America...O sweet sweet America I was wrong about thee. I used to think we had organizations like the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for the sake of bureaucracy but I've come to realize I was so wrong. As I sit in an African hospital, for the second day trying to pinpoint were exactly I picked up the parasite that is causing this horrible intestinal infection, I realized I've never had an intestinal issue before but then again I've never eaten outside the jurisdiction of the FDA either (with limited exception). Think about this, we have shows come on occasionally that investigate the kitchen's of the food places we eat, with some alarming images at sports stadiums, but who ever gets sick from the food they eat if it isn't related to some sort of allergy? Hardly anybody.
Some of you are already thinking, "well this one time," or "my so and so got sick" but let's be real here having an upset stomach, diarrhea, indigestion, or heartburn doesn't qualify as sickness. Most of those things are preventable because often times you know what sorts of foods don't agree with your insides. Getting sick is like missing work because you're laid up barfing and you've got a fever from some sort of food poisoning or in my case an INTESTINAL INFECTION. Something for which I'd make a trade for an upset stomach or some heart burn. So lets not qualify some petty discomforts for "sickness".
So why do we rarely ever have a concern regarding the foods we eat if we don't have some sort of allergy or pre-existing condition that has us concerned with our diet? THE FDA!!! They have so regulated the food industry down to the minutia that there has to be some considerable break downs or just a straight up disaster for you to need to ever worry about the food you eat. From the food we grow, to the food we feed our livestock, from the way we deliver our foods, to the way we cook them, to the way we list their contents, and on and on it goes. Their are so many checks and balances in the food industry that getting "sick" has nearly completely been removed from the equation.
We can talk all we want about pesticides, preservatives, MSG, and whole slue of other things but the truth of the matter is you've got little to fear. When your life expectancy is 10-20+ years greater than that of your African counterparts its in large part due to the way we safeguard our food supply. People here in Africa often live with some sort of dormant sickness that flares up, now and again, that is connected to the foods they've eaten. Parasites are everywhere from food markets, to living livestock, to restaurants, and on the list goes. I've been told since I got sick that it's part of life in Africa to deal with this sort of thing off and on throughout the year (perhaps with less severity than my case but severe diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, etc). Whether it's Malaria or a food related illness just be ready for it cause it's going to happen again while you're in Africa.
So ... it's day two in the Hospital and who knows how many days I've been sick and I honestly couldn't tell you where I picked up this parasite. There are just too many places it could have come from. The village, the local restaurant Nid, the American Club, food eaten at the house, or half a dozen other places. All I know is that I now live with great respect and in great comfort in the States because of the FDA. I don't have to wonder if I'm going to get sick or if I'll need to visit a hospital in the near future. I can eat and enjoy my food with my only thoughts being on a "more healthy" alternative, the fat content, or the calories. Wow, big worries there! THANKS GOD FOR THE FDA!!!
Amen to that son!
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