Dooley Noted: 12/23/2014
A few days ago, I decided to eat a few squares of pizza with my family.
They eat very little, but they eat the local food more consistently than I.
They ended up with mild bellyaches and nausea from the pizza.
I ended up with the most violent version of food poisoning I’ve ever experienced.
Two days later, I’m bouncing back to my normal self. But I was severely weakened by the bout.
Here are some tips to prevent and recover from a bout of food poisoning.
1. Carry garlic and ginger tablets. Crystallized ginger is not ideal, but it will work. Ginger is used in Chinese and Japanese medicines to prevent food poisoning. That’s why it’s served on the side of sushi.
If you didn’t cook the food yourself, consider consuming garlic and ginger with the meal.
2. Avoid anti-emetics and anti-diarrheal drugs. Your body wants to rid itself of the pathogen. Consider not interfering with the natural process. If vomiting and diarrhea persist past 24 hours, seek medical attention.
3. If you are running a mild fever, consider not breaking it artificially. You are running this fever for a reason: to kill a pathogen that thrives at your normal body temperature. If your fever persists at 102 degrees F or exceeds it, seek medical attention.
4. I know I work hard for my muscle. My great concern was weight loss during these past few days, and fat would likely be the last thing to go. If you’re losing weight, you lost fluid and muscle.
Sip on branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and electrolyte drinks, like Nuun tablets dropped into water. Avoid dehydration, the most dangerous effect of food poisoning.
5. To ease yourself back into eating food, eat bland foods that are easy to digest. Ginger ale and saltines work wonders. Also, congee (a Chinese rice soup) is very easy on digestion.
But they have sugar and gluten! Agh!
Really, it’s ok. It’s only for a day or so. And they really help. Then, you can return to your low sugar, low gluten lifestyle (if that’s your program).
6. You will survive not eating for a day. I promise. Hydration is much more important. Rest up, and gently sip on electrolyte-infused water. If Nuun tablets aren’t an option, sprinkle some sea salt in your drinking water. A pinch won’t be tasted, and it will help keep you hydrated.
7. For highly active people: you will have to ease back into activity slowly. Don’t jump back on your program until you had the chance to fully recuperate. Give it a few days. You won’t lose everything you built. But you might never fully recover from the bout of you don’t let the body heal.
8. Let yourself rid the pathogen during the bout. But soon after, you can temper the nausea and stomach upset by massaging these four acupoints: (See link below for locations.)
PC 6
ST 25
ST 36
SP 4
http://www.diyacu.com/apwiki/acupuncture-points-for-food-poisoning.html
Even better: get yourself to an acupuncturist for a personalized treatment.
9. Avoid this foods that may irritate the GI system for at least 3 days:
– coffee
– liquor
– spicy foods
– dairy
– meat
10. Home cooking tips:
– Avoid keeping cooked food at room temperature
– Cook all meat and seafood thoroughly (above 165F)
– Set your refrigerator for 40 degrees F or below.
– If an egg is cracked, throw it out!
– Wash hands thoroughly and often when handling food
– Always wash utensils thoroughly before and after dealing with raw food.
11. Supplements that can help with recovery:
– Charcoal tablets: removes substances from colon and blood. Use under supervision of health practitioner.
– Probiotics: helps replace intestinal flora (the “good” kind of bacteria)
– Garlic: this natural anti-microbial detoxifies intestines and destroys pathogenic bacteria in the lower digestive tract.
– Kelp: contains iodine and electrolytes to help restore you to post-sickness levels
– Milk thistle: this hepatoxyte protector helps with the liver and blood
Consider these tips for prevention and help through food poisoning.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley