There's nothing quite like a spinach-related E. coli outbreak to give a nutritionist a headache.

It's hard enough to get people to eat salad at the best of times, let alone when the FDA have handed them the perfect excuse to walk straight past the salad bar and into KFC.

However, my bad day was put into perspective when I remembered a festival I went to in England a few years ago.

At dawn, over 100 hot air balloons went up into the sky simultaneously ? mainly promotional novelty shapes: Bob the Builder, Pepsi bottles, a Michelin man ... you get the idea.

In contrast, Durex (the UK Trojan equivalent), had opted for a simply branded, basic balloon. Fair enough, any novelty shape relevant to Durex might have upset the mums and toddlers.

However, their profile was heightened when after a close encounter with Bob the Builder's hammer, the Durex balloon split all the way down one side and crashed into a pine tree. Seriously. And they say there's no such thing as bad publicity.

So, although sometimes you just can't put a positive spin on certain stories, the US spinach fiasco is not one of them. Fortunately the only spinach affected is from certain states in the US and Bermudian, home-grown spinach is just as healthy as ever. Rich in nutrients such as vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folic acid, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, potassium and B6, spinach is also a good source of dietary fibre and the omega-3 fatty acids (good fats).

All this means that spinach helps to protect the heart and prostate, reduces risk of cancer, improves eyesight and nurtures the brain and nervous system.

And, in response to all those cheeky people who are suggesting that KFC is now a safer option, I would also argue that fried chicken has killed more people than contaminated spinach ever will, especially when current Government statistics show that 33 percent of adults in Bermuda are obese ? a higher average than the States!

E. coli may sound scary, but we need to keep it in perspective. Every single one of us has E. coli in our lower intestines already where it helps to break down and digest food.

In fact, each bowel movement you have (you know how fond I am of this subject!) will contain between 100 billion and 10 trillion E. coli bacteria.

Now, this is not to say that E. coli is not dangerous.

Certain strains, especially the O157:H7 strain, do cause mild-severe illnesses in humans and are a particular worry for infants, seniors and those with compromised immune systems.

I am also not saying that it's okay to risk eating US spinach at the moment ? no lawsuits please. However, consider this. A recent US study showed that over 435,000 deaths were attributed to smoking in one year. In comparison, 400,000 further deaths were attributed to poor diets and inactivity. So although the E. coli outbreak has been linked to over 100 deaths in the States, a poor diet is a much more serious risk.

So with all this in mind ? buy some Bermudian spinach and make some salads. This salad is one of my favourites and filling enough at lunchtime to get you through the day. If you can't find Bermudian spinach, just substitute it with any other homegrown salad leaves instead.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Clinical Nutritionist. She can be contacted at 291 4725 or clinicalnutritiongmail.com.