BANANAS
With our thanks to Ms. Janet Mapes for
contibuting this informative article.
A 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 ad d 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 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 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 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 re balanced 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!"
