Karen (425x640)With the winter season upon us, our attention tends to stray away from maintaining that perfectly beach-tanned physique and focus more on staying warm underneath those comfortably cozy sweaters, which may also serve as safeguard in hiding any additional weight that may have been put on from those especially hearty holiday meals. The underwhelming desire to eat and unyielding urge to regurgitate any and every speck of food in your system brought about by food poisoning may help you lose some of those extra pounds, but it’s definitely the unhealthy way to do it.

Food poisoning may be brought on from various bacteria, such as listeria, salmonella, campylobacter, vibrio, yersinia, or shigella. You may not know which type of virus has colonized in your system, but you will definitely feel the effects.  High fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and cramping are all methods of your body combatting these undesirable intruders.

A combination of antibiotics and staying hydrated will put you back in action to enjoy the holiday festivities.  However, if you experience a decrease in urination, bloody stool, dry mouth, dizziness, or begin suffering from diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than three days, it’s time to seek medical attention.

To prevent any type of infection, always wash your hands; this is the golden rule in hospitals, and it should be the golden rule in your kitchen, as well. Also, when cooking, make sure that raw meats never make contact with the rest of your food; this will cross-contaminate your food with bacteria.

A thermometer is your best friend. You can use a thermometer to check if you have a fever after you’ve gotten sick, and you can also use this tool to avoid getting sick.  With the use of a thermometer, you can confirm the internal temperature of whole meats is stable at 145 degrees Fahrenheit (the ideal temperature).  You can also make sure the refrigerator thermometer is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit; this ensures that germs will not grow on your food. Leaving food out for more than 2 hours may also allow bacteria to grow on your food, so as delicious as that holiday spread may be, get ready to refrigerate all of it promptly after, so that you can enjoy the properly reserved leftovers.

These tips will allow you and your guests to enjoy a healthy holiday meal.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/

The information provided is for general interest only and should not be misconstrued as a diagnosis, prognosis or treatment recommendation. This information does not in any way constitute the practice of medicine, or any other health care profession. Readers are directed to consult their health care provider regarding their specific health situation. Marque Medical is not liable for any action taken by a reader based upon this information.