Food Poisoning and Your Health

Long Term Effects of Food Poisoning

Picture:Separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables is a safe food practice.

One of the greatest benefits from an Alkaline Lifestyle is the optimizing and balancing of all areas of your body. No where is that more critical then in your intestinal flora or as it is also called, your gut bacteria.

When you eat food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria the body has a complex and complete mechanism to keep the bacteria from altering your health state. The variety of the intestinal flora that your body manifests when you eat a basic raw food diet is better at dealing with harmful bacteria then the gut bacteria that results from eating a S.A.D. diet of dead foods.

A growing awareness of gut bacteria is sweeping America as media advertisements present brands of Acidophilus cultures to eat. The consummation of such cultures will help the average eater of the Standard American Diet (SAD), but they are not the long term answer for proper intestinal flora health and variety.

I believe that science will prove that all genes are the expression of DNA, and that the genes adapt to the existing environment.

It is known that the Gut bacterium of people varies according to the foods that they eat and the environment they live in. Some one eating and living in a tropical environment will have different variety of gut bacteria then a person living in far north latitudes. Anyone who has lived in one area and visits another can attest to having some intestinal discomfort after eating local foods. Yet some people, eating the identical foods that distress others, will have no or little distress.

Why is that?

The answer lies in the variety and type of gut bacteria based on that person eating a properly nutriented food supply and their overall health.

Food poisoning in the U.S.A. causes 325,000 people to be hospitalized and kills approximately 5,000 persons a year.

Most of the illnesses are from contaminated meats and prepared foods.

Raw foods are also a source of illnesses and in raw food cases it almost always is the result of improper food preparation and or the food preparers’ health and hygiene.

If you have ever wondered why most foods we have consumed have been cooked, it was mainly for the issue of food safety, and not taste. As anyone who has converted to a raw food diet can generally attest, raw food tastes fuller and richer than cooked foods. If cooked foods seem to taste better it is only due to the use of salt and spices, the salt being required in many cases to give the cooked food any taste at all. Dead food burdens the digestive system of those who eat it and the digestive system is not ready to handle any type of live bacteria, good or bad. Any one who has converted from the SAD diet to live foods has experienced the flatulence that is both discomforting and some times embarrassing. Yet after a while, with the continued eating of just raw foods, the flatulence diminishes to a very low level.

This is proof that the gut flora will adapt to what ever food you give it to digest.

The question for everyone is what is the best food to eat for health, fitness and longevity? My belief based on all my research is live foods or also called raw foods.

Live foods promote gut bacteria that is vigorous and adapted to challenge the various types of live harmful bacteria.

If you ever have a case of food poisoning take it very seriously. There is research that shows that, for most Americans food poisoning has life long health affects.

For more information I recommend the following resources:

S.T.O.P. - Safe Tables Our Priority

3149 Dundee Rd. #276

Northbrook, IL 60062

(800) 350-7867 Helpline

Phone and Fax Numbers

Phone: (847) 831-3032

Fax: (847) 831-3032

Email: victimassistance@safetables.org

http://www.safetables.org/

S.T.O.P. strives to assist victims through the long-term ramifications that result from serious foodborne illnesses and provides a network of trained volunteers. Many volunteers have had personal experience with foodborne illness. They can help guide you through this stressful period. Please contact:

Jessica, Program Coordinator or Donna, Executive Director

Helpline: 1-800-350-STOP (7867)

Email: victimassistance@safetables.org

The Center for Disease Control

Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases (DFBMD)

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm