That's Fit

A friend of my mom's has been sick for weeks, with a case of possible salmonella poisoning. The culprit, she thinks, are the peppers she put on her build-your-own salad at a local restaurant. I'm not sure what kinds of peppers are to blame for her illness but I do know this: government inspectors have just issued a strong warning to consumers not to eat jalapenos, or fresh salsa made from them.

The warning comes as a result of one single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper found in Texas. This discovery, say officials, is the equivalent of a fingerprint. Still, it's cause for worry.

Perhaps the tainted pepper came straight from a farm, a plant, a packing house. It's all pretty unclear. But those involved realize the need to iron out the details of this scare soon, as parts of the country are entering prime hot pepper season.

After all but taking down the tomato industry with their recent recall, the FDA has yet to find the culprit of the current salmonella outbreak. Now they're turning their attention to foods like hot peppers and cilantro, noting that it might not be tomatoes themselves, but a food that is commonly eaten with tomatoes.

With the number of people who have fallen ill quickly approaching 1,000, it's clear that an answer needs to be found soon. The FDA has been focusing on tomatoes coming from Mexico, but they've yet to pinpoint a source.

For more on this outbreak, and for information on what specific foods to avoid, visit the FDA's website.

Would you go organic if you could afford it? How about going half and half? If you do, here are eight items definitely worth the splurge: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, and lettuce.

Why?

Because these foods rank the highest in amount of pesticides used to grow them. Some of the lowest pesticide-treated foods are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapple, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, and kiwi.

For a full list, from most pesticides to least, check out foodnews.org.

In our house, we tend to keep food in our fridge for longer than most people. It's part laziness, part iron stomachs and part frugality, but whatever the cause, I'm often left scratching my head wondering if I should use a certain ingredient in my next meal. But I recently came across this handy timeline for storing common fruits and veggies:

• Carrot (peeled): 51 days
  
• Tomato: 36 days
  
• Garlic: 30 days
• Broccoli: 27 days
• Strawberry: 22 days
  
• Asparagus: 22 days
• Spinach: 19 days
• Grapes (black and green): 14 days
• Peppers (red and green): 14 days
• Cucumber: 8 days
• Lettuce: 8 days

Surprising, yes? I thought the times on many of these were much shorter. This is good news though, particularly for those month-old carrots in the back of my fridge.

I was told by a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona to make sure I put something in my body after I exercise. Exercise takes a lot out of us. So it's important we replenish what we've lost when our physical activity is complete. The experts at active.com agree and offer some smart eating tips for runners wishing to nourish and repair their bodies after workouts.

Try red bell peppers, they say. Just one provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. Vitamin C should be worked in throughout the day, every two to three hours or so until five daily servings are consumed. Also give papaya, cantaloupe, and oranges a try.

Protein rebuilds muscle and also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons. What better source of protein -- and omega-3 fatty acids -- than salmon. "Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation," say the experts. Mackerel, flaxseeds, and walnuts will also do the trick.

I love spicy food -- though not as much as my partner Jon does (he's notorious for putting hot sauce on everything.) -- and it's a good thing I do because spicy foods are actually really good for you (though they might be hard on your gut if you're not used to them.) According to Fitsugar, spicy foods can do the following for you:

• Help you lose weight
• Help you build muscle
• Help you fight off Alzheimer's
• Help improve your overall mood

So now it's your turn -- what's your favourite spicy food? Me, I love curries, particularly Penang and green curries from Thailand. I also love pretty much all foods Indian and Mexican.

Have you ever heard of eating a hot pepper or a spicy dish as a way of cooling down in the summer? I never had, until I came across this article in The Seattle Times where they're comparing the cooling properties of ice cream vs. beer vs. spicy food to see which works better in the heat of the summer.

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like they find a very clear answer as all the choices have a strong list of pros and cons. Ice cream may make you feel cooler at first but it will warm you up later as your digestive processes get going. Beer will dehydrate you, which will inhibit sweating, and spicy foods will actually make you feel warmer at first followed by cooling due to the sweat (if there's a breeze). So I guess it's a 'pick your poison' kind of thing. Or better yet, stay in the shade and hire somebody to fan you.