10 Rules to Eat Safely for Life (and What to Remove from Your Kitchen) ~ Dr. Mark Hyman

Everyday you have to navigate a toxic nutritional landscape. You have to hunt and gather in a food desert.  You have to survive the American supermarket and dodge the dangers of industrial food.   The good news is that if you follow ten simple rules you can eat safely for life.

Think of them as shortcuts or tricks to use when shopping or eating. If you just do these things and nothing else, you will automatically be eating real, fresh food that will prevent, treat and even reverse most of the chronic diseases that drain our energy, stress our families and deplete our economy.   You don’t even have to understand anything about nutrition.  Just follow these goof proof rules for getting healthy, losing weight and feeling great.

1.     Ideally have only food without labels in your kitchen or foods that don’t come in a box, a package, or a can. There are labeled foods that are great, like sardines, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers, but you have to be very smart in reading the labels.   There are two things to look for: the ingredient list and the nutrition facts.
Where is the primary ingredient on the list? If the real food is at the end of the list and the sugar or salt is at the beginning, beware. The most abundant ingredient is listed first and the others are listed in descending order by weight. Be conscious, too, of ingredients that may not be on the list; some ingredients may be exempt from labels. This is often true if the food is in a very small package, if it has been prepared in the store, or if it has been made by a small manufacturer. Beware of these foods.

2.     If a food has a label it should have fewer than five ingredients. If it has more than five ingredients, throw it out. Also beware of food with health claims on the label. They are usually bad for you – think ”sports beverages.”  I recently saw a bag of deep-fried potato chips with the health claims “gluten-free, organic, no artificial ingredients, no sugar” and with fewer than 5 ingredients listed.  Sounds great, right?  But remember, cola is 100 percent fat-free and that doesn’t make it a health food.

3.      If sugar (by any name, including organic cane juice, honey, agave, maple syrup, cane syrup, or molasses) is on the label, throw it out. There may be up to 33 teaspoons of sugar in the average bottle of ketchup. Same goes for white rice and white flour, which act just like sugar in the body.  If you have diabesity – the spectrum of metabolic imbalances starting with just a little belly fat, leading all the way to diabetes— you can’t easily handle any flour, even whole-grain. Throw it out.

4.     Throw out any food with high-fructose corn syrup on the label. It is a super sweet liquid sugar that takes no energy for the body to process. Some high-fructose corn syrup also contains mercury as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Many liquid calories, such as sodas, juices, and “sports” drinks, contain this metabolic poison. It always signals low quality or processed food.

5.     Throw out any food with the word hydrogenated on the label. This is an indicator of trans fats, vegetable oils converted through a chemical process into margarine or shortening. They are good for keeping cookies on the shelf for long periods of time without going stale, but these fats have been proven to cause heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. New York City and most European counties have banned trans fats, and you should, too.

6.     Throw out any highly refined cooking oils such as corn, soy, etc.  Also avoid toxic fats and fried foods.

7.     Throw out any food with ingredients you can’t recognize, pronounce, or that are in Latin.

8.     Throw out any foods with preservatives, additives, coloring or dyes, “natural flavorings,” or flavor enhancers such as MSG (monosodium glutamate).

9.     Throw out food with artificial sweeteners of all kinds  (aspartame, Splenda, sucralose, and sugar alcohols—any word that ends with “ol” like xylitol, sorbitol). They make you hungrier, slow your metabolism, give you bad gas, and make you store belly fat.

10.   If it came from the earth or a farmer’s field, not a food chemist’s lab, it’s safe to eat. As Michael Pollan says, if it was grown on a plant, not made in a plant, then you can keep it in your kitchen. If it is something your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food, throw it out (like a “lunchable” or go-gurt”).  Stay away from “food-like substances.”

That’s it – just ten simple goof proof rules for staying healthy for life. It is a simple recipe for staying out of trouble and automatically leads you to a real, whole foods diet.  And the side effect will be weight loss, energy, reduction in the need for medication and saving our nation from the tsunami of chronic disease and Pharmageddon!

When you make these simple choices you will not only improve your health, and your family’s health, but you will create a “wellness spring” that will shift the demand in the marketplace.  

