The Run-In with Seafood Poisoning

Recently, there have been a number of seafood poisoning cases that were circulating to the general public. Unfortunately, the seafood delicacy dilemma is on the rise.

Seafood poisoning is an ordeal that no one wants to deal with, but for many individuals, it is a subject matter that can be discussed from a personal standpoint. I had my run-in with eating contaminated fish.

About three weeks ago, after I indulged in the delicious fish dinner along with two other individuals, a stomach "glitch" occurred. A couple of hours after eating the fish, I thought that drinking water and juice would cure the stomach. How wrong was I? Very wrong! Instead of feeling better, it was the opposite. I began to vomit--at least three times; a headache came along a short time later, and there was the best part of the drama, the "diarrhea chronicles." These episodes lasted for at least five hours. The other two people that ate the same type of fish dinner as myself suffered the same fate. I had just realized that the fish that was consumed was contaminated. The fish was very well-cooked.

This was the case of the Ciguatera poisoning, which is the type of poisoning that consists of certain algae and algae-like organisms, or dinoflagellate. The fish that are consumed by people become poisoned as the they eat the contaminated algae. The poison is called ciguatoxin, which is also "heat-stable," meaning regardless on how well the fish is cooked, the fish is still contaminated and poisonous. This is one of the most common forms of seafood poisoning. There are also the scombroid poisoning and shellfish poisoning.

In the case of scombroid poisoning, the normal bacteria that are present on the seafood build up a very substantial amount of histamine substances. This is the result of it dying and they are not refrigerated or frozen soon after. Mackerel and the albacore are examples of fish that can contain scombroid poisoning.

With shellfish poisoning, the algae-like organisms are built-up in certain types of seafood. It mainly appear in seafood, as in clams and oysters. If anyone want to know about the symptoms of seafood poisoning, here are some of the symptoms to observe:

-Ciguatera: This can happen within two to twelve hours after the consumption of fish. Symptoms may include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. For the most part, he/she may experience a headache.

-Scombroid: Scombroid poisoning usually occur immediately after the seafood consumption. The symptoms are extremely red skin on face and the rest of the body. Nausea, vomiting, hives, itching, and flushing can also be an issue with this poisoning.

-Shellfish: There are several types of shellfish poisoning: paralytic, neurotoxic, and amnestic.

-Paralytic: With paralytic poisoning, numbness can occur half an hour after eating contaminated seafood. Individuals can also become temporarily paralyzed in the upper and lower extremities. Diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea can also be the end result.

-Neurotoxic: Symptoms are very similar to ciguatera poisoning with the vomiting, nausea, and diarrhetic experiences. It may include numbness in the mouth and the headache, just to name a few.

-Amnestic: This form of shellfish poisoning is very uncommon. Like the other forms of seafood poisoning, it begins with vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Other symptoms include some short-term memory loss and less frequent neurologic symptoms.

A large number of people throughout the world partake in eating some type of seafood, whether it is catfish, mackerel, or even shrimp. Before anyone attempt to eat any type of seafood, he/she should be educated about the different types of seafood poisoning. After having knowledge on these potential poisons that can appear in seafood, the consumers can be aware of the possibilities after eating fish or other seafood.

Source:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002851.htm

From the Popcorn Critic's Perspective

We go in destination places such as the carnival or in movie theaters and smell that very buttery flavor traveling to our nostrils. What do most of us do when that scent reaches our noses? Get hungry and invest in that wonderful and tasty, fluffy corn that we know as simply popcorn.

At each minute that popcorn is eaten, one cannot help to wonder how can a simple little piece of corn could turn into these big and fluffy edible little superstars. The process is easier that what it appears.

Everyone knows that popcorn comes from corn, obviously. What really makes corn turn into this stuff? Well, the corn makes its expansion from the kernel and becomes inflated when it becomes hot. But unlike other types of grains, popcorn kernels are equipped with a hard moisture-sealed hull and a filling that contains a certain amount of starch. With the hard covering on the kernels, it lets pressure build inside until it expands and the popcorn and its sound are born.

There are many different ways in which popcorn is served. It can be served sweet, buttery, salty, or whichever suits the to-be popcorn consumer. When we go in our local supermarkets or a convenience store, we see that in terms of popcorn, there are various flavors to choose from. The flavors usually range from white cheddar, regular cheddar cheese to original, which are usually plain. Caramel popcorn are also sold. However, expect to pay a higher price for them--at least from my experience.

