Who hasn’t dropped some food on the floor and still wanted to eat it? If someone saw you drop it, he or she might have yelled, “5-second rule! Or you may have said it to yourself” The 5-second “rule” says food is OK to eat if you pick it up in 5 seconds or less.
Believe it or not, scientists have tested the rule and…it’s not necessarily true. Bacteria can attach itself to your food even if you pick it up within 5 seconds. But will your dropped food contain enough bacteria to make you sick? It’s possible — and that’s why you shouldn’t eat food that has hit the floor.
Just because the floor looks clean doesn’t mean it is. A floor that looks dirty is usually worse, but even dry floors that look clean can contain bacteria because some germs can survive on the floor for a long time. And unless you have a powerful microscope, you can’t check to see how many germs are there. So chances are, some bacteria are probably living on your kitchen floor and the cafeteria floor at school.
Faster is better. A piece of food will pick up more bacteria the longer it spends on the floor. So food left there for 5 seconds or less will probably collect fewer bacteria than food sitting there for a longer time. But fast may not be fast enough. Bacteria can attach to your food as soon as it hits the floor. So even if food is left on the floor for just a quick second it can get contaminated if conditions are right. And foods with wet surfaces, like an apple slice, can pick up bacteria even more easily.
When in doubt, throw it out. You can’t see the bacteria and, even if you could, it doesn’t take much to make you sick. So what about that delicious looking bite of whatever that just hit the deck? The safest choice is to throw it out. Or give it to your brother. Just kidding…
In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, celebrate this special day the organic way.
The essence and true purpose of Earth Day is our annual reminder to give back to the planet. This Earth Day, the Organic Trade Association encourages us all to take a look at what we are consuming and the ways in which in impacts the earth.
Choosing organic foods and other products made from organic farms is not only beneficial for your health but for the planet as well. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic refers to the way “agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm.”
If you want to learn more about what defines organic food and how they are different, click here.
Aspirin Therapy in Diabetes
Posted by: Disease Management & Health Promotion Team in: ● April 12, 2012
People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. An aspirin a day reduces the clotting action of your blood, which helps prevent heart attack and stroke. By reducing the clotting action of your blood, you can also increase your risk of bleeding in the stomach and brain.
So, the question becomes, should people with diabetes take an aspirin a day? The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association recently revised their guidelines on this topic. Their most current recommendation is: women over 60 and men of 50 who have diabetes and one at least one other risk factor for heart disease (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and a family history of heart disease) should be on daily aspirin therapy.
Although you can purchase aspirin over the counter, you still need to consult your physician before starting a daily aspirin regimen.
We all know that quitting smoking is not easy, but you can do it! In order to have the best chance of quitting, it’s important to fully prepare yourself and know the challenges that lie ahead. To increase your chances of success, you need to be motivated, supported, and have a personal plan that is specific to your needs.
Health concerns are usually the top reasons people decide to quit smoking. Smoking not only harms nearly ever organ of the body but also significantly increases your chances of dying from a smoking related illness.
According to the US Surgeon General, “Smoking cessation represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives.” With the right plan, you can learn how to replace your smoking habits and manage your cravings.
To learn more about kicking the habit for good and tips to make it easier, click here.
Untangling the Fast Food Nutrition Information
Posted by: Disease Management & Health Promotion Team in: ● April 5, 2012
Looking at a fast food nutrition chart online or on the back of your tray liner in the restaurant is confusing. You want to know how many teaspoons of sugar are in your soft drink choice or maybe you are choosing between the single hamburger and the double cheese burger with bacon—what do the numbers mean?
Hmmmm….let’s see. The nutrition information says that there are 40 grams of sugar in a small cola, but 45 grams of sugar in a medium sweet tea. Because we don’t usually measure in grams, 40 grams does not paint a picture of how many teaspoons of sugar are actually in that small cola. Divide the number of sugar grams by 4 and you will know how many teaspoons of sugar are in your beverage choice. So, in other words, the cola will have 10 teaspoons of sugar and the sweet tea will have 11 teaspoons of sugar. Are you feeling reckless today?
Choose that 16 ounce chocolate shake for 98 grams of sugar and you measure out about 25 teaspoons of sugar! Take a close look at some of the specialty coffees and you will sometimes see more teaspoons of sugar per ounce than in soft drinks and shakes.
Well, untangling the information on the hidden fat is another confusing story. Choose a double cheeseburger with bacon and the nutrition information says there are 31 hidden fat grams in your sandwich. Imagine scooping out butter from a butter tub. How much would 31 grams be? To get a “picture” of how much butter you would be scooping out, divide the number of fat grams by 9. That double cheese burger with bacon will have about 3 ½ tablespoons of hidden fat. Order it without the bacon, and the fat gram information drops to 24 grams or a bit less than 2 tablespoons of hidden fat. Decide on a regular burger and many times the fat drops to about 1 tablespoon. Put a fruit cup and milk with this sandwich and you have a meal that isn’t a nutrition disaster.
