Timberwolf
02-04-2003, 10:29 PM
HAVE A BANANA!
If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack
than a banana. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and
glucose - combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and
substantial boost of energy. Research has proved 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 your daily diet.
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 the perfect food for helping 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 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.
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 trypotophan, a type of protein that the body
converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and
generally make you feel happier.
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.
Heart-burn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you
suffer from heart-burn, 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
crisps. 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 such as bananas every two
hours to
keep levels steady.
PMS: Forget the pills eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates
blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
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-chroniculcer 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, trypotophan.
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the
high levels of Vitamin C, A1, 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, there by 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 you see 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-know phrase so that we say, "A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!" I
was suffering from cramps in my feet, ankles and calves of my legs, and
was told by a Therapist to start eating a banana everyday, and to my
surprise,
the cramping is gone, and it began working instantly!
If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack
than a banana. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and
glucose - combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and
substantial boost of energy. Research has proved 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 your daily diet.
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 the perfect food for helping 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 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.
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 trypotophan, a type of protein that the body
converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and
generally make you feel happier.
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.
Heart-burn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you
suffer from heart-burn, 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
crisps. 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 such as bananas every two
hours to
keep levels steady.
PMS: Forget the pills eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates
blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
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-chroniculcer 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, trypotophan.
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the
high levels of Vitamin C, A1, 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, there by 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 you see 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-know phrase so that we say, "A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!" I
was suffering from cramps in my feet, ankles and calves of my legs, and
was told by a Therapist to start eating a banana everyday, and to my
surprise,
the cramping is gone, and it began working instantly!