Newbie here- What to avoid ?

[Ihavehope]

Hey newbie here

What foods should I TOTALLY avoid

besides raw meat/sushi/ unpasteurized cheese?

[cubbybear]

Apart from raw, uncooked or poorly cooked red/white meats/seafood or coldcuts (processed sliced meats), you should avoid unpasturised dairy products, moldy cheeses, and try and drink purified or bottled water.  Eggs should be cooked fully, no runny egg whites or yolks!  This also includes avoiding foods like real egg mayo's and caesar salad dressing etc.

Fruit and Veges should be washed, and all food preparation areas should be cleaned regularly and thoroughly.  Basically you want to avoid ingesting any bacteria that is capable of causing illness, and washing your hands regularly also helps there, especially if you are touching your face, biting fingernails etc.

Having said that, I have never been a fan of going without my favourite foods, like Sushi, and even when my CD4 count was 35, I was still eating everything I shouldn't have.. so just use common sense if you find it hard to give up certain foods like I did.  Make sure you buy food from hygenic, clean places where food is stored and prepared/packaged correctly and safely, and make sure it is fresh.

[bear60]

I wonder if you understand the raw meat problem.  From your statement its hard to tell.  So here goes:  what I understand is that
1. Ground meats are more likely to be a problem than solid chunks of raw anything. That goes for hamburger meat, ground turkey or anything ground.  Reason:  e coli on the grinding machine or being MIXED into the meat.  I always order my burger well done....Burn it!
2. As for chunks of solid raw meat....tuna fish or salmon steak or beef steak....it only has to reach a certain temperature on the surface and can be served "rare".  I however was at a party where a huge chunk of tuna was cooked on the grill and everyone who ate it got sick. I always order my fish cooked through.  No rare, no raw seafood. I have eaten plenty of steaks..a bit on the rare side with never a problem.
3.Sushi is a grey area...its the raw tuna that is the problem.  I would never eat raw seafood, but if you know your sushi I guess its up to you.  My exception is: ceviche...which is marinated to the point it is "cooked through" by the acid in the vinegar and lime juice
Modified to add: this is from Philly267 in another thread
Cautions about raw things include:
Raw sprouts.
Raw or undercooked eggs.
Raw shellfish, such as oysters.