Miracle of Banana

The banana has become an everyday fruit and is easy to carry, easy to peel and easy to eat. In other words a perfect snack for those in a hurry. The taste and texture makes it particularly good as an alternative to cookies and candy when it's time for a snack break. Bananas are also very suitable for cooking. The mild, sweet flavor makes it a great supplement in hot, spicy meals, especially if they contain curry.

There are relatively quite a lot of calories in a banana so it gives you an instant energy boost when you are in need of one. Compared to other fruits bananas do contain an unusual lot of energy, but the banana calories come mainly from carbohydrates, i.e. starch and sugars. Lots of people think the calories in banana come from loads of fat, but that is completely wrong. Therefore, if you want to reduce your fat intake to easier maintain a healthy body weight, bananas are an excellent choice to lower the desire to eat fat food or sweets. A banana is easy to chew and easy to digest which means it quickly raises the blood sugar level and reduces the desire for cookies or chocolate.

So what is the number of calories in a banana? An average banana (105g) contains only 100 calories, compared with 550 calories in a 100g chocolate bar, or 170 calories in a pastry (40g). Also, almost zero of the banana calories come from fat whereas half of the calories in the chocolate bar and pastry come from fat. Athletes who workout and compete a lot have long ago discovered the benefits from eating bananas and absorbing the banana calories. Immediately after a workout it's important to refuel the muscles by eating food that contains a lot of carbs that increases blood sugar levels quickly. Which is precisely what a banana does! A small word of warning though - food with this quality is not recommended if you have diabetes and have to closely regulate your blood sugar level. Be cautious with bananas if you are a diabetic.

Potassium
The banana is also known for its high potassium content. All fruits and vegetables contain a lot of potassium but bananas are among the best. A banana (105g) contains 13% of the recommended daily intake for women and 8% for men. Potassium is a mineral that we need quite a lot of, about 3 grams a day. It has an important function in the blood pressure regulation system and is needed for muscles and nerves to function properly. Several major studies point to the fact that a low potassium intake conduces a high blood pressure. If you want to keep your blood pressure on a normal and healthy level throughout your life, or lower it, a great dietary advice is to eat plenty of fruit, especially bananas, and vegetables.

Magnesium
Perhaps less known is the fact that bananas contain quite a lot of magnesium. A banana (105g) contains 12% of the recommended daily intake for women and 10% for men. Magnesium is involved in most of the energy producing processes in your body and is just as potassium vital for muscles and nerves to function properly. Research show a high enough intake of magnesium is important to prevent cardiovascular diseases and brittle-bone disease. Other areas where magnesium seems to have importance are the origin of and cure for migraine and endurance and performance during physical exercise.

Vitamins
Bananas contain particularly much of vitamin B-6, or pyrixodine as it is also called. A woman gets half of the recommended daily intake through a single banana, and a man gets 40%. Vitamin B-6 is involved in the requisition of protein. It makes sure that amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can transmute to other amino acids and energy. It also plays a significant part in the protection against cardiovascular diseases. Research has shown that increased levels of the amino acid homocysteine increases the risk for heart attacks and stroke. Three kinds of B-vitamins is needed to keep the level of homocystein low and healthy: B-6, B-12 and folic acid.

So next time you feel the urge for something small to eat, eat a banana! Make it a habit and your body will thank you and keep you healthier.

Carrots Elements.

The 3 most important elements are Beta-carotene, Alpha Carotene, and Phytochemicals.

Beta carotene usually receives most attention when examining carrots. It is one of about 500 similar compounds called carotenoids, which are present in many fruits and vegetables.

The body changes beta carotene into vitamin A, which is important in strengthening the immune system, keeping the skin, lungs and intestinal track in order, and promoting healthy cell growth. Beta-carotene is found primarily in dark green, red, yellow, and orange-coloured plants, and is converted by the body into vitamin A and also works on its own. Photo of beta carotene under the microscope.

