Food Day 16

Bananas

Bananas are consumed all around the world and even consumed by some members of the animal kingdom (monkeys). They are a great source of fructose, fiber, and potassium to build healthy bones and muscles.

How

1. Buy bananas that have no brown spots. If you are not planning on consuming the bananas right away, you can buy them slightly green and hard. A greenish color means that the bananas are not ripe.
2. Store bananas at room temperature. This will also encourage faster ripening.
3. To slow down the ripening process, store the bananas in the refrigerator. Even if the peal browns, the banana itself will keep for longer.
4. Take a banana with you on your way to work as a portable snack. Make sure that you store it in a solid container to prevent the fruit from being squished and creating a mess.
5. Sliced bananas are a great addition to cereal and oatmeal. They can even be mashed and used as a baking substitute for oil and butter. Mashed bananas can be added to muffins, pancakes, and cookies.
6. Freeze peeled bananas for a great addition to a smoothie. Bananas go great with strawberries and cream to make a great smoothie.
7. Certain high potassium foods should be eaten in moderation when taking heart medications such as beta-blockers.

Health benefits & facts

• Aids digestion. Bananas are high in fiber which aids digestion for a healthy colon. They also stimulate the production of good bacteria in the colon.
• Builds strong muscles and bones. Protein, which is present in bananas, aid in the building of strong muscles and bones
• Healthy circulation. This fruit contains iron which is an essential mineral that helps your blood transport oxygen to your tissues.
• Helps boost mood and preserve memory. Bananas contain tryptophan which your body converts into serotonin to aid memory and boost your mood.

Reminder

Two foods that help with digestion and are high in vitamins, protein, and fiber are water and russet potatoes.

Water

Directions

1. Men should drink 3 L of water daily and women should drink 2.2 L of water daily; Or drink approximately drink approximately 4% of your body weight in water. For someone who is a 150 lb., this is about 2.5 L.
2. Space out your water drinking for maximum absorption.
3. Drink water 30 minutes after waking up and drink 200 mL of water before eating a meal.
4. Room temperature is the best temperature for drinking water.
5. Sodium balance is important, so be sure to consume at least 2.3 g of salt a day which is about half a teaspoon.
6. Consume snacks containing potassium such as bananas throughout the day coupled with light exercise to prevent swelling associated with sodium consumption.
7. Drink water without chlorine and fluorine.
8. Carry a reusable water bottle.

Benefits

• Increased circulation. Water promotes toxin drainage by increasing circulation both in your blood stream and in your lymphatic system.
• Clean intestine. Just like water cleans out the drainage pipes in your house, water also cleans out the drainage pipes in your body.

Russet Potatoes

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes. In addition to potato leaves being poisonous, the outer skin of the potatoes contain defence mechanisms to protect the plant.
2. Do not eat the green spots. These green spots contain solanin, a toxin that can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. If enough is eating, vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
3. Russet potatoes can be boiled, roasted, or mashed. They are a great source of carbohydrates for lunch
4. For the purpose of detox, avoid adding things like, cream, cheese, and oil.

Benefits

• Healthy digestion caused by the high fiber content of potatoes
• Antioxidants and lower blood pressure. Antioxidants remove toxins from your blood and a lower blood pressure is associated with less damage to arteries.

Bonus Tips

Myth Busting

Read more

Now that you’re more than halfway through this comprehensive 30-day diet, you’ve probably done more than your share of craving. We all crave different foods, often for incomprehensible reasons. But why do we crave what we crave, when we crave? An intuitive answer might be that we crave foods that contain nutrients that are missing from our diet. Yet, scientific research has shown that cravings often have little or nothing to do with the levels of nutrient deficiency that exist in our bodies.

• Think About It – Why Do We Crave Unhealthy Food?

We all crave unhealthy food at one time or another (or all the time). But unhealthy food rarely has the sort of nutrients that we require – a problem for the explanation listed above. Why, then, do we crave? According to Marcia Pelchat, P.h.D., craving has more to do with our emotional states than our health state. For example, the fact that a certain food item is forbidden makes us want it more – no matter how unhealthy it is. Apparently, the only craving that humans regularly experience is for iron. Yet, people with iron cravings tend to chew ice, which has no iron in it!

• The Impact of Advertising

Ever since Ivan Pavlov discovered that dogs can be made to crave food through association, advertising companies have done their best to make us associate emotions like happiness with consumer items. Fast food is a prime example. People who have cravings often feel that their diet is monotonous or boring, and they turn to unhealthy foods for excitement. And while advertising makes burgers and soda look fun, their health impact is far from enjoyable.

• How to Fight Food Cravings

Since food cravings are largely mental – meaning disconnected from your body’s health state – fighting them is often a mental process as well. Experts recommend de-stressing in order to address emotional needs that feed food cravings. As far as the body is concerned, paying attention to hunger levels and maintaining a consistent diet will reduce the chances of initiating a craving cycle.

Featured photo credit: en.wikipedia.org via google.ca

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