20 Guidelines for Eating Healthily with Diabetes ~ By Harvard Medical School

One of the most frequent questions people with diabetes ask is "What can I eat?" After all, diabetes is at root a metabolic disorder, affecting the way the body derives energy from food. Myths abound when it comes to diabetes and food—one of the most common being that there is a "diabetes diet" that prohibits sugar and lists other items to avoid.

In fact, dietitians and other health professionals give the same dietary advice to people with diabetes as they do to most people, but with extra emphasis on controlling weight and keeping blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol values as close to normal as possible.

The basics: eat a well-balanced diet that emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, while watching total calories and getting regular exercise. What you choose to eat on a day-to-day basis is up to you, but the overall goals are to maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.

You should also strive to keep your blood sugar levels close to normal to prevent long-term complications of diabetes and avoid the short-term consequences of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and to control your cholesterol and blood pressure levels to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Here are 20 guidelines for healthful and enjoyable eating for people with diabetes and anyone else who wants to eat healthfully:

1. Eat a variety of foods; since no single food is perfect, you need a balanced mix of foods to get all the nutrients your body requires.
2. Eat more vegetable products and fewer animal products.
3. Eat more fresh and homemade foods and fewer processed foods. Avoid fast food and junk food. You know what they are.
4. Choose your fats wisely. Cut down on meat, the skin of poultry, whole-fat dairy products, stick margarine, fried foods, processed snack foods, and commercial baked goods made with trans fats. Think about dressings, sauces, and cooking oil. Use olive or canola oil to cook whenever possible, and moisten your bread with olive oil or soft margarine. Get "good fats" from fish and nuts.
5. Choose your carbs wisely. Cut down on simple sugars; remember that sodas, sports energy drinks, and fruit juices are loaded with sugar. Cut down on highly refined products made with white flour. Favor whole-grain, coarsely ground, unrefined products. Don't be fooled by dark-colored bread or by labels that boast of unbleached flour, wheat grain, or multigrain flour. Instead, look for whole grain as the first ingredient, and read the fine print to learn the fiber content of a portion; more is better. Learn to like bran cereal, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Consider fiber supplements if you can't get enough from foods.
6. Consume at least three cups of non- or low-fat dairy products a day.
7. Eat protein in moderation. Favor fish and skinless poultry. Experiment with soy and beans as a protein source. Aim for 5½ ounces of protein-rich foods a day; count ¼ cup of cooked beans or tofu, ½ ounce of nuts or seeds, or one egg as equivalent to 1 ounce of cooked fish or cooked lean meat or poultry.
8. Restrict your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day, particularly if your blood pressure is borderline or high, by reducing your use of table salt and processed foods such as canned soup and juices, luncheon meats, condiments, frozen dinners, cheese, tomato sauce, and snack foods. People with blood pressure above 120/80 mm Hg should aim for 1,500 mg a day, as should anyone above age 50.
9. Eat more potassium-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables. Eat more calcium-rich foods such as low-fat dairy products, broccoli, spinach, and tofu (but don't take calcium supplements to boost your daily intake above 1,200 mg).
10. Eat more grain products, especially whole-grain products, aiming for at least 6 ounces a day. Count 1 cup of dry cereal; ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta; or one slice of bread as 1 ounce. Whole grains and brown rice should provide at least half your grains; the more, the better.
11. Eat more vegetables, especially deep-green and yellow-orange vegetables. Aim for at least five servings a day. Count 1 cup of raw leafy greens, ½ cup of cooked or raw vegetables, or ½ cup of vegetable juice as one portion.
12. Eat more fruits, aiming for at least four servings a day. Count one medium-size piece of fruit; ½ cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit; or ½ cup of fruit juice as one portion.
13. Eat more fish, aiming for at least two 4-ounce servings each week. Remember to broil, bake, or grill instead of frying.
14. If you choose to eat red meat, try to reduce your intake to two 4-ounce servings per week. Avoid "prime" and other fatty meats, processed meats, and liver. Switch to chicken and turkey, always removing the skin. Be sure your meat and poultry are cooked to 160° or more, but not charred.
15. Eat eggs sparingly; aim for an average of no more than one egg yolk per day, including those used in cooking and baking. Use egg substitutes whenever possible.
16. Include seeds and unsalted nuts in your diet. Nuts have been linked to a reduced risk of cardiac death, but since they are high in calories, moderation is the watchword.
17. Use vegetable oils in moderation, favoring olive and canola oils. Reduce your intake of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, palm oil, and coconut milk.
18. If you choose to use alcohol, drink sparingly. Men should not average more than two drinks per day, women one a day. Count 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1½ ounces of liquor as one drink. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking.
19. Adjust your caloric intake and exercise level to maintain a desirable body weight. If you need to reduce, aim for gradual weight loss by lowering your caloric intake and increasing your exercise level.
20. Avoid fad diets and extreme or unconventional nutritional schemes. If it's too good to be true, it's not true. And remember that these guidelines are intended for healthy people; people with medical problems should consult their doctors to develop individualized nutritional plans.