Vitamin A is a pale yellow primary alcohol derived from carotene. It affects the formation and maintenance of skin, mucous membranes, bones, and teeth, vision and reproduction. In addition dietary Vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, an antioxidant, may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. However, beta carotene is much more than the precursor for vitamin A.
Only so much beta carotene can be changed into vitamin A, and that which is not changed contributes to boosting the immune system and is also a potent antioxidant.
Antioxidants fight free radicals and help prevent them from causing membrane damage, DNA mutation, and lipid (fat) oxidation, all of which may lead to many of the diseases that we consider "degenerative." Exposure to sunlight, cigarette smoke and air pollution, along with your body's every day cellular activities, cause free radicals to form. It is free radical havoc that scientists believe is pivotal in the development of age related degenerative diseases such as cancer, cataracts, arthritis, heart disease an even asthma. It is highly recommended that vitamin A be consumed from the diet rather than from supplements (particularly in the case of beta carotene), because vitamin A obtained from a varied diet offers the maximal potential of health benefits that supplements cannot. The richest sources of preformed vitamin A are liver, fish liver oils, milk, milk products, butter, and eggs. Liver is an especially rich source because vitamin A is primarily stored in the liver of animals and humans.
Vitamin A is also found in a variety of dark green and deep orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, butternut squash, turnip greens, bok choy, mustard greens, and romaine lettuce. Beta carotene is the most active carotenoid (the red, orange, and yellow pigments) form of vitamin A, but it is inefficiently absorbed and converted to retinol in comparison to vitamin A from animal sources. As you can see Vitamin A intake is essential to human health.

Alpha carotene. Beta carotene is not the only carotenoid. Often overlooked, and also found in carrots, is alpha carotene. According to an article in NCI Cancer Weekly (Nov. 13, 1989), Michiaki Murakoshi, who leads a team of biochemists at Japan's Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, contends that alpha carotene may be more powerful than beta carotene in inhibiting processes that may lead to tumor growth. Murakoshi indicates that neuroblastoma (cancer) cells coated with carotenoids experience a drop in N-myc activity compared to untreated cells. N-myc is a gene that codes for cell growth-stimulating proteins and can contribute to cancer formation and growth. Alpha carotene was found to be about ten times more inhibitory toward N-myc activity than beta carotene. Murakoshi concludes that all types of carotenoids should be studied for possible health benefits.

Phytochemicals which are found in vegetables, fruits, and nuts, may reduce the risk of cancer, strokes, hinder the ageing process, balance hormonal metabolism, and have antiviral and antibacterial properties.
A phytochemical is a natural bioactive compound found in plant foods that works with nutrients and dietary fibre to protect against disease. Research suggests that phytochemicals, working together with nutrients found in fruits, vegetables and nuts, may help slow the ageing process and reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections. They can have complementary and overlapping mechanisms of action in the body, including antioxidant effects, modulation of detoxification enzymes, stimulation of the immune system, modulation of hormone metabolism, and antibacterial and antiviral effect.

From those 3 elements, carrots benefit our bodies by:

• Boosting immunity (especially among older people).
• Reducing photosensitivity (beta-carotene protects the skin from sun damage).
• Improving symptoms of HIV.
• Easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
• Helping to heal minor wounds and injuries.
• Reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Reducing the risk of high blood pressure.
• Cleansing the liver, and when consumed regularly, can help the liver excrete fats and bile.
• Fighting bronchitis.
• Fighting infection (vitamin A keeps cell membranes healthy, making them stronger against disease-causing microorganisms)
• Improving muscle, flesh, and skin health.
• Helping fight aneamia.
• Reducing acne.
• Improving eye health.

The Miracle of Carrot

Carrots are nutritional heroes, they store a goldmine of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A. This is a truly versatile vegetable and an excellent source of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fibre that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties.
The carrot is an herbaceous plant containing about 87% water, rich in mineral salts and vitamins (B,C,D,E).
Raw carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and potassium; they contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamine, folic acid, and magnesium.
Cooked carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, a good source of potassium, and contain vitamin B6, copper, folic acid, and magnesium. The high level of beta-carotene is very important and gives carrots their distinctive orange colour.

Carrots also contain, in smaller amounts, essential oils, carbohydrates and nitrogenous composites. They are well-known for their sweetening, antianaemic, healing, diuretic, remineralizing and sedative properties.
In order to assimilate the greatest quantity of the nutrients present in carrots, it is important to chew them well - they are the exception to the rule - they are more nutritious cooked than raw.

Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. As we go through life, there are so many illnesses that could have been prevented with better nutrition. This has been proven beyond any shadow of doubt over the past few years.
Research has proven that getting the proper level of antioxidants into our bloodstream will reduce the risk of cancer. Consumption of carrots increases the level of key antioxidants in the bloodstream.

Vitamin supplements are not normally necessary if you have a balanced diet. Eat whole food and feel good knowing that you've got nutrition from nature's gifts going through your body every day. Good health never came out of a bottle or capsule.

