Eating Smart…Is Also Eating Safe
Vol. XIX, No. 4, Fall 2011
Eating SmartBy Debra T. Gibbons, R.D.
Ever get an upset stomach and think you just must have eaten too much? Maybe it was really because the food you ate was not properly handled.
Annually in the United States contaminated food causes approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. That’s reason enough to inspire you to start practicing safe food handling. And the first line of defense is simple: wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in warm soapy water before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs. A quick rinse doesn’t do it.
Now, test your knowledge by taking this true/false test:
Hot foods should be cooled before being placed in the refrigerator.
False: Cooling hot food at room temperature allows harmful bacteria to grow and contaminate your food. Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours.
You want to skim off the fat off a fresh pot of chili. It’s okay to place the big pot in the fridge to cool so the fat will rise to the top for easy skimming.
False: Large volumes of food should be portioned into smaller amounts before being refrigerated to ensure that the food cools down to 40 degrees in 4 hours or less.
Raw meats, fish and poultry should be stored above cooked foods in the refrigerator.
False: These foods may contain harmful bacteria and should be stored separate from foods that do not require cooking.
All fruits should be washed before eating except those such as melon or oranges since they have a skin we remove before eating.
False: Wash all fruit with clean running water, even those with a rind or peel since cutting into the fruit can transfer bacteria to the edible portion.
When heating leftovers just pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes and they’re ready to eat.
False: Leftovers should be reheated to at least 165 degrees to destroy dangerous bacteria. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature.
40-140 degrees is the danger zone in which bacteria thrive.
True: Harmful bacteria multiply quickly at room temperature.
After cutting a raw chicken on a cutting board, just clean it by rinsing with hot soapy water.
False: After rinsing, clean with a diluted bleach mixture of about 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water. Then rinse again with clean water.
When packing a lunch, it’s okay to put a yogurt and a sandwich in a paper bag since they will be eaten in 3-4 hours.
False: Perishable foods (dairy and meats) should not be left unfrigerated for more than two hours. Use an insulated bag with an ice pack or frozen beverage to keep foods cold. Or stick to foods that do not require refrigeration such as peanut butter, carrot sticks, fruit, granola bars. Plus, if using a lunch box wash it daily with warm soapy water.
Taste and smell are good ways to tell if food is still good.
False: Dangerous bacteria cannot be detected by sight, smell or taste.
Thawing meat on the counter is safe since it starts out frozen.
False: Bacteria grow very rapidly at room temperature. Thaw meats in the refrigerator, an ice bath or in the microwave. If using the microwave, cook immediately after defrosting.
Meats, poultry and seafood should be rinsed before cooking to remove bacteria in the juices.
False: Cooking foods to proper temperature kills bacteria. Rinsing could result in contaminating your sink with bacteria from the juices.
You are bringing home leftovers from your favorite restaurant and stop to shop on the way home. Your food should be fine for at least 3-4 hours
False: The sooner it is placed in the refrigerator the better and definitely within two hours. Or bring along an insulated bag with an ice pack if you plan to go out after the meal. That two-hour window also holds true for leaving food out after a meal at home.
Disease-causing bacteria will grow on all foods at room temperature.
False: Harmful bacteria only grow on what are known as “potentially hazardous foods” such as raw or cooked meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products; cooked rice, potato, noodles; cut melons, garlic and oil mixtures and raw sprouts. Keep these foods out of the “danger zone” or limit how long they are in it to as brief a time as possible.
(Ms. Gibbons is a Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator for the VA Primary Care Clinic in Hyannis. She also sees private clients at LiveNutrition in Brewster, 508-896-9080 for appointments, most health insurances accepted.)
For That Random Runny Nose, Etc.,
Chicken Soup Still A Good RemedyBy Paul M. Marz, M.D.
The working parent arrives home after hours of work and is greeted by the children. As they run to the returning breadwinner, you cannot help but to notice the twin streams of green slime running out of happy noses as they are wiped on the parents’ clothing.
So the question, “Just last week they had a cold! How come they are always sick?”
A good question. Yet there is a strong historical foundation in the pediatric observation of the drippy-nosed kid.
Every pediatric office makes a strong argument to recommend and encourage the primary immunization series. These vaccinations will provide immunity to some pretty awful infections, some viral and some bacterial. History has shown the devastation that these public health targets have caused before we could offer any control of them through immunizations.
