With summer and its accompanying picnics and outdoor food fests fast approaching....
With summer and its accompanying picnics and outdoor food fests fast approaching, more outbreaks are likely to mar the fun of unsuspecting diners this year. We live in a global food economy and most people purchase and consume foods produced thousands of miles away that are often packaged in bulk to simplify food preparation at home and in restaurants.
Meat, poultry and fish may come from huge farms where hundreds of thousands of animals are raised together, increasing the chance that food poisoning organisms will spread widely before they are detected.
You can protect yourself up to a point if you take proper precautions with the foods you purchase.
Most important: keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Never place raw meat, poultry or fish in the fridge where it can drip onto other foods, especially foods already cooked and fresh fruits and vegetables that may be consumed raw.
Don’t defrost frozen foods on the counter. Take them out of the freezer in ample time for them to thaw in the fridge or use a microwave oven with a defrost feature.
Food safety experts advise against rinsing raw meat, poultry and fish in the sink; it risks spreading noxious organisms on surfaces that will later come into contact with foods eaten raw.
Before preparing to cook, use soap and warm water to wash your hands, under your nails and up to your wrists. Use a commercial cleanser or a solution of one teaspoon of bleach in a quart of water to clean kitchen surfaces.
You look your most attractive when you have a strong jawline. To accentuate and define your jaw, elongate your body and neck by imagining you’re being pulled up by a string attached to the top of your head. Once you’ve giraffed yourself to the best of your ability, jut your forehead and chin toward the camera.
More symmetrical faces might look good straight on, but you’ll probably want to turn your head slightly to highlight a particular side.
Most people have a more attractive side, which tends to correspond with where they part their hair. To find yours, shoot a series of three selfies: First look straight at the camera, nose at 12 o’clock; turn to the right, nose at 1 o’clock; then to the left, at 11 o’clock.
Don’t say “cheese” or open your lips unless you’re genuinely laughing. A majority of the population can’t smile with their teeth and look real. Opt for closed lips with just the hint of a smile.
A compelling portrait contains a slight narrative tension that makes the viewer want to know more. Avoid opening your eyes wide, which will make you look blank and thoughtless. Instead, raise your lower eyelid up toward your pupil.
If that’s not what you’re going for, look directly at the camera and imagine a real person on the other side - your mom, your child, a customer. Practicing in the mirror ahead of time helps, too.
Don’t position yourself around your perceived flaws. Find a posture that makes you feel confident, even radiant.
Compiled by Usama Rasheed