7 Ways to Relax During Menopause

With menopause comes stress. Make these simple lifestyle changes, and you can learn to relax and enjoy not having any more periods.

If the mere mention of the word “menopause” makes you cringe, you’re not alone. Despite a growing body of research showing that many women actually feel empowered or liberated by “the change,” negative attitudes and beliefs about it persist all over the world. The worst part is that these perceptions could be self-fulfilling prophecies. Studies show that women who have preconceived notions about the horrors of menopause actually report more severe symptoms than women who view the experience as a positive or natural part of life.

Many women see menopause as a reminder that they are getting older, “and society does not deal kindly with aging,” says Mache Seibel, MD, director of the Complicated Menopause Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and co-author ofEat to Defeat Menopause with Karen Giblin, founder of the menopause education and management program Red Hot Mamas. “We’re still a very youth-oriented society. As a result, women who are transitioning may feel more the burden than the benefit.”

This kind of emotional stress often manifests itself physically. According to one study from the University of Pennsylvania, women with the highest anxiety levels during menopause experienced five times as many hot flashes as their less-anxious peers. This suggests that individuals may be literally worrying themselves sick, which could in turn feed their anxiety and further increase the severity or frequency of their symptoms.

Clearly, stress management is critical to surviving menopause. The good news is that there are several easy — and fun — ways to go about it.

