Monday, March 09, 2009

A Banana A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

The Amazing Banana
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 a 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 & glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure & stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, & 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 &, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes & 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.

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 & irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.


Overweight & at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate & 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 & smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity & reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.


Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain & 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 & 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 & iron, & twice the other vitamins & minerals. It is also rich in potassium & 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!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, & rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

13 comments:

Leslie said...

I love bananas, but have not been buying them because I thought they cost to much. I am going to the store tomorrow and buy some bananas. Thanks, for reminding me what a great fruit this really is.
Hugs~~~~Leslie

Merle said...

Dear Patty ~~ This is full of good info about bananas. I tried to copy it to refer to it again, but the colors wouldn't work for my printer.
Do you have it in an e mail? If so, I would love a copy. I hope you survived the big birthday celebration. Take care, my friend,
Love, Merle.

Marian Dean said...

Well I never knew all that! No wonder they are my favourite fruit, and daily I have 2 bananas with raspberries and yoghurt for breakfast.

I shall try cleaning my shoes too with the inside skin now I know that tip.

Thanks Patty
Love Granny

Jinksy said...

A Blogland Bananarama, and no mistake!

mommanator said...

love this post so many bananna things!
the only prob I see is that bananas contain 90 calories while the ole aplle cantains on 50 calories per 3.5 oz

Gigi Ann said...

I too love bananas, it is the one fruit that is always in my kitchen. I start each day with a banana and my tea. I would feel lost without my bananas.

Reader Wil said...

Well thank you Patty! I am going to buy some bananas tomorrow after my work!

Nancy said...

I've read this before, and it really is amazing, isn't it! I could live on bananas myself!!! I remember us girls while in our high school days going on the banana diet...a banana for each meal, and that was it...88 calories in each one. LOL Nature is full of good things for us if only we would eat them all...and no junk foods...

((( HUGS )))

Twisted Fencepost said...

I knew there was a reason I liked bananas. Now I have several!

Tomate Farcie said...

Back in the days when I used to go work out at the gym after work, I had noticed that if I ate a banana 1/2 hour before working out, the work-out felt much easier, and I felt much better, much less tired at the end. So I got in the habit of packing a banana with my work-out clothes. The banana worked much better than any other snacks, orange, apples, or even those fancy so-called energy bars.

Brenda said...

Now I know what is wrong with me. No bananas! Better go get some. Have a great day!

Winifred said...

Thanks for all this great information Patty.

I do like bananas but they have to be very ripe. Hate the green ones they keep selling us. Nice to know all these good things about them.

They're also good for putting next to other fruits to get them to ripen quickly. I always keep them separate and never put them in the fridge. Saying that, I never put any fruit in the fridge. Kills my teeth.

Rinkly Rimes said...

And I use it to prevent cramp!!!