Banana for Breakfast anyone???

Who loves eating Banana's?

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 school ( England ) 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 work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. 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-chroniclercases. 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.

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!'





Source: Growing Organic, Eating Organic - https://www.facebook.com/GrowingOrganicEatingOrganic



Wellness The Easy Way
http://www.wellnesstheeasyway.com/

Water EZ Way
http://www.waterezway.com

How to Start Eating Healthy

How do I start eating healthy?

I was asked a question the other day while I was speaking in front of a networking group called Successful Thinkers. I shared with the group how important it is to take care of your health for your business. Without your health, what else are you going to do with your life? Imagine your health failed you tomorrow and you became bedridden. You would not continue to do your business; you would be finding a way to get out of bed. Why let your health get to that point? Start taking care of yourself NOW!

          The answer is in the question. ‘How do I start eating healthy?’ For him, he wanted to start eating more raw meals. I recommended the best way to start is to start your day raw. I told him what I do most mornings, since I eat 60-80% raw every day. I use ½-cup steel cut oats and ½-cup rolled oats and soak them for 24 hours minimum. Depending on how active you are or how much you eat. That would last me two-three days and I would continue to soak the oats as long as I still had some left over. With the drained soaked oats, I would put them in a bowl and mix them with cinnamon and agave syrup (low glycemic sweetener), then I would add blueberries (or any kind of berry for the antioxidants) and/or a banana, with ground up flaxseeds for the omega’s and if you like your oats moist, add some almond milk. It is a very balanced raw breakfast, which is also very affordable when you purchase the oats, cinnamon and flaxseeds from the bulk section. If you have a Whole Foods near you, I really like their bulk section and yes, they have bulk spices.

          Once you start your day on the right step to eating healthy, you will want to continue to have the great energy that you just received from your raw oats. I asked him to try this breakfast for three days in a row and to let me know how he felt afterwards.

          Please try this recipe and let me know how you liked it in the comments below. In addition, please share raw breakfast meals that you would recommend or different items you would incorporate to your raw oats to add variety for people.

Can I have a drink?

Can I Have a Drink?

©Arlene R. Taylor PhD

www.arlenetaylor.org

How many times have you been asked that question by children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews? Too many to count! Your response can impact the child's brain and immune system--positively or negatively.

In 1980 study, the Water Research Council in Britain found that tap water constituted about 50% of the total fluid intake of participant groups (1-4 year old's and 5-11 year old's). A very small proportion of soft drinks were being consumed by these age groups.

Fast forward fifteen years to a similar survey by Petter, a fourth year student at Southampton Medical School. Parents kept a diary of all drinks consumed by their child over a period of 48 hours. The results showed a very different pattern from the 1980 study:

• 72% of preschool children ages 2.1 to 4.3 years and 50% of school children ages 5.5 to 7.0 never drank plain water during the study period

• In general, plain water had been replaced by carbonates, fruit juices, fruit drinks, and other flavored drinks

Of course, the concern is that replacing plain water with other drinks, especially soft drinks, appears to have significant nutritional implications. In the youngest group these can include failure to thrive and bowel disturbances; in the older school children, diminished appetite resulting in missed nutrients at mealtimes, obesity, and dental caries.

Children are a targeted group for soft-drink advertising--some of which are even marketed as "health drinks--and are being conditioned against drinking plain water. This is reinforced when parents and teachers role-model juice or soft drinks as their beverages of choice. Because the body needs water to process surgery drinks, the children may actually become dehydrated.

Mild dehydration can produce symptoms such as light-headedness, dizziness, headaches, tiredness, reduced alertness and ability to concentrate, and a preference for a high fat diet. Chronic dehydration can lead to a variety of health problems and illnesses including urine infections, bed wetting, constipation and increased risk for colorectal cancer. Even a small amount of dehydration in a child can lead to a reduction in mental and physical performance, including reduced concentration in the classroom along with potentially less participation and lower test scores.

 

According to the American Dietetic Association, children can easily become dehydrated during warm weather and/or through physical activity. In general, children:

• do not tolerate temperature extremes as well as adults

• have less sensitive thirst responses

• produce more heat but acclimate to heat more slowly

• have less well-developed kidney function and sweating ability

• have a larger surface area to body mass ratio so are more likely to lose water by evaporation

Obesity in children continues to rise, placing them at higher risk for type two diabetes and heart disease. The high sugar content of soft drinks has been identified as a contributing factor. Sugary drinks may not quench thirst as well as water does, either, so children may want to drink even more of them.

What can you do to help?

1. Keep no sugary drinks in your home. Replacing soft drinks and fruit drinks with water (e.g., no calories) can help children with weight control.

2. Role-model drinking water on a regular basis (before you experience thirst).

3. Provide pure water in fancy glasses before children go out to play or engage in sports activities and send water with them so they can remain hydrated throughout the day.

4. Encourage children to study water and related health benefits, especially if they need to do a science project for school.

"Can I have a drink?" That question again, this time from a little guy who was visiting with his parents. "Certainly," I replied. A bit of pouting followed when he realized there were no soft drinks or fruit juices in my refrigerator. "I think I have the best water in town," I said.

