Bananas

[martymas]

how many here eat bannanas

well going by this post you will never have to go to your doc ever again

i know they are good for you

but not to this extent

how ever fruit is good for you no matter which one

so ime of the buy a ton of bananas

marty

BANANAS

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 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 wor k 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 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 its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

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, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit

Edited March 12, 2007 by martymas

[marko_tomas13]

Never knew about these

No wonder I love bananas, maybe i'm just a monkey at heart?

[hitest]

Good post, marty:-) I love bananas too.

[bobbynichols]

Good post, marty:-) I love bananas too.

... me too ! Taking a banana break starting right now!!!

(a little brown and mushy... from a 99¢ bag-o-bananas special... but tasty!)

Edited March 13, 2007 by bobbynichols

[TheTerrorist_75]

Bananas are great, but you should be aware of your potassium levels before binging on them or any other source of potassium. Too much potassium can lead to a heart atteck or death.

[JDoors]

... not to mention you're supporting terrorists (re: recent news about companies paying for "protection").

[shanenin]

Bananas are great, but you should be aware of your potassium levels before binging on them or any other source of potassium. Too much potassium can lead to a heart atteck or death.

25 french frys has nearly double the potassium .

[TheTerrorist_75]

Bananas are great, but you should be aware of your potassium levels before binging on them or any other source of potassium. Too much potassium can lead to a heart atteck or death.

25 french frys has nearly double the potassium .

Basically the list I have to follow.

http://www.drugs.com/CG/HIGH_POTASSIUM_FOODS_LIST.html

Your body may lose potassium if you use diuretics (water pills) or other medicines. Eating high potassium foods can help correct this problem. A high potassium diet means eating 2000-4000 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day.

Kidney problems or other illnesses may cause you to have too much potassium in your blood. You may then need to limit the amount of potassium in your diet. A low potassium diet means eating less than 2000 mg of potassium per day.

Fruit:

High Potassium (more than 300 mg potassium): Eat ____ servings per day from this list.

3 medium (fresh) (314 mg) or 7 halves of (dried) apricots (337 mg)

1/2 of a 9-inch banana (371 mg)

1 cup cantaloupe (494 mg) or honeydew (461 mg) cubes

4 medium dried figs (532 mg)

1 medium mango (323 mg) or papaya (781 mg)

5 prunes (313 mg)

1/3 cup raisins (373 mg)

Vegetables:

High Potassium (more than 300 mg potassium): Eat ____ servings per day from this list.

1/2 medium avocado (549 mg)

1/2 cup cooked beet greens (654 mg), Swiss chard (483 mg), or spinach (419 mg)

1/2 cup mashed potato (305 mg) or 1 small potato (410 mg)

1/2 cup pumpkin (301 mg) or winter squash (446 mg)

1/2 cup tomato juice (400 mg) or sauce (453 mg), or 1 medium tomato (303 mg)

1 small sweet potato (397 mg)

[martymas]

you mention potassium levels

i have to watch my potassium

intake as because im a diabetic

my kidneys

cannot process potassium

quick enough

so i have to limt my bananna intake

marty

[Pete_C]

Yeah, when I went to the Cardiologist last year he said my Potassium levels were abnormally high and asked initially if I was using salt substitute in a mistaken attempt to lower my sodium consumption.

When I said, no I know the whole salt and high blood pressure thing is a myth since it actually affects less than one percent of the population that way ; he said good, do you eat a lot of bananas and stone fruit (peaches , apricots ...) .

When I said yes, he said "Well stop, or at least cut back you are overdosing on potassium; you could develop heart and kidney problems".

I still like the occasional banana smoothie. When they get to ripe, we freeze them. They turn black outside, but the inside remains white and is a great ice substitute in smoothies.

By the way, morning sickness is caused by the immune system not by low blood sugar.

To prevent the immune system from attacking the fetus as a foreign body; various components are suppressed hormonally . To compensate for this , the sensitivity to potentially contaminated food is increased to keep from getting ill. The result is that in the morning , the bacteria in the mouth (especially if the woman has gum or tooth disease) trigger a vomit response; and things like meat which go bad quickly can trigger it if they are even slightly off, even after cooking.

Since bananas are sealed and even when overripe do not really spoil , they tend to be a "safe" food which does not trigger a response.

[martymas]

at the moment ime on frusemide pills

so i have to keep my potassium

levels at a reasonable level

my god they are wicked pills

ime at the toilet every 5 minutes

isnt it funny how one thing can lead to another

ive been having this astma problem

and my doc thinks it is to much fluid in my lungs

and not an alergy

hence the water pills

my the human body is a complicated thing

marty

[bobbynichols]

Yeah, when I went to the Cardiologist last year he said my Potassium levels were abnormally high and asked initially if I was using salt substitute in a mistaken attempt to lower my sodium consumption.

O.K. Looks like I need to re-evaluate my diet since I do use Lite Salt (50% less sodium) in a mistaken...

I already tax my kidneys and heart with my weight problem... perhaps that annual checkup (and diet) I keep postponing year after year should be attended to.