Untangle the nutrition information and you can make smart choices for fast eating!
First Five Things To Do If Diagnosed With Diabetes
Posted by: Disease Management & Health Promotion Team in: ● March 30, 2012
Newly diagnosed with diabetes? Have you thought “what should I be eating?” Have you completely quit eating carbohydrates because “they are bad”? Or switched to all “sugar-free” foods or just omitted the “bad carbohydrates” like “potatoes, bread, and pasta”? Here are five things to do if recently diagnosed with diabetes.
First, do not skip meals. Eating every 5-6 hours is most beneficial to maintaining blood sugar levels. Do not be afraid of food but learn how to fuel your body in a healthy way. Try to have 3 meals a day or 4-5 smaller meals and snacks. Determine what is best with your schedule and lifestyle.
Drink lots of water or beverages with little to no sugar. Fluids are the best way to bring a high blood sugar down. Beverages with high amounts of sugar cause blood sugars to rise. Try to avoid regular soda, sweet tea, juice, and other sugary beverages. If needed, switch to sugar substitutes such as unsweetened tea with Splenda.
Become aware of carbohydrates. Try not to view these as “the bad guys.” Carbohydrates provide energy for the brain and body to function and we all need them every day to survive. They are found in foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes, milk, fruit, and starchy vegetables including beans, peas, and corn. Desserts and sweets are also carbohydrates. Choose healthier carbohydrates including whole grain breads/rice/pasta over white breads/rice/pasta, fruit, low fat milk, and vegetables. Choose desserts/sweets less often. Sugar-free foods can be a better choice but know that they do still contain carbohydrates and high amounts of sugar free foods may cause diarrhea.
Focus on portion control. Once you become aware of what foods play a role in blood sugar levels, focus on consistent carbohydrates at meals. On average, choose 3-4 servings of carbohydrate at every meal. Examples of servings include: 1 slice bread, 1/3 cup pasta, ½ cup starchy vegetable, 1 cup milk, small piece of fruit, etc. For an example, one cup of pasta would be equal to 3 servings. Focus on protein and non-starchy vegetables to complete the meal. An example with the pasta may include meat sauce and a salad.
Exercise! Exercising is not only good for the heart and lungs but also for high blood sugars. Exercise has a 24-hour effect on the body and this helps to decrease blood sugars. Start with walking 10 minutes several days a week and work up to at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes at a time.
And remember, not everyone who is diagnosed with diabetes follows the same meal plan or lifestyle. A Registered Dietitian can help individualize everything based on medications and lifestyle. Contact one today or set up an appointment with me, Jennifer Rawlings, MS, RD, LDN at 704-984-4722 and take charge of your new life with diabetes!
In Passport to Fitness, our missions is to promote a healthy lifestyle and give the students the knowledge that will lead to better choices throughout their lives.
One point we try to emphasize is that healthy is a lifestyle, not a sacrifice or a burden. We promote that learning to live in today’s world and make good decisions on a daily basis is the best way to build this as a healthy habit that can work and continue throughout your life. We do address the issue of fast food, and most fourth graders tell me that fast food can not or should not fit into this “healthy lifestyle”, but it can. We teach that there is such as a thing as “good fast food” it just may take some investigating and change to make that happen.
In todays world where families are extremely busy in the afternoons with parents in a chauffer role, fast food becomes a lifesaver. These are the times when you need to make the good choices count. Fast food restaurants do get an A for effort in trying to provide new and healthier options on their menus, it just has to be up to you to take advantage. McDonalds has come out with a “New Happy Meal” that can include a fat free chocolate milk, a kids fry, apple slices, and 4 nuggets. Even adding ketchup and a dipping sauce into the meal will still allow a child to stay within a good fat and calorie range for a “fast food” meal. This meal can contain from 500-600 calories and offer about 30g of fat.
Now thinking about this meal and what your child normally orders on those hectic nights, should hopefully cause you to become a food detective to find out really what they are choosing to eat. All websites now have handy tools that allow you to view the nutritional components of all of the options available.
All children are different and at a stage where growth is occurring quickly! So there is really no specific calorie requirement that can be generalized for everyone. However the focus should be on eating balanced meals and getting plenty of exercise.
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Upcoming Events
- Wellness Exercises for Relaxation and Stress Reduction June 12, 2012
- Healthy Directions / Diabetes Prevention 3rd Session June 11, 2012
- Nutrition Support Group June 7, 2012
- Breast Cancer Support Group June 5, 2012
- BLS: Healthcare Professionals Only June 5, 2012