The power and goodness of carrots - Carrots have many important vitamins and minerals. They are rich in antioxidants Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Phytochemicals and Glutathione, Calcium and Potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and E, which are also considered antioxidants, protecting as well as nourishing the skin. They contain a form of calcium easily absorbed by the body. Finally they also contain Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous.and Sulphur - better than a wonder drug!!

Health and Lifestyle Tips II

The first important point to make is that these tips are not substitutes for proper medical advice and should in no way take the place of consulting your GP or doctor if you are worried in any way about your general health. If you are in good general health then they might well prove thought provoking and helpful.

Live a little bit for today and a little bit for tomorrow. Sometimes people put themselves under tremendous pressure worrying too much about what tomorrow might bring.

Enjoy today and take what comes simply from being. Good health cannot be derived solely from a gym workout, it's equally important to be emotionally fit and balanced.

Try to take some exercise everyday. It's not always possible to get to the gym three times a week, although it is possible for most people to take a brisk 10 minute walk. Why not park the car five minutes away from where you work? You would barely notice the difference. Why pay a premium parking fee to park right by the shopping mall when parking five minutes away would not only give you the exercise opportunity but also save you money?

Smoking really is bad for your health, and even more so if you have a history of breathing problems or asthmatic tendencies. If you have tried in the past to give up and find yourself feeling worse for failing, you might want to consider hypnotherapy, which is gaining increasing recognition as being a very effective way to stop the habit.

Time management is not just about filling every waking hour with tasks. The balanced time planner knows the wisdom of planning a bit of time for doing absolutely nothing. The message here is to plan a bit of time for you.

The word "lifestyle" is all too often interpreted as the ability to own aspirational brands and products or being able to afford lavish skiing trips or fashionable leisure pursuits. The word we would ask you not to forget is "life". You only get one, so you should think about how you want to spend it. Thousands of people spend the whole year doing something they hate simply to be able to afford a week or so doing something they love. We suggest this may be the wrong ratio.

Drink plenty of water. It is believed that in cooler climates up to 90% of the population are dehydrated at some level. This is because for most of the year in these climates people don't feel thirsty and consequently they can go for most of the day without taking water in. Add to this the fact that many people drink coffee, tea and alcohol, which actually accelerate the dehydration process. Aim to drink up to two litres of pure water each day. Drink it gradually; if you gulp it down in one session, most of it will pass through you unutilised.

Diet is very important. If you are unsure about what is the right balance of food intake, buy a good book on nutrition, but as a general rule, consider the following.

The following foods are generally regarded as important to be eaten regularly and should form the basis of your diet: vegetables, fruit, salad leaves, cereals, nuts, bran, wholemeal bread, lentils, pulses, fresh water and pure fruit juice.

The following foods should be carefully evaluated in terms of how frequently and how much of them you eat but as a general rule should be consumed in moderation, and for some people not at all: red meat, bacon, sausages, most fats and butter, sugar, cakes, tea, coffee and alcohol.

How to Avoid Secondhand Smoke

Limiting exposure to secondhand smoke takes planning. Here are some ways you can reduce or eliminate secondhand smoke in your life.

Don't allow smoking in your home.

If family members or guests want to smoke, ask them to step outside. Don't rely on an air conditioner or an open window to clear the air. Running the air conditioner may remove the visible smoke, but it doesn't remove the dangerous particles from circulation. An open window doesn't provide adequate ventilation, either.

Insist that smoking restrictions be enforced in your workplace.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, which means it's known to cause cancer in humans. The only way to fully protect nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke is to prevent all smoking in the building. Even powerful ventilation fans don't effectively remove secondhand smoke from the work environment.

Choose smoke-free care facilities.

If you take your children to a child care provider, choose one with a no-smoking policy. The same goes for aging relatives. If they live in a long term care facility, make sure it's smoke-free.

Don't allow smoking in your vehicle.

If someone must smoke on the road, stop at a rest stop for a smoke break outside the car.

Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies and tell the management that you appreciate the healthy air. Many restaurants and other establishments are entirely smoke-free.

When you absolutely must share a room with people who are smoking, sit as far away from them as possible.

If your spouse or partner smokes, have him or her refrain from smoking indoors, just as you would with houseguests. Encourage your partner to quit smoking.

Health Threats to Children From Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke has a marked effect on the health of infants and children. They're more vulnerable than adults are because they're still developing physically and generally have higher breathing rates, which means they may inhale greater quantities of secondhand smoke than adults do.

