Health Tips - EAT BANANA, WORK BANANA, PLAY BANANA,
SLEEP BANANA..GIVE ME MY BANANAS
Professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas.
He said the expression
"going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain.
Read on:
Never, put your banana in the
refrigerator! !!
This is
interesting.
After reading this, you'll
never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural
sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an
instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for
a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit
with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can
also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions,
making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According
to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression,
many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain
tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make
you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget
the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose
levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of
hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This
unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it
perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the
banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the
risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students
at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating
bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.
Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by
making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting
to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of
the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened
with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey,
builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates
your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so
if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on
bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning
sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before
reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the
inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing
swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the
nervous system.
Overweight and at
work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort
food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers
found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report
concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our
blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to
keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The
banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its
soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without
distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces
irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many
other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both
the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their
baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD): Bananas can help SAD
sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco
Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up
smoking.. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium
found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal..
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize
the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water
balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our
potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium
banana snack..
Strokes: According
to research in The New
England Journal of
Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by
strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those
keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a
piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out.
Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a
natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four
times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five
times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is
also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its
time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps
the doctor away!"