Away from home, we are not guaranteed the hygiene we have been accustomed to, let alone being part of such a concentration of population in such a small area. We are unaware of the state of cleanliness of kitchens, water, food, or those who handle them. Therefore, we need to be extremely cautious of what we consume.

Water can be a germ-carrier, becoming a source of contamination and disease. Fortunately, sealed bottled water is constantly distributed free to pilgrims. Because this important problem is solved, we should then concern ourselves with personal and food hygiene during this spiritual journey.

Personal hygiene is paramount during the Haj trip. Hands should be frequently washed with soap and water or wiped with hand-sanitizers to avoid contamination when touching eyes, nose, and mouth. This procedure is especially required before meals and before leaving the washroom. Full-body and head showers with soap are necessary at least once a day. The five-times a day of wudhu (ablution) before prayers makes washing an easier practice and leads to physical and spiritual cleanliness. Recent studies show that splashing the face with fresh water several times a day lifts immunity. Hence, water is not only a cleanser, but also an immune- booster.

During the five or six intensive days of Haj, we should be extremely careful of what we eat. Thoroughly cooked food is our safest bet. Heat kills most pathogens. This makes well-cooked, meat, chicken, rice, pasta, and vegetables acceptable to have. Canned cheese, packed yogurt, sealed bottled milk, beverages, and juices, bread, pickled olives, and packaged cakes, biscuits, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits should substitute fresh and raw comestibles. Tea, coffee, and herbal drinks should be infused with boiling hot water. Fruits should be thoroughly washed or soaked in water with a little vinegar to kill germs. Keep away from berries, fruits with fine skins, and ice-cubes. As for fresh vegetables, they should be avoided unless they are very well washed and cooked. Lemon and vinegar are good means of destroying pathogens.

Personal and food hygiene is not seasonal or optional, but should be practiced at home, at work, during the holidays, and all the time. I shall explain that in more details below.

Only ten years ago, very few restaurants existed in our big cities and very few people frequented them. By culture, we tended to be a home-loving nation, but then we were also skeptical of the unhygienic methods of food preparation in the few eateries available, hence we hardly ever visited them. However, in the past couple of years, a huge cultural change took over. Our young population has become more outgoing and adventurous and many of us have become regular restaurant-goers whether to celebrate or to socialize. Thanks to the stricter supervision and regulation from government entities, some restaurants are offering good meals with good sanitation.

Unfortunately, some adventurers love to experiment, venturing into eateries despite their mediocre food and hygiene (no offence to anyone!). I do not deny that it is fun to have new experiences, but this type of risk can take us down the road to suffering as sanitation in such places is sub-optimal and risky for someone who has never been exposed to such conditions.

Moreover recently, people in the work force must have lunch, and sometimes they succumb to peer-pressure and start frequenting eateries where sanitization of food, cooking, personnel, utensils, and equipment is not observed.

For these adventurers, I can offer advice to bolster their immune defenses (to a certain extent!); prevent food poisoning; or help heal faster from common digestive bacterial, viral, and yeast infections like diarrhea, ameba, salmonella, typhoid, E.coli, hepatitis A, Heliobacter pylori, Candida, and others, resulting from contaminated food and poor hygiene.

It is common knowledge that the digestive system uses up the bigger share of the immune system due to daily exposure of ingesting bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms. Thus, the best way to prevent infections is through building a robust immune mechanism. Here are some suggestions.

Drink two to three glasses of purified water when you wake up in the morning. Squeeze a few drops of lime or lemon juice in the last glass. If breakfast is your only meal at home, jumpstart your metabolism with a glass of fresh fruit juice of apple, red grapes, kiwi, orange, strawberry, or mix them. Have berries, dates, or another fruit. Wait fifteen to twenty minutes for nutrients and phytochemicals to pass through your digestive tract and into the bloodstream to nourish and detoxify cells and body. A cup of herbal tea rich in antioxidants (rooibos, hibiscus, green or white tea, Echinacea, chamomile, mint, lemon grass) with spices like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, or ginger increases the cleansing process. After that, have cereal or oatmeal with nuts, flaxseeds, yogurt, and little honey or eggs, cheese, or fava beans (foul) with whole bread. Breakfast is your most important meal. It should contain healthy proteins and unrefined carbohydrates. Avoid refined sugar. During the day or when you return home, take a glass of mixed fresh vegetable juice (carrot, dark leafy greens, squash, tubers, cruciferous, etc.) with a drop of lemon and oil each for better absorption.

