Roadside Dietitian

By Pam Whitfield, MS, RD and Don Jacobson

Clean up your act – your hands, that is!

There’s gross…and then there’s gross. Drivers tell us about guys who use the truck stop restroom, blow right past the sink and hit the buffet line. Aside from making you want to wrap yourself in plastic and buy a gallon of hand sanitizer, people who don’t wash their hands can make you sick.

     Did you ever wonder why the candy dish by the cash register has vanished?

     You don’t have to be a CSI to imagine the crud that covers doorknobs and handles, tabletops, chairs and packages in the C-Store. And those ghoulies can lead to a menu of illnesses…from colds and flu to worse. It’s stuff that will make you feel miserable or put you in the hospital!

Sing Happy Birthday

     Washing your hands is one preventive measure we all can take to keep ourselves healthy and to avoid infecting others. Now, we aren’t talking about a “splash and dash” flyby. You need about 20 to 30 seconds of real soapy washing to do the job. About as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday.”

     Here’s when you really need to lather up:

• Before you eat or prepare food
• After using the bathroom
• After touching pets
• After inspecting the truck

     Use your imagination. Your hands carry a lot more than boxes. Keeping ‘em clean is the top way to stay healthy! Let’s hear you singing and splashing!

Pam Whitfield and Don Jacobson are the authors of
Roadcookin’: A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating (2008). They can be reached at their Web site roadcookin.com or on Twitter at Roadcookin.