FitSugar

Germy Areas to Hit When Spring Cleaning

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:00:08 PDT

Scrubbing the handle on your fridge and all the light switches with germ-killing cleaners may be on your to-do list when Spring cleaning this year, but those aren't the only germ-infested areas in your house. Prevention magazine has a list of places you don't want to skip when scrubbing:

Kitchen faucet. The screen on your faucet is perpetually moist and dark - the perfect environment for bacteria. It doesn't help if you accidentally touch the screen with food or your dirty hands. Once a week, it's recommended to "remove the screen and soak it in a diluted bleach solution - follow the directions on the label. Replace the screen, and let the water run a few minutes before using."
Garbage disposal. We all know that we let all kinds of things go down the disposal, from raw meat to cucumber peels to leftover milk from our cereal bowl. The disposal and the bottom of the sink are full of bacteria, "about 1,000 times more than the average toilet has." So whatever comes in contact with it, whether it be utensils, dishes, or your cutting board, can become contaminated. At least once a week you should "clean the disposal's rubber stopper with a diluted bleach solution - soap and water aren't enough."
Welcome mat. This was a surprise to me, but it makes sense. It's a place where people wipe their shoes off, and one study found "that nearly 96 percent of shoe soles had traces of coliform, which includes fecal bacteria." The solution? "Spray the doormat once a week with a fabric-safe disinfectant (such as Lysol Disinfectant Spray). Leave shoes at the door, and avoid resting bags and groceries on the mat, too."

Curious to know where else germs are lurking in your home? Then

E.Coli Testing Kit: A Germ-A-Phobe's Best Friend

FitSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Food recalls seem to be at an all time high this year. From peanut butter to Listerine to pet food, nothing seems to be safe anymore. So while we wait for the FDA to get a handle on the situation, you may want to take matters into your own hands...

The MMS Safe Strips Food Testing Kit ($19.95) contains: Two E.coli test strips, two Salmonella test strips, a bottle of buffer solution and instructions on how to do it. Basically users will be mixing food with distilled water and buffer solution, preferably in a blender. The salmonella test strip produces results in thirty minutes, while the E.coli test takes an hour, so make sure you give it some time before digging in. Buy it from FoodTestingStrips.com.

Fit's Tip: While I think that testing everything you eat may be a bit excessive, even for me, you may want to consider taking a kit along while traveling or think about keeping it around the house in case another spinach recall hits the fan.

To Sprout or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 02:20:05 PST

Anyone who eats raw sprouts, or lightly cooked mung bean sprouts, is at risk for exposure to E. coli or Salmonella bacteria. Seeds need a dark and moist environment to sprout, so the sprouting process provides ideal conditions for bacteria to grow.

It's a toss up because sprouts are really healthy for you though. They are a living food, so even after you refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist - rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes.

If you buy them, choose crisp-looking sprouts with the buds attached - avoid musty-smelling, dark or slimy-looking sprouts. If you keep them in the fridge too long, because their roots stay moist, they can get moldy, so try to eat them right away.

Fit's Tips: Since you never know how old sprouts are when you buy them at the store, you could always grow your own. Buy your seeds and sprouters at sproutpeople.com. Unfortunately, this doesn't cut your risk because the seeds themselves could be contaminated.

Taco Hell Continued

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

Just as I thought the Taco Bell Hell was coming to a hault, new reports are claiming that the E. coli contamination was not found in the green onions, as originally suspected, but possibly in the lettuce. While findings are not final, they are also looking at the cheese and ground beef.

While the lettuce is served in approximately 70 percent of all Taco Bell menu items, thought is that they should probably just focus on everything at this point.

White onions were also suspect at one point and health officials found the produce was contaminated with E. coli, but the strain was not the same as the one identified in the wider outbreak. Gross.

Interestingly enough, officials are still saying that the Taco Bell outbreak does not have anything to do with the Taco John E. coli outbreak.

As of Wednesday evening, the Center for Disease Control had reported 71 confirmed cases of E. coli infection in five states. New Jersey had 33 confirmed cases; New York had 22; Pennsylvania had 13, Delaware had two, and South Carolina had one.

Moral of the story? Stay away from taco joints right now.

...More Taco Hell

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

OK so I hate to be a buzz kill, but I think it may be in your best interest to stop eating at fast food taco joints for the time being.

Taco John's, the self proclaimed fresh taste of the west-mex, has a reported "possible" E. coli scare as three dozen people became ill after eating at a Taco John's restaurant in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The symptoms seem to follow suit with those that come from consuming the E.coli bacteria and many people have been hospitalized. While we wait to find out if it was really E. coli that was making everyone sick, all suspected food ingredients have been removed from the menu and the restaurant has been sanitized.