But, what about the literally hundreds and hundreds of other bugs out there that cause human disease?
Medical science is well aware that there are other sources of infectious disease, but we also know that in all likelihood, you will survive the illness unscathed. There is just not enough interest or resources to develop a vaccine against things that will probably not hurt you.
So now your little child enters pre-school, daycare, kindergarten, whatever, for the first time. After 18 months or so, your child, (and you) will have experienced the entire inventory of local cough, cold, runny nose and viruses in your area.
OK, what happens when the working parent has a new job, in Cleveland?
The family packs up and moves. On the first day of the new pre-school, daycare, kindergarten, whatever, joyful children rush over to welcome and YOU share your local bugs with them, at the same time that they are busy reciprocating. And so your own months-long illness cycle starts over for the NEW local bugs happily living in harmony in your new home town.
Fact: This is the normal pattern; your child’s immune system is not sub-optimal.
Fact: The best prevention is good foods, good sleep, and plenty of exercise to keep your body healthy.
Your grandmother had it right; when you are sick, chicken soup is good.
(Dr. Marz, a board-certified pediatrician, is supervising physician for the Town of Barnstable school system. He practices with Bass River Pediatrics in South Yarmouth.)
Pulmonary disease is recognized as an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and around the world. Chronic lung disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, while influenza and pneumonia is also in the top ten at No. 8.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize one’s risk.
Start with an awareness of your surroundings and take steps to reduce the triggers that cause shortness of breath.
We’ve all heard that during the winter months it’s important to stay away from those who have the flu or a respiratory infection. That leads people to avoid public places and spend more time at home. So, if that’s the case, that’s where you need to start in reducing the causes of irritation.
Any foreign matter that you breathe may cause an episode of coughing and shortness of breath, which in turn produces more mucus and still more shortness of breath.
So, avoid creating cooking fumes when using cooking oils, or food that produces excess cooking fumes. Replace your heater filter on a regular basis. There are washable furnace filters that will save you money, but clean them regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Clean those out-of-the-way places like the coils on the back of the refrigerator, ceiling fans and the water pan under the refrigerator. Avoid aerosol sprays that may contain toxic chemicals and use unscented cleaners containing natural ingredients. (Baking soda or a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water is a good alternative cleanser.)
Mold is a problem during the fall and winter from leaves that are rotting in the yard. You can also have mold spores in your home anywhere there is water.
Check your basement for cracks in the foundation where water could leak in.
If you go out make sure to wash your hands after shaking hands, or blocking a cough. Avoid severe cold air; the extreme change in temperature is an irritant to your lungs. If you have to go out in the severe cold air, breathe through your nose. It warms the air. Try wearing a scarf or mask over your nose and mouth.
And be sure to rest when short of breath so you’re not tempted to breathe through your mouth.
Be aware of the warning signs of a flareup of shortness of breath:
If you experience any of these symptoms contact your doctor or go to the local walk-in center or emergency room. If you are having chest pain, blue lips or fingers, confusion, agitation, not thinking clearly, feel drowsy, or are very short of breath call 911 immediately.
The sooner you receive treatment the less likely you will need extended intensive hospital care.
If you should be hospitalized for an acute episode of shortness of breath, you may want to consider a pulmonary rehabilitation program upon discharge. Effective post-acute pulmonary programs focus on rehabilitation, exercise and patient education to empower the participants to achieve their highest level of functioning.
(The above article was prepared by the Pulmonary Specialty Program at Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation-Forestview in Wareham, 508-295-6264 or www.kindredforestview.com. for information.)
By Richard W. Eckert
We all breathe. Every minute of every day, each day of our lives. Most of the time we barely give it thought. But for those who live with a progressive lung disease like COPD or Emphysema, breathing becomes an ordeal that may change from minute to minute. Understanding how these conditions actually affect how the lung works can be extremely helpful to a patient during the training period of rehabilitation.
The most common point that I share with patients is awareness of how your body is communicating to you, especially during physical stress. If you can recognize the early signs of S.O.B, (Shortness of Breath), you can avoid a more serious event.
