THE MICROWAVE, YOUR CHICKEN, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR CHOICE!

Going through an article by healthadvice team online, I learnt that the much preferred chicken against the now widely avoided red meat due to high cholesterol is every so often infected with Salmonella, a bacterial infection which affects the gut and a type of food poisoning that causes diarrhea, fever, cramps in the abdomen between 12 to 72 hours after infection.

 
The report advises that because chicken is often infected with salmonella, reheating chicken is not suggested because, unlike other types of meat, Chicken has a higher density of proteins with molecules which when exposed to heat can lead to infections in the stomach and lungs, hence it is advised that Chicken should not just be tossed in the microwave to be reheated as the waves take up the heat which gores the chicken, thereafter leading to many diseases.

It seems the option list for healthy sources of protein is getting slimmer by the day as we keep waking up to new scientific developments and health advice on a daily basis leaving us with less or almost ‘no option’ as the times roll by.

Red meat has stopped being a part of my diet and those of very close friends for a long time now to the extent that if I find myself taking as little as you can picture just for ‘a taste’ or bingeing, there is always a somewhat feeling of guilt as though I have committed an irredeemable sin. Yeah, that’s how far I have gone to ‘dissing’ red meat for a LONG time now.

Red meat ‘is sweet’ no doubts, and the temptation to indulge every now and then needs a lot of resistance, especially when you are offered a well spiced, marinated, cooked and garnished ‘thick flank’. Hmmmm, that part of red meat is heavenly, but then again, I discipline myself by avoiding such offers because I know the price I would pay by indulging, and so for me on such offers, it is always simply a polite “no thank you, I think I’ll pass on this” with a heavy heart though. Smiles.

I have taken solace in chicken, fish, snails, kidneys, liver, and of course indulge in some of the ‘insides’ which includes ‘shaki’, liver, kidney amongst others especially when it comes to our local spicy ‘pepper soup’ delicacy. Is anyone salivating at the mention of pepper soup? Laughs* I know that feeling.

This was meant to be a ‘quick read’ so let’s get back to the chicken issue. Eat fresh chicken and avoid reheating in the microwave. Cook properly on the fire before eating to avoid food poisoning as chicken is still a better option of meat when compared to red meat.

As for those imported or should I say ‘smuggled’ chicken from ‘only God knows where’ that is eaten in nearly every home across the country instead of buying Nigerian Chicken? That is a topic for another day as I don’t intend to ‘spoil’ business for those in the trade. Nevertheless, I admonish that if you must eat chicken, apart from cooking properly before eating, EAT NIGERIAN CHICKEN!