After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!
Bananas, containing three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose, combined with fiber, give 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 b ody 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, 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%!
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!"
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Saturday, November 29, 2008
Banana.......Read and be Amaze..
Posted by Wena at Saturday, November 29, 2008 10 comments
Labels: helpful tips
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Healthy Frozen Dinners – What to Look for
If you are like me an avid fan of frozen dinners,there are some things that we need to know,this is the very reason why I wanted to share them with you.I found this article while I am browsing in the web searching for something and it caught my attention.I believe this is worth sharing with you guys.
For more than fifty years frozen dinners have been around, but the question that
comes to today’s health conscious people is whether they are healthy. It is reassuring that there are a lot of companies in the world today who are aware of the issue. They are therefore producing healthy low fat, low calorie and low sodium dinners that display in certain cases, the health benefits on the pack.
What you should look for
Vegetables
You must first look out to see whether there are enough vegetables in the food you are buying. A lot of these frozen dinners come with just a spoonful of vegetables. Adult diet should be rich in vegetables. If you find that there are not enough vegetables you can add some yourself before eating it.
Calories
Most frozen foods contain calories ranging from 200 to 1,000. This is certainly more than you need in a day. The amount of calories you need depend on what you want to do with your weight. Those who want to lose or maintain weight should be eating between 350 to 500 calories a day. That also depends on your activity level. The less active the less calories you need.
Those who want to increase weight can choose frozen dinners that contain more calories. But be careful not to overdo it. High calories mean high fat levels. But choosing low calorie dinners will leave you hungry in a few moments with the temptation to snack.
Fat and Sodium
You must look for dinners with less than 30% of calories as fat and only 10% of this as saturated fat. You should also look carefully at the sodium content. Most frozen foods are rich in sodium, some containing more than half the amount you need in a day. Look for dinners with not more than 200 mg of sodium per 100 calories.
Warning
Although there are healthy frozen dinners, it doesn’t mean that you should be eating day every day. Most frozen foods do not contain some vital nutrients such as vitamins and vitamins. They might be easily available but they must not become our normal diet.
Posted by Wena at Tuesday, November 04, 2008 2 comments
Labels: diet, food, helpful tips
Monday, October 27, 2008
Persimmon anyone?
For centuries Japan and China have been growing the Oriental or Japanese persimmon. It is probably native to China, since it was introduced to Japan from that country. The Japanese consider it their national fruit but it is more properly called Oriental rather than Japanese persimmon, since it is not native to Japan. Commodore Perry's expedition, which opened Japan to world commerce in 1852, is credited with the introduction of this fruit to the United States.
The persimmon that is native to the United States grows wild in the East from Connecticut to Florida, and in the West from Texas to Kansas. This persimmon is much smaller than the Oriental, but has richer flesh. The wild fruit grows in sufficient abundance to satisfy local demand, and little or no shipping is done.
In general, persimmons that have dark-colored flesh are always sweet and nonastringent and may be eaten before they become too soft. Varieties with light-colored flesh, with the exception of the Fuyu variety, are astringent until they soften. The astringency is due to the presence of a large amount of tannin, the same substance found in tea. As the fruit ripens and sweetens the tannin disappears. Ripening can take place just as well off the tree as on.
The season for persimmons is October through December, and the peak month is November. Almost all commercial shipments originate in California. The Hachiya is the latgest and handsomest oriental variety grown in this country. As a rule, California produces a seedless variety, but the Hachiya grown in Florida has one or more seeds. The Hachiya fruit is cone-shaped and terminates in a black point. The skin is a glossy, deep, orange-red and the flesh is deep yellow, astringent until soft, but sweet and rich when ripe. The Tanenashi is the more important variety in the southeastern states. There are many other varieties that are grown commercially.
Good quality fruit is well-shaped, plump, smooth, and highly colored. The skin is unbroken and the stem cap is attached. Ripeness is usually indicated by softness.
Benefits of Persimmon
When thoroughly ripe, persimmons are a rich source of fruit sugar. Dried persimmons are almost as sweet as candy. They are rich in potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, and are good to use in a soft diet.
Nutrients in one pound
Calories 286 Iron 1.3 mg
Protein 2.6 g Vitamin A 10,080 I.U.
Fat 1.8 g Thiamine .11 mg
Carbohydrates 73 g Riboflavin .08 mg
Calcium 26 mg Niacin .4 mg
Phosphorus 97 mg Ascorbic acid
Posted by Wena at Monday, October 27, 2008 2 comments
Labels: food, helpful tips
Monday, October 6, 2008
Baking Soda's Benefits
star ingredient that plays a multiple role in millennial toothpastes is baking soda—a dental grade of the very same nontoxic, nonscratching, all-natural powder that is used as a gentle but effective grease-and-dirt-dissolving household cleaner and deodorizer, as an antacid—and, because of its aerating abilities—for dough leavening, too. Made from soda ash, sodium bicarbonate (as baking soda is also known) has a mild alkalinity; it helps living things maintain a healthy pH balance. Baking soda is a consummate oral care ingredient, says Ernest Newbrun, DMD, PhD, professor emeritus of oral biology and periodontology at the University of California at San Francisco. He cites its safety, its gentle buffering powers, and its compatibility with fluoride.