Popcorn sales go beyond the supermarkets and the convenience store. There are shops that specializes in popcorn. For example, Garrett's Popcorn in downtown New York City and Chicago, they have a variety of popcorn styles (i.e. Caramel, Chicago Style Mix, etc.). The popcorn at Garrett's are tasty and addicting; however it is quite expensive.

There is the story with the microwaveable popcorn. Thank goodness for these portable little kernel bags. We can carry it everywhere we choose to go, providing if a working microwave is available! It is the perfect tool for the popcorn cravings. Many of us know that the microwaveable popcorn contain many flavoring agents, such as butter. The downside to some of these agents are that it contains diacetyl, which is responsible for some people suffering from respiratory dilemmas.

As far as nutritional value is concerned, the air-popped popcorn tends to be much higher in terms of fiber, lower in fat and in calories, sodium is almost non-existent, and no sugar added. When it comes to the good old flavor, large amounts of fat, sugar, and sodium are added to the already-fixed popcorn. As a result from all of this "preparation," the nutritional value can be much lower, but those flavors give the popcorn the "enhancement" that many people are looking for. When people are eating this stuff, the least thing that he/she is worried about are poor diet choices; it is the taste that is being craved.

Speaking of health risks, popcorn is one of those foods that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under the age of four should not be eating popcorn because of their chances of choking on it is very likely. I do notice that when there is a popcorn commercial, the children are usually over the age of four. Children that are under four years old do not realize when popcorn is eaten, part of the popcorn particles can break apart. This part is usually the cause of choking, even with many adults.

Regardless of the ups and down of consuming popcorn, it is still a must-have fluffy snack, especially when going to see a potentially good (or boring) flick at the local cinema. I will eat popcorn to that!

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn

Getting Tipsy From Eating Whip Cream

When we go into the supermarket or any place else for whip cream, we expect for the cream to bring some type of food flavoring adventure, right? It does bring that wonderful zest to the food. But what happens when it is bringing in a little too much excitement? The unexpected.

Apparently, the whip cream that has been making news is making people drunk. The majority of the population that is using this stuff are individuals under twenty-one. Recently, there has been some least expected drinks and foods to make the news. First, it was the Four Loko drink; now it is something that most people would not imagine that would spark up some controversy--the whip cream. Guess what the Four Loko and the Whipped Lightning have in common--alcohol.

This is not just any ordinary whipped cream that we would get from our local grocery stores. Instead, it is the type of whip cream that will cause an instant hangover. The disturbing part about it is that underage people and adults alike are becoming intoxicated as a result from eating whip cream.

In the Boston Herald report, it stated that these whip cream canisters are thirty proof and have a variety of flavors, such as chocolate, raspberry and cherry. Thirty proof whip cream? It people were to have a thirty proof Jack Daniels bottle in the car, then he/she would be charged with driving under the influence and/or public intoxication. But no one would be arrested for having a can a whip cream in his/her possession, even with alcohol. It can easily go undetected and unnoticeable. We would not have given it a thought.

But according to Dr. Anita Barry, director for the Boston Health Department, she stated, "They [drinkers] can get a significant amount of alcohol in one shot." This means that if someone decides to put Whipped Lightning on a pumpkin pie, then this individual can become tipsy after one big squirt.

Recently, I checked out the Whipped Lightning website. According to the website, it is described as "one-of-a-kind alcoholic beverage that's sure to excite your inner Whipalogist. Why not practice a little Whipalogy today?" This website is easily accessible to everyone, including people under the age of twenty-one, the legal drinking age in the United States. Does anyone knows what this mean? An underage person can get access to this website, order and purchase any type of Whipahol products that he/she choose without asking for a birthday. This also gives these kids the opportunity to lie about his/her age. It seems that this website is promoting adolescent alcoholism due to the website's easy access.

I downloaded an image of one of its products, the Amaretto Whipahol. On the bottle, it asks, "Are you a Whipaholic?" According the bottle, the ingredients that it contain are grain neutral spirits, amaretto liqueur, cream and artificial and certified colors. It was pretty shocking!

The Whipped Lightning is available in the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Some states require special ordering: Utah, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

The going price for these whipped cream canisters are in the twelve dollar range. This stuff is pretty expensive to be eating one's way to inebriation!

Now that the alcohol-fueled whip cream are making headlines, how do we know that the whip cream that are sold in our local supermarkets contain some alcohol? We do not know. There is only one way to find out!


Sources:

http://www.whippedlightning.com
http://www.whippedlightning.com/where.jsp
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/11/29/whip-alcohol-laced-whipped-cream-raising-concerns/