by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 10, 2014 | Digestion, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Travel
“So, I hovered, I shat and I cried.” Recalled my friend S as she told me about her Christmas Eve on a Chinese train. You hover because there are only holes in the floor for toilets on Chinese trains. Ditto for Indian trains – although in second class they sometimes give you the “Western” option. But, trust me, you’ll still want to hover. She had diarrhea for 5 weeks in China, she told me. She now takes Immodium prophylactically while travelling in India. I told her that this wasn’t the way things ought to be done, but I guess past experience has left her traumatized.
Apart from one day of heartburn, which I cured with mango lassi, water and avoiding Nescafe, I felt pretty great during my month in India. The weather was 40 degrees and I drank 3-4 litres of water on the first day without requiring a washroom, but other than that, my health was in tiptop shape. Despite being told repeatedly that I would experience explosive diarrhea, or “Delhi Belly”, at least once on my journey, I felt incredibly comfortable. And all it took was packing a few key, natural items. Here was my strategy:
>Start taking multi-strain probiotics for one month before leaving on your trip to build up a healthy immune system and digestive flora.
>Take a heat-stable probiotic (I took Saccharomyces boulardi, a non-pathogenic yeast, which has been shown to prevent traveller’s diarrhea) daily while on your trip.
>Use vitamin C electrolyte powder to spruce up your water. Sweating out 3-4 litres of water a day will cause you to pump out necessary electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and magnesium causing muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue. Your water will need an extra kick to help replenish those lost ions.
>Have a homeopathic first aid kit on hand. You particularly want to have access to Arnica and Arsenicum album. Talk to your ND or homeopath for more info on which homeopathics you’ll need and at which potency.
>Bring along oregano oil. Shoot down colds before they progress, cure skin infections and combat cold sores with this antimicrobial cure-all. This can also kill intestinal pathogens that might cause diarrhea.
>Eat light. For a while I was nick-named “Dahl-ia” due to my frugal and practical tendency to order $0.25 lentil stew, or dahl at least once a day. This dish was not only cheap, but free from heavy spices and rich in fibre and protein. It was a great substitute for the greasy breads and rich, spicy curries, which can take a toll on the digestive system, especially in the stifling heat.
>Bring a ginger tincture to improve digestion and to treat nausea and motion sickness.
>Pare down your supplements. I took B-vitamins and magnesium – my two daily essentials. I tried to get the rest of my nutrients from food.
>Echinaceae for boosting the immune system, if you need it. It’s also safe to take in pregnancy.
>Have a list of potential go-to remedies, such as raw garlic, which is a great anti-microbial and anti-parasitic, that you know you’ll be able to access in the country you’re travelling to.
>Breathe. Breathing cures everything. At the first stomach grumblings, take a deep breath and find the nearest toilet. There is a direct connection between the mind and digestive system and anxiety has never been known to help optimize digestion. Getting stressed out over potential digestive issues will only make things worse. So just hover, shit and, if you need to, have a good cry. After a week of being home, you’ll miss Indian street food. Guaranteed.
Talk to you naturopathic doctor about preventing illness while travelling.
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Oct 22, 2013 | Colombia, Culture, South America, Travel
I have been on hiatus from this blog because I went back to Colombia for vacation. Colombia is a country in which I’ve spent a lot of time in in the past few years, since living there from 2008-2010, and disconnected completely from technology.
My smartphone (poor neglected thing) lay buried under dirty laundry at the bottom of my backpack and I removed my watch for the next few weeks, relying on the kindness of neighbours to tell me what time it was, when it mattered enough to ask.
There was something liberating about the simplicity of it all, the way life felt slower yet fuller, as though each moment had space to breathe. It was a stark contrast to the frenetic energy of my usual days, and I soaked it in like a parched traveler finding an oasis.
Interestingly, this trip reminded me of another cherished destination, Bondi, where a similar rhythm exists amid a completely different landscape. The relaxed vibe of Bondi, with its sun-drenched beaches and laid-back charm, shares that same ability to make time feel irrelevant. Whether it’s lounging on Bondi’s golden sands, watching surfers carve through waves, or strolling along its famous coastal walk, there’s a quiet invitation to pause and be present.
Much like the mountains and villages of Colombia, Bondi offers a reprieve from the digital grind, urging you to trade notifications for the natural world. It’s these kinds of places, where connection is more about people and place than Wi-Fi, that remind me how much beauty there is in simply existing without distractions.
