Healthcare Abroad: The Missing Conversation

As an avid traveller, I find endless inspiration from influencers who document their journeys to far-flung destinations, offering glimpses into places I might explore myself. I’m also active in Facebook groups for expats, digital nomads, slow travellers, retirees, and other travel enthusiasts, keeping an eye on tips and advice to stay informed.

One topic comes up repeatedly in these groups—particularly from Americans—and that’s access to healthcare and medication overseas.

While this is an important concern, I can’t help but feel disheartened that so many people, adventurous enough to embrace a nomadic lifestyle, haven’t yet realised the harm caused by blindly trusting an industry that thrives on dependency. For all their open-mindedness about travel, there seems to be little reflection on how lifestyle choices impact long-term health.

Why Aren’t We Talking About Preventative Health?

The questions I see in these forums rarely, if ever, touch on access to essential components of a healthy lifestyle. I see no discussions about finding high-quality, additive-free meats, butter, cream, raw milk, sea salt, or clean drinking water. There’s little-to-no mention of air quality or access to wellness facilities like pools or spas. Instead, the focus tends to revolve around managing medications and illnesses, not preventing them.

The Influencer Dilemma

Even more troubling is the example set by many travel influencers. While they inspire wanderlust with stunning visuals, their dietary choices often promote a cycle of poor health. Social media feeds are flooded with battered delicacies, baskets of bread, pasta, pizzas, pastries, sugary desserts, washed down with alcohol. Rarely do we see conversations around sourcing clean, nutrient-dense food in their destinations.

Occasionally, there’s a passing nod to fresh produce in vibrant outdoor markets, but it’s hardly enough to balance the narrative. The omission of food quality—and its role in preventing chronic disease—reinforces a troubling norm: a lifestyle built around indulgence, followed by reliance on medications to manage the inevitable consequences.

A Western Mindset in Conflict with Travel Dreams

This mindset is so deeply ingrained that it often prevents people from pursuing their dream of living abroad. The belief that illness is inevitable and requires a lifetime of medication prescribed by a profit-driven healthcare system discourages many from taking the leap.

But there’s another way. Seeing a functional medicine doctor and implementing a lifestyle rooted in whole, additive-free foods, movement, and a clean environment can prevent or put into remission the majority of chronic illnesses that people worry about managing abroad.

A Call to Rethink Priorities

For those of us who embrace travel and adventure, it’s time to shift the conversation. Instead of focusing solely on access to healthcare, why not prioritise the kind of lifestyle choices that reduce dependence on it in the first place?

Imagine a world where travellers and expats ask, “Where can I find the cleanest, healthiest foods?” instead of, “Will I be able to get my medication?” It’s not just a healthier way to travel—it’s a healthier way to live.

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