Ice from fast food restaurants dirtier than toilet water

Washington: Ice from fast food restaurants is dirtier than toilet water, a school science project by a 12-year-old found.

Jasmine Roberts collected ice samples from five restaurants in South Florida for her award-winning project-from both self-serve machines inside the restaurant and from drive-thru windows.

She then collected toilet water samples from the same restaurants and tested all of them for bacteria at the University of South Florida.

In several cases, the ice tested positive for E. coli bacteria, which comes from human waste and has been linked to several illness outbreaks across the country, ABC News reported.

"These [bacteria] don`t belong there. It`s not cause for panic, although it is alarming because what she found is nothing new. You`re not more likely to get sick now. But she`s done us a favor by sounding the alarm," Dr. David Katz, medical contributor to `Good Morning America` said.

Both Roberts and Katz said that the ice is likely dirtier because machines aren`t cleaned and people use unwashed hands to scoop ice.

Toilet water is also surprisingly bacteria-free, because it comes from sanitized city water supplies.

Roberts got interested in the project after reading a newspaper article about bacteria in airplane water and decided to do something similar. Plus, she said, all of her friends chew on ice, and it drives her crazy.

To stay in shape, junk fast food, exercise

Weight gain is a result of chemical imbalance in the body and getting the balance right holds the key to a perfect shape.

Weight gain is a result of chemical imbalance in the body and getting the balance right holds the key to a perfect shape.

Research has found automation in job, decreased exercise due to easy transportation has dramatically reduced calorie-burning. This, coupled with consumption of high-calorie food in excess is making us obsese.

To shape up, changing lifestyle is the way. Reduce calorie intake, choose home-cooked food over processed food, cut down on hours spent watching TV or working on PC, maintain a balanced diet of nutrients , learn to manage stress, relax and meditate and last but not the least, exercising an hour daily to get your dream shape. Easy, isn’t it? Start now.
- Tanushree Amrute, std IX–C

In the absence of a healthy mind, a healthy body is useless. A person with a fit body can work long hours and complete multiple tasks in quick time.

‘Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’.

Indeed, proper rest is essential for physical fitness. A balanced diet and exercise are also equally important. We should avoid junk food because it has excess calories and anything in excess is bad. A glutton can never be healthy.

Happiness comes from the heart and mind. If we are happy we will definitely be in shape. A healthy mind and healthy body keep us happy.
- Anjali Ved, 8–A

Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy

Health is important than wealth. A brisk walk and other exercises are a way to fitness. One should maintain a balanced diet, avoid junk food and sleep well. Many people say one must eat to live rather than live to eat.

These days, fast food joints have cropped up everywhere and the food they serve has excess calories. Excess calories are not good for the heart and health in general. One should realise it is quality, not quantity, that matters.

Going to the gym and aerobics keep muscles and joints in shape.

Yoga helps in weight management and keeps one stress-free. Keeping fit is not an option but a necessity for a happy and healthy life.

- Palak Vesmawala, 8–A

Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy

A healthy mind in a healthy body is my motto. But it requires self-discipline to practice what we preach. An important way of keeping in shape is consuming a healthy and balanced diet and adequate amount of water. We need to look at quality, not quantity, of the food we eat. Say no to junk food as it adds unnecessary calories without nutrition.

Stress contributes to obesity as a stressed man is not able to keep track of how much he eats.

A growing child needs to concentrate on studies. Leisure time should be spent doing yoga, meditation and playing outdoor games. Going to the gym strengthens muscles and bones.

However, excessive obsession is not healthy. One must accept body type and respect it.

“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.”

— Spanish proverb

- Sanaya Shenoy, VIII C, 11,

Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy

Staying in shape is all about making a good diet choice and following it. It is a simple combination of a healthy diet and good exercise. We need to pick up good habits and maintain them.

A brisk walk every day for around 45 minutes takes care of your body. It helps manage stress and reduce weight. Let us stay away from junk food. “We eat to live, not live to eat”.

Let us motivate our family and friends to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let us take advice/guidance from a fitness instructor. Yes, it would be difficult to start with but once we see the improvement in health, there is no looking back. Let us not forget, health is wealth.

- Shruthi Prasad, VIII-B

Lady Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy

A tired body and a tired mind make a person uneasy, unhealthy and unfit to enjoy the good things of life. Often, we find people irritated and getting hyper and going bla bla bla.

These are symptoms of tiredness of mind and body that require ample rest.

I make sure I get adequate sleep as sleep time is when the body rejuvenates. A good sleep ensures energy to face everyday challenges of life.

- Vashi eshwar Iyer, Father Agnel

Laughing relieves stress.

Of late there have been clubs that call one and all to come out in the open and laugh out loud. This is an exercise which keeps the mind calm and in control.

I have joined a laughter club in my colony which gives me lots of happiness. It is my way of staying in shape.

- Avani, Rawal International School

A fit mind and body are what you need to be a good dancer that I am.