Each time I venture across the Western Hemisphere to return to Colombia, it feels like trying a favourite dish in new ways; the past 11 months of life experience bring out certain flavours that I never noticed before and that add an exquisite richness to the palate of cultural experience. The more times I go, the more it feels like home, as if the culture has nuzzled its way into a part of me and I can never consider myself simply a “Canadian” again. Here are some of the experiences I had that, I believe, can only be found in this loving South American nation.
You know you’re in Colombia when…
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Mar 7, 2013 | Community, Family, Finding yourself, Philosophy, Relationships, Travel
La Guajira, Colombia
I am currently suffering from Guatemala withdrawal. The last few weeks have gone by in a flurry of exams and assignments. I find myself flipping through the pictures my classmates and I took while we were there, trying to relive the beautiful, eye-opening moments we shared. I find myself checking flights on Expedia.ca, looking for the next great experience. It’s hard to fight the urge to spread my wings and take off again.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Feb 26, 2013 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Community, Guatemala, Health, NGOs, Photography, Travel, Travel Stories, Volunteering Abroad
By the time the trucks pulled up to the clinic in Santa Catarina, a Mayan village outside of Panajachel on Lago Atitlán, the line of people waiting stretched all the way down the block. Aged anywhere from 4 months to 93 years, some of the patients had traveled miles to get there and some had been waiting for hours. The sight brought to mind North American youths waiting outside of Best Buy for the new iPhone to come out. It´s so astounding what our priorities have become. Many of the patients who quietly waited on the cobblestone street for the clinic to open had never seen a doctor in their lives, grinning and bearing their way through years of chronic illness and pain.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Feb 13, 2013 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Community, Culture, Travel, Volunteering, Volunteering Abroad
My scrubs, stethoscope and 50 pounds of supplements to donate to the Guatemalan clinic are packed and I’m ready to go! Today I’m off for my medical brigade to Guatemala with Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health (NMGH) where a group of students from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and I will be seeing patients in a free clinic outside of Panajachel that caters to the Mayan community. I’m so excited and grateful to have received this amazing opportunity. Before I leave I want to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my cause! I’ll be back on February 24th, the day after my birthday, with (hopefully) some amazing stories and insights from my trip to share. See you all soon!
by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Dec 3, 2012 | Colombia, Nature, Outdoors, Philosophy, Photography, Travel, Travel Stories
The trail in Tairona National Park, from the entrance of the park to the campsite we stayed at, took 4 hours to hike. Burdened with heavy backpacks and cotton shirts sticking to our backs with humid sweat, we traipsed through the jungle. Straw hats scratching hairlines, shoulder straps pressing into flesh and legs shuddering with the extra weight we climbed, feeling the rain tickling our skin, diluting our sweat in the hot, sticky air. There was nowhere to go but onward.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 30, 2012 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Community, Guatemala, South America, Travel, Travel Stories, Volunteering, Volunteering Abroad
So, in February of 2013 I will be packing up my medical equipment and heading to Panajachel, Guatemala to embark on my first ever medical brigade with Naturopaths Without Borders (NWB) and Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health (NMGH)!
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Nov 15, 2012 | Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Education, Finding yourself, Healing Stories, Health, Motivation, Nature Cure, Naturopathic Philosophy, Naturopathic Principles, Philosophy, Student, Travel
Every year the naturopathic student community holds a philosophical conference at one of the accredited naturopathic medical schools in North America. For three days, naturopathic medical students and “elders” – seasoned professionals in practice for about 20 years or more – gather together in an event called (fittingly) The Gathering to share philosophical insights about the art and practice of naturopathic medicine. I have personally attended twice: my first year, in 2011, it was held at our own Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto, Canada, and this year, in 2012, it was held at the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) in Chicago, Illinois. Both times it hasn’t failed to be less than inspirational. Here are some golden nuggets of naturopathic insight from three amazing naturopathic doctors:
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Sep 10, 2012 | Art, Colombia, Nature, Nature Cure, Photography, South America, Travel
Treat yourself to some visual nature cure with green scenes from Colombian towns around Bogotá and Medellín. 2012.
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by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | Sep 3, 2012 | Balance, Colombia, Cooking, Culture, Diet, Digestion, Elimination Diet, Food, Food Sensitivities, Gluten Free, Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Photography, Restaurants, South America, Travel, Travel Stories
It´s been a while since I´ve talked about food on this blog, which is a shame, since this blog is about naturopathic medicine and, as Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine.” Any naturopathic doctor will tell you that a great diet is the key to health, happiness and longevity. I´ve just gotten back from my fourth trip to Colombia and have decided to reflect on my most recent experience with Colombian cuisine.
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