How to keep food safely to avoid the risk of food poisoning ?

People who get the food poisoning can describe how much pain and troulble they have to face during the whole period. Even after recovering from it, you need to check your food for few days. This post is about the causes which can produce poison in food and how to keep food safely to avoid risks of food poisoning.


Food poisoning is not only meant by having stomach trouble, vomating or diarrhea, it may go with fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches and nasty bouts of cramps which could take from several hours to days to appear.  Food poisoning is caused by bacteria in food which can double in number every 20 minutes at room temperature, and a few thousands to lay you low. 


You can’t see, smell, or taste them, but millions of bacteria are all around you. Most are harmless; some, like E. coli and salmonella, are a menace to your digestive system. These bugs may already be present in raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs — they thrive on protein — or you may introduce them yourself if you forget to wash your hands before handling food. They will be happy to infest any kind of food as long as it’s moist and warm enough and not too salty or acidic.


Bacteria can survive on kitchen surfaces for hours and spread to other foods that way, so keep things clean. Be especially careful to wash anything that comes in contact with raw meat or eggs before using it again. (Don’t use the same platter to carry both raw and cooked meat to and from the grill, for example.) A thorough scrubbing with hot soapy water is plenty good enough. The new antibacterial cleaners can’t do much better. And don’t forget to wash your towels often in hot water and sterilize your sponge every few days by throwing it in the dishwasher. Replace the sponge every few weeks.

Won’t cooking kill bacteria?

Cooking food to 160 degrees Fahrenheit will kill most bacteria. Some meats need to be even hotter — for example, all poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. (Don’t guess by the color; use a meat thermometer.) But if the food has been at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria may have accumulated to dangerous levels and formed heat-resistant toxins that cannot be killed by cooking. Even cooked food can become contaminated this way, so get those leftovers into the fridge as soon as you can.
Is my refrigerator cold enough?

Your fridge should be set no higher than 40 degrees F (again, use a thermometer). Cold slows down the growth of bacteria. Store leftovers in shallow containers so that they’ll cool quickly. And don’t overstuff your fridge; air has to circulate to keep the food cold. Even at this low temperature, bacteria will start to go to work on your leftovers within a few days. When in doubt, throw it out!

These tips are courtesy of ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’, 
‘U. S. Department of Agriculture’,
‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ etc,

First published at 'factoidz': How to Keep Your Food Safely and Avoid the Risk of Food Poisoning?

How to know the water we are using is safe and healthy for us?

In our daily lives we not only use water for drinking purposes but we bathe, brush our teeth, wash our clothes with it. Farming, ranching, food processing and a multitude of manufacturing processes use a great deal water, as well. The water we use for regular daily needs is treated on a huge level to make it safe for us. This post helps you learn how the water is purified to make it safer for humans.

We all know that water is an essential part of our life. Just a few lines to remember that

Importance of Water:

- Regulates body temperature

- Serves as a solvent for minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose and other small

molecules, aiding their assimilation into the body carries oxygen to all parts of

the body

- Lubricates the areas around our joints (especially important for athletes, people

with arthritis and those with chronic challenges, like back pain.

- Is necessary for chemical reactions in the body

- Acts as a shock absorber inside the eyes and spinal cord removes the waste products of our metabolic processes

Do you know the water we are consuming for drinking or cooking is safe and healthy for us?

The only way to know what is in your water is to have it tested. Water water treatment professionals can perform on-site tests for; hardness, iron (rust), pH, total dissolved solids, nitrates, chlorine and temperature.

If a city, water utility or other regulated system supplies your water they can provide you with the results from government mandated tests they’ve completed for a variety of contaminants. Keep in mind that they are not required to test for all contaminants.

While bad odors, unusual colors or metallic tastes usually indicate a drinking water contaminant, some contaminants are not so easily undetected. Lead is tasteless, odorless, and colorless and can find its way into your water via soldered pipe connections. Lead-based solder was used in homes built as recently as the late 1980s. How old is your home? What type of plumbing pipes do you have?

