It is very useful a bit knowledge about BANANA

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 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 wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. 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. In Thailand , 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 its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,
"A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
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 !

Health+Diet

Trying to gain weight?

You are underweight and you just can't understand the hoopla surrounding weight loss. You have been trying to put on weight for ages to no effect.
But spending hours in the gym without a regulated diet is pointless. Weight training goes hand in hand with a proper diet. Experts guide you along the way…

Calorie Count

Diet plays a very important role in a weight training program. "A high protein diet helps in building healthy weight.There is no absolute formula to determine the exact amount of calories one should take. It all depends on the person concerned. It depends on your height, weight, activity pattern, body composition and metabolic rate.

"Usually about 500 kilo calories per day helps increase your weight by half a kilo, However, if you are grossly underweight, you may be advised an increase of 1000 calories per day. This will increase your weight by one kg in a week.
But a calorie increase of more than 1000 calories per day is neither recommended nor practical. Your calorie intake has to be more than the energy used up by your body.
Keep a track of your calorie intake. Write down the total calories you are consuming in a day. From there, add about 500 calories. You can up your calorie intake if you don't see any difference.

The Right Diet

You need to gain healthy weight, not just fat. So along with a high protein and high calorie diet, go for a normal fat and carbohydrate diet.
"If this diet is planned according to the food pyramid, it will fulfill recommended dietary allowances of all essential vitamins and minerals,Also, instead of having the three regular meals, have smaller, more frequent meals (5-6 times a day). Don't ever skip meals. Eat the right amount of food and at the right time.

Ideally you have to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. But drink an additional litre if you are working out.

A good diet and weight training should also be followed by adequate rest. But remember to keep a space of at least three hours after you have food before going to sleep.

Loss of Appetite
Definition
This symptom describes a decreased or lack of appetite despite basic caloric needs.

Alternative Names
Loss of appetite; Decreased appetite

Considerations
Any illness can adversely affect a previously hearty appetite. If the disease is treatable, the appetite should return when the disease is cured.
Loss of appetite can cause unintentional weight loss.

Common Causes
Emotional upset, nervousness, loneliness, boredom, tension, anxiety, bereavement, and depression
Anorexia nervosa
Acute and chronic infections
HIV
Pregnancy (first trimester)
Cancer
Hypothyroidism
Medications and street drugs
Chemotherapeutic agents
Amphetamines
Sympathomimetics including ephedrine
Antibiotics
Cough and cold preparations
Codeine
Morphine
Demerol
Digitalis

Home Care
Protein and calorie intake can be increased by intake of high-calorie, nutritious snacks or several small meals during the day. Liquid protein drinks may be helpful. Family members should try to supply favorite foods to help stimulate the person's appetite.
A 24-hour diet history should be recorded each day. If an anorexic person consistently exaggerates food intake (a common occurrence in anorexia nervosa), strict calorie and nutrient counts should be maintained by someone else.
For loss of appetite caused by taking medications, talk to your health care provider about adjusting the dosage or changing drugs. NEVER CHANGE MEDICATIONS WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
See also weight management.

Call your health care provider if
Call your health care provider if involuntary weight loss exceeds 7% of total body weight within a month.
Note: To calculate percent weight lost, divide pounds lost by the previous weight and multiply times 100. For example, a person weighing 125 pounds loses 10 pounds:
10 divided by 125 = 0.08
0.08 times 100 = 8%

What to expect at your health care provider's office
The diet and medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed, including height and weight.
Medical history questions documenting loss of appetite in detail may include:
Quality
Is it severe, or mild?
How much weight has been lost?
Time pattern
Is loss of appetite a new symptom?
If so, did it start after an upsetting event, such as the death of a family member?
What other symptoms are also present?Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
Barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy (if colon cancer is suspected)
Liver function tests
Kidney function tests
Thyroid function tests
Abdominal ultrasound (if a specific abdominal cause is suspected)
Upper GI series
Pregnancy test
Urine drug screening
HIV testIn severe malnutrition, supplemental intravenous nutritional support may be ordered. Some patients must be hospitalized for nutritional support.