I have been passionate about dancing right since childhood. I used to take part in school programmes and win traditional dance competitions. Later, I leant bharatanatyam.

Without a healthy mind and body one cannot perform this art form that requires energy and mental agility.

To be fit and strong I take good food which is devoid of fat and has iron content. To keep my mind in shape I enjoy the company of nature early morns by jogging and listening to good music.

- prakriti iyer , Sri Ma Vidyalaya

We live to eat, not eat to live. Eating is the most enjoyable part in our daily routine that gives us satisfaction and delights both our stomach and mind. A good diet full of nutrients will give us the energy required to be mentally and physically fit.

Children of today are exposed to junk food early and relish it too. But this deteriorates health and makes one tired, angry and irritable.

Home-made food is the best children can have to keep fit and strong.It is not that they should refrain from hamburgers, pizzas and chips.

They should limit this food and eat it in moderation. Green vegetables , fruits give us a lot of vitamins and keep us healthy.

- Vashi Vinayak Pake, Father Agnel

Fast foods: 10 surprisingly healthy fast foods

Nowadays, fast food consumption is very common and on the rise. Everyone loves to gorge on them especially the younger generation.

Many are not aware that the fast foods like burgers, fries, fried chicken, cutlets, samosas, etc are unhealthy foodstuffs which are not only rich in saturated and trans fatty acids but also deficient in vitamins, minerals and fibres. These add not only inches to the waist line but also clog the heart vessels with unhealthy fatty deposits thus leading to various lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart disease, hypertension, etc.

Studies have shown that fast foods are linked to a 39% increased risk of severe asthma in teenagers and 27% increased risk among children aged six and seven. Knowing the popularity yet the harmful effects of these food items, these days many restaurants have opted to serve a healthier version of fast foods. The modification includes baking or grilling instead of frying and by incorporating more veggies while preparing it. Today, with the help of Ms. Sunita Pathania - Sr. Registered Dietician and Diabetes Educator, Healthy Living Diet Clinic, Mumbai, we list down surprisingly healthy fast foods, on which you can gorge on easily without worrying about clogging your arteries.

Healthy fast foods # 1: Whole wheat baked veg. burger
The bun or the bread used is now prepared from whole wheat flour instead of refined flour or maida. This ensures a good amount of fiber intake. Also, the patty used as a stuffing is baked instead of deep frying, which automatically cuts down the excess calories. The patty is prepared by using different veggies like carrots, french beans, green peas, potatoes, beetroot, etc.

Sometimes, a dash of green color can be obtained by adding few leaves of spinach or mint leaves in the patty. In between the bun and the patty, veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrot, lettuce, etc can be used. This not only increases the healthy fiber in the food but also increases the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in it. To avoid increasing the fat content in it, limit intake of butter and cheese. Thus, a healthy nutritious veg burger is ready to be eaten.

Healthy fast foods # 2: Whole wheat baked non-veg. burger
If you can't live without non-veg food, yet want to be healthy, then this fast food is for you. Use whole wheat bread and stuff it with minced chicken along with lots of veggies to make a chicken patty. This burger will add taste to your tongue along with making it a healthy chicken burger.

Healthy fast foods # 3: Whole wheat veg. pizzas
A pizza could be made healthy by choosing or preparing the base out of whole wheat flour rather than refined flour. Also, the toppings on it can be healthier by putting vegetables like pureed spinach, along with tomatoes, capsicum, onions, corn, beetroot, olives, carrots etc. Garnishing with tons of grated cheese is not recommended. Thus, this pizza is not only low in fat but also rich in fibres, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Healthy fast foods # 4: Baked samosa
Baking samosas instead of deep frying reduces the calories, thus it makes it a healthy option. The outer covering should be prepared with whole wheat flour and the stuffing could include mixed chopped boil veggies such as peas, carrots, potatoes, etc.

Healthy fast foods # 5: Baked cutlets
Baking the cutlets instead of frying is another healthier option. This reduces the calories intake by lowering the fat consumption to a great extent without losing on fibres, vitamins and other nutrients as the stuffing includes veggies such as carrots, peas, french beans, potatoes, beetroot, etc. Mince or finely shredded chicken could be added for the non-vegetarians.

Healthy fast foods # 6: Baked potato chips The famous French fries, loaded with salt and fats can be made healthy by baking the potato chips without addition of fat and excess salt and served with tomato ketchup.

Healthy fast foods # 7: Grilled/roasted chicken
Fried chicken is a very common food item found at all the fast food joints. Healthier option would be to roast or grill the chicken after trimming all the fat from it.

Healthy fast foods # 8: Whole wheat bread sandwiches
Healthy sandwich is prepared using whole wheat bread slices, with veggies such as tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, grated carrot, beetroot, lettuce etc. Apply only a dash of butter to cut down the calories. For the egg eaters, mince boil egg with a dash of mayonnaise could be added to make a healthy egg sandwich.

