Go Bananas With Bodybuilding

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 fibre, 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 a banana doesn't just produce us energy; helping us to keep fit, it also helps us to recover from or even to avert a number of different illnesses and states of health, so it's a MUST in our daily diet.

Anaemia: rich in iron, bananas can encourage the production of haemoglobin in the blood and therefore improves the condition of anaemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique fruit from the tropics has an extremely high content of potassium although very low in salt, resulting in the ideal nutrition to assist in combating high blood pressure. It's so good, that the US Food and Drug Administration has given permission to the banana industry to officially make the claim that it really does 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.

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 trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Hangovers: One of the most effective ways of getting over a hangover is to take a banana shake with honey. The banana has a calming effect on the stomach and along with the honey rebuilds our depleted blood sugar levels. The banana also has a natural antacid effect in the body so if you are prone to heart-burn, try eating a banana for great relief.

Nerves: Bananas are loaded in Vitamin B, helping to calm the nervous system.

PMS: Forget the pills eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

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-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Smoking: Bananas contain very high levels of Vitamin C, A1, B6, and B12 and if you combine this with the also present potassium and magnesium, our body is given relief from effects of nicotine withdrawal. A great help indeed for helping people to kick the nasty habit.

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, there by reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. According to 'The New England Journal of Medicine' research in eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 %!

So let's look back and recap on the differences between a banana and an apple. The banana is a tonic in its own field and compared to an apple, it has 4 times as much protein, 5 times the iron and vitamin A, 3 times the phosphorus and twice as much in other vitamins and minerals as well as potassium. Its great value food product and we shouldn't forget it in our daily diet. So remember... "A Banana a day keeps the doctor at bay!"