As a clinician, I discuss lung tissue in terms of “compliance,” which is simply how the lung tissue functions during respiration. When you inhale, a volume of air enters the lung cavity which increases lung pressure. The increase in pressure helps to transfer oxygen onto the blood. During exhalation, the air exits the lung and reduces pressure, this helps lift CO2 from the surface of the blood. The cycle of breathing is how gas exchange occurs between the lung and the circulating blood in the body.
We are all taught that oxygen is good for us. True. We are also taught that CO2 is not good for us. Also true. In progressive lung diseases like COPD and emphysema, lung tissue becomes stiffer and does not function the way it was made to. This decrease in function results in more air trapped in the lung, and the result is that higher levels of CO2 remain on the blood. COPD patients are chronic CO2 retainers because of poor lung compliance.
During exercise, oxygen consumption increases, which in turn raises the levels of CO2 in the blood. Our brains measure CO2 in the blood and then increase the heart rate to compensate. As the heart begins to work harder, it forces the lungs to also increase their efforts. Unfortunately the brain and the heart do not understand that lungs are not functioning normally and cannot meet the immediate demand for gas exchange. This begins the cycle of breathlessness for a patient with a progressive lung disease.
For many patients, supplementary oxygen can improve the ability to maintain your accustomed standard of life. My consistent teaching point with patients is that regardless of supplementary oxygen, gas exchange still requires proper respiration. One of my favorite mental pictures is that oxygen is like nails to a carpenter; and that respiration (breathing) is like the hammer.
The key concept is for the patient to be thoughtful about increasing expiration times. This helps to reduce air volumes in the lung cavity which in turn reduces cavity pressures and helps to lift CO2 off of the blood.
The breathing cycle, “Smell The Flowers” for inhalation and “Blow Out The Candles” for expiration becomes the mantra. When shortness of breath occurs, stop what you are doing. Slow down your breathing and control your exhalation times until you have fully recovered. Always be thoughtful of how you breathe.
(Mr. Eckert is a Staff Respiratory Therapist with Cape Medical Supply.)
By Lori Case
During World War I the U.S Food Administration urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to aid the war effort. The government proclaimed that “Food Will Win the War” and “Meatless Monday” was introduced to encourage Americans to do their part.
Herbert Hoover, then head of the Food Administration, spearheaded the campaign and the effect was overwhelming.
The idea of Meatless Mondays was revived in 2003 by a man named Sid Lerner who recognized the many preventable illnesses associated with excessive meat consumption. The concept was simple–eat no meat on Mondays!
This routine has become a global movement with a wide network of hospitals, schools, worksites and restaurants practicing this concept. There are blogs, t-shirts, buttons, clubs, Facebook accounts, twittering and well known entertainment and political figures touting the regimen.
Why Monday? Well, how many times have we all used the phrases “I’ll start Monday” or “There’s always Monday”? Studies show that we’re more likely to keep up with good health habits like going to the gym or sticking with a diet by starting at the beginning of our work week.
I personally have been observing “Meatless Mondays” seven days a week for 53 years as a lifelong vegetarian. My husband, Charlie and our two children also are vegetarians.
As a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church I am part of the largest ever health study by the Federal Government and independent researchers. Many members (not all) are practicing vegetarians. From 1976 to 1988 the National Institutes of Health funded a study of 34,000 California Adventists to see whether their health-oriented lifestyle affected their life expectancy and risk of heart disease and cancer.
They reached a stunning conclusion. The average Adventist lived four to 10 years longer than the average Californian! This makes the Adventists one of the nation’s most convincing cultures for longevity.
The Adventist Health Study 2 (of which I am a participant) started in 2002 and is continuing for 15-20 years. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of disease and cancer in the world. The study, which follows 96,000 Seventh-day Adventists in the United States and Canada, is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary reports show that the closer you are to being a vegetarian, the lower the health risk from high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. For Type 2 diabetes, prevalence in vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians was half that among non-vegetarians.
I like to think of Meatless Monday as an opportunity to try new options. Explore new ways to enjoy fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
Vegetarian food options in restaurants have improved drastically in the last decade. Just on the Cape you merely have to walk down Main Street in Hyannis for your choice of restaurants with vegetarian options. Newly published vegetarian cookbooks are at an all time high.
