Friday, January 30, 2009
Question of the Day: Is there a problem with eating up to four bananas per day in my protein shakes if I work out?
In the vast majority of cases, four bananas per day are probably too many. One large banana contains about 18 grams of sugar and 125 calories. Four would contain about 72 grams of sugar and 500 calories. If a person ate about 2,000 calories per day, that person's diet would be approximately 14% sugar from the bananas alone, and about 25% of all calories would come from the bananas. From my perspective, that's too much daily sugar and too many daily calories from a single food. I have no way of knowing, of course, whether or not four bananas per day are supportive of your personal health. That answer depends upon your individual health status, your daily diet, the amount and type of exercise you are doing, and your current nutritional needs. A healthcare practitioner who can take all of these factors into account would be the best person to help determine the number of bananas that would be best for you to consume to meet your nutrient and health needs.
But I can suggest a set of questions that you might ask yourself about your banana-plus-protein shakes. Does your diet have room for the calories that four bananas per day provide? Do you have to cut out any other nutrient-rich foods that provide other nutrients in which bananas may not be concentrated in order to make room for the bananas? Do you feel good when you eat the bananas? Do the bananas give you the energy and stamina that you desire?
In general, our website approach is to encourage consumption of whole, natural foods. We believe that the benefits of these foods are so unique and so overwhelming that major changes in lifestyle are worthwhile in order to make way for these foods. While you may be getting the nutrients you need from your protein shakes, you also might not be, and you will always increase your chances of getting the full spectrum of nutrients you need by eating a variety of whole, natural foods.
Labels: bananas, diet, nutrition, question of the day, Whole Foods, world's healthiest foods
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Control Hunger and Lose Weight
A kind of dietary fiber known as "resistant starch" is emerging as a new weight loss powerhouse.A 2008 Swedish study found that people who ate a resistant starch at supper (in the form of barley bread) felt much less hungry than those who munched on plain white bread — and the hunger-quenching effect lasted past breakfast the next day. Found in beans, slightly green bananas, and potatoes (white and sweet), among other foods, this kind of fiber "resists" being digested. Because the starch doesn't enter your bloodstream, it stabilizes blood sugar levels and may lower diabetes risk. It also boosts levels of healthful bacteria that nurture the immune system.
Stay healthy
Load up your diet with these indigestible carbohydrates, also found in brown rice and corn, says Leslie Bonci, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. Because the starch becomes resistant during cooling, serve these foods at room temperature or from the fridge — think three-bean or (low-fat mayo) potato salad. You can find foods fortified with a resistant starch made from corn under the brand name Hi-maize (see our picks). "If you're eliminating carbs to watch your weight, you're not doing yourself any favors," Bonci says. "Adding these starches is an easy way to control both hunger and blood sugar."
Source
Labels: bananas, beans, fiber, healthy diet, resistant starch, study, Sweet potato
Thursday, October 02, 2008
DIY: Banana Sugar Scrub
Too many bananas in the fruit bowl? Skip the banana bread and feed your skin instead with this luxuriant yet simple homemade banana body sugar scrub.
Bananas are a natural for body care. Their creamy pulp is luscious and soothing, and works well as a carrier for other ingredients. Banana is nourishing and moisturizing and can be used for gentle exfoliation and skin-tightening.
In this simple formula, bananas and sugar are combined for a wonderfully aromatic and gently exfoliating body scrub.
INGREDIENTS
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil (optional)
Mash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky paste. Do not overmix or it will become too watery. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar.
In the shower, before turning the water on, slather the sugar mixture and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage plain banana there, avoiding the eye area.
Rinse off with warm water.
Labels: bananas, body scrub, DIY, facial, living holistically, skin care, sugar
Monday, July 28, 2008
Bananas - Who Knew?
Providing 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 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 way to beat high 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. (Fascinating!)
- 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. (Oops -- they left out the fact that it's good to eat protein and/or fat at the same time.)
- 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 t hat 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. (Really?)
- 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.
Labels: bananas, citrus fruits, healthy food, potassium
Friday, March 07, 2008
Go Bananas!!!
Bananas, originally uploaded by Dr. GORI ( PJr.).
Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.
Build better bones by eating bananas? Yes, enjoying bananas frequently as part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms.
BOTTOM LINE:
Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Banana.
Labels: bananas, healthy diet, nutrition, potassium, vitamin B6
