Blog

Mastering Food Safety: A Comprehensive Guide from Shopping to Dining Out Handling food safely

by my5212

handling-food-safely-my-helth-tips

In our fast-paced world, ensuring the safety of the food we consume is paramount. From the moment we purchase ingredients to the time we indulge in a meal at a restaurant, every step requires careful attention to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the best practices for handling food safely, covering everything from shopping wisely to enjoying a picnic without worries.

Shopping Wisely

When you embark on your grocery shopping journey, keep these tips in mind to select the freshest and safest items:

  • Inspect Cans and Jars: Avoid purchasing items with dented or bulging lids, as these could indicate spoilage or contamination.
  • Refrigerate Perishables Promptly: Ensure perishable items like dairy, meat, and seafood are refrigerated as soon as possible after purchase to maintain their freshness.
  • Protect Produce: Place fresh fruits and vegetables in bags to prevent contact with germs or drippings from other foods while in the shopping cart.

Preparing Food Safely

Proper food preparation is essential for preventing cross-contamination and ensuring the safety of your meals:

  • Hand Hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling food to remove bacteria and other contaminants.
  • Clean Produce: Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly before and after peeling to remove dirt, pesticides, and bacteria.
  • Sanitize Utensils: Wash knives and cutting surfaces with hot, soapy water after handling raw meat to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.

Cooking with Care

Cooking food to the right temperature kills harmful bacteria and ensures that meals are safe to consume:

  • Use a Meat Thermometer: Cook ground meat, hamburger, or roast beef to an internal temperature of at least 160°F to eliminate bacteria.
  • Avoid Undercooked Eggs: Cook eggs thoroughly to prevent the risk of salmonella poisoning, especially avoiding runny yolks.

Storing Food Properly

Proper storage helps maintain the freshness of food and prevents bacterial growth:

  • Check Expiration Dates: Always check expiration dates to ensure the items are safe to consume.
  • Follow Storage Guidelines: Use or freeze fresh meats, poultry, fish, and leftovers within recommended time frames to prevent spoilage and foodborne illnesses.

Dining Out Safely

Even when dining out, you can take steps to ensure the safety of your meals:

  • Order Safely: Request red meat to be cooked to medium or well-done, and ensure seafood is thoroughly cooked before consumption.

Safe Picnicking Practices

Picnics are a delightful way to enjoy the outdoors, but they require special attention to food safety:

  • Use Insulated Coolers: Keep perishable items cold by placing them in an insulated cooler with ice packs.
  • Pack Food Properly: Wrap foods separately in plastic to prevent cross-contamination, and avoid placing them directly on ice.
  • Keep Coolers in the Shade: Position your cooler in the shade to maintain a consistent temperature and prevent food from spoiling.
  • Adhere to the 2-Hour Rule: Discard perishable foods that have been left unrefrigerated for more than two hours (one hour in temperatures above 85°F).

By following these guidelines for safe food handling, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from foodborne illnesses and enjoy your meals with peace of mind. Whether you’re cooking at home, dining out, or enjoying a picnic in the great outdoors, prioritizing food safety is essential for maintaining good health.

What foods to avoid when taking warfarin?

by my5212

What foods to avoid when taking warfarin# Foods to avoid when taking Warfarin:

Vitamin K plays a significant role in blood flow. You want a vitamin K in your diet each and every day for good health. You do not need to prevent vitamin K rich foods.

In reality, vitamin K rich foods are typically very nutritious. Should you consume vitamin K rich foods, it’s very important to eat about precisely the exact same amount every day.

The vitamin K foods at the graph below each supply about precisely the exact same quantity of vitamin K when consumed in the quantities recorded. For instance, 1 cup of coleslaw will probably be roughly the same as eating 6 sprigs of parsley. Have exactly the identical amount of meals from this list every day.

Should you prefer to get a green salad, along with a cooked green tea at dinner, then remain with this routine each day. If you don’t ordinarily consume those foods, don’t eat a great deal of those.

