This past week I've been on a new weight loss plan, its called food poisoning! not highly recommended on the list of diets but it certainly did the trick to make me lose some water weight and appetite. But seriously, what an aweful thing to have to go through. Getting food poisoning is horrible, all that throwing up and I won't mention what happens at the other end.
I think the culprit to my unhappiness was the canned salmon I had for lunch on Tuesday. I did cook it so it should've killed any bugs so not sure how the food poisoning happened but boy did I know about it later that day. I had stomach cramps, some light headedness in the afternoon and by night time I should've just drag my mattress to the toilet as that was where I was. Yukky!
The next day I just didn't feel like eating anything and just craved sweet stuff. I even wanted to have fruit juice and fruit, things I don't usually have in the house. Didn't want to face any protein. No chicken or fish has been on the menu since either! All I've been really eating is oats and protein powder, bit of fruit and soup. Not exciting but haven't been hungry either. So actually its been quite good not having the appetite or feeling hungry but not great for energy levels or wanting to train.
Its now 3 days after the event and I'm still feeling achy and slightly lethargic, trying to force feed myself so I have the energy to train. Guess these things take time to restore glycogen and get back to even keel again.
So I thought this is timely to cover the topic of food safety so that you guys can avoid getting any bugs in your food or body either as it really does set your training back. I'm not quite sure which bug I got but probably a combination!
The bugs that can cause poisoning include:
Campylobacter- The most common cause of food-borne illness in New Zealand: 10,054 reported cases during 2001.
- Risky foods include undercooked poultry, untreated water and unpasteurised milk.
- Symptoms include stomach cramps, muscle pain, headache, nausea, diarrhoea (sometimes with blood) and fever. Campylobacter can strike up to 10 days after you eat contaminated food, and effects will usually last for several miserable days.
Salmonella
- STM 160, a relatively new strain, has become a major source of food-borne illness in New Zealand over the last three years.
- Risky foods include raw meats, poultry, unpasteurised milk and dairy products, seafood and some fresh produce. Wild birds or their droppings, and untreated drinking water are also risk factors. Salmonella is easily spread from person to person and through food.
- Symptoms include diarrhoea, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, fever and vomiting. It usually develops within two days. In recent years 11 percent of reported salmonella cases in New Zealand have been admitted to hospital.
- E. coli 0157 or VTEC is also relatively new here, but its incidence is rising. It produces a toxin that can destroy red blood cells and damage the kidneys.
- Risky foods include undercooked minced meat, unpasteurised milk products, unpasteurised juice and contaminated drinking water. Not washing and drying hands properly and swimming in sewage-contaminated water are also risky. If you use tank water it should be filtered and treated, or boiled for three minutes.
- Symptoms include acute gastroenteritis, watery then bloody diarrhoea, kidney failure and occasionally death. Around 40 percent of VTEC sufferers need hospital care, and two to three percent die. Children under five, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are at greatest risk.
Listeria
- Listeria is common but especially dangerous for the elderly and pregnant women. It can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
- Cooking destroys listeria but, unlike other bacteria, it will grow on food in the fridge.
- Pregnant women should talk to their doctor or midwife about listeria and avoid chilled ready-to-eat foods such as soft cheeses, raw or smoked seafood, salad bar fare, cold meats, paté, pre-cooked chicken, and foods made from unpasteurised milk. (Freshly prepared salads, pasteurised dairy products and just-cooked food served steaming hot are best.)
- Symptoms include mild fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, or flu-like symptoms.
Food Safety Tips
Separate: Don't cross-contaminate
Cross-contamination is how bacteria spreads from one food product to another.
This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Experts caution to keep these foods
and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Here's how!:
Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other food in the grocery shopping cart.
Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so juices don't drip onto other foods. If possible, use one cutting board for raw meat products and another for salads and other foods which are ready to be eaten.
Always wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils with hot soapy water after they come in
contact with raw meat, poultry and seafood. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry or seafood.
Cook: Cook to proper temperatures
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough
time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
The best way to Fight BAC is to:
Use a meat thermometer, which measures the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry, to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way through.
Cook roasts and steaks to at least 145°F. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180°F for doneness. Cook ground meat, where bacteria can spread during grinding, to at least 160°F. If a thermometer is not available, do not eat ground beef that is still pink inside.
Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Don't use recipes in which eggs remain raw
or only partially cooked. Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Make sure there are no cold spots in food (where bacteria can survive) when cooking in a
microwave oven. For best results, cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking.
If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165°F.
Chill: Refrigerate promptly
Food safety experts advise consumers to refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. following these steps:
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers
within two hours.
Never defrost (or marinate) food on the kitchen counter. Use the refrigerator, cold running water or the microwave.
Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
With poultry and other stuffed meats, remove the stuffing and refrigerate it in a separate container.
Don't pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
Eat safely!
Lisa, Go Figure
13 August 09
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