Here are the specific virtues of baking soda in toothpaste:
• The Fresh Factor. Baking soda has an honest, sparkling-clean taste that comes not via any extra-added flavoring ingredient, like mint or fruit essence, but is built in. Once you’ve tried the taste of baking soda, chances are you’ll be hooked for life. What’s more, using a baking soda toothpaste will reinforce the specific clean-scrubbed sensation of the big-blast baking-soda–prophy phase some dental offices offer as a part of the professional cleaning procedure. For the many connoisseurs who love and crave that inimical spray of baking soda onto the teeth and gums (and sometimes eyelids), baking soda tooth-paste is an easy way of achieving a taste of it at home.
• The Clean Factor. Recent studies indicate that baking soda in high concentrations (as are found in most Arm & Hammer toothpastes, www.myoralcare.com) is better able than other cleaning agents to break down into tiny particles that penetrate enamel crevices and remove food particles and deep stains.
• The Gentle Factor. Baking soda is less abrasive than virtually any other cleaning agent used in toothpastes. That means less wear and tear on the teeth. Unlike other buffing agents, baking soda is a soft mineral that is also water-soluble, so it provides effective cleaning with low abrasion—despite its slightly “gritty” feel.
• The Breath Factor. Baking soda aids in controlling the bacteria that produce the volatile sulfur compounds known to cause bad breath. Regular use of baking soda in oral hygiene creates a chemically altered environment in the mouth that discourages sticky plaque and odor-causing germs.
Posted by Wena at Monday, October 06, 2008 0 comments
Labels: helpful tips
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Brilliant uses for MOUTHWASH
I was reading a First magazine then this article caught my attention.As I was reading it I realized that I have to share this with you.It will be a great help.This bathroom staple does much more than keep our breath fresh. 1.Erase food odors from hands Apply mouthwash to clean hands using a cooton ball,let dry then rinse.The natural odor fighters in this ethanol-based solution will neutralize garlic malodorous sulfur compounds,so you can shake with confidence. 2.Guarantee freshly Scented Laundry To zap the offending bacteria and fungi that remain embedded in the garment's fibers,add 1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash(make sure it is sugraless to prevent staining)to the wash cycle.The combination of alcohol and antibacterial essentials oil(like thymoland eucaluptol,which effectively fight bad breath) will cause these odor-causing germs. 3.Wipe away monitor smudges-stat When your comouter screen or TV starts glowing little less brightly beneath a layer of dust and fingerprints try this:Moisten a paper towel or lint-free cloth with antiseptic mouthrinse and use it to gently wipe the screen.Most mouthwash varieties are 27 percent ethanol,so they can safely cut through the residue.Plus,the alcohol evaporates quickly,preventing unsightly streaks.(Note:don't try this on LCD or laptop screens,which should only be cleaned with a dry microfiber cloth.) 4.Prevent embarrassing UNDERARM ODOR Sure,applying deodorant in the morning is usually enough to keep you smelling fresh all day.But when a hot weather creates the need of for reallplication,you can get stuck with a smelly layer of trapped sweat.For cleaner fix,simply douse a cotton pad with antiseptic mouthwash and apply it to your armpits to effectively erase,rather than camouflage,the smell. 5.Nix poison-ivy itch ASAP A rash has started to form on your daughter's arm after a brush with poison-ivy this morning.If your bottle of calamine lotion is nowhere to be found,simply dab the affected area with cotton ball soaked in mouthwash.The high concentration of alcohol in the dental rinse will remove any remaining urushiol from the skin,mimimizing the the irritation.Plus, the antiseptic essential oils( such as eucalyptol)provide an instant cooling sensation while simulataneously stimulating blood flow on the area,helping the sore sopt to heal faster. 6.Make your toilet bowl Sparkle In the middle of a cleaning blitz,you discovered that you're out of toilet bowl cleaner.Skip a trip to the store and pour 1/4 cup of mouthwash into the bowl.Let sit for 30 mins,then swish with a toilet brush and flush.Plaque fighters like sodium benzoate will destroy germs and loosen unsightly residue from porcelain in aflush,err..in a flash=) 7.Cure unslightly dandruff in a pinch Before washing with regular shampoo,massage 1Tbs of antiseptic mouthwash into scalp for 30 sec.(note:stay away from the green or blue varieties if your hair is blond to avoid potential discloration.)Antimicrobial essential oils such as thymol,eucalyptol,methol and methyl salicylate help kill the yeast-like fungus that causes flakes.
Posted by Wena at Saturday, September 13, 2008 0 comments
Labels: helpful tips
