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- Jane Huntington

Anesthesia very important for patients receiving surgery. In order to support the administration of the agent, anesthesia machines are used to regulate dosage. The continuous flow machine is one of the more popular models. It supplies a regulated dose of gases like nitrous oxide and oxygen in addition to other anesthetic agents. These machines are expensive to obtain, so many distributors have the option of providing used medical equipment. A used anesthesia machine can be found online, often re-manufactured by companies that also produce high quality, brand new equipment.

- Gregory Martini

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- Azlan Irda

Salmonella and staphylococcus are the two most common causes of food poisoning. The symptoms – diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, cramps, and fever – may be uncomfortable, but rarely are serious or life threatening. Clostridium perfringens, a less common form of food poisoning, usually does not last long and is not serious. In severe cases of food poisoning, such as clostridium botulinum, trichinella spiralis, and paralytic shellfish poisoning, organ function or entire body systems may be affected.

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Some older people find that eating the main meal in the evening makes them uncomfortable. They find that they feel better having their main meal at midday and then eating a light meal in the evening. This relieves the feeling of heaviness and discomfort when they go to bed. Meals-On-Wheels (a service that brings hot meals to shut-ins and the elderly) usually provide the food at midday for this reason.

Some people prefer to have five or six smaller meals which can be divided into a light breakfast, an early light lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, a small dinner and a late night snack. Cancer patients are often encouraged to follow this practice. The aide should also remember that persons who are ill may lose their appetite as a result of their condition.

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Fruits and vegetables are the most commonly canned foods. Pickles, olives, jellies, jams, and preserves remain fresh and appetizing for long periods of time when properly canned. Canned meats, poultry and fish are available commercially, but these foods rarely are home canned today. Freezing is a better method for retaining vitamins, minerals, texture, and flavor.

In canning, the goal is to maintain the desired appearance, flavor, and texture of the food while preventing the growth of harmful bacteria, yeasts, and molds. It is very important to follow instructions or learn from an experienced person. Serious food poisoning can be the result of improper canning.

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Fresh lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, celery, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and bananas will not freeze well. Breads, cakes, and pastries made with egg whites may not hold up in the freezer. Other foods that should not be frozen include cream sauces, soft cheeses, meringue, and gelatin.

Freezers should be kept at 0 degrees F. Even at these cold temperatures, vitamin loss will be greater for some foods than for others. The vitamin C content of broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and peaches, for example, may be reduced to half of its original level when frozen for several months. Peas and asparagus, however, can keep more than 90 percent of their vitamin C content for a year or longer in the freezer.

All food should be as fresh as possible when frozen. While freezing will halt growth of bacteria and mold, it will not destroy these microorganisms once they are present in food. (If spoiled food is placed into the freezer, spoiled food will come out of the freezer.)

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Refrigeration
In general, the shorter the storage time and the cooler the temperature, the less vitamin and mineral loss. When fresh foods are to be used within a few days, the best place to store them is in the refrigerator. Refrigerators should be kept between 32 and 40 degrees F to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria, molds and yeasts. The meat and dairy keepers are the coldest areas and should be kept between 32 and 35 degrees F. In most refrigerators, the areas at the bottom and on the door are the warmest.

Meats, poultry and fish should be stored in the refrigerator. They should be wrapped loosely in paper or foil to allow air to circulate. This will keep moisture at a low level and retard bacteria growth. Meats should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Large cuts of fresh red meat, such as roasts, usually remain fresh up to five days in the refrigerator. Chopped meat should be used within two days. Smoked and cured meats, on the other hand, can remain in the refrigerator for several weeks. Fresh fish should not be kept in the refrigerator longer than two days. Shellfish will not keep in the refrigerator more than a few hours but can be kept in an ice chest sitting directly on ice cubes or below 32 degrees F for two or three days. Fresh poultry should not be refrigerated for more than three days.

Leftover cooked vegetables should be stored in the refrigerator in tightly covered containers. Fresh vegetables should remain in the vegetable drawer, where they will stay crisp for several days. As time passes, the vitamins and minerals as well as the flavor of vegetables will decrease. Fresh peas and lima beans should be refrigerated in their pods and shelled just before they are used.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated. Instead, they should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. Onions (except scallions) also should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place when whole, but they need to be refrigerated once they have been peeled or sliced. Tomatoes should not be refrigerated until they have ripened completely.

Fruit can be left out at room temperature until fully ripe, then refrigerated to slow down the ripening process. Fruit should be stored with sufficient air circulation. Fruit that is bruised or has soft spots should not touch other fruit. The skin of bananas will blacken when in the refrigerator, but the fruit inside will remain firm and fresh for up to a week.

