Have you ever had a case of food poisoning? Well, if no then you are one lucky being or you just have a great chef and if yes, don’t worry at least we have learnt what we shouldn’t eat again. A professor of food science and technology Alfred Ihenkuronye said that more than 200,000 persons die of food poison in Nigeria annually.
I woke recently feeling feverish, weak with a lot of aches on my body, my tummy was hurting seriously and kept I kept stooling continuously and I felt like vomiting due to mosquito bites I had gotten from the previous day.
I thought it was malaria and pleaded with my mum to give me malaria tablets but she refused to give me any medication until I had done a check-up with the doctor and after going to the hospital and meeting with the doctor she told me it was food poisoning due to eating something which wasn’t well cooked (goat meat) or something that didn’t agree with my tummy. I found out painfully that I have a sensitive/ weak stomach which doesn’t agree with every food I am want or like to eat.
I also realized that the grill used for the goat meat though washed, was getting old and a bit rusted therefore adding to the poisoning of the food. Well, some things do happen for a reason, though it takes the hard route sometimes but at least now I know the types of food to eat and the ones to stay clear of and most importantly how crucial it is to have items to be used for my meals well sanitised.
I have also realized that I have to stay off really spicy food, do a lot of walking instead of sitting, eat well cooked food early and take a lot of vegetables. I have also learnt that moderate eating 3 times a day is advisable (I pray I can follow through). Most foods like meat, poultry egg, shellfish, cheese and so many others will be infectious if eaten raw, improperly cooked or if hands and surfaces are not cleaned after contact.
The good thing though for me in this scenario is that besides being aware that I could be contaminated with food poisoning, the drugs prescribed were not as much or as bitter as those used for malaria, especially since I hate taking drugs. In cases of food poisoning, you can take take decaffeinated teas with soothing herbs like chamomile, peppermint, and dandelion to calm your upset stomach down and don’t for once think you are too young to be drinking those unless you want to shorten your lifespan. One last thing please, do stay away from everything that looks enticing from the eye but the environment isn’t that good, the eyes can be deceiving.
RUTH UDEMBA
