GO BANANAS!!!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

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 ( 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 ofPsychology 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-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. InThailand , 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 it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!' 

Aqua Flex'ers celebrate holiday together

AquaFlex'ers and friends celebrate the holiday of Sukkot 2012 in classmates Sukkah. Good food, good company, lots of laughs and fun.

ARTFUL AGING

Artful Aging by Dr. Suzanne Groah

As a physician and scientist, I have seen remarkable aging. The patients whom I care for, often with severe physical disabilities, experience a process termed “accelerated aging.” This means that some of the “normal” declines in body organ function that we see associated with age occur earlier than anticipated. Unfortunately, the result is a shorter lifespan for these individuals.

I have seen a number of people, though, who have outlived expectations — some by years and a few by decades. I want to learn from these people so that I can discover the Art of Aging, live it myself, and share it with others.

The example that is most striking is a patient and friend who was involved in a car accident 50 years ago at age 20. The accident left him paralyzed at the waist due to a broken back. If this happened today, we would anticipate he would live a productive life using a wheelchair and have about 45 years to live. Fifty years ago this number would have been much lower. For the first few years after his injury he worked hard to achieve his goal of walking. He accomplished this without regaining even a muscle twitch in his legs. He has walked using leg braces, crutches, and Hulk-like upper body strength. More incredible is that he has done it for the past 50 years — a feat well beyond anything I have ever observed.

To me, Ed exemplifies the Art of Aging. I am convinced that his commitment to physical activity — to stand when most would have sat and to continue to be physically active even when faced with life’s greatest challenges — is the key to his artful aging. As stated by Chinese microbiologist, Zhao Liping, “EAT RIGHT, KEEP FIT, LIVE LONG, DIE QUICK”.

Dr. Suzanne Groah is a physician and researcher in Washington, DC. www.SCI-Health.org

THANKFULNESS=WEALTH

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"

 

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon. When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

 

His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!"

 

Your Turn: No matter how you define wealth, I believe we can all agree that without a thankful heart, none of us are wealthy. Watch how your life becomes richer as you celebrate the practical ideas for giving thanks throughout the year.

 

Affirmation: The key to wealth of spirit is gratitude. (www.brooknoel.com)

DURING-WORKOUT FLUIDS--STAY HYDRATED!

	Working out when it’s hot and humid during the dogs days of summer calls for special attention to fluid intake. Whether you choose Bikram yoga, spinning or tennis, and even in the water, get the most out of a workout in the heat by making sure you get enough fluid. In order to minimize changes in your body weight over the course of a workout, determine your sweat rate by measuring body weight before and after a workout and adjust fluid intake accordingly. Remember that sweat contains more than just water, and sodium is the key electrolyte lost in sweat helping you retain the fluid you drank. Using a low-calorie sports drink like G2 or G2 Natural, Propel, and others can help replace the fluids and electrolytes lost in sweat. On days where your workout is longer and more intense, or if you are training for a specific event, add carbohydrates to give your body the energy it needs

DRAGONFLIES AND OUR ECOSYSTEM

Love these beautiful dragonflies that circle our heads when we are doing aqua fitness in the pool! Read about how they help our ecosystem (Washington University Magazine)--plus they eat mosquitoes--a real bonus!

http://magazine.wustl.edu/2012/august/Pages/TysonDragonfliesExperiment.aspx

Fitness and Happiness!

It's true!!!

Fitness professionals and enthusiasts are well aware of the positive effects that exercise can have on mood. A report from the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (2011; 33 [6], 884–902) takes this common knowledge one step further, suggesting that exercise is associated with feelings of excitement and enthusiasm.

According to the authors, “Physical activity was not associated with pleasant-deactivated, unpleasant–activated or unpleasant–deactivated feelings. People who were more physically active overall had higher pleasant–activated feelings than people who were less physically active. People reported higher levels of pleasant-activated feelings on days when they were more physically active than was typical for them.”