Dairy products and eggs also should be stored in the refrigerator. Milk and cream retain more nutrients for longer periods of time when stored in opaque containers. (For this reason, it is better to buy milk in paper cartons than plastic jugs.) Soft cheeses should be kept in the refrigerator. Hard cheeses can be refrigerated but usually remain fresh for several weeks if kept in a cool, dark place.

Bread remains fresh when wrapped well in foil or plastic and stored in opaque containers in a cool, dark place such as a bread box or pantry. Refrigerating yeast breads will delay the formation of mold but may cause the bread to dry out. Biscuits, muffins, and coffee cakes stay fresh for several days when wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic and stored in the refrigerator. Cakes and pies with cream fillings or whipped cream toppings must be refrigerated. Plain cakes can be kept in a cool place under
a large inverted bowl.

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Cooking meats gently enough to retain vitamins and minerals while reducing the saturated fat content is tricky business. The leanest cuts of red meats, which are the most healthful, usually are prepared using long cooking times and moist heat, such as pot roasting, stewing, and braising. These methods result in greater loss of thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin into the cooking liquid. (Many of these water-soluble vitamins, however, can be obtained from other sources, such as whole-grain breads.) If the cooking liquid is used as a gravy or sauce, some of the vitamins are saved. If time permits, the liquid should be cooled so the fat can be skimmed off. Faster cooking methods, such as broiling, frying, and roasting allow the meat to retain more of its vitamins.

Thiamin and several other minerals are sensitive to high heat, so meats that are rare may be richer sources than well-done meats. Pork, however, should never be served rare because it must be cooked long enough to kill harmful organisms. (Pork must reach a core temperature of 150 to 160 degrees F.)

Excess fat should be trimmed off of red meat before and after cooking. With poultry, the skin, which is primarily fat, and the fatty deposits under the skin and around the tail can be removed before cooking if a moist, slow method is used. Skin can also be removed before serving. Skin, however, is often considered a tasty part of a chicken. The choice of whether to eat it could depend on the amount of fat in the rest of the meal or the family’s diet in general. Serving chicken dishes that use cheese, tomato sauce, herbs and spices, sauces, vegetables, and pasta can be a good way to get rid of the skin and fat and still serve a nourishing chicken dish the family will enjoy.

Charcoal broiling is another way to reduce the fat content of meats. Research shows, however, that charcoal smoking (as opposed to broiling) for a long time may lead to the formation of carcinogens in red meat, chicken, and fish. Meats can be partially baked or parboiled before they are placed on the grill to reduce the amount of smoking. This is especially effective for chicken, which takes a long time to cook on the grill. Keeping the lid of the grill open while charcoal broiling meats decreases
the amount of smoke.

Other Food Preparation Tips

Rice and pasta should not be rinsed with fresh water after they are cooked because many of the vitamins and minerals that are released into the cooking water cling to their surface as the water is absorbed.

The amounts of sugar, salt, shortening, and oils that are called for in recipes usually can be reduced significantly without affecting the final product. Also, when recipes require milk or cream, skim milk, low-fat milk, or buttermilk often can be used to reduce the level of saturated fat. Careful experimenting will show how this can be done.

Low-fat yogurt can be substituted for sour cream for most dishes.

When cooking with eggs, it is a good idea to use more egg whites and fewer egg yolks. Yolks are high in cholesterol and fat, while egg whites are low in cholesterol, fat, and calories and are good sources of high-quality protein (albumin). (The unused raw egg yolks can be fed to cats and dogs and will help keep their coats shiny and healthy.) Again, whether to eat a lot of egg yolks can be put into the context of a family’s overall fat and cholesterol consumption.

Cooking in microwave ovens is fast and will lead to small vitamin and mineral losses.

Heavy cookware generally will distribute the heat more evenly and help prevent burning. Skillets made of iron may destroy some vitamins in food; however, cooking in this type of pan will add iron to the diet. Copper and brass pots must be well lined because food can absorb these metals, and large amounts can be harmful. In addition, copper and brass can destroy valuable vitamins. Glass pots let in light, and small amounts of riboflavin, which is sensitive to light, can be lost. Using nonstick cookware can be a good way to decrease the level of fat in the diet because pots and pans do not have to be greased before they are used. Stainless steel, a mixture of iron and other metals, can cause problems for people who are allergic to some kinds of metal. Also, starchy foods can stain the surface, and salt residues can slowly eat through the surface.