Healthy fast foods # 9: Pav bhaji
The Indian bread, commonly called as pav should be prepared with whole wheat flour. Veggies such as green peas, carrots, french beans, potatoes, cauliflower etc could be used to prepare the nutritious mixed vegetable (bhaji).

Healthy fast foods # 10: Fruit smoothies
Colas provide only empty calories and zero nutrients whereas a smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) and in special cases can contain chocolate, or peanut butter. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients.

They have a milkshake-like consistency that is thicker than colas. They can also contain milk, yogurt or ice cream, thus providing nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants because of the ingredients added in the preparation. Some of the commonly used fruits used to prepare a smoothie are bananas, strawberry, mango, raspberry, grapes, blueberry, oranges etc. Try the traditional mango shake, which is really a summer smoothie, or a pineapple smoothie with crushed ice & sugar (without milk).

India reBuild - bring healthy food and beverages back

Junk food and soft drinks are rapidly reaching the same level of perception globally, as primary reasons for obesity and ill-health, as tobacco had achieved with lung cancer and worse about two decades ago. Ofcourse, thanks to the realities of misgovernance and easily bought out administrations in India, given to waffling along mostly with anything but the public and social interest in mind, this has yet to find the kind of support from the authorities in India that this subject finds in other countries.
Take, for example, the way the word "chocolate" and similar sounding expressions are blatantly misused by candy manufacturers - who think nothing of using vanaspati type hydro-genated oils with added brown colour and sugar, as "choco____". A simple rule that if it is not chocolate and/or cocoa as defined, then half the packaging as well as all publicity and marketing material in all media, including online, should say in bold letters that "THIS IS NOT CHOCOLATE", could go a long distance to solve the problem. But no, we are going to be provided with international brands whch will fool everybody, including using the thespian/actor with the deep baritone, into telling us that this junk food is chocolate.
Still, there is hope, there are certainly exceptions to the mess that we are in, there are good people at various levels who are delivering, and on the basis of a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Delhi High Court a few years ago, some progress appears to have been made in the recent past in at least bringing matters to the fore. Rescuing my generation from the ill effects thanks to the aspirational overtones given to junk food may not be possible, given the deep pockets and long reach that the death merchants flogging what has been described by the Indian Government as junk food have, but atleast we have hope for the future, and to start with, some sort of a description.
From an affidavit submitted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, on behalf of the Union of India, we learn that in India "any food which has poor nutritional value is considered unhealthy and may be called a junk food". The affidavit then states further that junk food is "food that is high in fat, sugar or sodium", "easy to carry, purchase and consume", "is given a very attractive appearance by adding food additives and colour to enhance flavour texture, apearance and increasing shelf life", "is high in empty calories", and "is high in fats and sugar and responsible for obesity, dental cavities, diabetes and heart disease".
Can you spot half a dozen, or more, purveyors of junk food near you? Mostly with fancy international brand names. Can't miss them lately, and almost al trying to make you and me addicts too.
Full details of the PIL and its present status can be found here:-
http://www.udayfoundationindia.org/petition-in-delhi-high-court-to-ban-junk-food-and-carbonated-drinks-in-schools/
http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/dhc_case_status_oj_list.asp?pno=564215
But what is the larger issue here? Most certainly junk food and soft drinks are not going to provide a Nation with healthy people, if present trends continue, especially as the Multi National Corporations rapidly losing ground and often being treated like pariahs in their home countries, continue to try to make addicts of more and more Indians - who they consider a market just like their opium peddling predecessors considered China to be.
Likewise, we appear to be in danger of losing ground in many parts of India, where traditional cooking skillsets which have provided healthy food at low cost for generations are rapidly giving way to an assembly line type of trader business, churning out tonnes of junk food mostly made out of refined white flour (maida), sugar, salt and colour as well as flavour and essence, served with huge helpings of coloured sugary carbonated water which also has salt in it.
Do you really think that these soft drinks are going to quench your thirst?
All this, ofcourse, backed by a huge marketing and sales machine which is run by people who have a simple single focus - sell more and more, ill effects be damned. Because otherwise, simply, they will lose their jobs.
But, and this is a question that needs to be answered not as a legal issue, but as something that is as relevant as day and night - do the people who operate and control schools, colleges and other educational institutions, as well as those who run hospitals, have to sell such junk food on or near their premises? Do sports event organisers have to provide high visibility to this garbage called junk food?
It is my submission that there needs to be some sort of self-control by people in the education, medical and sports organisations. They don't really need to wait for the law to tell them what to do. We need to see junk food and soft drinks out of and not anywhere near schools, colleges, hospitals and games fields. Voluntarily. As a social obligation as relevant as, say, civil rights. Now.
And replace them with healthy food and beverages.
After all, if we don't get junk food out of the system for our next generation, then who will?