Hippocrates, Medicine, And Food

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hippocrates (born c. 460BC, died c. 377BC on the Greek island of Kos) is considered the father of medicine.  He spent his life proving that disease and healing were not acts of the Gods but rather physical phenomena that stem from natural causes — and that are potentially curable through observation, deduction, and treatment.

He took superstition out of healing and out of the hands of the priests and shamans — and put it into the hands of the people.

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine And Medicine Be Thy Food”

Hippocrates emphasized the importance of diet to health and to the body’s ability to restore itself.  He is famous for saying, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” a philosophy that is as pertinent and important today as it was thousands of years ago.

Filed Under: Food For Fun & Thought Tagged With: , , ,

Common Foods That Can Make You Sick

September 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

According to the Centers for Disease Control, most foodborne illnesses are preventable. Here’s some information from their newest report:

 1,034 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported resulting in:

  • 23,152 illnesses
  • 1,276 hospitalizations
  • 22 deaths

In outbreaks where the cause was confirmed, norovirus and salmonella continue to be the causes of the largest number of outbreaks and illnesses.

In outbreaks linked to food in which all ingredients belong to a single food group, these foods were responsible for the biggest number of outbreaks:

  • beef
  • poultry
  • fish

The food groups responsible for the biggest number of outbreak-associated sicknesses were:

  • fruits and nuts
  • vine vegetables
  • beef

Foodborne illnesses come not just from “bad” meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.  Be alert to spoiled or contaminated fruit, nuts, and vegetables, too.

 

Filed Under: Food Facts, Food For Fun & Thought Tagged With: , , ,
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