Stress Relief Strategies

1. Laugh a little. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine . According to researchers from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif., the mere thought of laughing helps regulate stress hormones such as cortisol. Consistently high levels of cortisol have been linked with excess belly fat, depression, fatigue, and heart disease — all of which menopausal women are more vulnerable to already — so a good guffaw could have both short- and long-term benefits for your health during menopause and beyond. Make time during the week to watch your favorite sitcom, or sit and read the comics or a book of cartoons every day. You can even just call a friend who always makes you laugh.
2. Think on it. Meditation exercises have been shown to help relieve stress. In one recent study from the University of Massachusetts, menopausal women who participated in a weekly class that included mindfulness training didn’t reduce the intensity of their hot flashes but were better able to cope with them. After about 90 days, those who mastered the mindfulness techniques reported sleeping better, feeling less stress, and having a better quality of life. Breathing and other relaxation exercises are another great way to relax, says Seibel. “When you slow down your breath, you also slow down your mind, and this will stop some of the racing that is going on and causing you to feel stressed and overworked,” he says. “It’s all connected.”
3. Reclaim your sex life. Sex can be a stress reliever and help you relax, says Lovera Wolf Miller, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who wrote Womenopause: Stop Pausing and Start Living with her husband, David Miller, MD, a specialist in pain anesthesiology. Need proof? According to one Scottish study published in the journal Biological Psychology, both men and women were able to better cope with various stressful situations after having intercourse.
   Unfortunately, sex during menopause can sometimes be a source of — not a cure for — stress, but don’t give up. “When you lose your estrogen, as you do in menopause, you lose the ability to make lubrication and to be aroused,” Miller says. “But there are lots of things you can do to help.” One is to use vaginal lubricants and moisturizers. Another is to simply think about sex. If it’s on your mind, it can happen more.
4. Get regular exercise. Exercise releases feel-good hormones called endorphins, keeps you at a healthy weight (which boosts self-image), and improves your overall well-being. Plan a minimum of 150 minutes a week, whether that’s for 75 minutes twice a week or 30 minutes over five days. “If you can, exercise in the morning. It works better than Prozac to give you a high for the day,” Miller says. And don’t get discouraged if you’re out of shape — your workouts don’t have to be intense to be effective. Even a regular walking program can help. According to a study from Temple University in Philadelphia, just a 40-minute walk on most days of the week can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Researchers followed almost 400 premenopausal and menopausal women and found that those who walked regularly at a moderate pace (four miles per hour) reported less stress than women who did not exercise at all.
5. Get a massage. When you’re under stress, your muscles can tighten, Seibel says. Getting a massage can help reduce muscle tension — but that’s not all it can do. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that massage therapy lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, which is associated with contentment.
6. Get needed sleep. Insomnia is a common symptom of menopause. In fact, as many as 72 percent of menopausal women and 61 percent of post-menopausal women experience serious sleep problems on a regular basis. These problems don’t just make you tired — they also make you more irritable and stressed. Research shows that people who have chronic insomnia also have high levels of cortisol. To improve the quality of your sleep, try to stick to a regular routine — go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning — weekdays and weekends. Also, keep your room cool, dark, and quiet, and don’t fall asleep with the TV on — it can be a stimulant, not a relaxant. Coffee is also a stimulant, so cut caffeine from your diet after 6 p.m., or earlier if you find it takes awhile for it to wear off. And finally, use your bed for sex and sleep, and limit use of your computer to another room.
7. Play your carbs right. Your body needs carbohydrates to produce serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical that boosts mood and makes you feel calm and relaxed. High-fiber, whole-grain carbs are best — think quinoa, popcorn (sans butter!), and whole-wheat pasta. Bonus: A healthy diet can help prevent weight gain and lower your risk for certain diseases.

By Beth W. Orenstein 

Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

The Many Wonders of Coconut Oil ~ CHIOMA PETERS

That Coconut oil is useful for the treatment of most skin problems is no longer news. That it also possesses several other health benefits including as cooking oil or in the making of tablets may also not be news. What may however be interesting is the fact that coconut oil has also been found to be effective in the treatment of the human hair. 

Mim Beim, a naturopathy expert and lecturer at the Australian College of Natural Therapies, Australia, recently disclosed this much. Beim says coconut oil has the essential nutrient to give the human hair that luxuriant feel. She explained that because coconut oil consists of vitamin E, which is good for hair and skin, it helps in getting rid of dandruffs than most shampoos. 

The naturopathy expert says coconut oil also works perfectly as a styling gel or cream. “Those having problems with hair breakage, damage, hair loss and dandruffs, have the solution to their hair in coconut oil. Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in repairing damaged hair,” she said. 

Her views were supported by the Coconut Research Center, Colorado Springs, United States which says that Virgin coconut oil works better and is the main source than other coconut oil which has been refined and ripped of it's nutrients. To apply coconut oil for human hair treatment, the center advises that “application of coconut oil should be done by first combing the hair to remove tangles, pour coconut oil in a cup, place cup inside a bowl or pot with warm water, leave for some minutes apply on hair with any essential oil whether tea tree, or few drops of lavender which nourishes dry hair. After applying the coconut oil and any of the hair essentials, cover hair with a shower cap. For coarse and dry hair, leave on hair over night, but for normal hair leave on hair for two hours, wash off with a gentle shampoo do these constantly once in a month or two for beautiful and healthier hair.” 

The centre says it has been discovered that most people in the coastal areas of the world like Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and others use coconut oil as their main hair oil which gives them soft, smooth and beautiful hair.

Sweet Poison: How The World's Most Popular Artificial Sweetener Is Killing Us

This piece by Janet Starr Hull is a must-read. 

In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain. By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications.

The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her. She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying. She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of. She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd. On March 19, I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS.

I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda? She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment. I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda! I e-mailed her an article my friend, a lawyer, had sent. My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk! The muscle spasms went away.

