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

Vacuum cleaner. This device may be used to keep your house clean, but it is party central for bacteria. The wheels, the brushes, and the entrance to the hoses are not at all clean. "A recent study by environmental biology professor Charles Gerba and his team found that 13 percent of all vacuum cleaner brushes tested positive for E. coli, which means you could spread it around the house each time you use the appliance." Eww. Your best bet is to "change your vacuum bag frequently, and do so outdoors to avoid the cloud of bacteria that filters into the air. (Vacuum bags that feature antibacterial linings are best, and are available for many major brands.) Clean the cavity of a bagless vacuum with diluted bleach and let it air-dry."
Dish towels. This statistic totally grossed me out. "A recent study of hundreds of homes across the United States found that about 7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the difficult-to-treat staph bacteria that can cause life-threatening skin infections." They also contain E. coli and other forms of bacteria. To avoid contamination, "Stick to paper towels to clean countertops, and save the dishrag to dry just-washed pots and plates. Change towels or launder at least twice a week in hot water and bleach."

To learn five more places where germs are lurking in your home, check out Prevention magazine's list. It's sure to turn you into a clean freak.

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,

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

Hidden Chemicals in These Products May Increase Your Risk of Breast Cancer

Leta Shy — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:50:11 PST

When buying products, reading labels may be one of the best ways to figure out if something contains chemicals that you'd rather not be exposed to. But a study released today found chemicals that may increase your risk of developing cancer or disrupt reproduction in many products, and many of those chemicals weren't listed on product labels.

The study, partly funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, tested 213 commercial products in 50 different categories. The study included many popular consumer products, including "alternative" products marketed as being safer and more eco-friendly.

The results were worrying; the study found that the products contained high levels of chemicals that have been linked to higher breast cancer risk, reproduction and growth problems, and asthma - even in those alternative products thought to be safer - including BPA, parabens, glycol ether, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances. And since many of these chemicals weren't listed on their labels, it can be hard for people to tell how much of a possibly unsafe chemical is in their favorite brands.

Want to know which types of products to try to avoid? Read on for the list.

31 Days of Spring Cleaning: Clean Your Cell Phone

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:32:47 PST

Neglecting to clean your cell phone is a nasty tech habit to break this year. Cell phones have been proven to carry bacteria, germs, even feces. Yes, feces. If there's one new routine to create for yourself this Spring, it's keeping that smartphone shiny and clean. Your health will thank you. Check out a few of our tech-friendly tips to clean that gadget, below.

Cleaning your touch screen smartphone is kind of like cleaning your LCD monitor - you don't want to use any harsh chemicals or, even more damaging, water. Using a tried-and-tested cleaner like iKlear ($21) will ensure you won't damage your phone's sensitive bits. Use the included microfiber cloth (or one of your own) and shine that baby up.
If you don't want to spring for a special formula, a 40/60 alcohol-to-water mixture on solid phone parts and keyboards should be OK for your devices (use a damp cloth and/or cotton swab for small and hard-to-reach places). However you do not want to use any sort of alcohol, ammonia, or harsh cleaning agent on touch screens.
If you're in a pinch and want to quickly rid your phone of dirty crevices and fingerprints, use a piece of Scotch Tape to peel away dirt and dust in between keys, and rid your phone of fingerprints. Perfect for when you're at the office (without a microfiber cloth), but unfortunately it won't help the germ situation.
Serious germaphobes can ensure a clean device with the UV Cell Phone Sanitizer ($50), which wipes your device clean of 99.9 percent of strep, E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and H1N1 viruses in three minutes flat. Just drop it in once a day for germ-free surfing and calling.

In the mood to refresh your tech life? Here's nine more bad tech habits to break this Spring!

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

Gross Alert! Fecal Bacteria Found in Bagged Salad Greens

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:00:35 PST

When it comes to fruits and veggies, I usually don't buy prewashed, precut, preanything. It seems too gimmicky and way lazy on my part not to slice my own apples. I make an exception for salad greens. I know it's hypocritical of me, but salad greens are pretty dirty, and I hate having to break out my cumbersome salad spinner. So yeah, I give in and buy the prewashed bags of mixed greens from the grocery store. So much for my laziness - it looks like the salad spinner is coming out anyway.

Even prewashed, nay, triple-washed bags of salad mixes aren't so clean after all. Consumer Reports tested 208 bags of salad greens from 16 different brands and found that 39 percent of the samples had traces of fecal contamination. Researchers also found that mixes containing spinach had higher levels of bacteria and that greens tested at least six days before their "use by" date had lower levels of contaminants. Luckily, no traces of deadly pathogens like E. coli or salmonella were found. But still, the thought of cow poo on my baby arugula is totally gross.

To find out how to protect yourself,

Though researchers say that the levels of bacteria found didn't pose a threat, it is indicative of poor sanitation where the salad greens are processed. This definitely could be the makings of another E. coli outbreak, like the one that was linked to bagged spinach in 2006. That outbreak killed three people and hospitalized 100 more.

What I am taking away from this is to always wash my salad greens - prewashed or not. If you don't have a salad spinner, it's a good investment. However, you can wash your greens in a bowl too. Just cut off the root of the lettuce head and let the leaves soak in a large bowl of water for at least a minute while the dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Shake each leaf, dry with a towel, and you're ready to go.