Values of:

THE BANANA!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class
told his class about bananas.
He said
the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the
brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the
refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same
way again.

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 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 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

(England) 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 chips.
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 &Tobacco Use:
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!"