Banana : Banana Diet, Banana Nutrition Facts A banana a day keeps the doctor away

[OpaQue 15]

A banana a day keeps the doctor away

 

Banana : Fruit

 

What we are talking about?

Grown in the warm, humid tropics, bananas are picked and shipped green; contrary to nature`s norm, they are one fruit that develops better flavor when ripened off the bush. Banana bushes mature in about 15 months and produce one 50-pound bunch of bananas apiece. Each bunch includes several "hands" of a dozen or so bananas (fingers). Choose plump, evenly colored yellow bananas flecked with tiny brown specks (a sign of ripeness). Avoid those with blemishes, which usually indicate bruising.

Facts about Bananas

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 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!'

 

[Plenoptic 0]

This is some really amazing information. So really, if you don't know how to treat something, eat a banana. I like my apples though, I can't say that I really care for bananas that much but if they are that healthy for you then maybe I ought to eat them. I can tolerate them so maybe I'll be able to use them to my advantage. I like to workout when I can so that'll help right before a workout. Mosquito season is starting so I'll definitely try that and see if it helps because the bites can really get annoying. Seems like a really great source of nutrition.

[master_bacarra 0]

[1]Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
[2]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.

[3]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.

I always know bananas are very filling and if I want to end a meal prematurely (so I need not eat much), I always take one or two bananas, which really end up making me feel full. The variations of bananas give you different amounts of potassium; one of the variants here in my country is small, called Latondan, and you have to wait for it to ripen or it will leave a bitter taste on your mouth. That's one of the signs of the potassium content.

[1]Now I know why I haven't experienced heartburn recently. Our helper has been buying some bananas as desert fruit after our meals, that means I get to eat some bananas.
[2]When I was still in school doing my thesis, I usually buy a "hand" on bananas so I could eat after meals or while working in front of the computer. It sure does help, although I didn't realize it would have such effects.
[3]This is similar to [1], except that heartburns can also be caused by overeating (getting a full stomach would push the intestinal fluid up, causing the acids to burn the bottom part of your esophagus, thus causing that burning sensation. The burning sensation is located almost below the heart, that's why it's called heartburn.

I've heard before that you could also use bananas to lose weight and get rid of toxins out of your body. There was a banana regimen, but it was too weird---you have to eat one banana per meal on the first day then increase the banana by one the following day and so on, without eating other stuff, just bananas. They say it could make you lose the weight (definitely, after eating just bananas ).

[FLaKes 0]

Wow, I never knew bananas were so powerful, the question is who would win? the banana or the apple? In my opinion I would take both, I liked the usage of the banana skin for mosquito bites, that will really come in handy, I never knew that banana skin was so useful.

[mabhishekjhawar 0]

opps , i thought banana increases weight . my dietician asked me to avoid banana becoz it contains some chemical , which in turn acts as an additive to increase weight , but he also said that a banana can give intial boost to work, tats why u can see many tennis players eating banana inbetween the game. may be i can refer this post to my doc and ask him to clarify me on this , nice post .cheers. nice to know such stuffs,

[shadab 0]

This is some really amazing information. So really, if you don't know how to treat something, eat a banana. I like my apples though, I can't say that I really care for bananas that much but if they are that healthy for you then maybe I ought to eat them. I can tolerate them so maybe I'll be able to use them to my advantage. I like to workout when I can so that'll help right before a workout. Mosquito season is starting so I'll definitely try that and see if it helps because the bites can really get annoying. Seems like a really great source of nutrition.

I heard that eating banana after the daily gym workout gives you instant energy

[iGuest 3]

Cholestrol and Banana

Banana : Banana Diet, Banana Nutrition Facts

 

Some people say Banana contains Cholesterol so it is not good for heart.What is your opinion.

 

-reply by Anil Verma

[speedz55 0]

I eat bananas cuz it's one of the "easiest" fruit to eat. You don't have to peel it like an apple or a pear, and you don't have to wash the skin. There's no hard seed to watch out and spit out, and it's easy to finish one.In short: a PERFECT fruit for lazybums! P/S: I always wonder being part of the fruit (madarin: shui guo - meaning juicy fruit) family banana has no juice at all...quite dry actually.

[weeweeboy 0]

Dammm, Thanks for the info I going to start eatting banana more often.. Thanks for the helpful post.

[moutonoir 0]

Some people say Banana contains Cholesterol so it is not good for heart.What is your opinion.

I heard plants do not contain cholesterol; it's an animal product.

[mm22 0]

I heard plants do not contain cholesterol; it's an animal product.

that's what I thought as well... even if they do it shouldn't be the main 'ingredient' found in bananas as for the fact bananas are good for sports, as far as i know it's one of the best fruit regarding potassium content, which is what you need for your muscles in order to avoid cramps and probably helps your muscles recovering faster as well... and yes it is convenient to eat