Short messages on Diet & exercise from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Refrigerate or freeze fresh meat and poultry products as soon after purchasing as possible. Freeze it if you won’t cook it within a day or two of the sell-by date.
Do not defrost frozen meat and poultry products at room temperature. Keeping the products cold during defrosting is the key to preventing bacteria from growing.
Frozen meat should be completely thawed before you start cooking it. This is to ensure the centre (which is frozen the most) reaches the right internal temperature for cooking without overcooking the outside.
Food made from any type of minced meat, such as sausages and burgers, must be cooked thoroughly all the way through to be safe.
Some meat, such as steaks and joints of beef or lamb, can be served rare (not cooked in the middle) as long as the outside has been properly cooked. This will kill any bacteria that might be on the outside of the meat.
Wash fruit and vegetables under clean running water to remove soil and bacteria. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables also helps to remove bacteria.
If you are in open water and feel a serious cramp starting remember how buoyant your wetsuit is, roll onto your back, float and try to stretch it out.
If you ever get muscle cramps whilst doing an activity which puts you into danger – like swimming, cycling or driving – get yourself to a safe place as quickly as possible and call for help if you need to.
Muscle cramps can be caused by overexertion of the calf muscles while exercising, insufficient stretching before exercise, muscle fatigue and dehydration.
Muscle cramps are a common and usually harmless condition where the muscle suddenly becomes tight and painful, from a few seconds to 10 minutes. It usually occurs in the calf muscles, although it can affect any part of your leg, including your feet and thighs.