The Better Banana

[MajestyJo]

THE BETTER 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 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 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 (

England) 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 &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 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, 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 it’s time to change that
well-known phrase so that we say,
"A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: I will add one here;
want a quick shine on our shoes??
Take the INSIDE of the banana skin,
and rub directly on the shoe...
polish with dry cloth.
Amazing fruit!!!


Received with thanks from my friend Louise