Foodborne Illness

I took an infectious disease class that could make a person never want to be near food again.   I worked in the food service industry for many years so I know that the food service is necessary in terms of cafeterias and I also know that it will always exist.  I understand how easy it is for disease to spread and how establishments do their best to prevent it but it is difficult.  Those who have a high risk are the elderly, immunocompromised, and pregnant women they need to be especially careful when eating out or preparing their own meals.

FoodSafety.gov lists the most common causes of food poisoning, here is a summary for more in-depth information click on the links:

Salmonella

• Source- eggs, meat, raw produce
• Symptoms-Around 12-72 hours after being exposed to Salmonella you may experience diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or fever.
• Treatment- fluids

Clostridium perfringens 

• Source- foods being kept at the improper temperature (40-140 degrees), beef, poultry, gravies
• Symptoms-About 6-24 hours the infected experiences diarrhea and stomach pain but not fever or vomiting
• Treatment-fluids

Listeria 

• Source-deli meats, unpasteurized milk products
• Symptoms- These symptoms are more vague they could manifest 3-70 days after infection and range from fever, vomiting, weakness.
• Treatment- If necessary antibiotics  can be administered.

E. coli

• Source- beef, unpasteurized milk products
• Symptoms- Those infected may experience diarrhea (possibly bloody), stomach pain, and vomiting about 1-10 days after infection.
• Treatment- fluids

Campylobacter 

• Source- poultry, unpasteurized milk products
• Symptoms- About 2-10 days after infection the infected may experience diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting.
• Treatment- fluids

Norovirus 

• Source- typically spread by ready-to-eat foods handled  by the infected
• Symptoms- Those infected may experience diarrhea, vomiting, and upset stomach.
• Treatment- fluids

So after looking at this list it seems pretty hard to distinguish the the different types of food poisonings.  One thing that  distinguishes them is how long it takes for the symptoms to manifest the problems is it is hard to determine what meal may have caused illness.  I didn’t include any tips for prevention because the prevention is pretty much the same for all of them follow proper food handling procedures.  Make sure everything is cooked to the proper temperatures and held at the right temperatures.  Pregnant women should stay away from deli meats as a good rule of thumb.  Treatment is pretty much the same for all the diseases but if things become too severe go to the doctor.

 

 

More on the Glycemic Index

After looking at the stats for my blog I realized the number one way people find me is when they are looking for the glycemic index.  I figured I should give the people what they want and find more information about the glycemic index.  First off for those looking for a list of foods Harvard Medical School has a decent of foods with their glycemic index and load.  Lets start with the basics again according to KidsHealth the glycemic index is “measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels”, the article explains food is processed by the body it becomes glucose that goes into the bloodstream.

The Mayo Clinic explains that the glycemic index as a diet means that you try to eat food that have a low glycemic index to maintain a healthy blood glucose level with the result being a healthy person.  The glycemic index is not a weight loss program it is a guide for overall health.  Losing weight can be an affect of following the glycemic index but its not the purpose of this diet.

 

Reasons to consider following the glycemic index diet (taken directly from source):

• Want to change blood sugar imbalances related to your current diet
• Want to change your overall eating habits
• Don’t want to count calories or go low-carb
• Want a diet that you can stick to for the long term

There are a few problems with this diet, a lot of foods are not on the scale so you have to take your best guess or limit the food you eat.  Another problem is when most of us eat a meal we combine foods which will affect blood glucose levels differently because the list is only for individual items.  There also isn’t a lot of scientific support for the glycemic index diet.

I feel that the glycemic index can be useful for specific people like those with diabetes, however for most of us we should probably look elsewhere for healthy eating plans.