That One Time I Got Food Poisoning...
I’ll never forget the night I got sick from what seemed like an innocent homemade chicken sandwich. Everything tasted fine, smelled fine — but by morning, I was curled up in bed with a fever, cramps, and the kind of regret that makes you rethink your whole approach to leftovers.
Food poisoning isn’t just a “bad meal” experience — it can be intense, scary, and frankly, a bit humbling. And I’m not alone. Millions of people each year go through the same thing. What’s worse? Most of it is preventable.
After that episode, I started digging into what really causes foodborne illness, and I found this super clear guide that breaks it all down: causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. You can find it here:
https://askdocdoc.com/articles/702-food-poisoning--causes-symptoms-treatment--prevention
It's by AskDocDoc, and it helped me realize how much I didn’t know.
For instance, I used to think food poisoning came from shady fast food or expired dairy. But turns out, it's often the safe-looking, everyday stuff that gets you. I came across this post on LinkedIn that blew my mind:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_contrary-to-popular-belief-most-foodborne-activity-7349067657628831744-_eqQ?
It says most foodborne illnesses actually come from foods we eat all the time — like eggs, deli meats, even pre-washed salad mixes.
And here’s a reality check: just because food smells okay doesn’t mean it’s safe. This tweet about leftovers really hit home for me:
https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1943301861693341911
Basically, reheating something doesn’t always make it safe — timing and storage matter so much more than I thought.
One thing I totally overlooked before? How quickly dehydration can hit you. This post on Instagram spells it out:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7dP_xKvx4/
Especially if you’re throwing up and can’t keep fluids down, it gets dangerous fast.
Since that wake-up call, I’ve been trying to be more intentional in my kitchen. I found this fridge storage chart on Pinterest that now lives on my fridge:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279435820764
It shows how long different leftovers actually last — and spoiler: it’s not as long as you’d think.
Lastly, I saw this post from a community health clinic on Facebook, and it really stuck with me:
https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122132403242743210
It reminded me not to ignore symptoms or just "wait it out." If you're still sick after a couple of days — or worse, seeing blood in your stool or getting dizzy — go get help. Seriously.
So yeah, one sandwich taught me more than a dozen YouTube cooking videos ever did. These days, I check internal temperatures, I don’t push expiration dates, and I definitely don’t trust my nose over science.