- I just don't drink water out of the tap. Always bottled water, even when brushing teeth.

[pandabear]

the fruits and veggies are cool?

[PhyllisB]

I had a fruit plate with breakfast nearly every morning. As long as it's something you'd peel (banana) or it has a thick skin that you wouldn't eat (melons), I think you're good.

Never had a problem with the veggies, myself. But I don't eat a lot, either. Hubby got very ill on our last trip down but I think that was from putting his toothbrush under the tap.

To be safe, use the lime juice. I've heard yogurt is a good preventative too. Or you could do like Doug and take some Cipro with you when ya go.

[minniemex]

Our doctor told us to take pepto bismol every day, which we did. Also, to take along some immodium. We have seldom had to use any after traveling for years.

[austxdan]

We preload on good bacteria before we head down each year. It starts about a month in advance when we start taking acidopholus tablets. These are the good bacteria found in yougurts, etc. We also naturally eat a lot of yogurt to start with.

We are careful of what we eat, somewhat, although I agree with pb above in that most places in the pueblo are fine and use purified water. I stick to drinking beer and tequila, that should kill most bugs, and avoid those trendy fruity frozen drinks as in the past those have caused problems. I go heavy on limes too.

And we frequent the San Francisco for those 5 liter bottles of water, because even tho Tita's put out bottled water in each cabana everyday, it's never enough.


Dan

[pandabear]

i see alot of salsa and guac on everyones plates and i guess thats my greatest confusion. seems like the salsa should be totally off limits...

im not big in fruity-drinks and i love me some pacifico so i guess that works out well!

[John in DC]

Tourism is the lifeblood of the whole coast. It would be pretty bad marketing to routinely make people sick because of poor food handling practices.

Any place you would want to eat (and most of the place you wouldn't even consider) wash all their fruits and vegetables in a dilute iodine-based solution called Microdyne. (There are other brands as well.) For that matter, people who live on the coast year round wash their produce in Microdyne. A 15-minute soak, which imparts no taste whatsoever, effectively kill all the cooties. This works for all kinds of fruits and veggies, including those that go into guac and salsa.

Have I ever gotten a little queezy? Sure, especially when I've traveled inland and gotten stupidly adventurous about what I put in my mouth. (There alsio seems to be a correlation with dehydration.) But in 25 years of pretty regular travel to Mexico, I think it's about an every five or six trips kind of thing. Nothing that makes me want to change my plans.

[zacharoos]

This is a well versed subject. We have been down to the tulum area 5 times or so. I have gone with just my wife, and we have also take our 4 kids aged from 6 to 20. I knock on wood when I say this but we have never gotten ill from food or water. We always drink bottled water, we never use tap water, ever when brushing teeth. We eat everything. I even eat conchita pibil from the alley next to the bus station (delicious!!). We eat salsa, quacamole and we eat ceviche. I always make an after eating drink of lime juice and salt, which kills alot of things. I have an iron stomach but my wife has to be careful. I drink beer, she drinks pina coladas, and again, we have never been sick.
You know where i do get sick? At a mexican restaurant here in Fresno every time I order a chicken dish!!! I get the SH__S for three days. You know where my wife gets sick? Flemmings because of the ton of butter they put on her steak.

Look, you always have to be careful. Do you really think that the kitchen in the taco bell is cleaner than the little family owned restaurant in tulum?

Be safe, take cipro just in case, but have fun. The establishments down there cant afford to have people getting sick. If they did, it would be all over the forums and no one would eat there again!!

[Gale in KY]

A sweet little local man told me that I should take "thee juice of dos limones"..lol..it will cure or prevent anything and everything.

I have never had one moment of even queasiness in Mexico..luckily.

Seriously..general rule is to avoid fruits or veggies that cannot be pealed. That would be lettuce for me..I totally avoid it in Mexico. You can also buy Microdine, a veggie and fruit wash. Many people I know use it religiously when in Mexico.

