Bananas!

KD

Gone fishing
I'm going through a banana phase at the moment. Having one every morning in a smoothie. I also recommend my piano students eat a banana before an exam or if they are playing in a concert.

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After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again

Containing 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
haemoglobin 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 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 heartbu rn, 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 ho spital 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, o ur 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!"

PS. Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!
 
Also if you peel and wrap in foli and pop in the freezer , they make lovely lollies and taste really creamy and indulgent. a good way to "save" bananas that are just a bit too soft for the fussy kids!!!
 
They do. And you can slice them and sprinkle them with that options choc powder before freezing I believe. (never tried it myself though)

Grapes are nice frozen too :)
 
I was dreading reading on after your initial comment as I thought you were going to tell us some awful things about bananas!
 
Ecxellent info Karion, I love em too, fancy the frozen one sprinkled with options, yummy!
 
bananas are my fav fruit,

I'm not really a fan of them. Well, not eaten as norm anyway. I like banana flavour, and hot banana with cinnamon, or even in a smoothie, but not just peeled and eaten as it comes.

I do like most exotic fruits, especially sharon fruit...think that's my favourite, but made do with a pommegranate tonight.

It amazes me how many fruits I do like now I've given them a proper chance! :)
 
Arent Bananas one of the hardest fruits to digest. They give me a ticky tummy because I have irritable bowel. Just thought Id share! lol

So glad you told us that ;) :D
 
Arent Bananas one of the hardest fruits to digest. They give me a ticky tummy because I have irritable bowel. Just thought Id share! lol


well that is interesting as i have ibs too, although it hasnt really been a problem while on the diet, but the thing about doing the diet is before i only ever ate one fruit, now i like trying different stuff as my taste buds are much more alive now,
 
i only ever ate one fruit, now i like trying different stuff as my taste buds are much more alive now,

That's what I find. Not just the tastebuds changing though, I'm just reaching for fruit and vegetables more...enjoying them more because food isn't so much of an issue to me.

I think I used to pick all day long and was never hungry enough to fill my plate with veg.

Besides, the dentist said I need to avoid fruit and I've always been a rebel:eek:

Having said that, I found I did it wrong in the past as I used to clean my teeth after eating, now I find you need to wait one hour to give the saliva a chance to neautralise it or something. I also usually have fruit with something less acidic to counterbalance.

Life is so complicated:confused:

 
Life is so complicated:confused:

isnt it just, although it wasnt until i started reading about the next step for me which is 1200, i start this on wednesday and it looks very complicated, when you have had the saftey net of ss then 790 which is very set and even 1000 which is pretty straightforward, then any choice over and above gets scarey lol
 
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