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From: lbtserquina@...
To: frasa00@...; ebbtorrigue@...; stardril@...; ramosb@...; ledy_delacruz@...; alicia_corpuz24@...; tabingmajeed@...; mingrim@...; siegfried.kadl@...; asapjc1@...
Subject: going bananas...
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:31:02 +0800

Bananas

     
   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 overc ome 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, makin g 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 level s 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 (S AD): 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!"

 PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
 PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on your shoes? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe.. .polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

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