Eating Restaurant Foods Carefully (Credit-Canva)
Dining out is a popular pastime, but it's essential to be aware of potential food safety risks. We all have our go to foods whenever we are at a restaurant and enjoy the prospect of getting to eat their favorite meal. But even in the most high-end restaurants, the risk of getting sick always lingers. You never know when or what may cause issues for you
Food poisoning is a common problem that can lead to things like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach upset. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 48 million people in the United States get sick from food poisoning each year. While sometimes it is unavoidable, being aware of these things can help you understand things that can go wrong and taking precautions when eating at restaurants. It's crucial to be informed to protect your health and enjoy your dining experience without worry. Here are some foods you should either avoid or be careful while eating.
Even eggs that look fine can have Salmonella bacteria. These bacteria can make you sick with stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Restaurants can cause outbreaks if they don't cook eggs to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, store them at the wrong temperature, use unpasteurized eggs, or use dirty cooking tools. These bad practices let bacteria grow and make people sick. So, it's important to cook and handle eggs the right way.
Melons that are cut up ahead of time, like in fruit salads, are more likely to cause food poisoning. When you cut a melon, bacteria on the outside can get to the inside. If lots of fruit is cut in one place, it's easier for bacteria to spread. Since people eat melons raw, there's no cooking to kill the germs. These germs, like Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli, can make you really sick. So, be careful with pre-cut melons.
Sprouts are healthy, but they grow in warm, wet places where bacteria like Listeria like to live. Even washing sprouts doesn't always get rid of these germs. And because people usually eat sprouts raw, there's no cooking to kill the bacteria. This makes sprouts a big cause of food poisoning. There have been lots of outbreaks linked to sprouts, with many people getting sick and even ending up in the hospital. So, it's a good idea to avoid sprouts, especially at restaurants.
Meat that isn't cooked enough can have harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter. Campylobacter is a common cause of diarrhea. Ground beef is extra risky because it's often made from meat from many different cows. If one cow is sick, all the ground beef can be contaminated. While quickly cooking the outside of a steak can kill surface germs, undercooked ground beef and other meats are still dangerous. Cooking meat all the way through is super important.
Some fish can cause specific kinds of food poisoning. Ciguatera poisoning happens when you eat fish that ate poisonous algae, like grouper, sea bass, and red snapper. Cooking doesn't get rid of these poisons. Scombroid poisoning can happen if fish like tuna, sardines, and mahi-mahi aren't stored correctly, which lets bacteria make poisons. Cooking doesn't help with this either. It's important for restaurants to get their fish from good places and keep it stored at the right temperature.
Oysters filter water, which means they can collect bacteria and viruses. A big risk is vibriosis, which is caused by Vibrio bacteria that live in warm ocean water where oysters grow. Eating raw or undercooked oysters is very risky. These bacteria can cause serious sickness, and sometimes even infections in the blood. Cooking oysters completely to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit makes them much safer. So, cooked oysters are a better choice.
Greens like lettuce and spinach can get contaminated with bacteria from things like dirty water, animal poop, and not handling them correctly. Even washing them might not get rid of all the germs, especially if they're inside the leaves. Bacteria can grow fast on greens that are wilted or slimy. Restaurants need to get their greens from good farms, wash them really well, and store them correctly. Choosing fresh, crispy greens helps reduce the risk.
Buffets have a higher chance of food poisoning for a few reasons. Many people use the same serving spoons, which spreads germs. Food can sit out for too long at the wrong temperature, letting bacteria grow. Also, people might cough or sneeze near the food. Common germs at buffets include bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, and viruses like norovirus. Restaurants need to check food temperatures, change serving spoons often, and make sure everyone is washing their hands.
Credits: Canva
People prescribed venlafaxine are being urged to stay alert to certain symptoms and side effects that may require medical advice from NHS 111 or their GP. Venlafaxine is a widely used SNRI antidepressant. It is mainly prescribed for depression, but doctors may also recommend it for anxiety disorders and panic attacks.
Venlafaxine, sold under brand names such as Effexor and Effexor XR, is a prescription antidepressant classified as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. It helps regulate mood by raising levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain, chemicals that play a key role in emotional balance and mental stability.
The medicine is usually taken as a tablet or capsule. It works by increasing levels of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain, chemicals that help regulate mood. According to NHS guidance, venlafaxine tends to cause fewer side effects than older antidepressants. That said, it is not completely free of risks.
Most people begin to notice some improvement within one to two weeks, although it can take four to six weeks for the drug to have its full effect.
Common side effects listed by the NHS include sweating, nausea, a dry mouth, and headaches. These are generally mild and often ease as the body adjusts to the medication.
However, there are other, more serious side effects that may need prompt medical advice. While these reactions are uncommon and affect fewer than one in 100 people, the NHS advises contacting 111 or a GP if they occur.
NHS advice says you should speak to your GP if you notice unexpected weight gain or weight loss, or sudden changes to your menstrual cycle. This may include spotting, bleeding between periods, or unusually heavy periods.
