Low Microbial Diet

Everybody knows there are all kinds of diets out there. Of course, we mainly hear of the ones to help you supposedly lose weight. Well, there are also other kinds of diets out there. The kind that are for people who NEED a special diet due to cancer treatment and the immunosuppression they have because of chemo, radiation and for what I have coming up, my autologous stem cell transplant.

My diet I will be on is called the Low Microbial Diet. What is the Low Microbial Diet you may ask? Well, it will reduce your risk of getting sick while your immune system is weak, such as after chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. While reading up on this diet, I have also seen it called the Low Bacteria Diet. Which is a meal plan that involves choosing, preparing and cooking foods with low amounts of bacteria. Ingesting bacteria while you are immunosuppressed can cause an infection in your body. This diet will help keep infections down and allow your body to heal during and after treatment and transplant.

Sounds kind of complicated doesn't it? After really reading about it a few nights ago while Brandon was sleeping, it really isn't too complicated. Confusing at times, but not too complicated. Basically, stay away from expired foods, discard any moldy foods, restaurants, fast food, non pasteurized foods, make sure to wash fruits and vegetables and hands before eating and while preparing foods, and all foods must be stored and handled properly to avoid food-related infections and illness. Keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot and refrigerate any leftovers immediately after use. Also, discard any left overs after three days. Easy? Possibly! The tough part for me I think will be not being able to have some foods I love. But, if it means it will help me heal faster/better, then by all means I will stick to it.

What can I can I not have? I will start with the "no-no's".
Foods I can NOT have are:
*Dairy:
            - Milk or milk products, yogurt and cheese that are raw or have not been pasteurized.
            - Cheese from a deli counter and cheese that contains chili peppers or uncooked vegetables.
            - Cheeses with molds, such as blue, Stilton, gorgonzola, and Roquefort cheese.
            - Aged cheese, such as sharp cheddar, brie, feta, and farmer's cheese.
* Protein foods:
            - Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, game, eggs, and tofu.
            - Meat and cold cuts from deli counters and hot dogs (unless reheated until steaming hot).
            - Smoked or pickled salmon or other fish.
            - Tempe (tempeh) products.
            - Roasted nuts in the shell or unfrosted raw nuts.
* Fruits and vegetables:
            - Unwashed raw fruits, vegetables and herbs.
            - All raw vegetable sprouts, such as alfalfa, reddish, and broccoli.
            - Salads from a deli or a salad bar.
            - Salsa stored in a refrigerated case.
* Grain products and soups:
            - Uncooked grain products.
            - Miso products, such as miso soup.
            - Breads, rolls, and pastries from self-service bins.
* Drinks: 
            - Well water (unless it is tested yearly and found to be safe).
            - Brewed tea made with warm or cold water.
            - Fruit and vegetable juices that have not been pasteurized.
* Other foods:
            - Fresh salad dressing made with aged cheese.
            - Raw honey.
            - Herbal supplements (pills).

Whew! That's a lot, right? Some of the items I can not believe, others I totally understand.
Now, for the items I CAN have:
*Dairy:
            - Pasteurized milk and yogurt (Pasteurization is a process that heats food in order to destroy         
              bacteria).
            - Commercially packaged cheese made with pasteurized milk, such as mild and medium                
              cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and Swiss cheese.
* Protein foods:
            - All well-cooked meats, such as beef, pork, turkey, chicken, fish, and shellfish.
            - Canned meat and fish and meat spreads.
            - Well-cooked eggs, egg substitutes, and tofu.
            - Reheated deli meats and hot dogs.
            - Nuts in baked products, shelled roasted nuts, canned or bottled roasted nuts, peanut butter.
* Fruits and vegetables:
            - Canned, frozen, and dried fruits.
            - Pasteurized fruit juice.
            - Raw fruit, vegetables, and herbs that are washed well.
            - Frozen, canned, and cooked vegetables.
* Grains:
            - Breads, bagels, rolls, muffins, pancakes, and waffles.
            - Packaged snacks, such and potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn.
            - Cooked pasta, rice, and other grains.
            - Cooked-and-ready to eat cereals.
* Drinks: 
            - Tap, bottled, distilled, and spring water.
            - Instant and brewed coffee and tea made with boiling water.
            - Brewed herbal tea made with packaged tea bags.
* Other foods:
            - Refrigerated commercial and homemade cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, and pudding.
            - Condiments that have been refrigerated after opening, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue 
              sauce, soy sauce.
            - Jam, jelly, and syrup that has been refrigerated after opening. 

Looks complicated, right? But, when you really look at it and read about it, it really isn't too bad. The precautions to take while shopping for your food, preparing, cooking, storing, and even cleaning the kitchen are all the same things you should do anyway. Things like looking at the expiration date. Look for fruits and vegetables that appear fresh and ask a grocery store worker how fresh they are. Do not buy food in dented or bulging cans, torn boxes, or leaky plastic wrappers. I know with that one, it sometimes appeals to buyers because you can get it at a discount. Make sure to wash your hands, thaw foods in a refrigerator or microwave, do not refreeze thawed foods, wash fruits and vegetables under running water before peeling or eating them, use separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables, wash the top of the cans with soap and warm water before opening them during preparation. While cooking, make sure to cook meats until well done, use a separate spoon to taste and stir, never leave food out of the refrigerator for more that two hours and items with eggs or mayonnaise in them no longer than one hour, and throw away food that has been in the refrigerator for more than two to three days. To decrease bacteria in the kitchen, make sure to wash dishcloths and sponges every day using bleach and hot water and rinsing well and replacing the sponges once a week, wipe up spills and keep your kitchen clean using 1 tablespoon of bleach with 1 quart of warm water to clean your kitchen, and wash cutting boards in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher after using them.

You are really not allowed to eat at restaurants, but some things you should stay away from when out is yogurt and ice cream from soft-serve machines. Salad bars, deli counters, buffets, and food carts. Avoid potlucks and food kept under warming lights. And avoid condiments (such as mustard or ketchup) from self-serve containers. Honestly, I can tell you that I will NOT be eating out. Just to make sure I don't have the risk of getting bacteria and an infection. I can do that. We do that already. Well, mostly. We do eat out sometimes, but I am a lot more careful about what I eat and what I stay away from.

The Low Microbial Diet really isn't too hard. Complicated sometimes. You may take more time in the grocery store when getting your food really looking at the product. But, to keep the risk of infection down and help make me better again, it will be time well spent.