As I am also now a public health expert (no, seriously I am an epidemiologist), here are some things to think about with salmonella and how to protect yourself.

Yes the language is not the typical manner in which I’m supposed to say it, but it makes sense to sensible people -

Salmonella has many different subtypes. I’ve personally studied serotype enteritidis. Anyways, it’s passed by what’s called the fecal-oral route. Yep, somebody’s poopie made it’s way to your mouth. Gross huh? In cases like with the tomatoes, it means that the chance that cattle or other animals were kept too close to the food stuff is pretty high. When you have chickens or other animals that lay eggs, if they have salmonella it comes out in the egg (which is why you should cook the egg thoroughly) and is also in the meat (which is why you cook the meat thoroughly, aka not bloody or even tinged pink). Salmonella lives in a LOT of places including your digestive tract (right next to the E coli). It’s when you get too much or a type that your body isn’t used to that you can get sick. Sooooo….

To try and prevent getting sick -

• Wash your hands when you are cooking (with soap, rinsing doesn’t have same effect)
• Don’t use the same utensils for meat and other foods you’re cooking
• Clean the counter with disinfectant after meat has been placed on it
• Clean anything that raw meat touches with soap and water (if food that will go uncooked touches it, toss it in the garbage)
• Cook food thoroughly
• If you go play with pets or to a farm or mess with other animals, wash your hands throroughly with soap and water after touching the animals. Do NOT touch your face at all before doing so. Thoroughly means sing Happy Birthday to yourself or the ABCs. That’s long enough. Sometimes I sing it twice.

To get better if you get sick -
You’ll probably have diarrhea and crazy cramps. Drink a TON of fluids. You might have bloody diarrhea. See a doctor.

If you want to be WAY COOL (i.e. give me something to do) go to the hospital and see someone. Let them get what’s called a stool culture (you poopie, lab people play and tell me whether it’s Salmonella) and treat you. If you heard about all the cases of salmonella, all those went to the doctor. Way more than that had milder cases and never went. The numbers reported are confirmed cases which means they go into my surveillance system (and then I get to ask you a few questions and try to figure out how you got sick so we can keep others from getting sick). No worries, it goes in with an identifying number, not your name so we won’t call you up a month later or anything.

Get rest and drink way more fluids than you thought you could ever drink

The infection will last for about 5-7 days and usually can be ridden out without any meds, but if you feel worse at any point, go immediately to the emergency room, do not pass go, do not collect $200. People do die from Salmonella infections, so don’t play any games.

Take care and good eating!

photo credit: Nutloaf

HarriMac enjoys a well lived life with a large serving of soul. Her special feature, Welcome to Soulville, appears every Thursday.

College students have a great, frequently free resource - campus gyms and exercise facilities! They also have access to health centers and on-campus counseling services.

While campus gyms are often better than those off-campus, sometimes you may want to beat the monotony of going to the gym with these free exercise videos!

Yoga Instructor Marcia Langenberg provides short, but effective Yoga training videos for download called Yoga @ Desk, that you can watch and perform at your desk!

These exercise videos are especially designed for people who work at their desks for most part of the day - such as students or computer geeks:

Part 1: Introducing the Exercises (9:40 minutes)

Part 2: Linking the Exercises to Your Breath (12:17 minutes)

Part 3a: Varying the Exercises (9:57 minutes)

Part 3b: Varying the Exercises (8:40 minutes)

Yoga is not as easy as it looks! The class I took this past school year helped me burn lots of calories, without a bunch of jumping around! You learn how to control your body and become more away of how your body operates!

Another fitness instructor has posted free exercise videos on YouTube for your viewing and exercise enjoyment. You can also search YouTube for other videos which have been uploaded by members of the YouTube community.

Additionally, you can find links to more videos at Digital Inspiration.

Not sure how to jump start your diet? Try these tips from g333k Living:

4 Healthy snacks to have in front of your screen (and a drink)
8 easy things you can do to lose fat

Miss hearing your mom saying, “Sit up straight!” every time you slouch? Check out Dumb Little Man’s 7 Postural Habits To Make Now To Increase Your Health

Be sure to consult with a doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

Coming tomorrow: 10 Ways to Trim Your Budget

I’ve been working from home off and on since 1998. Over the years, I have found that with a few tweaks here and there, I can get a ton of work done in a little time - and I can enjoy the rest of the time, or spend time working at another job (or two, or three).

#1 - Wake up early! The pre-dawn hours are great hours for productivity. No one else is up, you won’t have to hear the phone ringing, have the distraction of email or RSS feeds or much of anything, except for the lone bird or two outside of your window.

#2 - Get (and stay) organized. Don’t try to get organized overnight, but make an effort to stay organized and put papers and books away when you finish using them. Set up schedules to backup data. Set up a work schedule and stick to it. Organization is great, and you’ll realize that the first few weeks of any organization plan may take a little more time, but as it becomes a habit, it will take less time and effort.

#3 - Minimize your environmental distractions. Yes, it sounds like a good idea to work at home because you can stay in your pajamas and have Jerry Springer droning on in the background, but this can also be a huge distraction. Turn off the TV and/or find a quiet place at home to work. My favorite place to work is my office setup in my bedroom. It has all of the things I need for a focused writing and working period.

#4 - Work around the noise. If you live with roommates or your family, you know that certain times of the day are magnets for doors slamming and people moving about. Avoid those times for work, as you are sure to not get much done. Also, keep in mind that there may be distractions on other days, such as the garbage truck on Tuesdays or a neighbor’s party every Friday night.

#5 - Stay up late! Yes, this is the opposite of tip #1, but it works, too. Sometimes, that quiet hour or two around 11pm can help you get some work done, too, for the same reasons as waking up early. Well, except for the birds.

#6 - Minimize your mental distractions! Meditate or pray before beginning work. Clear your mind of all worries and concerns before working. Focus on the tasks at hand. This can be a little difficult if your work deals with current events or problem-solving, but try to step away from them and stay on task.

Good luck working at home! If you have any tips, leave them in the comments!