Go 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. InThailand , 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 it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!' PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

Anger Management For Emotional Wellness.....courtesy ...http://www.womensweb.in

Anger Management For Emotional Wellness on Friday, March 2, 2012 - Posted in Home & Health, Wellness | 4 Comments Lack of anger management can affect all aspects of your life – including relationships and health. A look at why anger management is essential. By Maitreyee Chowdhury A scene from the movie ‘Jab We Met, showcases the female lead advising her friend, who is sad and angry at a girl dumping him. In a strange way, the central character Geet advises her friend to burn his ex-girlfriend’s picture and flush it down the toilet; symbolically, ending all the pent up anger and frustration that he has for her. A rather unusual and dramatic move I thought, but in many ways perhaps very effective in handling anger, especially the way many modern women see it today. Haven’t we all wished a thousand times that we could flush out the anger that brews within us at certain situations or certain people? Perhaps the aforesaid solution is a rather simplistic way of treating pent up anger. But that’s not important, what is important is that one feels good after this pent up anger is washed out of the system and one hasn’t hurt anyone else in the process either. The lack of better anger management can actually have disastrous results and affect not only one’s mental health but also hamper relations both personal and professional.Lack of anger management can be disastrous A recent report in the Huffington post revealed the incident of a woman (Faribah Maradiaga) enrolled for an anger management class, venting her anger on a fellow participant (Luna Oraivej) and almost injuring her. The report elaborates on how Faribah unable to control her anger over a minor argument, physically abused Luna. While all cases might not be as extreme, anger management and its control are a must for all of us, if we are to live happily and perform better in private and professional lives. Incidentally, the inability to control one’s anger could also lead to related disorders that might manifest themselves with deeper issues. Rehana D’Souza* who is a freelance writer and a highly creative person, is going through a divorce and fighting a battle in court for the custody of her child. Rehana’s husband wants to divorce her on the grounds that she is a patient of BPD (Border Personality Disorder). While this is actually not true, to her own amazement, Rehana found that her behaviour had drastically changed over a period of 6 years, without her even knowing it. The pressure of a creative job, managing home and a child, were finally showing on her. And while she was lucky to have the doctors certify that she was not a BPD case, she certainly had problems with anger management she was told. …the inability to control one’s anger could also lead to related disorders that might manifest themselves with deeper issues. Are women fatigued by too many responsibilities? In times like this, one is reminded of the Hindu Goddess Durga. The lady with the ten hands seems to be the modern incarnate of the woman of today who manages several responsibilities all at the same time, while trying to be a perfectionist in each. Quite frequently, we take our responsibilities too dearly, too seriously, because that’s how women are built. Whether you like it or not, women start multi-tasking from very young. In India, the girl child from a tender age is often taught to bear with the tempers of the men of the house, look after the other children too and help the mother in the kitchen. All this while the personal wishes and emotions of the girl are suppressed. In certain cases this accumulated anger may find some vent in later life. While this may have reduced in the urban scene today, women usually go through their lives, looking out for the interests of their family. Most women also juggle careers that include job pressure, work place politics and gender related issues too. Even if a woman does have outside help, much of the responsibility that she takes on has an effect on her psyche as a person. Under the circumstances, many women buckle down and are unable to manage this stress, leading to unpleasant situations. Quite frequently, we take our responsibilities too dearly, too seriously… Anger management, a solution for wellness? There are some safe and easily practicable anger management techniques that you could try for sustained mental and physical wellness: - Stop trying to do everything yourself. Learn to delegate and share responsibilities. As soon as children are old enough, make them responsible for their own work. Indian women have a habit of pampering kids and mothering them for far too long! Stop that, you are making your life hard and the child a dependent. - If you have had a traumatic past, try sharing that with someone you can confide in. Don’t keep it to yourself. Sharing is good for our mental health. It will make you feel much lighter. - Cultivate a hobby, give yourself some ‘Me’ time and do the things you like doing. Stop depriving yourself of little pleasures. Taking off some time for yourself is not going to hamper your family; in fact it will make them more independent and look out for themselves. - If possible, switch jobs to something that is less stressful. It is always better to enjoy what you do, that keeps you and others happy too. - While this may sound clichéd, be happy, have a positive outlook towards life, take care of your health. Anger management can develop into a serious problem if it is not heeded in time. Do not fight shy of visiting a counsellor or talking to friends and family you trust about your problem. Your anger OR your wellness is in your hands, help yourself and help others. *Name changed on request Photo credit: Dario J Lagana (Used under a Creative Commons license)