Thursday, August 28, 2014

Food for Tought : National Banana Lover's Month

If you’re a fan of bananas, then your day is about to get better. August is National Banana Lovers Month , meaning it’s time to celebrate all the health benefits of your favorite yellow fruit.
You may already know that bananas are stocked with potassiuma medium one has 422 milligrams of the mineral or 12% of the recommended daily value, according to the USDA. It also has a solid 3 grams of filling fiber and nearly 20% of your daily value for both vitamins C and B6. Plus, they’re great to add to healthy smoothies. If that’s not enough, here are five other ways bananas can make your life better:


                 They can sub in for sports drinks:

Bananas could give sports drinks a run for their money. A study published in PLoS ONE analyzed the blood samples of 14 trained cyclists, who were given either a cup of carbohydrate drink or half a banana to consume every 15 minutes during a simulated 2.5- to 3-hour road race. Researchers found that performance was the same for both, but bananas come with added benefits. "They pack more nutrients than sports drinks and have a healthier blend of natural sugars with bonus antioxidants," says Health‘s contributing nutrition editor, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. And if you’re low on key electrolytes like potassium that help regulate nerve and muscle function, you might suffer from muscle cramps. So grabbing a banana to replace what you sweat out during an intense workout isn’t a bad idea.

                 They may boost your metabolism:

Bananas are a good source of resistant starch, a starch found in carbohydrate-rich foods that may help you slim down. Your body digests Resistant Starch slowly (it literally "resists" the process), making it a natural appetite suppressant because you feel fuller longer. RS also encourages your liver to switch to fat burning mode. The Health‘s GarbLovers Diet recommends eating 10 to 15 grams daily. A medium, slightly green banana has 12.5 grams of RS, but even ripe bananas have almost 5 grams.

              They can help keep blood pressure in check:
Another upside to the high potassium content in bananas: it may help regulate blood pressure. The more potassium you consume, the more sodium that can exit your body, according to the American Heart Association. That’s because the mineral acts like a natural diuretic. "It triggers the kidneys to release excess sodium and fluid the body is holding onto," Sass says. Lower blood pressure is great news for your heart: It means the muscle won’t have to work as hard to pump blood throughout your body. It doesn’t hurt either that a diet with potassium-rich foods was found to cut the risk of a stroke by 21% and may also lower your risk for heart disease.

              They’re good for your gut bacteria:

You’ve probably heard of probiotics, the "good" bacteria that aid digestion and are found in certain foods like yogurt. Well, there’s also such a thing as prebiotics, and bananas happen to be a great source of them. Prebiotics are actually carbohydrates that can't be digested by the human body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Still, they play a vital role in maintaining a healthy gut. "Prebiotics supply food for probiotics," Sass says. "So they help the ‘good’ probiotic bacteria grow." Bananas aren’t the only food that will help you get your fill of prebiotics: You’ll also find them in raisins, asparagus, onions, and garlic.

                     They can ease stomach troubles:

Bananas can help with several tummy issues. The 3.1 grams of fiber you’ll find in a medium banana is split into two different types: soluble and insoluble, which can help ease digestion and relieve constipation, respectively. Bananas could even aid recovery after a bout of diarrhea, when fluid loss depletes levels of key electrolytes like potassium, Sass says. That’s not all. "Bananas neutralize the acidity in the stomach and coat the lining to reduce irritation," Sass says. So they are thought to help fight heartburn and stomach ulcers, too.
There were two kinds of people in the
 world: givers and takers. The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.

Words of  Wisdom :
Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.

I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that.


The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

A proud grandpoppa G.
 

8 comments:

  1. We love bananas here. I have one every morning, as does my husband!

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    1. Ms. Nellie ,
      It is hard to find someone that do not like bananas in some form . Glad you and husband love them they have so many health benefits .

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  2. Hi Poppa ,
    A banana a day help keep your blood pressure in check and also help your heart and diabetes . Thanks poppa for sharing ;-D .

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    1. My darling Granddaughter ,
      I have learned so much about being healthy since I join this dear family . I feel better now than 20 years ago , more energy and more pep .
      You are doing a great job , Gregg say he will be sending you videos and he has one of him cooking the pig . We are proud and if you need me just holler and I will come running .
      A proud grandpoppa .

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  3. Hi HB,
    Great article. I learned a lot from this post and it is all useful information. You can't go wrong with natural fruits and vegetables. Nature made them perfect and the banana comes pre-packaged and ready to eat. I will use the next minute to make this day a better one. Thanks for that advice.
    Love, best wishes and a big hug,
    Butterfly

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    1. Hello Butterfly ,
      Thank you so very much , I am doing my best . If you learn something , well my job was done . I am so proud of my daughter , she is teaching my grands how to eat healthy , that way she lets them eat all the junk they want .
      I am glad you like that saying , it is prefect especially because you can not get it back .
      I get I take for granted that people know these things .
      Best wishes to you , love and hug .
      HB

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  4. Poppa , your post is good and we love bananas , mama made some banana bread with chocolate chips and it's so good . Mama have good snacks for us after school , then we go to aunt Anita to get more . Daddy said we are going to put him in the poor house and wink his eye . Daddy had some banana bread , mama say stay out her kitchen , daddy said who me , Man gave me this bread . Daddy is so funny .
    We love you poppa .
    Wrote by Jonny

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    1. Hello my grands ,
      Glad you like my post and yes you do love bananas especially in the mornings with you breakfast . Did you know your mama made 5 loaves of banana bread . You can always tell when your mama is cooking something good , you daddy is hanging around . Your dear mama said she could not fill all of you up , she do not know where the food go (laughing my butt off)
      Love all of you very much
      Poppa

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Come on in , set awhile and have a cup of tea and cookies , as always you are welcome .