Interestingly enough, Taco John's is not at all affiliated with Taco Bell, who has been battling their own E. coli issues.

Fit's Tip: Seriously gang, if you need a taco fix then try making your own tacos at home right now. They are easy to make, way better for you and a lot less likely to contain E.coli than those you'll get at a fast food joint.

Eye on IRON

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:00:00 PST

Spinach went from being one of ‘the healthiest foods you could eat’ to ‘the throw it all out as fast as you can’ foods. In case another media crazed E-Coli outbreak surfaces, we're going to have to find other ways to get that iron, as spinach was (and still is) one of the best plant sources of getting this mineral.

For further ideas on how to get your iron,

read more Eat more foods rich in Iron, such as:

Meat, such as Beef, Pork or Lamb
Liver, if you can stomach it
Cereals, such as Total and Cream of Wheat
Potatos, with the skin still on
Beans, such as Garbanzo Beans

Fit's Tip: To further enhance your absorption of Iron, pair foods high in Iron with foods high in Vitamin C, like bell peppers--the Vitamin C helps absorb more Iron into your body. An easy and yummy way to get your Iron on: Try dipping Vitamin C-rich bell peppers into a garbanzo bean made hummus. Source

Foodie Friday Link Time: Feeling Moody? Could Be Dehydration

Susi May — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:18:21 PST

Drink up! Dehydration can put you in a bad mood - HuffPost Healthy Living
Quick and easy breakfasts that will literally make your day - Real Simple
Low-cal onion dip perfect for your Super Bowl party - Prevention
Skip the mayo! Balsamic tuna with celery will do just fine - Shape
Foods to fuel your next sweat session - Blisstree
Do you live in a Girl Scout Cookie capital? - The Daily Beast
Fire up your Crock-Pot for an easy black bean soup - Eating Bird Food
Low-carb wraps? Easy! Just use some greens - Vegetarian Times
A new weapon in the fight against E. coli: manganese - Newser

Don't Lick the Spoon! Holiday Baking Tips to Prevent Illness

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:38:56 PST

It's holiday baking time! But before you whip up all those fruitcakes and homemade Christmas cookies, keep these tips in mind to prevent the stomachache of food-borne illness and the headache of chemicals in foods.

Don't Lick the Spoon
Spritz cookies with a side of salmonella? Sounds like the worst holiday ever. Prevent a horrible bout of food poisoning this season by resisting the gooey, sugary raw cookie dough. One in 10,000 eggs may be contaminated with salmonella inside the egg shell, so it's just not worth the health risk. The same goes for ready-to-bake dough purchased at the grocery store. Recent news linked the 2009 E. coli outbreak to consuming prepackaged cookie dough, reinforcing the importance of baking batter to kill unwanted pathogens.

Keep reading to find out two more tips to stay healthy while baking this holiday season.

Link Time: Get Free Starbucks For the Entire Month of January

Susannah Chen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:11:20 PST

How to get free Starbucks for the entire month of January - Starbucks
Conan O'Brien found this questionable cookie in his hotel room - HotelChatter
The latest contestant to get kicked off The Next Iron Chef - The FN Dish
Hmmm, there's no masthead for the new Top Chef magazine - Eater
Celebrate the holidays, Mad Men style - The Daily Meal
How to make a bûche de noël - Serious Eats
Raw flour is the latest carrier of e. coli bacteria - ew! - HuffPost Food

5 Things: Reasons to Be Thankful For Cranberries

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:30:00 PST

Cranberry sauce might just be a lowly condiment on the Thanksgiving table, but this tart berry is a nutritional super star. Here are five things to chew on about cranberries.

Cranberry juice interferes with the bacteria E. coli that is responsible for the most serious types of UTIs (urinary tract infections). The berry and its juice contain tannins, which fight the infections on the front lines by creating barriers that prevent E. coli from getting close to the urinary-tract lining. If the bacteria cannot implant itself, it cannot cause infection.
Cranberries also contain proanthocyanidine. If you can't tell by its crazy name that it is an antioxidant and it prevents formation of plaque on the teeth.
Cranberry juice, because of its high-acid content, can help break down and prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Studies indicate that only 30 percent of super-tart cranberry juice of a 100 percent juice mixture is necessary to receive the beneficial vitamins and nutrients, as well as other health benefits imparted by cranberry juice.
Captains of early sailing ships provided cranberries to their sailors to combat scurvy since the berries are high in vitamin C. One cup of raw cranberries contains about one fourth of the current RDI (Reference Daily Intake) for an adult. Many processed foods made with cranberries, like juices and drinks, have extra vitamin C added to the product, resulting in the full daily requirement of vitamin C.

So, I want to know if you eat the cranberry sauce or not? Let me know in the comments section below.

Source