Food for Thought II

Blog #17

• Consider what you ate today and where the ingredients came from? How many health standards might have been invoked?
• This was amazing to think of! I hardly ever think of where my food comes from, normally I am more concerned with how it is prepared and by who.
• Breakfast: x2 boiled eggs, Spinach, Tomatoes
• Lunch: Protein Drink
• Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Broccoli, Garlic/Rosemary potatoes & then one of the Madeline/Brownie cookies (*So good!)
• I ate a mixture of foods, but all would be regulated by JECFA; JECFA reports to both FOA and WHO and develops international food standards and guidelines under this program. JEMRA who is the expert on Microbiological Risk Assessment and JEMNU, it gives scientific advice on nutrition. All these bodies to assure that the food we consume are safe and regulated.

• What vulnerable populations do you work with that could benefit from education on food safety?
• In my opinion the most vulnerable populations would be those who can not afford proper food or nutrition: homeless and low economic status. When food low in nutritional value is cheeper then fresh food rich in nutrients, it is easy to understand how families have to chose between feeding their entire family or feeding their family well. Education can only go so far, as nurses we educate on the importance and health through better foos choices, but if a family can not afford better options, we are at an impasse. But we continue to do our best to keep patients, their families and our communities safe and healthy.

• Given the increase in antibiotic resistant infections, especially those that are hospital acquired, what are some initiatives that nurses can propose to promote safe uses of antibiotics in agriculture (through food purchasing decisions at home and in our institutions) and from other sources that create risks for the development of resistant organisms?
• An initiative that nurses can propose to promote safe use of antibiotics is mirrored after Englands "Antibiotic Guardian." This was a campaign started in 2014 and supports nurses and clinicians to educate the public about the dangers of antimicrobial resistance and the risk to their health in taking antibiotics when they are not needed. I had my own personal experience with overprescribing. I went to an Urgent Care for a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and neck pain- classic Strep; but my Strep was negative. The PA stated that everything should pass, but offered to give me antibiotics anyway. I wondered why she offered this so freely, knowing that possibly they would do no good. As the article states, all common infections, minor injuries and routine operations would become far riskier with the overuse of antibiotics.  Nursing can make a significant contribution by limiting the treat of antimicrobial resistance and improving the long term outlook, but presenting resources and supporting their patients and communities.