Aluminum pots and pans should not be used to cook salty, acid, or alkaline foods because the metal may dissolve and get into food. In addition, aluminum can cause vegetables, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli, to take on too strong a smell during cooking. Aluminum also can hurt appearance by turning food that is supposed to be white to yellow, orange, or brown. Although some have suggested a link between Alzheimer’s disease and aluminum, studies so far have failed to show a strong connection.

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One of the most common, unnecessary cooking practices is adding salt or sugar to food. Many cooks automatically pour salt, or sometimes sugar, into boiling water before vegetables or pasta are added. Many people shake salt on or rub it into meat before it is broiled or roasted. Children will not miss these if they do not become accustomed to them early. A delicate hand with salt and sweeteners will make meals more healthful and flavors more subtle. Salt, for example, draws water out of foods, and valuable vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates dissolved in the water end up in the salted cooking water or in the pan. Too much also can disguise the natural flavors and sweetness of vegetables.

Fruits and Vegetables
Most fresh fruits and many vegetables are delicious when served raw, and they keep most of their nourishment this way. Raw fruit or vegetables can be mixed together in a salad, served in small pieces with a dip, or eaten whole as a snack.

Even washing can destroy some valuable vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruit and vegetables, therefore, should be rinsed quickly under running water and not soaked. If fruit or vegetables, however, are caked with dirt, have pesticide or fertilizer residues on the surface, or have been coated with wax they should be scrubbed well under running water. It may be necessary to remove the peel before using them. In addition, breaking apart fresh fruit and vegetables initiates an enzyme reaction that can destroy vitamin C; therefore, cutting, tearing, or chopping should be delayed until just before they are to be used.

Cooking fresh fruit and vegetables decreases their food value, but the loss can be kept to a minimum if wise cooking methods are practiced. For example, the less water used and the less time the produce is cooked, the more nutrients are retained. Many important vitamins and minerals dissolve in water, so when food is placed in water, some nutrients are drawn out of the food and go into the water.

Cooking vegetables and fruits in a microwave oven is a good way to save vitamins and minerals because little or no water is used. Pressure cooking and steaming produce also are good cooking methods because the food does not come into direct contact with water. Some vitamins and minerals, nevertheless, are lost in the steam. If the cooking water is used in that same meal – in soups, gravies or sauces, for example – then the nutrient loss is decreased. Stir frying (cooking food quickly in hot oil) is another cooking method that leads to minimum vitamin and mineral loss. The fat adds extra calories to the vegetables, so only small amounts of polyunsaturated fats should be used if this cooking method is chosen.

If fruits and vegetables must be boiled, they should be cooked for a short time in as little water as possible, and the cooking water used during the meal. Vegetables and fruit cooked in the skin keep more of their vitamins and minerals than if they are peeled first. Potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips, and other root vegetables, which may have some dirt on the surface, can be scrubbed well rather than peeled.

Fewer vitamins and minerals are lost if vegetables or fruit is cooked whole or cut in large pieces. They should be cooked just before they are to be served and should not remain in the cooking water for a long time because vitamins and minerals will leach out. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) added to cooking water may keep vegetables bright green, but it destroys much of the vitamin C and thiamin in the food.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are the next best thing to fresh. Defrosting them before cooking loses vitamins and minerals. As with fresh, frozen fruit and vegetables should be cooked in as little water as possible, for a short period of time, and the cooking water should be used in the same meal whenever possible.

Vitamin and mineral loss is greatest with canned fruit or vegetables because they usually are packed in water. If the liquid from the can is added to a gravy or boiled down into a sauce and poured over vegetables, some of the vitamins and minerals can be recaptured.

Almost any kind of processing, such as refrigerating, freezing, canning, or cooking, will lead to loss of some valuable vitamins and minerals in food. In addition, processing often adds undesirable ingredients, such as sodium, to food. For example, fresh, raw green beans are low in sodium, high in vitamin A, and contain some vitamin C. Canned green beans have considerable sodium and less vitamin C, which is water soluble. The vitamin A content changes little because this vitamin is fat soluble. Fresh cooked and frozen cooked green beans are comparable.

If fresh beans are to be used immediately, then they probably have higher food value than frozen. If they will sit in the refrigerator for several days before they are cooked, then the level of some vitamins and minerals may decrease; therefore, the frozen variety may be better. Vegetables for freezing are picked when they are ripe, which is when they are at the peak for vitamin and mineral content, and then quickly frozen to preserve nutrients.

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