Summertime Food Safety
Discover Good Nutrition, Fitness & Beauty |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2016 04:10 PM PDT
 Beware of bacteria when barbecuing.Don't let food poisoning spoil your summertime fun! Here are some tips for keeping foods safe during warm weather. Nothing says summer quite like outdoor picnics, potlucks and barbecues. But nothing spoils a picnic more quickly than unwelcome guests – and I'm not talking about party crashers. The other "unwelcome guests" come in the form of food-borne bacteria that can multiply quickly at hot summertime temperatures, and make your picnic foods risky to eat. RELATED ARTICLE: 5 delicious foods you should eat more often The bacteria in foods that can make you sick grow quickly at room temperature – and even faster when the thermometer climbs to 90 degrees F (32 C) or so. Keeping foods cold discourages the bacteria from growing – and cooking foods destroys them – so the most basic rule is this: keep hot foods hot, and keep cold foods cold. If you're going to carry raw meat with you so you can grill it at the park or your campsite, pack your cooler carefully. Season or marinate the meat and put it in a tightly sealed plastic container or zippered plastic food storage bag, then keep it separated from any foods that are ready-to-eat in your cooler. You don't want any of those raw meat juices dripping onto your fruits, veggies and side dishes. And, pack your cooler with plenty of ice or ice packs, so that everything stays nice and cold. When it's time to serve foods from the grill, check thick foods – like bone-in chicken pieces – to make sure they're cooked all the way through before serving. Sometimes they cook quickly on the outside, but they're still raw or undercooked in the middle. If you have a few hours before it's time to grill, you can also partially cook chicken pieces in the microwave, then drop them in a zippered plastic bag with the marinade, and refrigerate. Since the chicken is partially cooked, it takes less time to finish it on the grill, it tends to cook more evenly, and it's less likely to be dry. Once your fish, meat or poultry comes off the grill, it might be tempting to dunk it back in the marinade – but don't. Since the marinade was in contact with raw or undercooked meat, it could harbor some harmful bacteria that could cause illness. When it comes to leftovers, an easy way to remember food storage guidelines is simple: two hours, two inches, four days – the numbers make up the "2-2-4 rule". Two hours is how long foods can safely stay at room temperature after you've taken them out of the oven or off the grill – or, in the case of cold foods, how long they can safely stay out of the refrigerator or cooler. But there's an exception to this rule, too – the limit drops to just an hour if the outdoor temperature is 90 degrees F (32C) or higher. Once the time limit is reached, the food should be refrigerated or frozen. So, if you're away from home, be sure to pack up your food and place it back in the cooler with your ice packs to keep them at a safe temperature. The two inch rule means that you should store leftover foods in shallow containers – no more than two inches thick – so they can cool evenly and quickly. If containers are too deep, it takes too long for the food in the middle to cool down. The last rule says that you should use your refrigerated leftovers within four days – otherwise, you should toss them out. But picnic leftovers are pretty tasty – so chances are, they'll be long gone before then. Susan Bowerman is Director of Nutrition Training at Herbalife. Susan is a Registered Dietitian and a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com  |
| Body Blast: Resistance Band Workout Posted: 20 Jul 2016 05:30 AM PDT
By Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA. Samantha is Sr. Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife. Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com  |
| Summer Beauty: Avoid Makeup Meltdown Posted: 18 Jul 2016 05:30 AM PDT
 Keep your hairstyle short in the summer.Staying cool in the summertime is essential for avoiding a sweaty, makeup meltdown. Here are some of my best tips for feeling cooler and looking your best in the heat. After a long, cold winter, it sounds pretty nice to turn up the heat of summer! I feel like I can never get enough warm sunshine and I'm sure you agree. However, there are some challenges to dealing with hot weather - it's easy to get overheated and uncomfortable, and of course, with all that heat comes sweat and perspiration. Related Article: Ways to Help Prevent the Summer Breakout Blahs Sweat is perfectly natural, but if you're headed to an important interview or hosting guests at a backyard barbecue, it's the last thing you want to worry about. Sometimes a cool shower or a quick dive in the pool isn't in the cards when you're running from one thing to the next. Not to worry, there are lots of ways to keep your face and body cool and dry. Control Outdoor Exposure The easiest thing to do is to know when you've been outdoors long enough and go inside. Keep careful control over your skin exposure with daily application of sunscreen. Keep your face protected with sunglasses and a brimmed hat. These are important habits you should keep all year long. Beyond that, I've discovered some other summer beauty tips to keep you looking and feeling refreshed. 6 Cool Ways to Ease the Heat Get creative with your hairstyle Long hair smothering the back of your neck is enough to raise your body temperature by a degree or two. A great way to stay cool is to keep a shorter length with your hair. If that's not your style, consider putting your hair up. There are so many fun trends with hairstyles this summer. Try a sleek topknot, or try a variation on the classic braid. One of my all-time favorite hairstyles to stay cool during summer is a high ponytail. Make use of your fridge The refrigerator doesn't have to be just for keeping food chilly. During the heat of summer, try keeping moisturizer and body mist in there too. Slathering on cool product will instantly make you feel cooler. Be sure to keep your skin moisturized during summer. Even though it may be hot and humid, your skin still needs the attention you would give it during cooler months. Put ice on pressure points Here's a quick party trick that really works: press your icy beverage or an ice cube against your wrist or your neck. The chill on these two pulse points can help you feel the chill when it's sizzling hot. If you stay cool, you're less likely to encounter melting makeup. Use sea salt spray Bring a little beachy spring to your hair AND keep your scalp dry with sea salt spray. Salt spray acts as a natural styling agent to create waves and add volume. Some hairstylists say this is the key product they use to create texturized waves. Sea salt spray can be easily found at any beauty supply store, or you can even make it yourself at home. Spritz some facial mist For a quick cooldown after melting in your baking car, or any other heat related situation for that matter, try spritzing on a facial mist. It can give you an instant chill and make you feel refreshed. To enhance facial mist, choose your favorite fragrance like mint, herb or lavender and you'll feel instantly freshened up! Choose the right cosmetics When it comes to makeup, go for the smudged look … on purpose! Summer beauty tends to go easy on eye makeup, but if you want to glam it up, use crayon liners and eyeshadows that provide softer, smudgier lines. Matte lipsticks go on dryer than creamy types and look great with dewy summer skin. Once you're done with makeup application, use a setting spray to finish off your look and help keep your makeup in place. With all of these refreshing ways to stay cool and collected, people will wonder what your secret is and admire how well you pull it off. Tell me about some of your favorite summer beauty tricks in the comments below and let's all have a fabulous summer. Written by beauty expert, Jacquie Carter. Jacquie is Director of Outer Nutrition at Herbalife. Discover the Herbalife SKIN® line here. Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com |
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