To raise awareness of the Meatless Monday concept, the Cape Cod & Islands Vegetarian Supper Club, sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is hosting a monthly vegetarian meal and/or vegetarian cooking class (minimal cost involved) starting in January at its church on Route 28 in Osterville. In addition to health and recipes, an emphasis will also be on ease of preparation and eye appeal.
For more information contact me at 508-364-4819 or BLoriCase@yahoo.com.
(Ms. Case, a Registered Nurse, has a degree in Holistic Nutrition.)
By Jerry Pessin
I began my career working with hearing impaired people in 1973. I was a young man raising a young family. Hearing aids back then were often large and cumbersome. They were crude amplifiers with large batteries. That whistled feedback was a constant problem. The sound quality was poor, but it was the best we had to offer. Most people found it hard to accept using them.
In the 1980s I saw the development of a new style of hearing instrument, the In-the-Canal model. These were very popular because they could be hidden deep within the ear. President Reagan even used them. Cosmetically, they were much more widely accepted, but still the technology was less than perfect. In the late 1990s-early 2000s with the development of the digital revolution, the technology was catching up to the expectations of those who needed help with their hearing. I could more precisely fit a hearing device. Hearing aids were becoming really useful.
I still find it amazing, these new technologies. I am so lucky to be well established in the hearing care field right now.
Today's hearing instruments are more discreet and more comfortable than ever before. Definitely not your grandfathers' hearing aids!
What we offer is nothing short of magical. With the touch of button on a remote control, hearing aid users not only can adjust their hearing levels and switch memories for alternate environmental listening situations, they can connect to other audio/visual devices through Bluetooth connectivity.
Today we have the ability to link hearing aids wirelessly to a telephone and to TV. This “direct input” provides the clearest sound quality. No more struggle for understanding.
Just ease of hearing.
It’s almost magic.
(Mr. Pessin is clinic director of Beltone hearing Aids in South Dennis, gpessin@beltonene.com)
Individuals have more access to health information than they've ever had before. A simple Google search on a specific health topic can yield advice from hundreds of different sources. While access to the information has improved with the inception of the Internet age, the resulting concern is often the quality and reliability of the various information and contributors.
One recent survey discovered 60 percent of all adults have looked up online health information at least once. Yet another study reviewed multiple online health-related studies and concluded that online health information aimed at consumers is often biased, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed.
So why is it that so many health websites publish misleading and inaccurate information?
Some entities operating health-related sites have a hidden agenda behind the information they're providing to the consumer. Drug companies often finance groups promoting awareness for previously unrecognized conditions to literally create consumer demand for their new, expensive drugs, a tactic known as disease mongering.
For instance, according to Dartmouth Medical School researchers, restless leg syndrome didn't become a diagnosed disease until a drug company first developed a drug to treat it. Furthermore, a recently published study in the American Journal of Public Health concluded that many health advocacy groups taking funding from drug companies fail to disclose this fact to consumers.
Other entities operating health-related websites might be providing misinformation because they choose to disregard scientific evidence that disputes or contradicts whatever health belief they're promoting. For example, despite the exhaustive research that led to the U.S. Institute of Medicine's 2004 finding that there's no relationship between autism and childhood vaccinations, many supposed health websites are still scaring parents into thinking autism can be caused by vaccinating their children against potentially deadly diseases.
It's simply not practical or affordable for an individual to make a doctor appointment for every health question they come across. So the solution isn't to not use the Internet for health questions or information, but rather to use it selectively.
Here are two tips:
1. Before trusting a health-related website's information, ask yourself the following questions:
2. Only use websites that have been certified by a quality rating organization, such as the Health On the Net Foundation (HON), or that have been otherwise deemed trustworthy.
HON's search engine will only show results from websites providing objective information that's consistent with sound scientific evidence, such as by the www.healthfinder.gov website. The nonprofit website www.FamilyDoctor.org, which is supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians, is another reliable source of medical information for consumers.
The internet can help individuals become more informed about their health and more capable in making some decisions about their health care, such as if they should get screened for a particular cancer based on symptoms they may be experiencing or their medical history. However, one should never use the information on any health website, regardless of its reliability, to self-diagnose and/or self-treat.
(This article was prepared by the personal insurance team at Rogers & Gray Insurance Agency, Inc., Info@rogersgray.com, 1-800-553-1801.)