During our 5-year tour, my wife and I got sick a few times including one Giardiasis in Cambodia (my wife). I just wanted to add something about gastroenteritis also called food poisoning or Turista. I have a diploma of tropical medicine and travel medicine (as a RN I figured it might get handy to get this diploma before going on a trip around the world

), so I figured I could share some of what I was taught - mostly according to the guidelines of the W.H.O. (World Health Organization).
What to do when you get sick: The first thing is to rest in a quiet environment and make sure you drink a lot of water. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing DRINK A LOT OF FLUIDS - dehydration is the killer. If the diarrhea becomes severe (> 5-6/24h) with persistent vomiting, you should drink drinks with sugar, salt and minerals (potassium, sodium are the most important). Flat coke is sometimes recommended. Check for signs of severe dehydration like: dark smelly urine, unstoppable thirst. Difficulty to think, agitation, confusion are serious signs of dehydration and one should find a hospital immediately. Seek for a doctor after 72 hours if diarrhea persists or at any time if you have any signs of: severe diarrhea, severe inexplicable pain, or more than just strikes of blood, or pus in the vomit or diarrhea (sorry for the details). Start to re-introduce food slowly. Start with rice and unripe bananas, then pasta, bread, dry fruits, nuts, and yogurt. When food starts to be well tolerated, reintroduce slowly your regular diet. NO fatty food, no hearty sauce, no vegetables, no spices, no fresh fruits, no red meat. Eat small, frequent meals. W.H.O. DO NOT recommend to take Imodium to treat diarrhea in case of Turista unless you really have to (important business meeting, exam, athletes etc.). There is a reason for the body to react that way. The body is trying to evacuate the toxins produced by whatever the germ is, so you should try to suck it up as long as you can. You can take ibuprofen or paracetamol to bring the pain and fever down (if any). Rest a few more days after the symptoms are gone.
How to prevent Turista: In developing countries, when tourists get the Turista, they often blame it on the water or ice but numerous studies shown that the food is very often involved. It is close to impossible to get sick from brushing your teeth or by drinking a few drops while taking a shower. One advice often given by doctors is "Boil it, Cook it, Peel it or forget it; rather simplistic but this is a good one as it summarizes everything quite well. Anything that was just cooked (not rewarmed) is usually safe to eat. Some studies have shown that people get more sick eating at the buffet in fancy restaurants for tourists than in local street-restaurants. This is due to the turnover of the food at the local restaurant compare to food sitting for hours at the buffet and served again the next day in touristic hotel. Of course do not drink tap water unless boiled or filtered. Buy sealed water bottle (check the seal) or filter your own water with a
travel water filters and purifiers. Eat fruits that can be peeled in case they were picked from the ground or washed with bad water (I personally don't always follow that recommendation). Eating salad is usually not recommended although I also did it hundred of times in India and never got sick (it's hard to resist the slices of tomato, fresh jalapenos, and cucumber served with their daal!)
In any case, being in a bed, staring at a fan and literally feel like s&@$% for days, is everything but fun. Make sure you have someone to keep an eye on you, drink a lot of water, follow the right diet and you should feel better pretty soon.
Hope this helps. Happy tailwind
Stephane