Bananas

[lilhave]

Who knew??
BANANAS AND WHAT THEY ARE WORTH
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 =2 0 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 0A 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 =2 0 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 b eat 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 helpe d 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 20 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 =2 0 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 fru it 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
=2 0
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 =2 0 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 =2 0 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
20
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



Harvey

[ponytail]

Dang and I'm allergic to bananas!

[robyrob]

i think bananas are great, but i believe the real reason that monkeys are so happy is because they mostly sit around and have sex all day.

[dakert]

I am allergic to bananas

[TripperFan]

I've known a lot of this about bananas for years. They're considered a super food. For years rather than warm milk, I'll have a banana to help me get sleepy about an hour before bed. The dreams are also great a vivid after eating them!

Bananas rock!


btw, you can often overcome an allergy to bananas. Speak to your doctor or allergist about it. They'll slowly introduce them back into your diet so you build up your own immunity to them and can tolerate them again (I know, I was allergic to them and oatmeal as a kid and that's how they got me to get over the allergy to both).

[Sharop]

I didn't know bananas could do all that for you. And unfortunately I don't like them. I rather wish I did!

[robyrob]

and if you are ever in a street fight, you can use a banana as a weapon if you hold it JUST right!

[Sharop]

This thread has reminded me of a children's telelvision programme from the 1980s called Bananaman, about a boy called Eric who transformed into a superhero every time he ate a banana.

Narrator: "This is 29 Acacia Road. And this is Eric, the schoolboy who leads an exciting double life. For when Eric eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman! Ever alert for the call to action!"

I do wish I liked them - but as it is I don't even like most banana flavoured things, although I do quite like banana nut bread.

[Dude111]

Almost every time I eat a banana I have stomach issues so I must be allergic to something in them... EVEN ORGANIC ONES BOTHER ME!!

Not all the time but sadly more than I wish because I do like Bananas but cant seem to have them w/o issues.......

[Caroline13]

I rarely buy bananas anymore, then can constipate people but they contain a little higher amount of potassium, not a lot but more than other foods.

[Theda Bara]

I absolutely love bananas. I have one every morning.

I eat a lot of fruit (mostly bananas and blueberries) and never have any problems with constipation. I think the fruits help keep me regular.

(sorry for TMI)

[Caroline13]

Originally Posted by Theda Bara

I absolutely love bananas. I have one every morning.

I eat a lot of fruit in my diet (mostly bananas and blueberries) and never have any problems with constipation. I think the fruits help keep me regular.

(sorry for TMI)

I've cut way back on fruits as I've aged, today I did get some watermelon chunks and cherries, I keep a sharp eye on glucose levels, diabetes is rampant in our population and that is one thing I don't want.

[Theda Bara]

Originally Posted by Caroline13

I've cut way back on fruits as I've aged, today I did get some watermelon chunks and cherries, I keep a sharp eye on glucose levels, diabetes is rampant in our population and that is one thing I don't want.

I love watermelon (so refreshing).

I am lucky that I never had any problems with my glucose levels (knock on wood), but I do moderate my fruit intake. I normally only have one banana a day, and a cup of blueberries every other day.

Staying away from blueberries is hard for me because I love them.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by robyrob

and if you are ever in a street fight, you can use a banana as a weapon if you hold it JUST right!

Yes and if you hold them another way and say DING DING A LING it looks like your holding a phone talking to someone

[Caroline13]

Originally Posted by Theda Bara

I love watermelon (so refreshing).

I am lucky that I never had any problems with my glucose levels (knock on wood), but I do moderate my fruit intake. I normally only have one banana a day, and a cup of blueberries every other day.

Staying away from blueberries is hard for me because I love them.

I've not had glucose issues either but things do change in the body with age, and and I'm still OK but a little higher and don't want to push my good fortune.

And hence the elimination of breads and refined stuff from my diet in the last 10 yrs....but I did my share of sugary stuff....