POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Nutrition & HIV => Topic started by: Ac75088 on July 10, 2012, 06:06:40 pm
-
I am undetectable and have a decent CD4 count..Being born on the east coast, I LOVE raw oysters, but since being diagnosed I have stayed away for the most part..my immune system was a little compromised last year before I started treatment, but since it has built up, is there still a high risk with undercooked or raw foods?
-
AC, I would run this question past your doc. When I was first dxd, I stayed away from a lot of foods.
From the CDC:
You can protect yourself from many infections by preparing food and drinks properly.
Meat, poultry (such as chicken or turkey), and fish can make you sick if they are raw, undercooked, or spoiled. Raw fruits and vegetables are safe to eat if you wash them carefully first. Don’t drink water straight from lakes, rivers, streams, or springs.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/brochures/food.htm
My doc later told me that I could eat whatever I wanted but I asked...
-
I also love raw oysters. I probably ate 4 or 5 dozen on my vacation to Mexico in Nov. I was diagnosed in April but was probably infected in early 2010. I wouldn't hesitate to eat them now, if they were in season. But that is me. I have friends who have beenj warning me of the "dangers" of oysters for years.. but you bring up a great point, i will have to ask my doc. I am also very fond of sushi..
-
If your cd4 count is considered to be within normal range there's no reason that you must refrain from raw oysters, sashimi, ceviche etc. I also periodically indulge in raw, unpasteurized milk and cheeses.
The CDC link would apply to HIV-negative individuals as well -- the emphasis being on the phrase "can make you sick" not "will".
I could really go for some steak tartare right now. I had some a few months ago when I was in NYC.
All that said, the thing you should consider should be more along the lines of the quality of the place that you are obtaining this type of food. I won't eat raw oysters in some dive-type place, and will only order steak tartare at a very reputable restaurant.
ps: If I had a cd4 count of 218 like Mrmojorisin then yes, I would refrain from eating these types of food.
-
I could really go for some steak tartare right now. I had some a few months ago when I was in NYC.
You will get mad cow disease , don't you have a waffle house nearby where you can get a decent meal or a patty melt or something .
-
All that said, the thing you should consider should be more along the lines of the quality of the place that you are obtaining this type of food. I won't eat raw oysters in some dive-type place, and will only order steak tartare at a very reputable restaurant.
This.
Which applies to you with your healthy immune system, and HIV+, and to any HIV- person as well.
Hell, I thought steak tartare was forbidden now in the USA!?
-
Thanks everyone! I'll also ask my doc when I see him next month. I get oysters at pappadeaux usually and they are an awesome clean place, but just wanted extra piece of mind
-
Hell, I thought steak tartare was forbidden now in the USA!?
Where did you hear this? I had it at Prime Meats in Brooklyn several months ago -- it's a farm to table restaurant that also does all of their butchering in-house. I actually had raw oysters with it too -- it was two appetizers and they were split with my dining partner. Double the rawness!
Some things are down to the state level, like Pennsylvania allows the selling of raw milk whereas NY state does not. I don't think NJ does either.
But there are federal restrictions too. Such as if I want Époisse the only kind allowed is one brand made with pasteurized milk aged a minimum of 60 days, and of course the read deal is made with raw milk aged for only six weeks. Actually you can make cheese from raw milk in the US, it just has to be aged 60 days.
linky (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/business/05cheese.html)
btw: the referenced cheese in the top picture, Jasper Hill's Winnimere, is my very favorite cheese at the moment. It is incredible.
-
Steak Tartare isn't forbidden however, fois gras was recently outlawed in California but that's a different topic.
I eat raw oysters, sushi, sashimi, steak tartare, pretty much everything. In fact I have some raw milk in my refrigerator from a local dairy (it's allowed in Washington State and it's delicious). Like P said, make sure it's quality. Usually with raw oysters and sashimi you can gauge how fresh it is. If it smells like fish, don't eat it. It should smell clean and crisp and not fishy.
-
btw, the rather rare Cape May Salt oyster is a local specialty in Philadelphia. They are the best. You can also find them on the menu at The Plaza Hotel in NYC. Other somewhat nearby local notables are Bluepoints from Long Island Sound and Chincoteagues from the Chesapeake Bay. All three taste very different than Puget Sound varieties.
And yes, I am an annoying locavore.
-
Never eaten steak tartare in my life.
-
Love raw oysters. Never ever gotten sick from seafood, despite my near addiction to sushi and sashimi
Love steak tartare, but always prefer Pittsburgh Style if a cook knows how to make it happen. Otherwise, extremely rare.
I do cook my poultry to temp though. That shit is where the real danger is.
-
I like my meat raw, but not beef, seafood, pork, lamb, goat* or any type of poultry. ;)
*Yes, I have eaten goat. Didn't much like it, but I don't like lamb either and they are somewhat similar, with goat having a stronger taste.
I don't eat offal either. It's awful.
The only type of fish I've ever liked is fish straight off the deck and into the pan, so I haven't had any fresh fish since I quit commercial fishing. I like fish cakes though, provided they've been made with really fresh fish.
Yeah, I know, who cares. ;D
-
The oysters I ate in Mexico were freshly harvested just an hour before sold to me...
-
I don't eat offal either. It's awful.
I had to look that up , wish I didn't know LOL .
-
I had to look that up , wish I didn't know LOL .
Come to think of it, I don't think I ever heard that word before moving across the pond. I once saw a cookbook on sale called Cooking with Offal. All it had was recipes for thinks like steak and kidney pie, and liver and onions and how to choose the best tripe or ox tongue. Yuck.
-
"offal" has been used in foodie circles in the northeast for a long time. You two are simply plebes.
-
"offal" has been used in foodie circles in the northeast for a long time. You two are simply plebes.
Don't be a hater because I eat higher on the hog ;) .
-
"offal" has been used in foodie circles in the northeast for a long time. You two are simply plebes.
I have no problem being a foodie-circle plebe. I've never been a foodie. I don't follow fashion or wear designer gear nor do I wear make-up. I'm happy with that and if you're not, eh. So what.
And I still say offal is awful. It was aptly named, even if the spelling isn't the same. The pronunciation is almost exactly the same so yeah. Offal = awful. That's only my opinion - I don't discriminate against offal lovers. Just don't try to feed me the stuff!
-
I have no problem being a foodie-circle plebe. I've never been a foodie. I don't follow fashion or wear designer gear nor do I wear make-up. I'm happy with that and if you're not, eh. So what.
Do you need a tissue?
-
Do you need a tissue?
No thank you - do you need one? I would imagine you go through boxes of Kleenex like nobody's business. :o