Relax...eat a banana....

So why should I eat a banana Bananaman ? :confused:

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 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.

A banana can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must for our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among 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 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 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 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.

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, our metabolic rate rises, thereby 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!

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.

Soooooo.......... "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

 

Thank you so much for that, Bananaman! As it happens, I've just had a banana! A friend recommended it to me for one of the reasons above - seratonin. She had suffered from depression and anxiety (not mutually exclusive as you might think.....) and I was suffering from the same combination of ills. She recommended bananas and a warm milky drink on going to bed, preferably with a spoonful of honey in it. I rarely did this, but do enjoy a banana - and often have one for breakfast, and carry one in the van to pick me up when I've had a heavy bit of work to do.

Is that enough of a boost for your "We love bananas" campaign, BM? :rolleyes: :D

 

thanks bm enjoyed reading that, I,ve just recently bought a kenwood smoothie and make banana smoothies and they are sooooooo lovelyyyy mmmmmmm

 

I love 2 bananas + 1/2 pint of milk liquidised and served in a cold pint glass. :D

Bananas rule everyone knows this. My two boys eat about 3 bananas a day each, and they have the best digestion and are the happiest people I know.

20 million monkeys can't be wrong ! :D

 

Staple diet of us cyclists B/man and you missed one out it was used for saddle soreness on a long ride you used to shove one down your shorts(peeled) sit on it and it took the soreness out,never tried it myself though prefered a bit of lanolin

 

:eek:

 

first time i,ve seen you lost for words bm :D :D :eek: :eek: mind boggles

 

:rolleyes: :eek: :D :D :D

 

I was biting my tongue, and sitting on my tourettes fingers !!! :D

 

anyway I do like a banana :D :D :D :D

 

EEEEKKK!!!!! Not heard of that one, Walnut!!!!! :eek: :eek: .......

I'm vey fussy when it comes to my Bananas, they have to be "just right". Underripe, or overripe, unfortunately, sets off a reflux reaction with me and it simply comes straight back up.... But the boys eat loads of them.

 

When i was in goa they only ever ate bananas when the skin is green they said they are a better taste, The ladies on the beach sold yellow bananas and they said they were no good

 

Some prefer a harder green banana rosa. Soft yellow bananas can sometimes be a little disapointing. :D

 

oooeeerrr!!!!!! :eek:

 

Ask Marge Simpson !