Yikes! There's a worm in my salad!

Manila has been beset by monsoon rains lately.  It is the season of respiratory ailments and many other ailments, too.  I attended a ladies’ lunch reunion recently and everyone around me had some kind of  respiratory illness — runny nose, cough, asthma, bronchitis, and one friend was recovering from an intestinal disorder.   I wanted to dash out for fear of getting infected, but I did not want to seem stand-offish so I stayed on and enjoyed the company.   Most of the conversation revolved around their respiratory illnesses and the medications they were taking.  Someone talked about going for some stem cell treatment to boost her immune system.

We can only blame the rainy season for bringing on these illnesses. 

I have this bad habit of dashing out of my car without an umbrella when it is drizzling.  Getting slightly wet can really compromise one’s immune system and start the onset of a respiratory ailment especially if you are perspiring.  I am a victim of this bad habit.  It is also during this season that the air is very humid, causing difficulty in breathing. A high humidity level can bring about fungal growth, respiratory allergies like rhinitis, asthma, and bronchitis.  Due to the changes in weather, people are more prone to catching all kinds of viruses.  Extra dosage of vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and zinc are good antidotes to the common cold and respiratory ailments.

Intestinal disorders like diarrhea and amoebiasis are also common during this season.   This could be caused by sewage overflow that gets mixed with drinking water.  Typhoid, dengue, and jaundice are also common during these rainy months. Dirty water is the breeding ground of disease-bearing mosquitos.

During this season, we have to be more vigilant about our drinking water and the food that we eat.  Your drinking water should be boiled or filtered, if possible, laboratory-tested to make sure it is free of E-coli and fecal matter. 

Your fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed.  Put a dash of vege-wash (bought in the supermarket) in water or soak fruits and veggies in water and vinegar for 10 minutes to kill the bacteria.  White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser effective for killing molds, bacteria, and germs due to its level of acidity.  It is a smart alternative to using harsh chemicals, and it is environment-friendly and economical.  One can also put a few drops of potassium permanganate  which was discovered by London chemist Henry Collman Condy in the 18th century as a good disinfectant.  Potassium permanganate has oxidizing properties and as an oxidant, it can act as an antiseptic.  Historically, it was used to disinfect drinking water and is now used extensively in the water treatment industry.   Potassium permanganate can be bought in drug stores. 

My lady friend’s helpers have to wash their hands with water and alcohol and use sanitized plastic gloves before she allows them to handle her food.  A victim of amoebiasis, one can hardly blame her for taking extra precautions.

Here are some safe diet tips during the rainy season:

Food safety: After a bout with amoebiasis, (usually due to ingested fecal matter in food), a friend insists that her cook uses gloves when handling food.

• Avoid eating raw food, like tartare steak, raw fish, green salads, fruit salads in restaurants, especially if they’re served buffet style. You never know how long that food has been sitting there and exposed to all kinds of germs and bacteria.  In public eating places, always eat only cooked food, well heated before serving.

• Avoid eating food that are exposed in open-air markets and street carts. 

• Be vigilant in washing your fruits and vegetables. Leafy vegetables (for salads especially), broccoli, cauliflower, and watercress could contain larvae and worms, fecal matter, and possibly mud and dirt. 

• Meat, if not handled and stored properly (delayed flights and cargo due to rains), could contain harmful toxins that can cause stomach flu/food poisoning.   

On a personal note, very recently a close friend invited me for a steak dinner at her residence.  Luckily, she served other dishes as the rib eye steak that she bought that same morning in one of the reputable supermarkets was not fit for human consumption.  She bought it frozen, but after it has thawed, it emitted a foul smell which only meant that it was already bacteria-filled.

• Eat only freshly cooked food, even in your own house. If taken from the refrigerator, make sure it is heated before serving.