Patients are also advised to contact their doctor or NHS 111 without delay if they experience any of the following symptoms while taking venlafaxine:
Credits: Canva
As adenovirus cases continue to rise globally, health professionals have noticed that this potentially serious infection is sometimes being mistaken for another illness, what many are calling the ‘super flu’.
For those unfamiliar, adenovirus is a DNA virus that gradually affects a person’s upper and lower respiratory tract, as well as other organs. This can include the eyes, digestive system, and kidneys.
According to Dr. Deborah Lee at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, who spoke to Cosmopolitan: "It spreads when someone breathes in infected droplets, touches the virus and then rubs their eyes, or through the faecal-oral route (not washing hands properly after using the toilet)."
"It moves quickly in crowded spaces where people are close together." She added, "The virus is resistant to soap and many commonly used cleaning products."
The reassuring news about adenovirus is that most people recover within a week or two. Its symptoms are often similar to those of a common cold.
Typical signs include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. In more severe cases, patients may also experience conjunctivitis, ear pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach aches, or urinary tract infections.
Certain groups are at higher risk of serious illness. Dr. Lee notes, "Babies and children under five, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are the most vulnerable."
Although adenovirus symptoms often resemble those of a typical flu, it’s important to know when someone is dealing with the flu—or worse, the current ‘super flu’ that’s circulating widely.
One way to tell the difference is by how long someone is sick. Adenovirus tends to develop gradually, whereas the ‘normal’ flu often hits suddenly, with high fever and intense symptoms within hours, Lee explains. Common flu symptoms also include a high temperature (38–40°C), severe headache, and extreme fatigue.
Other key differences: adenovirus can occur throughout the year, while flu is mostly seasonal. Adenovirus can also cause pink eye and gastrointestinal problems like vomiting or diarrhea, but it’s less likely to lead to serious complications compared to flu.
Doctors say it’s not only the regular flu that needs to be distinguished from adenovirus, but also the current ‘super flu,’ which is causing particularly dramatic symptoms.
This infection is caused by the H3N2 virus and tends to be more severe than typical winter illnesses, especially in the UK.
"Past data shows H3N2 has been linked to more hospitalizations and deaths from flu, especially among adults over 65 and young children, compared with other flu types," Lee explained. When comparing the ‘super flu’ to adenovirus, she notes that the symptoms are very similar.
However, she stresses that the ‘super flu’ is considered much more intense. Not only can your sore throat feel agonizing, but aches and pains may be strong enough to confine you to bed.
While adenovirus and the so-called ‘super flu’ can feel very similar, there are subtle differences to watch for. Adenovirus usually develops gradually, with fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and sometimes pink eye or digestive upset. Most healthy individuals recover within a week or two. In contrast, the ‘super flu,’ caused by the H3N2 virus, hits hard and fast—high fever, intense body aches, severe fatigue, and an agonizing sore throat are common.
Both illnesses can affect vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, but the super flu tends to bring more extreme symptoms that may require hospitalization. Understanding these distinctions can help people recognize the illness early and seek appropriate care.

Credits: AI Generated
Have you ever described feeling “cold feet,” “a gut instinct,” or “a shiver down your spine”? These common expressions might seem trivial, but they reflect something real. Emotional body mapping can help explain why.
Just as anxiety or depression can show up as physical symptoms, our emotions often register in specific areas of the body. Emotions guide much of how we experience the world, yet many of us rarely stop to notice how they affect us physically.
If you struggle to put your feelings into words, learning how emotions manifest in the body can help you connect more deeply with yourself.
A 2014 study by Glerean and colleagues identified 13 emotions and the specific areas of the body they activate—or don’t. Similar to a heat map, warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) indicate increased activity, while cooler colors (blue, green, indigo) indicate decreased activity.
If these maps resonate with your own experiences, they can provide insight into how emotions influence your body and overall well-being.
The researchers proposed that each emotion triggers distinct physical reactions. They asked 701 participants to shade regions on a body silhouette where they felt heightened or reduced activity in response to various stimuli.
These stimuli mirrored real-life experiences: clips from films, conversations, and unexpected facial expressions. Across the participant pool, emotions consistently affected similar areas of the body.
A follow-up study in 2018 by the same team found that the intensity of bodily sensations mirrored the intensity of the emotion in the mind. In other words, stronger physical feelings were linked with stronger mental experiences.
From this, researchers categorized feelings as:
Few emotions, such as surprise, were found to be neutral. Participants also reported that pleasant and controllable states occurred more often than unpleasant and uncontrollable ones. Anyone who has experienced overwhelming anxiety or depression will recognize that feeling of being out of control.

Certain emotions trigger strong physical responses, often preparing the body for action, such as the fight-or-flight response.
These emotions involve a withdrawal of energy and sensation from the body.
Understanding where emotions manifest in the body can help us become more aware of our physical and mental states. From the warmth of happiness in the chest to the heaviness of depression in the limbs, our bodies carry the signals of our feelings. Paying attention to these sensations not only deepens self-awareness but can also guide us in managing stress, improving well-being, and responding to emotions more mindfully.
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