Wellness Wednesday.

It is abnormally warm here in Chicago today.  It's almost 60 and the sun is shining...but the wind is blowing like a typical Kansas day so it's a bit annoying to be outside.  I ran into my neighbor today as she was outside airing up her bike tires and she mentioned how she was taking advantage of this lovely day, because she's sure we'll have 7 snow storms in March.  I'm afraid she could be right!  We shall see, I suppose!

This week's post is inspired by yet another news article I came across, this time from my NPR iPhone app and it really made me think.  A recent study in the journal of MBio, published by the American Society for Microbiology, shows how an antibiotic-susceptible staph germ passed from humans into pigs, where it became resistant to antibiotics tetracycline and methicillin.  And then the antibiotic-resistent bacteria learned how to jump back into humans.  EEK!  Scientist are able to track these bugs genetically, so they can tell where the bacteria are traveling while they reproduce and infect other sources (people and animals).  According to the American Society for Microbiology, about 1/2 of all meat sampled in U.S. commerce is contaminated with this methicillin-resistant staph (or maybe you've heard of it - MRSA...).  Most of the time, this bacteria can be killed by cooking the meat thoroughly but it can pose a risk for contaminating other foods and surfaces in the kitchen before cooking.  One reason why it is so important to be conscious of what you are doing while cooking and handling food in the kitchen!

Another scary statistic - the majority of antibiotics sold in the U.S. go to animals, mostly in their feed.  This is supposed to help keep infections in check because of the poor conditions the animals are kept in before they are slaughtered.  If you want to see something that will make you change your eating habits, just look more into that mess.  Many livestock groups go on to say that there isn't any evidence that using antibiotics in livestock feed creates a human health problem.  Maybe this recent research is showing something different...In the article, the American Meat Association says that any informed scientist and/or public health official knows that the problem of antibiotic resistance in humans is overwhelmingly an issue in human antibiotic overuse.  Hmmm...with the majority of antibiotics going to animals, that equation makes me want to check the math!

I'm sure we will continue to see research in this area.  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to know where your food comes from, and how it was grown, made, prepared, etc.  We have options and we can make our own decisions based on what we educate ourselves with.  If you don't live near a store that can provide you with ethically and responsibly grown food, hop online and Google "local food co-ops" and I'm sure you'll find many resources at your fingertips.  Because believe it or not, there are so many farmers out there who want to provide people with fresh, healthy, local REAL food.  You'll feel better about buying food - both mentally and physically!