Even though cities generally use chlorine to disinfect water to prevent illness and disease, chlorinating is not a “foolproof” method. Unexpected outbreaks of microorganisms can still occur. And although it has been treated, city water may pick up contaminants as it travels through miles of distribution lines before it reaches your home.

The ways to make water safe for humans are:

Carbon Filters: Activated carbon can reduce chlorine, VOCs, tastes, odors, and in some cases, lead. Carbon filters are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles, from mini-filters that can be attached to the end of a faucet to in-line systems connected to a home's plumbing. Filter cartridges must be changed regularly to ensure optimum contaminant reduction. Note: Faucet mounted mini-filters may be less than effective. Mini-filters are one area where price may well indicate quality and level of protection.

Distillation Systems: Distillation systems boil water to reduce contaminants, then condense the steam that results and collect the water in a storage tank or pot. Since certain substances (including many contaminants but not all) don't vaporize they don't rise with the steam and are left behind in the boiling chamber. Note: While most distillers do not remove volatile organics, adding a carbon filter can provide a more effective system. Distillers use a great deal of energy, radiate a great deal of heat and must be cleaned regularly.

Note: When water is “soft” or “softened” prior to distillation the need to clean the distiller is greatly reduced.

Important: Distilled water most often has a low pH value (acid). My doctor does not recommend drinking low pH (acid) water. She tells me that most disease processes can not live in an alkaline body environment. She recommends drinking water with an alkaline pH, except. . . she does recommend drinking distilled water for people who are “stone” formers.

Ultraviolet Systems (UV): UV systems destroy microorganism’s ability to reproduce by exposing them to intense ultraviolet light… as a result, they die. Since they “disinfect” water rather than remove contaminants, UV systems should be installed with other filters; a sediment pre-filters and carbon post filter are common. UV bulbs must be changed regularly (generally once each year, depending on conditions) for the system to function properly.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems:

RO systems are recommended by the US Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the most effective ways of protecting residential drinking water. The best systems utilize a combination of carbon filtration and a semi-permeable membrane to reduce contaminants. Water is first filtered, then forced against a dense membrane, a portion of it passes through, while contaminants are left behind to be carried away by the effluent. These membranes are very similar to those used in kidney dialysis. Think “fresh squeezed” water when you think of reverse osmosis.

Reverse osmosis effectively removes dissolved salts (naturally occurring, as well as, from water softeners), suspended solids, dissolved chemicals and a wide variety of other contaminants that cannot be seen by the naked eye. When choosing an RO system, look for a unit with a high recovery rate (recovery rate = amount of water produced divided by amount of water used). Generally, a rate of 25% is considered efficient. R O filters should be changed, generally, every six (6) months and the membrane every two years, depending on what is in your water and the amount of water used.

Source of information: 'Natural Health Techniques'

Take online real age test and tips to stay younger

When you are stress free, happy and physically fit/healthy it reflects from your fact and body structure and you look younger. Many people look younger than their own age due to their body structure or health but adopting a nutritious diet, a healthy lifestyle can make you smarter, and younger looking.

Are you biologically younger, older, or the same age as your calendar age?

'Real Age' offers real age test for free. This online test not only tells you your age comparing with your biological age but it provides a personalized plan to feel younger plus a list of what's making you younger or older. These online tools can help you stay longer and healthier by filling up a questionnaire about your health history.

Mission of 'Real Age' site is to encourage consumers to maximize their health and wellness by making their "RealAge" younger.

It was founded by Dr. Michael Roizen, and Mehmet Oz, MD., coauthors of the best-selling YOU Book series.

The RealAge.com Web site features the patented RealAge Test, taken by more than 27 million people since 1999. The RealAge Test measures the "real age" of the test taker’s body based on a questionnaire pertaining to how well he or she maintains their physical health. Whereas calendar age reflects a consumer’s age since birth, the RealAge Test gauges the physiological age of the body and measures the true rate of an individual’s aging.

