If you're constantly catching a cold, feeling tired, or are wondering why you always feel lousy, you may have to switch up your diet. Take necessary precautions when consuming these products if you want to improve your overall health!
Fruit Salad
Fruit salads can be handled by multiple people and can be eaten in more than one sitting. This raises the likelihood of contamination and bacterial growth.
Unpasteurized Dairy Products
Pasteurization kills bacteria, but since raw milk and cheese products are not treated, they are at a higher risk of becoming contaminated.
Raw Tomatoes
Tomatoes are harvested into a water tank. They are then separated based on size and color, but if the water in the tank is contaminated, then your tomatoes will be too. However, as long as you wash, consume, and refrigerate your tomatoes shortly after cutting into them, you will keep the bacterial growth to a minimum.
Fresh Cilantro And Parsley
The complex growth structure and size of all the mini leaves make washing fresh cilantro and parsley difficult. Keep your fresh herbs as a part of your diet by trimming damaged leaves and stems, wash thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel, and store in a refrigerator that is colder than 40 degrees.
Ready-To-Eat Meat
Listeria bacteria can survive in your fridge despite the temperature. If you let your ready-to-eat meat sit in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks, there is a strong chance it will be contaminated by listeria.
Unpasteurized Eggs
Certain strains of Salmonella can infect the ovaries of chickens. This will transfer bacteria to the eggs, and if they are not pasteurized, the salmonella will be passed along to you.
Raw Nuts
Tree nuts fall to the ground where animals can contaminate the outer shell. Then, when cracking the shell, you can transfer the bacteria from the shell, then to your hands, and to the inner seed. To avoid possible salmonella poisoning, roasted nuts are heated to kill whatever may be contaminating them.
Unpasteurized Apple Juices
One batch of juice can contain around a thousand apples. If a couple of these apples have been contaminated, then the entire batch of juice is as well. Try to avoid unpasteurized cider drinks, since it is usually made from apples that fall to the ground.
Raw Lettuce
Lettuce is grown near the ground, which makes it easy for dirt to contaminate the leaves. Because of this, lettuce is highly likely to pick up bacteria on its way to the store. Unfortunately, there is still a risk of consuming bacteria even after rinsing.
Cantaloupe
Bacteria thrives on moist foods and fruits. Since you have to chop it and store it, there are many opportunities for bacteria to grow and spread. If you scrub the outside of the cantaloupe with fresh drinking water and a clean produce brush and store it no more than two hours after chopping, you will reduce the risk of bacterial growth.
Infused Oils
Infused oils can be contaminated with bacteria because of how you're storing them. The containers can carry botulinum, which can result in food poisoning. Refrigerate your infused oil and add vinegar to it to reduce the chance of contamination.
Leftover Soup, Stirfry, and Stew
Soup, stirfry, and stew are likely hosts for bacteria if you don't refrigerate in under two hours. To reduce the risk of consuming bacteria, reheat these meals at 165 degrees.
Leftover Rice
Leftover rice can be carrying Bacillus cereus, which is a type of bacteria that is picked up in rice fields. It can survive even after cooking, so it is important to eat fresh rice and to toss any leftovers that you've had longer than a day.
Hand Mixed Salads (Potato, Egg, And Tuna)
Staph, a bacteria that can come from food handling, lives in moist dishes that sit out at deli counters, barbecues or parties. To avoid consuming bacteria, eat these salads when they are freshly made and avoid any that are room temperature.
Anything Made-To-Order
The more hands handling your food creates a high risk of contamination. This applies to food chains like Chipotle and fancy restaurants that have many line cooks prepping the food.
Raw Sprouts
The seeds can be contaminated with E. coli, and how the sprouts are grown can also carry bacteria. If you're going to eat sprouts, make sure they are washed thoroughly and completely cooked.
Raw Fish
Raw fish, such as sushi or shellfish, are at a high risk for harboring bacteria. If the water they were living in was contaminated, they will carry that with them. Highly acidic condiments, like lemon juice, and salty products, like soy sauce will kill off some of the bacteria, but your best bet is to avoid raw fish altogether.
Excessive Protein
If you are consuming too much protein, especially protein that you receive from animals, you are weakening your immune system. By consuming too much protein, your body produces the IGF1 hormone, which speeds up the aging process and hampers your health.
Leftover Baked Potatoes
Baked potatoes are often wrapped in foil. Unless they're refrigerated within two hours of preparing, the cooling of the potato in the foil can lead to the growth of botulism. Hot temperatures will kill the bacteria, so if you want to reheat your leftover baked potatoes be sure to do so at 185 degrees.
Fatty Breakfast Meats
Bacon and sausage are not good for the immune system when consumed first thing in the morning. Your body focuses on trying to break down the fat instead of focusing on toxins.
Multi-Vitamins
Taking multi-vitamins will not hurt your immune system, but you may subconsciously think you have consumed enough vitamins for the day by doing so. It is important to keep track of your vitamin intake and not rely solely on the morning capsules.
Lemon Wedges
At restaurants, lemon wedges are cut and prepared by many people. Bacteria can be transferred from the hands to the lemon skin. If you add them in your water, you're drinking the bacteria that was transferred. Luckily, bacteria have a hard time living on lemons due to its acidity.
Red Meat
Consuming red meat can trigger an inflammation reaction in the body that weakens the immune system. Red meat contains a natural sugar that our bodies cannot digest, which can lead to illness later on.
Refined Grains
White flour, instant rice, and pasta contain very few nutrients and fiber. Switching from refined grains to 100% whole grain has been proven to boost your immune system.
Soda And Other Sugary Drinks
Phosphoric acid is found in soda and other sugary drinks, and it can deplete potassium and magnesium in the body and ultimately weaken the immune system.
Refined Sugars
Refined sugars target the body's cells that attack bacteria. These effects can last up to a few hours after consuming refined sugars, which leaves you susceptible to illness.
Fried Foods
Fried foods trigger inflammation in the body, which leads to a weakened immune system. They also contain acrylamide, which is a dangerous carcinogen.
Genetically Modified Foods
There have been recent studies that link genetically modified foods to tumors, organ damage, and early death.
Cookie Dough
Cookies are not the best option for a healthy diet, but consuming raw cookie dough is even worse for your immune system. The white flour in the dough impairs T and B cells in your body, which are crucial to fighting illnesses.