I also avoid eggs...true, I don't like eggs, so it's easy for me, but for those who do enjoy them, you have to remember that they are handled differently in Mexico..Steve O can explain this better than I can..but it has something to do with the way the sanitize them vs the way we do..they are supposedly safe for consumption without refrigeration. That may be true of the locals, but our bodies are not accustomed to the bacteria that may be present. Made me sit up and give it some thought when I saw the egg man with his truck full of eggs sitting in the hot sun for several hours..lol.

Coconut-Yep it is the stuff that long term bathroom occupation is made of..lol. Try to minimize your consumption of anything with coconut..especially the milk of the coconut.

FYI-The milk is safe, but it is different. It is pastuerized at a much higher temperature and is stored on the shelf, not in the cooler. It is a powder that you mix with water..almost like freeze dried and it does have a different taste..almost like Half and Half.

When all else fails, go for the tequila..it will kill everything that ails ya!;):D

If you are eating from street carts, take time to watch the vendor for a few minutes..you will see how he handles the food vs how he handles the money. If he is handling food with the same unwashed hands he handles the money, avoid him. Money is the dirtiest and most bacteria ridden thing I can think of and hands that handle currency need to be washed or gloved before they handle food.

I KNOW that no American restuarant kitchen is any cleaner than in Mexico..yuck..if you could see some of the kitchen equipment we get at work from various restaurants, you would never eat out again! I personally will NEVER set foot in an Uno's Pizza place again..omg..horrible..stuff hadn't been cleaned in years..you couldn't get that stuff off with a crowbar!

[beachreader]

I'm with Dan. I do the pre-trip loading with acidopholus/bifidus (ask your friendly local health-food store, or Whole Foods or whatever), and I've really been OK these past 10 years or so. Every now and then I'll have to spend some extra time in the bathroom at 3 a.m., but that happens on trips here in the States as well, nothing to be concerned about IMO. Just a result of eating 3 big meals a day rather than any germies, I think.

The only time I've ever been really sick from something was when we got lazy and brushed our teeth with tap water on the last two days of a trip. Thankfully, the ill effects didn't hit until we were home and had our own bathrooms to deal with (my friend had the same problem).

But in general, I agree with the idea that food vendors take good care with their food. Be careful of coconut milk (i.e., pina coladas), as that's a natural laxative and can be a problem if you have too much. I really think that a lot of AI guests think they're being food poisoned when really their troubles can be traced to over-indulgence.

You'll be fine!

[susan]

I've been to Mexico many times and the only time I've gottn sick was twenty years ago in Zihua- just ate something stupid at a street vendor. We went to Tulum myself and my two kids this March and I was worried about the food and getting sick -being we would be going to some off the typical path places but we didn't have any problems and we weren't very careful about what we ate but extremly careful about what we drank. Again only bottled beverages and water for drinking and brushing teeth, keep your mouth closed in the shower. Also I involuntarily drank plenty of ocean water - not sure if that killed anything but none of us got even a little bit quesy. We also eat alot of yogurt at home and did take yoqurt pills as well for the couple of weeks before the trip. We did fruit, smoothies, fish,chicken no problems. I think if you use common sense and bottled beverages you will be fine.

[Gale in KY]

Just to add that I really wonder about the safety of buffet food (AI style). I would much rather eat something fresh in a local restaurant, than chance the food on the buffet..don't know how old it is (leftover from last night?) or if it's being kept at the proper warm or cold temp. I agree with BR..most sickness probably doesn't come from the food..it is something you brought with you and don't realize it, or just plain old too much alcohol!

I usually ask what the waiter recommends and avoid any specials of the day..not sure how long something has been sitting around, I would rather know they cooked it for my order. Fresh is best!

[kimba]

Hmmm, I've never been bothered by the eggs in Mexico. (or Europe, where they don't frigo them either). If you've ever had eggs right off the farm, or from a backyard coop, those haven't been pasturized.

[Gale in KY]

Kimba..I grew up on a farm..we did refrigerate our eggs as soon as we cleaned them..I still buy brown eggs from the guy up the road..they make better cakes..lol. He has green eggs too...certain kind of chicken that lays them..no ham with them though..lol.

[kimba]

Yeah, I just rinse them off with water before I crack them. I housesit for someone (here in CA) who has 10 chickens in the backyard and the collected eggs sit in a basket on the counter in the kitchen - and they make wonderful omelettes. Those are small brown ones. I never thought that Seuss might be talking about the shell when he wrote about green eggs!

