Some Straight Talk About Foodborne Disease

Food recalls have increased in recent years, but that's good news. It means contaminated products from salad greens to ice cream pops are being tested and pulled off the shelves faster. Yet, 1 in 6 Americans still experiences a foodborne illness each year.

In fact, that figure may be low because experts believe that only about 1 in 20 cases gets reported. While most symptoms will go away on their own, understanding food safety will help you and your family to stay healthy and avoid any long-term complications.

Try these tips for preventing and treating food poisoning.

Preventing Foodborne Illness

1. Wash your hands.

Clean your hands before handling food. Use hot water and lather up with soap.

2. Stop cross-contamination.

The juices from raw foods like meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate other products.

Use different cutting boards for meat and vegetables. When shopping, bag raw foods separately.

3. Cook foods thoroughly.

Browse online or pick up a book that will teach you the correct temperature for cooking hamburgers or scallops. Learn how to use a meat thermometer.

4. Store foods safely.

Consult reliable sources like government agencies and universities to find out how long you can hang onto various leftovers.

When in doubt, toss them out. Set your freezer to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and your refrigerator to 40 degrees or lower.

5. Defrost carefully.

Thawing food overnight in the refrigerator is usually the safest option.

Leaving it out on the kitchen counter may seem faster, but you're likely to wind up with bacteria.

6. Spot high-risk items.

Most foods are okay as long as they're handled correctly. On the other hand, extra precautions may be desirable for individuals who are at higher risk such as small children or the elderly.

Some items that require extra care include raw and undercooked meat and fish, as well as soft cheese.

7. Consider canning.

Home canning may sound appealing if you want to save money, and limit your exposure to BPA. Just be sure to research proper procedures first so you avoid contamination.

8. Support meaningful regulations.

While there are many steps you can take at home, the food industry has a role to play too. Stay updated on legislation that affects food supplies.

Treating Foodborne Illness

1. Identify the cause.

Different kinds of foodborne illness require different treatments. Contamination can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or other factors.

2. Seek urgent care.

While you can usually recover on your own, some cases require prompt attention.

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you have severe abdominal pain or become sick after eating mushrooms or canned products.

3. Replace lost fluids.

Diarrhea is the most common symptom of food poisoning. Home remedies like drinking lots of water are usually adequate. Call your doctor if your diarrhea is severe or lasts more than 2 days.

4. Eat light.

Stop eating for a few hours if you're feeling queasy. Then, start with bland foods like rice and bananas until you're back on track.

5. Rest up.

Good quality sleep and relaxation will help your body to heal. Avoid vigorous activity for a while and take an extra nap.

Cut out potential irritants like alcohol and tobacco.

6. Follow your doctor's recommendations.

Some cases of food poisoning require antibiotics or other treatments. Your doctor can answer any questions about your individual condition.

Most food poisoning is mild, but why risk a trip to the emergency room?

Sensible food safety practices enable you to eat a nutritious diet while protecting yourself from foodborne illness.

Overcome Emotional Overeating in 4 Easy Steps

Do you feel like you have a never-ending battle with the scale? Are you tired of gaining weight that stays with you forever? The cause of your weight gain might be emotional overeating.

What is emotional overeating?

Emotional overeating is a complex topic, but it has essential elements that are easy to recognize.

Emotional overeating is defined as disordered eating that is characterized by the compulsion to eat even if you're full.

It tends to be a response to negative emotions or thoughts. It's also seen as a coping strategy for those who are under stress or who have suffered abuse.

Food often provides comfort for emotional eaters. But the comfort is only temporary! Emotional overeating can sabotage your diet and weight-loss goals. It can also negatively affect your health.

Luckily, there are easy steps you can take today to stop emotional overeating!

Try these strategies:

1. Figure out your triggers.

In many cases, emotional overeating is triggered by an event, thought, or feeling.

* If you can figure out your triggers, then it will be easier to take control of them and stop them from encouraging you to overeat.

* The most common triggers are stress and negative emotions. Other triggers can be difficult days at work, fights with your family or spouse, and issues with friends or coworkers.

* Therapy may also help you deal with your triggers.

2. Try to eat only when you're hungry.

Teach your body to accept food only when you're really hungry instead of viewing it as a constant source of comfort.

* This step will take time because changing your eating habits is challenging. However, you can take small steps to make dietary modifications. Learn to listen to your body and pay attention to real hunger pangs.

3. Create alternative plans.

For example, if you know that you overeat after a difficult meeting at work each week, then plan ahead and try to prevent it.

Try substituting a more positive action that also brings you comfort or reduces your stress.

* By creating alternative plans that don't involve eating, you will be setting yourself up for diet success.

* For example, you can plan a long walk or gym workout after work to get rid of stress.

* Instead of turning to your fridge and ice cream after an argument, you can binge watch your favorite TV shows or get on the phone with a friend.

* The key is to find other ways to deal with stress and negative emotions.

4. Surround yourself with people who care.

One of the main reasons many people turn to emotional overeating is because they feel like they don't have a support network. Do you feel alone and isolated?

* Reach out to family, friends, coworkers, and others for help.

* Build a strong support network around you that can help you deal with negativity and stress. Find those whom you can call or visit without worrying that you're intruding or upsetting them. In turn, be open to offering them support, too.

* Explain to friends or loved ones about emotional overeating so they can understand why you overeat. Discuss effective techniques that can motivate you to stick to a diet or exercise plan.

They can remind you of these techniques when you need help, without being authoritarian or critical, to help you get back on track.

Emotional overeating doesn't have to control your life. You can fight it and overcome it with these easy strategies.

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Fight Disease With Food guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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