Health Tips: I Recommend Going Bananas
No, the title is not a figure of speech! It’s literal actually. I don’t want you to go crazy, crazy. I just recommend that you go crazy or “go bananas” with what else but...bananas!
MM del Rosario already wrote a hub about bananas (http://hubpages.com/hub/fruit-banana). I told her I’ve been planning a banana article too and requested to link with her hub.
This hub will thus reiterate what she mentioned about bananas and I add my own take on bananas so we can...go bananas!
Why Go Bananas?
My answer to that is, why not? Bananas are good for your health and cheap too! Plus it’s available all year round.
Question – do you believe in the adage - “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? You do? Well, good for you.
After reading
this hub though, you might decide to change that into – “a banana a day keeps the doctor
away”!
Really now? Really! Just read on....
Look what I got from Wikipedia about the nutritional contents of bananas and apples. I placed the data in a single table for easier comparison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple
Wikepedia by the way did not give any number for the amount of water in bananas.
Food Component
| Banana, Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Apples, with skin (edible parts) Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
|
|---|---|---|
Energy
| 371 kJ (89 kcal)22.84 g
| 218 kJ (52 kcal 13.81 g
|
Carbohydrates
| Sugars 12.23 g
| Sugars 10.39 g
|
Dietary fiber
| 2.6 g
| 2.4 g
|
Fat
| 0.33g
| 0.176
|
Protein
| 1.09 g
| 0.26 g
|
Water
| 85.56 g
| |
Vitamin A
| equiv. 3 μg (0%)
| equiv. 3 μg (0%)
|
Thiamine (Vit. B1)
| 0.031 mg (2%)
| 0.017 mg (1%)
|
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)
| 0.073 mg (5%)
| 0.026 mg (2%)
|
Niacin (Vit. B3)
| 0.665 mg (4%)
| 0.091 mg (1%)
|
Pantothenic acid (B5)
| 0.334 mg (7%)
| 0.061 mg (1%)
|
Vitamin B6
| 0.367 mg (28%)
| 0.041 mg (3%)
|
Folate (Vit B9)
| 20 μg (5%)
| 3 μg (1%)
|
Vitamin C
| 8.7 mg (15%)
| 4.6 mg (8%)
|
Calcium
| 5 mg (1%)
| 6 mg (1%)
|
Iron
| 0.26 mg (2%)
| 0.12 mg (1%)
|
Magnesium
| 27 mg (7%)
| 5 mg (1%)
|
Phosphorus
| 22 mg (3%)
| 11 mg (2%)
|
Potassium
| 358 mg (8%)
| 107 mg (2%)
|
Zinc
| 0.15 mg (1%)
| 0.04 mg (0%)
|
Table Comparing the Nutritional Values of Bananas and Apples
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
Banana wins! Right?
However, nutritionists advise that it is better for our health to eat at least five varieties of fruits everyday. So, it doesn't matter anymore if bananas are more nutritious than apples. It's better if we make both of them as part of our diet. Plus, we should add also other fruits!
Oh, reminder - don't stores bananas in the refrigerator! Why? They turn brown and will look so unappetizing!
More about bananas -
http://whatilikeabout-anything.blogspot.com/search/label/bananas.latundan
Now, listen to what Harry Belafonte has to say about bananas...
Bananas or Apples?
So, after looking at the table, are you convinced yet about the superior nutritional value of bananas as compared with apples?
Are you ready now to change the "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" to "a banana a day keeps the doctor away"?
If you are not yet ready to change, apparently the Japanese are. Since 2008, they have made all banana producing countries (including the Philippines!) happy because of the increase in their banana consumption.Why?
Well, they came up with the morning banana diet or simply MBD.
Check out the following website:
The beauty of this diet is, you can supposedly eat anything that you normally eat as long as you stick to a diet of bananas in the morning.
Many are trashing this banana diet and saying it's just another fad. But many are also standing by it. So to help you make your decision, check out the following website.
http://morningbanana.com/what-the-morning-banana-diet-is-and-isnt
More Reasons to Go Bananas
Depressed? - Eat a banana! Come on, what has banana got to do with depression?
Well, bananas contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is converted to serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you relaxed and calm. It improves your mood and makes you feel good.
Not only that, did you notice that high amounts of different vitamin Bs in the table? Vitamin Bs help strengthen and calm your nervous system.
If you suffer from S.A.D. or seasonal affective disorder, eating bananas is also recommended.
High Blood Pressure? - Go bananas once more!
Did you notice the high amounts of Potassium and Magnesium and a bit of Calcium in bananas? Those three are important for controlling blood pressure.
Potassium especially is very important because Potassium-Sodium balance is important for preventing heart diseases. The balance to maintain is high Potassium-low Sodium.
Hangovers? - A banana milkshake is the answer.
A drinking spree depletes your body of nutrients and water. To recover quickly from a hangover, prepare a banana milkshake and sweeten it with honey. Banana calms the digestive system. Milk helps in rehydrating your system while honey helps restore your sugar levels.
And who has been given a banana when he/she suffered from loose bowel movement? Banana helps stabilize your digestive system as well as helps restore the lost Potassium.
Going Bananas is the Way to Go!
Now it's not surprising anymore why athletes especially tennis players snack on bananas every time they take a break.
Bananas do not only give them energy but also help restore potassium and other minerals that are lost in sweat.
So, let's go bananas!