She said she didn't feel 100% but, she sure felt a lot better. She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home. Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed! He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind. In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda.. and literally dying a slow and miserable death. When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning! She is well on her way to a complete recovery. And she is walking! No wheelchair! This article saved her life. If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label; DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on 'ASPARTAME,' marketed as'Nutra Sweet,' 'Equal,' and 'Spoonful.' In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus. It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant. I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject. I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous: When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.

 Many people were being diagnosed in error. Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is! Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers. The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit. He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition. We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas. In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss re- turned and hearing loss improved markedly. This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.

During a lecture, I said, 'If you are using ASPARTAME (Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs, Cramps, Vertigo, Dizziness, Headaches, Tinnitus, Joint pain, Unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!' People were jumping up during the lecture saying, 'I have some of these symptoms. Is it reversible?' Yes! Yes! Yes! STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem. Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence! Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates.

It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight! These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve 'tissue specimens.' Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body! Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the 'diet products' and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period. Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics. We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame. The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control. Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance. Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE. Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage, Seizures, Depression, Manic depression, Panic attacks, Uncontrollable anger and rage. Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well. Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet. So called 'behavior modification prescription drugs' (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed. Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place! Most of these children were being 'poisoned' on a daily basis with the very foods that were 'better for them than sugar.' It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets ofdiet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome. Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy.

Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners. There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison.' Herein lies the problem: There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included in 100 different products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, and still nothing has been done. The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets. Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED! There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced. Everybody wants a 'piece of the Aspartame pie.' I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is. And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians? This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.

These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products. Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants. The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms. The bill was killed. It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you're informed now! http://www.sweetpoison.com/about-sweetpoison.html

What Banana Can Do!

This piece on BANANA came as an email. I feel it will be useful for our readers.

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.

Anaemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect food for helping 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 an English 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 fibre, 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 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.

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 heart-burn, 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.

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

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, trypotophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the high levels of Vitamin C, A1, 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 normalise 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 re-balanced 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%!

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.

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 neutralises over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

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!"

How to lower your blood pressure

An unhealthy lifestyle will raise your blood pressure over time. And the higher your blood pressure becomes, the higher your risk of having a stroke or heart attack in the future.
But the good news is that if you have high blood pressure, healthy changes will help to bring it down. And you don't have to wait until you have high blood pressure to make healthy lifestyle changes. The more you can reduce your blood pressure, the lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke will be.
1. Blood Pressure Diet - Eat less salt
Too much salt raises your blood pressure, so it is important to eat as little as possible. In fact, some people with high blood pressure may be able to avoid blood pressure medicines by cutting down on salt.
Most of the salt you eat is not what you add to your food, but is in prepared foods like bread, breakfast cereals and ready meals.
Don’t add salt to food when cooking or at the table. When shopping for food, check the labels and choose low-salt options when you can.

2. Blood Pressure Diet - Eat more fruit and vegetables
Eating more fruit and vegetables helps to lower your blood pressure. Adults should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. A portion is 80 grams, or roughly the size of your fist.
Try to eat a range of different fruits and vegetables. Dried, frozen and tinned are fine, but watch out for added salt, sugar or fats.

3. Blood Pressure Diet - Keep to a healthy weight
Losing weight, if you need to, will help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of health problems. The best way to lose weight is to choose more low-fat and low-calorie foods, and increase your physical activity.
Set yourself realistic goals. Make small changes to your eating habits and activity levels that you can keep to for life.

4. Blood Pressure Diet - Drink less alcohol
If you drink too much alcohol, this will raise your blood pressure over time. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women. A unit is roughly half a pint of beer or cider, a small glass of wine, or a single pub measure of spirits.
If you keep to the recommended alcohol limits, this should help keep your blood pressure down.

5. Blood Pressure and Exercise - Get more active
Being moderately active for 30 minutes five times a week can keep your heart healthy, and can lower your blood pressure. If you can’t find 30 minutes in your day, increasing your activity by even a small amount can help.
Think about how you can be more active in your daily life. Any activity that leaves you feeling warm and slightly out of breath is ideal.