I spend my workdays reading, writing, and talking about the health impacts of poor air quality, so when the Canadian wildfire smoke hit Pittsburgh this summer, I took a cheap and simple step to clean the air in our home. This DIY air filter is something I actually put in other people’s homes for my last job, which is why I know it works.
One of the best things you can do to fight sickness while traveling is to go in with a robust, healthy gut. Strong gut microbiomes take time and discipline to cultivate, but they, in turn, keep us healthy on a number of fronts, physically and mentally. I’ve been tracking my own progress in rebuilding my gut after a course of antibiotics this spring.
Bacterial infections (or worse) are common occurrences when people travel, especially to developing countries. While antibiotics can remedy the problem, they really should be used sparingly. Their overuse in healthcare and food production is leading to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, and taking them when they’re not strictly necessary can cause harmful side effects, especially to the community of microbes living in our guts.