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The
wonders of the Banana
By: Ron Wilson
July 15, 2004.... For
years I have always felt bananas were the worst thing that a fisherman
could bring aboard a boat!
I could tell you too
many bad luck stories from having bananas aboard. Call it superstition if
you like, but you’ll have trouble convincing me otherwise!
However it seems that
the banana is much healthier for you than an apple a day! Here is an
E-mail that a friend recently sent me!
I still fell strongly
about bananas aboard boats when you’re fishing. But after Reading this, I
have gained respect of this magnificent fruit. Read on and enjoy.
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 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 have 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 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
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!"
This will be my last
column for awhile. Seems the doctors had to cut a little meanness out of
me and it will take some time for me to get back on my feet and into the
outdoors to write about it once more!
Tight Lines until
then,
Ron Wilson |