(I grew up with eggs from the chickens AND raw milk from the farm down the road!)

[miguel]

I just live on seawater and tequila. Never been sick!

[james]

Some people say I'm wrong for doing it this way but the only way I get by is a doctors script for Cipro. I can't make it without it.Despite the potential benefit of this practice (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackwell-synergy.com%2Fdoi%2Fabs%2F10.1111%2Fj.1708-8305.1994.tb00580.x), it is considered ill-advised (pardon the pun!).

Antibiotic prophylaxis for traveler's diarrhea, always a controversial topic, is now recommended only in specific situations, such as in the seriously immunocompromised patient or the seriously ill patient who would not be able to withstand a diarrheal illness. If antibiotic prophylaxis is used, the antibiotic should only be taken for a three-week period. Other exceptions may include persons who plan short-term critical travel, such as a diplomatic mission, or persons who are unable to practice prevention.
In most people, drug prophylaxis engenders a false sense of security. In addition, drug prophylaxis always carries the remote risk of a potentially life-threatening side effect such as pseudomembranous colitis or Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Nuisance side effects such as vaginal yeast infections and, with doxycycline, photosensitivity, are common. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends preventive measures only and not drug prophylaxis for most travelers. If diarrhea occurs despite precautions, however, a self-treatment contingency plan is reasonable.


I think the food down there is fine. If you stay in the touristy areas, particularly along 307 or the beach road, they'll use purified water.

Lime juice is also an excellent preventative- you'll notice that you will get a lime on your plate very frequently.

But I generally don't worry about anything -- I just don't drink water out of the tap. Always bottled water, even when brushing teeth.Purified water is used everywhere, even non-touristy areas. However, in the Yucatan, water isn't your big concern. It is, generally, safe. You can normally even drink cenote water, I always have while cave diving, although you need not with the availability of bottled water.

The real issue is that your food handler needs to understand not to use the same knife with your lettuce as he uses to cut all his chicken, to use different cutting boards, to not wipe the knives with his apron, where he wipes his hands after using the bathroom, where he wipes his hands off after cleaning shrimp. This is often not understood in Mexico.

I once watched a guy make me a chicken torta at a place that advertised hygienic, tasty tortas. He used one cutting board to cut up the chicken, put it on the grill with his hands, wiped his knife on his apron, picked up some lettuce and tomato and started to cut them on the same wooden cutting board, with the same knife and I could see a sliver of chicken still on it. I asked him if he had ever heard of salmonella and if he knew that he was using unacceptable techniques, pointing out the very visible clue of the meat on the blade. He asked me if I wanted the torta or not. I walked on. Had I eaten it, I probably would have been fine. I'm sure I just caught what I normally didn't get a chance to see (since I was standing right in front of him at this place). Most chicken doesn't have salmonella on it. Most fresh fruits and vegetables CAN be eaten safely. The modern guidelines are in place to help us avoid the improbable and reduce risk.


I had a fruit plate with breakfast nearly every morning. As long as it's something you'd peel (banana) or it has a thick skin that you wouldn't eat (melons), I think you're good.Not if your banana is cut on "the" cutting board with "the" knife.

Never had a problem with the veggies, myself. But I don't eat a lot, either. Hubby got very ill on our last trip down but I think that was from putting his toothbrush under the tap.It's possible, but not likely.

To be safe, use the lime juice. I've heard yogurt is a good preventative too. Or you could do like Doug and take some Cipro with you when ya go.The acids in your stomach are magnitudes more powerful than lime juice. It really should not be seen as an effective prevention of any sort. This goes for a shot of tequila as well.


Our doctor told us to take pepto bismol every day, which we did. Also, to take along some immodium. We have seldom had to use any after traveling for years.Combined with proper hydration and the limiting of alcohol (which creates "good" bacterial imbalances) and certain high-risk foods, this is the best advice.

We preload on good bacteria before we head down each year. It starts about a month in advance when we start taking acidopholus tablets. These are the good bacteria found in yougurts, etc. We also naturally eat a lot of yogurt to start with.

This is good advice and very important to maintain, and here (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hps-online.com%2Ffastcolebacwin3.htm) are some things that can be avoided to help out (Yep, a big meal of fried foods with lots of alcohol is asking for trouble for many people). I don't think, however, that you can "preload" beyond what your body can naturally sustain, so if you are already balanced in this area, you are set.

Tourism is the lifeblood of the whole coast. It would be pretty bad marketing to routinely make people sick because of poor food handling practices.

Any place you would want to eat (and most of the place you wouldn't even consider) wash all their fruits and vegetables in a dilute iodine-based solution called Microdyne. (There are other brands as well.) For that matter, people who live on the coast year round wash their produce in Microdyne. A 15-minute soak, which imparts no taste whatsoever, effectively kill all the cooties. This works for all kinds of fruits and veggies, including those that go into guac and salsa.

Have I ever gotten a little queezy? Sure, especially when I've traveled inland and gotten stupidly adventurous about what I put in my mouth. (There alsio seems to be a correlation with dehydration.) But in 25 years of pretty regular travel to Mexico, I think it's about an every five or six trips kind of thing. Nothing that makes me want to change my plans.I'd say this is pretty accurate.


Just to add that I really wonder about the safety of buffet food (AI style). I would much rather eat something fresh in a local restaurant, than chance the food on the buffet..don't know how old it is (leftover from last night?) or if it's being kept at the proper warm or cold temp.me too

Hmmm, I've never been bothered by the eggs in Mexico. (or Europe, where they don't frigo them either). If you've ever had eggs right off the farm, or from a backyard coop, those haven't been pasturized.Just FYI, here's a link to more egg info (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov% 2FFactsheets%2FFocus_On_Shell_Eggs%2Findex.asp) than anyone will probably ever want to know (I still read the whole damn thing :) ).

Drink lots of water, don't overdo the alcohol, avoid greasy stuff and have a good time.

Finally, I'll add a link to a good article (http://www.tulum.info/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aafp.org%2Fafp %2F990700ap%2F119.html) that covers the common sense basics well, despite the author coming from West Virginia ;).

[beachreader]

Oh, and I just want to say that the incident I had when we think it may have been from brushing with the tap water was over 15 years ago.

[think]

Great advice in this thread. Our plan is to take a pepto tablet everyday, so glad to see that is recommended by some people here. My wife is slightly paranoid about getting sick. So, all of her questions combined with our lack of Spanish and weird diet requirements should keep things pretty interesting. I'm sure the restaurants will love us :p

[letele]

I think we will be taking pepto tablets as well. My friend who I'm going with is still threatening to not drink anything with ice, despite my repeated assurances that it's okay. I'm thinking a day of drinking straight tequila will change her mind! :eat-drink:

Think, I'm sure you'll be making good use of the Lonely Planet phrasebook section on eating! Are you guys vegetarian?

[kimba]

Even though I haven't needed them, when in Mexico I take a medicine bag with me - with immodium and pepto-bismal tablets in it - and a lot of other stuff. I figure I would rather drag the bag around with me than not have the stuff handy if I needed it. It's probably the heaviest thing I carry next to my cameras and laptop.

[pandabear]

nope. we eat everything but my boyfriend is allergic to alot - seafood, nuts, sesame seeds...
I speak spanish which makes it easier when ordering in a restaurant. On our central american travels, we normally stick to dishes that are very clearly safe for tummies and allergies, but it would be nice to branch out a bit.

I know what you guys mean about restaurants in the US being dirtier than some 3rd world. Every 'restaurant' - more like private kitchen with multiple tables - i went to in Castara, Tobago was SPOTLESS. Here in New York City, 4star restaurants get closed by the health dept all the time and its disturbing.

[letele]

Pandabear, good luck to your boyfriend! I'm so very glad that I have things I don't eat by choice, not because I will go into anaphylactic shock if I do... sounds like there are tons of yummy restaurants in Tulum though so I'm sure he'll be able to find some tasty and safe things!

