The Hindu Business Line : Food's paradise

If you get food poisoning once too often, it's time to look at what you eat, as well as how much you eat. Food teeming with toxic bacteria turns your stomach. So does overeating — even if the food is clean.

Food poisoning takes many guises — painful cramps in the gut, sick sweat, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea.

The first step? Visit your doctor — especially if you are hypertensive or have other medical conditions. The doctor is best equipped to deal simultaneously on both fronts. Then, take the day off from work and workouts. Your body needs its energy to recuperate. At home, take these steps:

* Let fluids flow

Your heckled intestines have probably made you throw up from both ends. To replenish fluid-loss, drink light, clear liquids like water, coconut water, or apple juice. Forget fizzy drinks. The fizz can irritate your intestines all over again. Interestingly, flat colas help settle the stomach too.

* Don't gulp, just sip

Remember, the tummy is sensitive. A downpour of liquid can make it heave all over again. Sip-pause-sip gives your system time to soak it in and get re-hydrated.

* Keep electrolytes handy

If your body has flushed out fluids, it has also flushed out vital electrolytes — sodium, potassium and glucose. Dissolving the finely powdered `Electral' in water and sipping it replaces the lost electrolytes.

* Avoid antacids

This is why it's important to consult a doctor. You may not be able to distinguish between acidity and food poisoning. If you swallow antacids at this time, you weaken the stomach's resistance by killing its acids. Result? The invading bacteria can multiply and cause more discomfort.

* Avoid anti-diarrhoea pills too

Again, unless the doctor prescribes them, avoid self-medicating. More often than not, the body is ridding itself of the toxins and swallowing anti-diarrhoea tablets will only force it to harbour unfriendly bacteria.

* Eat stomach-friendly foods

Once your nausea and diarrhoea have stopped, think of `gentle' solids. Moong dal, rice, white gourd, bland cereals, light kheers (without ghee), or puddings (without eggs), will be welcomed by your tummy. Eat small quantities twice a day.

* Avoid heavy foods

Say no to high-fibre (sprouts, isabgul, okra, greens); spicy (chillies, pepper, cloves); acidic (oranges, lime, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, non-vegetarian fare); greasy and sugared foods. These generally induce gas, acids or irritate the intestines.

Most people tend to shrug off a food-poisoning attack as "something I ate" and promptly forget about it once they are feeling fine. It's dangerous to ignore it; you must take a long-term view and re-set your habits so that it never happens again.

Some tips:

Change your toothbrush: Your old toothbrush would have bacteria on its bristles. Buy a new one.

Brush your tongue too: The tongue has microscopic hairs that trap bacteria. So, every time you brush your teeth, brush your tongue as well.

Cultivate bland tastes: Don't get trapped in your self-image of "I love spicy food". Look at bland food kindly too. Broadening your taste helps you remain healthy where others less aware succumb constantly to food poisoning or indigestion. Moreover, convert your trips abroad into culinary adventures instead of missing the Great Indian Pickle right through the tour. Ultimately, interspersing bland with spicy foods could prevent the intestines from being over-stimulated.

Look at hygiene: Often, food poisoning occurs from carelessness on the home front.

Always wash your hands before cooking and eating. The staphylococcus bacteria normally breeds on the skin and gets into the food.

Include more hot food and, sometimes, chilled food. Bacteria cannot thrive at two extremes — above 150 degrees or below 40 degrees F. Overcooking the food and eating it piping hot ensures safer food.

Replace kitchen dusters daily.

Don't make your stomach a dustbin. Food that doesn't smell or look right must be discarded.

Never leave warm animal-protein-containing foods (meats, eggs, cream, milk, curd) for more than half an hour at room temperature. Bacteria breeds swiftly in them.

Eat to nourish and cleanse: Shift your belief system from `eat to taste' to `eat to nourish and cleanse'.

Replace toovar dal, which is heavier on a sensitive stomach, with moong and masoor dal.

Replace heavy desserts with lighter sweets. For example, one favourite sweet of ours is the Oat-Apple Pudding. In a bowl, mix one cup of oats, 3.5 cups low-fat milk, a few chopped dates, sugar to taste, peeled and chopped apple, cinnamon powder. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Whether you eat it hot or chilled, it's mind-blowingly delicious, low caloried and digestion-friendly (unless you are lactose intolerant).

Basically, pinpoint which food agrees with your stomach and include it in your shopping list. Avoid pre-dinner snacks, which many eat "while waiting for dinner to be prepared and served." It's better to eat dinner at 6 p.m., then snack at 6-7 p.m. and dine at 8!

Good health to all!

The writer is co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.

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