When eating outside, be careful of chopped leafy greens (they can contain microbes if not adequately washed or hygienically chopped). For protection, add a generous squeeze of lime or lemon on your salad, fish, and other dishes. The acid in these two citrus fruits detoxifies the food as well as the body. Lime in Arabic is leymoon bin zihair; it comes from the Persian beh zeher, meaning “without poison.” In Hejazi tradition (the Western region of Saudi Arabia), lemon is an important part of the diet and table setting. Before the time of refrigeration, it was used as a prevention as well as cure against food poisoning and diarrhea. Here is an effective traditional remedy. Slice a lime in half; add freshly ground pepper to each half; grill them on charcoal; then suck the content of both halves. This is a detoxifying therapy. Another cure is the juice of two limes taken in one shot at the onset of diarrhea. To quell nausea, squeeze one lime and one spoon of fresh ginger juice in cool sparkling water. The mixture also soothes indigestion after a heavy meal. Lemon also detoxifies contaminated water.

Another way of protection commonly used in Africa and the Indian subcontinent against digestive pathogens is spices (green and red chilies, ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, coriander, etc…). Due to poor sanitization, natives of these countries add spices to their dishes to prevent food poisoning. Aromatic seeds like cumin, fennel, anise, star anise, and a seed called nanakha in Arabic, or ajmain in India, have detoxifying actions on intestinal pathogens and relieve abdominal pain.

Herbal infusions and black or green tea with ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom or others also help neutralize or minimize the effects of germs; boost the immune systems; and increase energy.

A bowl or two of fresh homemade yogurt or live culture yogurt enhances the “beneficial bacteria,” microflora, in the digestive tract, thus bolstering intestinal health and general immunity. Pickles also provide “good bacteria.” Supplements of live culture probiotics of multiple strains are important to take in order to replace the “friendly bacteria” depleted by diarrhea. They either prevent the bug or attenuate it, in the case of infection.

Calcium supplements are also found to increase the intestinal microflora, building resistance to microorganisms and enhancing the immune mechanism to speed recovery in case of contamination. While bacteria are known to strike when immunity is low, natural therapy bolsters the immune system.

When diarrhea starts, anti-diarrhea medications should not be taken. They interfere with the elimination process, because the body is trying to evict the invasive microorganisms, the cause of watery stools, vomiting, and abdominal pains. If diarrhea is accompanied by blood, fever or if dehydration is suspected, go to the nearest clinic.

At the onset of diarrhea, drink lots of purified water with lemon and ginger juice for nausea. Keep on hydrating with warm red or green tea and sage and chamomile infusions with some honey or sugar and a little salt to detoxify from bacteria and replenish lost minerals, sodium, and glucose. Electrolyte solutions are sold in pharmacies; they are good for adults and children to prevent nutrient depletion.

Activated charcoal supplements speed the healing process. Microorganisms attach to the transiting charcoal. Caution, charcoal does the same to supplements and medication, which pass unabsorbed by the body. They should be taken a couple of hours before or after the charcoal.

Building a robust immune system is a key to preventing food poisoning and other diseases and reducing their nasty effects, which can be debilitating and becoming chronic (ameba). It is essential to get treated thoroughly.

The above-recommendations are valid for all times and hygiene should become a way of life. Whether it is during Haj, travelling, dining out, or at home, you should maintain hygiene and keep away from eateries of poor sanitary conditions. It is your right to demand hygienic measures where ever you eat. Ask to see the kitchen and the behind-the-scene staff for your own protection and others. You go there to eat and enjoy yourself and not to become sick and miserable!
 
— N.B. Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.