How to Prevent and Treat Summer Food Poisoning

True or False, does foodborne illness peaks in the summer? Yes, it is a known fact that foodborne illness is otherwise known as food poisoning, increases in the summer and the reason is bacteria multiply faster in warmer temperatures (foodborne bacteria grow most quickly at temperatures between 90 to 110 °F), and preparing food outdoors makes safe food handling more difficult.

How can you prevent food poisoning?

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
• When eating outdoors or away from home:
  • Find out if there's a source of safe drinking water. If not, bring water for preparing and cleaning food or get ahead of the game and pack food that has already been clean.
  • Pack wet, disposable washcloths, moist towelettes, and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
  • When packing wrap raw meats, poultry, and fish securely and separately to keep their juices from contaminating other food.
• Never store cooked food on the same plate that was used previously to hold raw food unless the plate has first been washed in hot, soapy water.
• Always cooked meats until it has been cooked long enough and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Use a food thermometer to ensure the safety of meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products.
  • Poultry (whole, pieces & ground): 165 °F /74 °C
  • Ground meats: 160 °F /71 °C
  • Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts & chops): 145 °F /63 °C
• Cook meat and poultry completely at the location where you are going to eat. Partial cooking of food in advanced allows bacteria to survive and multiply to the point that cooking at a later time will not destroy them.
• In general, food left out of refrigeration for more than two hours may not be safe to eat. On days when temperature is above 90 °F (32 °C), food should not be left out for more than one hour.

Signs of food poisoning are:

• Diarrhea (the most common symptom).
• Stomach cramps
• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Vomiting
• General fatigue or exhaustion

​What can you do to ease food poisoning recovery?

• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Herbal teas are an excellent way to stay hydrated while at the same time, keep help relieve some of the food poisoning symptoms. For example, ginger, chamomile, and peppermint soothes an upset stomach, reduces inflammation, have anti-nausea effects, and are anti-inflammatory.  To help keep electrolyte balance you can drink coconut water or add a pinch of sea salt to your drink 
• Let your stomach settle and stop eating for a few hours.
• Gradually begin to eat bland, low-fat, easy-to-digest foods, such as whole grain crackers, toast, bananas, and brown rice. Stop eating if your nausea returns.
• Avoid dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods until you're feeling better.
• Rest. The illness and dehydration can weaken and tire you. Meditation and deep breathing exercise can help you relax, reduce muscle cramping, and nausea.
• Diffuse essential oils like peppermint oil reduce nausea and lemon and lime to freshen the air.

Preventing foodborne illness is easy, take the necessary precautions and you will be fine this summer. Remember, I'm always here to help, if you have any questions email me at Toni@moongazingapothecary.com

Happy Summer!
Toni

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