Oct
21
Bodybuilding Diets – Eating Bananas And Bodybuilding
October 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
So rather than an apple a day… If you really need to boost up your depleted energy levels, nothing beats a banana. Made up of three natural sugars – glucose, fructose and sucrose – mixed with fiber, results in producing a long lasting energy surge. Studies show that only two bananas can give you the necessary energy for an intense 90 minute workout. It isn’t a great surprise then that the world’s top athletes consider the banana as being the number one fruit.
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 your daily diet.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: What makes this tropical fruit so special is it’s high content in potassium and it’s low content in salt, which helps in reducing high blood pressure. It’s effectiveness is so outstanding that the US Food and Drug Administration lets the banana industry use this claim officially…that it actually does reduce the risk of both blood pressure and strokes.
Constipation: Especially rich in fiber, the banana is ideal in helping normal bowel action which cuts out the necessity of taking laxatives.
Depression: A recent survey carried out on people who were depressed has proven that eating a banana really does improve your state of mind. The explanation given is that bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, which is proven to have a relaxing effect on us as well as making us feel generally happier.
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 Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heart-burn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Nerves: Bananas are loaded in Vitamin B, helping to calm the nervous system.
PMS: Better a banana than grabbing for a pill. It contains vitamin B6 helping to regulate the levels of blood glucose, which can affect your mood.
Ulcers: Even intestinal disorders can get relief from rating bananas due to their soft texture and smoothness. It is also unique in being the only raw fruit that you can eat without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also coats the lining of the stomach which helps to neutralize excess acidity.
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the high levels of Vitamin C, A1, 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 plays a very important roll in normalizing the heartbeat, controlling the body’s water-balance and sending oxygen to the brain. Stress causes our potassium levels to fall as the metabolic rate begins to rise. So once again it’s the banana that will help to re balance those potassium levels. Even ‘The New England Journal of Medicine’ have come out with the confirmation that eating bananas as part of our regular diet can reduce risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 %!
So you see 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 its time to change that well-know phrase so that we say, “A Banana a day keeps the doctor at bay!
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