Monday, June 29, 2009

Bananas.



I bought a lot of bananas and now they are all ripe at the same time. Smoothie city.

This page has lots of info on banana goodness and other things you don't know about bananas (good things):

Blood Pressure: High in potassium, this tropical fruit is extremely low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. In fact the USDA allows the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Heartburn: If you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief because of the natural antacid effect in the body.

PMS: The Vitamin B6 in this fruit helps regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Depression: Because tryptophan is an substance found in the banana they are helpful for depression. Tryptophan helps the body by converting this protein in serotonin. This action helps with relaxation and can stimulate feelings of happiness. So another benefit of eating bananas is mood enhancement.

Anemia: Bananas help with the production of hemoglobin in your blood and are high in iron which helps with symptoms of anemia.

Brain Power: Research has identified that the potassium in bananas help brain power. A middle school actually had 200 of their students eat bananas to get through their exams this year. They ate bananas at breakfast, morning break, and at lunch which helped them stay alert and proved to help in test scores.

Constipation: Because fiber is good for our digestion, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: Now this is a wonderful way to quickly cure a hangover. Just make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. This fruit calms the stomach and the honey helps builds up depleted blood sugar levels. The milk also soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Morning Sickness: Pregnant women often get morning sickness as their blood sugar bounces around. Snacking on bananas during the day between meals can help bring relief.

Mosquito bites: Yes, bananas have natural anti itch properties so try using the inside of the skin on mosquito bites to reduce irritation and swelling from these annoying insect bites.

Nerves: B vitamins are known to help calm the nervous system and Bananas are high in them.

SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder: The tryptophan in the banana is an natural mood enhancer, which can help reduce feelings associated with SAD.

Smoking: Because bananas contain B6, B12 along with magnesium and potassium they help the body recover from the symptoms associated with the withdrawal of nicotine.

Stress: Because the mineral potassium is a nutrient that helps balance the heartbeat, sends the brain oxygen it is useful for helping alleviate stress. When we are stressed out the body raises our metabolic rate which uses our potassium reserves. Eating a banana helps us rebalance.

There are small amounts of pectin contained in bananas. This is a food fiber that prevents the absorption of fat, which may help in lowering cholesterol levels; however pectin should not be consumed at the same time as foods that contain essential fatty acids that the body needs, such as fish. [Darn it. I'm gonna miss my daily banana-fish snack.]

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