Health Care Tips

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.

 

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.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 :- 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.

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.

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. 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 :- 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.

  


Investigate show that further than 5.5 million South Africans are at risk for sickness due to their lofty cholesterol levels. Are you one of them? Then you may be paying attention to know that definite foods can be especially helpful in scheming your cholesterol levels. We did the groundwork for you and scheduled them here.

Note that these foods are arranged in indiscriminate order, and that being listed initial doesn’t intend that the precise sustenance or sustenance collection is superior to any of the others. Also retain in mind that it is necessary to ever pursue a wide-ranging diet that holds foods from all the dissimilar sustenance groups.
1) Olive oil and olive products
Olive oil is wealthy in monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Research has shown that foods with lofty monounsaturated fatty acid content lower bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Anyone with raised cholesterol levels wants to increase his HDL cholesterol and lower his LDL cholesterol levels, which olive oil and products made of olives, shall promote. Have one or twain tablespoons of olive oil a day above salads or use for cooking, and add some olives to your salads. Retain an eye open for margarine made from olive oil as this also has the advantage of a snooty monounsaturated fatty acid content.
2) Polyunsaturated, ‘lite’ and Flora ‘pro-active’ margarine
Soft or tub margarine with a lofty polyunsaturated fatty acid content shall also assist to lower LDL cholesterol. Then there are the margarines, which have a abridged fat, energy and salt content – all factors that can donate to heart health. Flora pro-active margarine has been specially developed to lower LDL cholesterol by up to 25% whether you use it every day. This kind of margarine holds added plant sterols that protect the uptake of fats from the diet and lower blood fat levels. You can use this margarine to replace butter or other types of margarine on bread and cooked vegetables.
3) Legumes
Legumes consist dry, cooked or canned beans, lentils, peas and all the soya products
Legumes have lofty dietary fibre content and are wealthy in protective nutrients, including minerals, B vitamins and phytonutrients. These nutrients preserve the heart and the dietary fibre content lowers cholesterol and energy intake.Legumes are also of course low in fat and don’t hold any cholesterol. On summit of this, they have a low glycaemic index (GI). The South African Food-based Dietary Guidelines suggest that we should eat dry beans, peas, lentils and soya regularly.Make an attempt to eat legumes at minimum three to four times a week, preferably every day.
4) Fat-free yoghurt and other fat-free dairy products
Full-cream dairy products and most cheeses have a lofty saturated fat content and require to be ignored whether you have raised cholesterol levels.However, this does’t intend that you should hew out this sustenance collection altogether. Cutting out dairy products shall deprive you of calcium, a mineral that\’s necessary for the hale functioning of the heart and numerous other significant roles in the human body, such as the prevention of osteoporosis.You can, although, use fat-free milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese in a low-cholesterol diet. Once the fat has been removed from a dairy commodity, it also removes virtually all the cholesterol.Fat-free yoghurt is a especially fine alternative as it is wealthy in protein, calcium and Lactobacillus microorganisms which might assist to lower blood cholesterol levels.
5) Antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables can assist to lower cholesterol and preserve the heart. twain groups are especially helpful, namely those fruits and vegetables that are wealthy in vitamin C, or wealthy in beta-carotene.
a) Vitamin C
Foods wealthy in vitamin C consist all the citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons and naartjies), all berry fruits (cranberry, strawberry, blackberry etc), guava, spanspek, mango, the whole cabbage family (green and Chinese cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts), as well as lovable and chilli peppers.
b) Beta-carotene
Foods wealthy in beta-carotene consist all dark yellow fruits (apricots, yellow peaches, spanspek and mango) and vegetables (pumpkin, lovable potatoes, butternut, carrots) and all dark green vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and spinach).If you have heart sickness or raised cholesterol levels, build ensure you get your five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
6) Garlic and other members of the onion family
Garlic has been used for centuries to promote fine health. Research shows that members of the allium family, such as garlic, spring onions and other onions, can be used to lower cholesterol and preserve the heart. Use garlic liberally in cooking and on fresh salads.
Researchers think that the lofty garlic content of the so-called Mediterranean diet is one of the factors that build this diet so heart-friendly.
7) Overall, unsifted or unprocessed grains
All unsifted and unprocessed grains and cereals, and the foods produced from unmilled flour, are wealthy in B vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble), but low in fat and cholesterol.Grains and cereals made of unprocessed wheat (wholewheat and seed bread, crackers, high-bran cereals) assist to sure regularity because they have a lofty insoluble fibre content. On the other hand, oats and oat bran have a lofty soluble fibre content which can actively lower blood cholesterol levels.Have a bowl of oats or muesli, which holds uncooked oats, every day to retain your cholesterol in check.
Fish
Researchers have discovered that people who eat fish three or more times a week are less likely to suffer from heart sickness and lofty blood pressure. This is primarily due to the lofty omega-3 fatty acid content of fish.The greatest fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout and sardines, but eating any kind of fish shall advantage your heart.Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to compact atherosclerosis, ventricular arrhythmias, blood fats, atherosclerotic plaques and blood pressure – all fine reasons for eating fish regularly.
9) Venison and ostrich
South Africans are called for their love of meat, and numerous people who require pursuing a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet are horrified by the restrictions on eating ruddy meat.You can, although, eat moderate portions of venison and ostrich on a low-cholesterol diet, because these meats are low in complete  fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Just build ensure that you don\’t add gargantuan quantities of fat to the meat during preparation and cooking.The present boom in our ostrich industry is due to the fact that this meat is so low in cholesterol that it has become a well-liked item on the menus of health-conscious people all above the world.
10) Omega-3-enriched foods
As mentioned before, the omega-3 fatty acids can play a important role in helping to compact the risk of lofty cholesterol levels. unluckily, contemporary Western diets don\’t hold enough omega-3 to meet our needs.Some sustenance producers have taken this to heart and now that bring out standard foods that are enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. In South Africa, you can buy milk, eggs and bread that are enriched with omega-3. You might have to hunt around, but you should be capable to discover these products in most gargantuan supermarkets.The eggs in special can build a variation. The govern for egg intake is that anybody with heart problems should not eat more than four spawn a week. So build ensure that whether you eat eggs, they are omega-3 enriched, because the increased levels of omega-3 balance out the lofty cholesterol content of the eggs.