Yes, the state of restaurant kitchens leaves much to be desired...I just make a point of not checking health department ratings because I'd rather just live in ignorance and eat yummy food, haha. I just figure, it hasn't made me sick yet! (And hopefully if/when it does, it won't be anything that will kill me.)

[james]

My friend who I'm going with is still threatening to not drink anything with ice...
I'm sure there are places in the world where this is good advice. The Yucatan is not one of them.

Ice is delivered by ice companies that use purified water. I don't know of anybody that serves ice that they've made on their own using tap water.

[letele]

I'm sure there are places in the world where this is good advice. The Yucatan is not one of them.

Ice is delivered by ice companies that use purified water. I don't know of anybody that serves ice that they've made on their own using tap water.

I know, I've been telling her that for months...I might have to print this out and wave it in her face until she caves in! :D

[beachreader]

Of course, beer doesn't need ice...

[think]

Yeah, we are vegetarians :)
That's funny about your friend. My wife has been saying similar things.
We're getting close for our trips! Woohoo! Getting excited about the whale sharks I'm sure? :D

[Libelula]

many of the people I know that live there swear by the lime juice. They say it kills the ameoba that causes upset stomach. I am no expert, but I have been down there 15 times and only got sick once in Akumal at a well known restauarant who shall remain un-named. I would add don't eat garlic gloves baked in the oven to spread on your bread.

Mucho enferma!!! And plese don't tell me it's impossible I got it from the garlic. It was a shared meal with about 15 people. We all ate the exact same thing except I was the only one that ate the garlic.

Also use Immodium with caution. It can halt the peristalsis in your intestines causing the bacteria to multiply and you will bloat and be so uncomfortable. I would only use immodium if you are having uncontrollable diarrhea and can't safely be in public. If it's soft stool let it work itself out. I know you might think you are being proactive by taking the immodium before you get full blown diarrhea, but think again. Learn from my mistakes.

Cipro is available over the counter there. Don't take it unless you need it. There's a crisis in our health care called antibiotic resistance and you are contributing to it by taking antibiotics at will. Soon an infection from an ingrown toenail is going to start taking us out with the super bugs we are cultivating.

That's all I can think of! I eat what I want when I want while there. I DO NOT drink the water.

[miguel]

Tequila doesn't need ice...

[letele]

Yeah, we are vegetarians :)
That's funny about your friend. My wife has been saying similar things.
We're getting close for our trips! Woohoo! Getting excited about the whale sharks I'm sure? :D


Uh, you know it! June 4th...me + whale sharks = awesomeness!
That's cool that you guys are vegetarians...I was since I was 15, but I've been a pescetarian the last couple of years. I missed shrimp a lot, haha. Although I think I will be cutting down on the seafood after Mexico as I have a feeling I will be all fish-and-shrimped out by then. :goldfish:

[Lynnette]

Drink lots of bottled water to stay hydrated...that really does help. We have only ever been sick at an AI...the one and only time we did this. Be careful of buffets that might have food sitting out at lukewarm temps.

I still swear by fresh limes. We make our own pico de gallo, guac and margaritas, ALL made with fresh squeezed limes that we've soaked in microdyne first.

[Gale in KY]

I agree Lynnette..as I usually do with you..lol..the locals swear by lime juice and what the heck..it sure can't hurt anything!

Definitely not a good idea to use antibiotics unless they are needed to treat illness. There is no real proof that pre treating with antibiotics will assist in any way with avoiding something you might suffer in the future and you can actually do harm to your ability to respond to antibiotic treatment later on when you need it most.

I never thought about the Yogurt, but this is a great idea..I eat alot of yogurt when I am in Mexico anyway, perhaps this is why I have never suffered any illness there.

wash your hands often! I try to carry hand sanitizer and actually use it, and I usually have a pack of antibacterial hand wipes in my bag. Most illness finds it's way into your body via your hands..keep them washed and sanitized, especially after turning off the water in a bathroom..faucets collect lots of nasty stuff just waiting to attack. I do this at home too..it's a good plan no matter where you are in the world.

[kimba]

It's our duty as citizens of the planet to get people to stop using antibiotics unless they are already sick and need them. ; )

I like to put lime juice in my water that I carry around with me - very refreshing.