Go Nuts with Banana

By John

Introduction

The importance of banana in maintaining good health has been proven by many studies. These studies confirmed banana to be very suitable for ease of consumption (especially in a fast-paced work environment) and for its nutritional properties. The George Manteljan Foundation’s website (http://www.whfoods.com/) discussed that banana offers the following six health benefits:

© Cardiovascular protection from potassium and fiber
© Soothing protection from ulcers
© Improving elimination (of loose bowel movement)
© Eyesight protection
© Building better bones
© Promoting kidney health

Exhibit 1:  Half-peeled banana

These health benefits were supported by long years of studies involving big population ranging from 10,000 to 65,000. For example,”…A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine also confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as bananas, help prevent heart disease.”

Banana … the Magic Meal 

Most bananas we see in the supermarkets have yellow skin with sweet and firm flesh. Greenish skin color  usually means longer shelve life. Fully ripen banana has  black/brownish skin pigments that may look less appealing but with more anti-oxidant as researched and concluded by University of Innsbruck in Austria. The length ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

It’s nutritious and delicious

The healing power of banana comes from its nutrients. Banana is a favorite amongst sports enthusiasts, weight watchers and ordinary people… young and adults. Its taste and nutrients make it a better choice vis-à-vis other fruits like apple.

According to George Mateljan Foundation a regular piece of banana weight 118 grams and contain 108.56 calories. Exhibit 2 shows the essential nutrients with its corresponding World’s Healthiest Food Rating.

Banana is one of the richest sources of healthy potassium that is essential in lowering blood pressure as confirmed by studies.

Banana has been served with other healthy foods like cereal. This preparation helps prevent stroke that is considered as one of the lethal killers in North America.

Exhibit 2:  Essential Nutrients of Banana
Nutrient	Amount	DV%	ND	WHFR
Vitamin B6	0.68 mg	34.00	5.60	Very Good
Vitamin C	10.74 mg	17.90	3.00	Good
Potassium	467.28 mg	13.40	2.20	Good
Dietary Fiber	2.83 grams	11.30	1.90	Good
Mangenese	0.18 mg	9.00	1.50	Good
LEGEND: DV% - Daily Value %
ND = Nutrient Density
WHFR = World's Healthiest Food Rating

It’s almost everywhere

Banana is harvested year round in tropical countries in Latin America and
Asia. It is readily available at major supermarket chains. It does not  need extra packaging. It peel is sufficient to protect the sumptuous creamy flesh.

It’s for all ages

Banana suits consumers of all ages. Many parents feed their babies banana. Babies love its creamy, soft and sweet taste.  The research published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences confirmed that banana helps children with persistent diarrhea absorb nutrients from regular foods and prevent the sickness. The fully ripen banana suits the increasing requirement of older people for anti-oxidant.   Regardless of your age banana is great for you.


It’s affordable

The price of banana per pound ranged from C$50 to C$75 cents. Each pound has 2 to 3 pieces depending on the size. Many nutritionists advocating for natural and healthy foods recommend three pieces of banana per day. So for only a dollar a day many of the essential daily required nutrients are already covered. Definitely this is much cheaper and more convenient than a hamburger.

So why not go nuts with banana...


References and links

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=7
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2
http://www.google.ca/search?q=banana&hl=en&biw=1536&bih=678&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2h_hTZuWMOrZiAL477jABg&ved=0CF4QsAQ

Healthy Quick and Easy Meals

Good nutrition provides energy. For more information on nutrition visit proteins & vitamins. With a little bit of planning and efforts, you can eat tasty, healthier food.


Quick and Easy meals are for everyone, who want to eat delicious and nutritious meals but can’t spend hours in the kitchen. There is a variety of methods and ways in the process of cooking. Everyone thinks that cooking involves lot of time and if food can be made in minutes it can't  be healthy. But that’s not true, there are plenty of recipes which can be prepared in minutes and are healthy too. To make quick and easy meals, plan ahead and shop on weekends to stack your refrigerator and pantry with some ingredients.


Cooking at home on your own not only saves your time and money but also improves your health too. Everyone needs to eat healthy in order to stay fit and healthy, so they all should be able to cook on their own whether men, women or children.

Link to :Quick Healthy and Easy Recipes

Seema 

Tips for busy moms

Moms are very concious about the diet of their kids and family because they want to prepare delicious and nutritious food for them. In today's busy world  they don't have a spare  time to devote to the kitchen.So,in such a situation if they get some quick simple recipies and that can incorporated into your everyday lives and help them in saving lots of time then i think this is more benefitted.There are some tips that helps busy moms
in making quick easy meals and saves time.
1)Do shopping ahead like plan their weakly meals before going for shopping.
2)wash and cut all the vegetables and wrap them properly then refrigerated that helps in saving time when preparing it later.
3)make some sauces and pastes  at weekend that help in preparing different meals.
4)cook once and eat twice make sure that you  have cook large quantity of enough food so that you can freeze it and use later like for dinner.
5)prechop onions and other vegetables with help of food processor.                                                             
                      So,above tips are very simple,easy to adopt and saves lots of time.if you like such  tips please comment below.

Roop

Making My Healthy Breakfast in 5 Minutes

The American Dietetic Association says breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but how many of us often neglect or skip it? Do you know how long people spend to prepare breakfast? If you are interested in this question, please join our survey at the right side of this blog.

Many traditional breakfasts are not healthy such as pancakes, waffles, donuts, pies, and muffins are too sugary and carb-filled, while fried eggs, sausages, and bacon are very fatty. So what choices are left for a quick and healthy breakfast? Here are three healthy recipes I chose:

• Oatmeal, blueberries & nuts

The Food and Drug Administration state that oats combined with a low-fat diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, so oatmeal is very popular for breakfast. For saving time, I usually use instant oatmeal. I put oatmeal in a bowl, add some hot water, and then mix it with blueberries and nuts.

If you would like to know detailed instructions about this recipe, I recommend you to watch “Fast and Easy to Make Healthy 3 Minute Breakfast Recipe” on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKz7f1m5-d0&feature=related).

• Fresh fruit salad

My mom is a doctor, and she told me that eating fruit in the different time of a day has different healthy values. Its value is like gold in the morning, silver in the lunch, and bronze in the evening. Fresh fruit salad is a perfect choice for breakfast. I usually cut up some apples, berries, oranges, bananas, grapes … any available fruits, and add a little bit of lemon juice. It is simple but tasty! 

• Eggs with peppers

I often cook scrambled eggs with a little olive oil, onions, and bell peppers. It can be combined with whole-wheat toast for a complete breakfast. This is my son’s favorite breakfast :)

Isn't it amazing? Just in 5 minutes, any of the above healthy breakfasts can be made. Do you have any good ideas about a quick and healthy breakfast? Please comment below.

Sophia