The site features over 65 supplementary health-risk evaluations that provide customized results, solutions, and action plans to individual users for free. 

Readers have access to advice, articles, blogs, and  personalized RealAge Plan, all designed to modify or expand lifestyle choices.

You can take the 'RealAge Test' for a personalized plan to help you eat healthier, sleep better, look younger and live longer and  receive helpful health tips and newsletters. 

* 'Real age.co.uk' provides the same 'Real Age Test' for you.

Bring a change in your life for better health

'Change 4 Life' helps you bring change in your life for better health. You would be able to get helpful information, tools and tips at the site.

How it helps us change our life to better?

The movement will help to make behaviors around diet and physical activity more high profile and will provide accessible, friendly and encouraging support to implement changes.

There are 8 healthy behaviors that can help you live a better life:

The site suggests:

1. Swapping food and drink with added sugar for options that are lower in sugar or sugar-free. We're calling this ‘sugar swaps’.
2. Making sure kids eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. We're using the name that parents are already familiar with: 5 A DAY.
3. 2.3 Making time for regular meals to help avoid unhealthy eating habits. We're calling this ‘meal time’.
4. Setting a limit on the number of snacks and treats kids have each day. We're calling this ‘snack check’.
5. Making sure kids eat the right sized portions for their age and size. We're calling this ‘me size meals’.
6. Taking simple steps to eat less fat by comparing food labels, swapping certain foods for others and changing the way food is cooked and prepared. We're calling this ‘cut back fat’.
7. Making sure kids do at least 60 minutes of physical activity - like playing outside, walking or swimming - every day. We're calling this ‘60 active minutes’.
8. Limiting ‘sitting down’ activities, like watching TV or playing computer games, and encouraging kids to do something more active. We're calling this ‘up and about’.

These all behavior changes are sure ways to bring change in our lifestyle and

The site provides all the stuff for free and registration is also free for all so let's make our life more meaningful and healthier by bringing change in our lives.

Healthy Snack Ideas for Your Family

As the health of family is related to our food habits, we can easily make changes in our eating habits for a healthier body and mind. May be we eat a balanced and nutritious food but 'small snacks' in between big meals can make a big difference if our choice is not healthy.

Plan and have ready-to-eat foods that fit into a healthy eating plan. This means plan snacks that help get the recommended daily amounts from each of the main food groups:
- Grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Milk
- Meat and Beans Group

Snack ideas from the Fruit Group:

Most people need to eat more fruit, especially whole fruit or cut-up fruit. MyPyramid recommends whole fruit instead of fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. Whole or cut up fruit provides fiber in addition to the vitamins and minerals found in fruit juice.

Try these ideas:

* Fresh fruit available in the crisper in the refrigerator
- Grapes, kiwi, plums, peaches, pears, strawberries, or tangerines

* Fresh fruit available in a bowl on the table or counter
- Apples, bananas, nectarines, oranges, pears

* Fresh fruit already cut-up and available in the refrigerator
- Cantaloupe, mangos, or pineapple
- Always keep cut fruit in the refrigerator

* Single servings of fruit created at home and refrigerated in individual containers.
- This could be a mixture of fresh, dried, canned and/or frozen fruit.

* Single servings of fruit purchased in cans, cartons, or plastic containers.
- Applesauce, apple chunks, peaches, raisins, pineapple or mixed fruit

* Single servings of dried fruit, divided at home, or purchased in individual packages: Apples, apricots, peaches, raisins, or plums.

* Chilled fruit salad as a special treat. Have it waiting in the refrigerator!
Remember: always keep cut fruit refrigerated.

These are just a few of the many ideas that you can consider. Think about your budget, schedule and nutritional needs of your children to plan a snack idea. Remember, ideas for health wise snacks also include food choices that help get the daily-recommended amounts from the other major food groups as well. The main idea is to have available those foods that help your children to get the best nutrition.

By: Glenda Warren, Associate Professor, Foods and Nutrition/EFNEP

Source link: University of Florida/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.