TklDuo-Ann
02-08-2006, 10:24 AM
This was sent to me by a family friend. I thought it was good enough to share.
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 the perfect way 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
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:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and 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
bananasas part of a regular diet can cut the risk of
death by strokes by as much as 40%!
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
carbohydrates, 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!"
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 the perfect way 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
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:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and 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
bananasas part of a regular diet can cut the risk of
death by strokes by as much as 40%!
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
carbohydrates, 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!"