  • Asparagus, cooked- ½ cup (4 spears)
  • Broccoli, cooked- ½ cup
  • Brussel sprouts, cooked -½ cup (6 sprouts)
  • Butterhead lettuce -1 cup
  • Coleslaw -1 cup
  • Endive, raw -1 cup
  • Green leaf lettuce -1 cup
  • Parsley -6 sprigs
  • Romaine lettuce- 1 cup
  • Sauerkraut -1 cup
  • Spinach egg noodles, cooked -1 cup
  • Spinach, raw -1 cup
  • Spring or scallion onions, raw – ½ cup

Cooked beet greens, collards, turnip greens, spinach and kale are extremely high in vitamin K and also have significantly more vitamin K compared to the other foods on the aforementioned list. If you enjoy these vegetables and wish to consume them frequently, talk to a registered dietitian or other health care professional. Natto (a fermented soybean product) is really high in vitamin K it is suggested that you prevent it completely.

# Vitamin K Warfarin Tips :

When you start taking warfarin, consistently eat your usual amount of high vitamin K foods while your doctor finds the right warfarin dose for you. Tell your doctor if you change your vitamin K food pattern so your INR (blood clotting tests) can be checked more often.

The amount of vitamin K in your diet could change if:

  • You eat more vegetables (for example, you go on a diet to lose weight or you eat more vegetables in the spring and summer.)
  • You get the flu and cannot eat solid foods for a few days.
  • You have been in the hospital on a limited diet (due to surgery or illness) and return home to your normal diet.
  • You travel to a place where the foods are different.

# Other foods or drinks to watch for:

  • Grapefruit, Seville or tangelo oranges and grapefruit juice.
  • Although these fruits and their juices are not high in vitamin K, they can affect how warfarin works in other ways. Avoid them unless your doctor or pharmacist says they are safe for you.
  • Mango, avocado, ginger, garlic, green tea and chamomile tea.
  • Although these foods and teas are not high in vitamin K, there have been a few reports that mango, avocado, ginger, garlic, green tea and chamomile tea have changed how warfarin works. These foods and teas have not been shown to have this effect on everyone. Moderate use should not be a problem. Tell your doctor if you eat or drink large amounts of any of these.

# Cranberry juice and cranberry supplements:

  • In the past, it was thought that cranberry juice changed the way warfarin works, but more recent research has not found this. If you often drink large amounts of cranberry juice (more than 600ml (20 oz) each day) or take cranberry supplements, you should talk with your doctor, who may want to check your INR levels more often. An occasional small glass of cranberry juice should not be a problem.

# Alcohol

  • l As a general rule, moderate alcohol intake is safe for people taking warfarin. But the amount you can safely drink depends on your body size and medical conditions. Check with your doctor for guidelines that are right for you.
  • l Moderate alcohol intake is a maximum of 2 drinks per day, with a limit of 14 or fewer drinks per week for men and 9 or fewer drinks per week for women. One standard drink is one 360 mL (12 oz) bottle of beer, one 150 mL (5 oz) glass of wine, or one 50 mL (1.5 oz) serving of spirits, or one 85 mL(3 oz) serving of sherry or port.

# Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

  • l Vitamin E may change how warfarin works. The amount in a multivitamin supplement or in foods is not a problem, but if you wish to take larger amounts of vitamin E, discuss this with your doctor first.
  • l Some calcium supplements contain vitamin K. If you take these, it’s important to take the same number each day. If you are unsure about whether or not you should be taking these supplements, talk with a registered dietitian, pharmacist or doctor.
  • l If you take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, it’s a good idea to take this consistently, every day.

# Natural Health Products

  • Be very cautious with ALL natural health products while taking warfarin. They may have effects on warfarin action that have not yet been reported.
    Tell your doctor about any natural health products such as nutritional supplements (including ginseng, garlic pills, ginger pills, flax seed oil and fish oils) and herbal medicines (including herbal teas) you take. If you are already taking any of these regularly and are stabilized on warfarin, do not stop taking them without letting your doctor know.