He eyed my new machine, his little face twisted into complete skepticism. Soon, however, standing on a stool by the kitchen sink, he held a cut-glass tumbler under the spout. After a sip or two, the look on his face changed to one of surprise and he said, "Oo-o-oh. More. This is so smooth!"

Over the next three hours, the little guy drank nearly a liter of purified-ionized-alkaline water. Maybe he was intrigued with the equipment, maybe he had a visual sensory preference and loved the cut glass, maybe he was highly kinesthetic and exquisitely sensitive to taste. Whatever. But since he made only one trip to the rest room during the same time period, my guess is that he was very thirsty and probably dehydrated.

Bottom line?

Children need water--maybe even more so than adults. Your role-modeling and encouragement can have a huge impact on whether or not they drink plenty of pure water and learn to prefer it to soft drinks. And, yes, preventing dehydration can have an impact on their health, performance, and success at home and at school.

Arlene Taylor, PhD

Ion Thrive Click Here >>> http://www.ionthrive.com/

Catch the Wave

"Water is the driving force in nature" - Leonardo da Vinci

Did you know?

Our bodies are made up of approximately 70% water with our brain 85%, our bones 35%, our blood 83% and our liver 90%.

"Studies have shown that a 1% level of dehydration can result in a 5% decrease in cognitive function."**

Our bodies need plenty of water to perform their functions, cleanse, detoxify and hydrate

“Think of it this way,” he said. “Your brain must have water to do its job. If you don’t give it a good supply, your brain will direct the body to steal some fluid from your bladder, as it has the largest potential reservoir of fluid in the body at any given time.” He paused and then delivered a line I have used many times since: “That sure puts a different spin on the term pea brain!” **

How Important is Water for the Body?

Amazing turn out at the February 28th 2013 event. Looking forward to seeing you at our next event March 23 2013

Click Here >>> http://first2catchthewave.eventbrite.com/

** - Arlene R. Taylor PhD http://www.ionthrive.com/#!blogger-feed/c139y

Helping People with Wellness

When someone lets me know that they are feeling better after taking a food and/or product that I recommended, always puts a smile on my face. I enjoy helping people with their health needs. Providing advice on what foods to eat and what not to eat. Most people are not willing to change their eating habits 100%, recommending supplements made from plants is the most common. Only 1% of people eat the variety of foods that are needed for their body, the other 99% should be taking some form of supplement that is made of plants to fill in the cracks. I also offer advice on stretches and exercises for particular needs. 

          Background, my mom has been a nurse for over 25 years and got me started in my interest into nutrition and health. I am also a runner; I ran the 400 meter in high school learning many exercises and health advice from my coaches. If I wanted to learn about something, I would self educate with books and/or websites. Currently I am studying Nutrition at college, looking to transfer to UC Davis for B.S. in Nutrition. I also have multiple mentors that have studied nutrition and one that used to be a personal trainer for cyclists. If you could not tell, my passion is nutrition and providing nutritional advice to people. 

          I find that it is the people that you know and love the most, like your family and friends that are the hardest people to offer advice too. Even when you know that, what they have can be helped very easily. I find it curious that people you just met are more willing to try anything to help their ailments or interested in doing anything that is preventative. Preventative can be from getting sick, disease, virus, or on some occasions something that runs in the family. It is rough for me to watch someone in pain or dealing with an ailment and doing the same thing repeatedly expecting a different result. Albert Einstein said “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. I have a friend that has been dealing with heartburn 3-4 times a week for over a year. Their doctor has been prescribing different medications but none of them seems to work. I asked if they wanted to try something that has been helping many people with heartburn and plant based, meaning almost no side effects unless you are allergic to one of the ingredients. They refused because the doctor knows best. Did I mention they have been going to the doctor for over a year for the same problem? If something is not working why not try something new, what is it going to hurt for 90 days? The same thing that the person has been feeling before, if it does not work. I have found that most people when they try plants within 90 days they start feeling better, some reduced and/or off their medication within 90 days.

When I help someone, most problems are associated with inflammation and pH balance. Once both of those areas are taken care of, along with filling in the cracks of nutrition most problems go away. The person would need to keep up the great work of having their body in balance. It would also become a preventative for the future, while keeping the ailment that was first bothering them reduced or gone. I have helped people their ailments, where their symptoms are reduced and their medications are being reduced. Then they tell me, the doctor has been really helping me I no longer need your help or products. Within two weeks to a month, everything comes back and they question what happened or changed. They stopped taking care of their body. Our bodies have everything it needs to heal itself, we just need to provide it the correct fuel. Just like a car if it is not maintained it will break down and have more problems than it should. If the car is well taken care of and providing it good oil, fuel and getting everything checked out when it needs to be then the car could last your decades. 

There is one major difference between a car and your body, you can buy a new car or engine if the car completely breaks down. You cannot buy a new body. You have one body for the rest of your life. 

How are you going to take care of your body?

www.wellnesstheeasyway.com 

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