EAT BANANA'S

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EAT BANANA'S...'

If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels,

there's no better snack than a banana. Containing

three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose

-- combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant,

sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proved 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 your daily

diet.

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 yellow in salt making it

the 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 (middle

school) 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.

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 trypotophan, a type of

protein that the body converts into serotonin known to

make you relax, improve your mood and generally make

you feel happier.

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.

Heart-burn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in

the body so if you suffer from heart-burn, 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.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6

it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can

affect your mood.

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-chroniculcer 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, trypotophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give

up smoking. The B6, and 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, there

by 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 you see 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.

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do

everything, but I still can do something; and because

I cannot do everything, I will do the something that I

can do.....