For children who live in households where someone smokes, the effects are worst during the child's first five years, since the child may spend the bulk of that time with a smoking parent or guardian. Ironically, infants are at the highest risk of secondhand smoke from their own mothers. A child who spends just one hour in a very smoky room is inhaling as many dangerous chemicals as if he or she smoked 10 or more cigarettes. And even when parents don't smoke at home or in the car, there can still be negative effects when children are exposed to the tobacco smoke pollution released from the clothing and hair of smoking parents.

Here's a look at some of the main health problems in infants and children associated with secondhand smoke.

Growth and development
Women who are exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are at higher risk of having babies of slightly lower birth weight. This can cause a host of health problems for the baby, such as cerebral palsy or learning disabilities. Women who actively smoke during pregnancy expose their developing baby to passive smoke — the chemicals may pass through the placenta — and put the baby at risk of lower birth weight.

An infant who was exposed to secondhand smoke as a developing fetus may be at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Post-birth exposure to secondhand smoke from the mother, father or others in the household also increases the risk of SIDS.

Asthma and other respiratory problems
Secondhand smoke may cause asthma in children. In children who already have asthma, secondhand smoke can make episodes more frequent and more severe.

Secondhand smoke is also tied to infections of the lower respiratory tract, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in those younger than 6. It's also associated with irritation of the upper respiratory tract and a small reduction in lung function.

Middle ear conditions
Children living in households with smokers are more likely to develop middle ear infections (otitis media).

AVOIDING ALLERGIES

1. Spotting hidden food allergens-know their hiding places

One type of allergic response, anaphylaxis, is a sudden and sometimes deadly drop in blood pressure that can potentially stop the heart or close air passages, causing death by suffocation. Avoiding foods that you know you're allergic to is the first step to preventing a serious allergic reaction. The most common food allergens are milk, egg, peanut, wheat, soy, shellfish, fish and tree nuts. But, beware of the hidden sources of your food allergens: unlabeled ingredients in processed food; milk toppings on specialty or bar drinks that can contain eggs; deli slicers used for both meat and cheese products; ethnic dishes that use peanuts and peanut oil can contaminate dishes prepared without nuts.

2. Mold allergies-some tips for coping

Damp, shady or dark areas of the home and garden harbor molds-a common allergen for many people. Take these steps to "air out" mold and avoid those damp and musty places if you can: Use a dehumidifier to dry out damp basements; open a window or use a fan after a steamy bath or shower to allow the humidity to escape. Don't store clothes or other frequently used possessions in damp basements. Avoid moist, shady areas outdoors, garden compost piles and greenhouses.

3. Asthma and allergies can go hand-in-hand

According to the American Academy of Allergies, Asthma and Immunology, as many as 78 percent of individuals with allergies also have asthma, a condition in which the airways of the lungs narrow, resulting in wheezing and problems breathing. Twenty percent of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Experts say that allergies should not be treated as a trivial problem. Untreated, allergies can lead to the development of chronic sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) and asthma. Once diagnosed, a combination of medications may be recommended to relieve seasonal allergies. These medications include antihistamines, topical nasal corticosteroids, cromolyn sodium nasal spray, decongestants and immunotherapy. See your health care professional to assess your symptoms, if you think you might suffer from seasonal allergies, or if the steps you take to relieve your symptoms aren't working.

4. Love your pet, but can't stop sneezing?

All pets can cause allergies-except, perhaps, a fish. Pet dander, skin flakes, saliva and urine can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to these allergens. Another big source of discomfort for pet owners with allergies is the pollen, mold spores and other outdoor allergens brought inside on your animal's fur. If you can't bear to give up your fur-bearing friend, try these strategies to minimize your allergies:

keep your pet out of your bedroom, where you spend the most time

wash your hands after handling your pet to avoid spreading the dander

have someone else bathe your pet weekly and brush it outdoors several times a week

have someone else clean the litter box and store it away from forced air heating and/or central air conditioning vents.

5. Asthma and pregnancy-hormonal shifts may improve asthma or make it worse

It's probably no surprise to women with asthma to hear that hormonal shifts affect their asthma symptoms. Up to 40 percent of women with asthma find that their symptoms worsen just before and during menstruation, then improve once their periods end. Asthma may get worse during pregnancy-a time when hormones fluctuate greatly-but asthma symptoms may also improve or stay the same when you're pregnant. Most asthma medications can be continued during pregnancy, under the supervision of your health care professional. If you nurse, it's best to nurse your baby before taking your medicine and then don't nurse again for several hours, since nearly all asthma and allergy medication enters breast milk, though infants are exposed only to minute amounts.