Banana Facts

Banana Facts

Image source: By Augustus Binu, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41291734

1. Bananas derive from the family Musaceae in the genus Musa. It is believed that there are over different varieties of banana, but the vast majority of Banana’s cultivated for export to Western markets is the Cavendish variety.

2. Bananas are believed by some to be the world’s oldest fruit. Certainly they are mentioned in Ancient Chinese, Hindu, Greek and Roman texts, and the earliest record in Sanskrit dates back to 5000 B.C.

3. There are more than 500 varieties of banana in the world. Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. India is by far the largest world producer of bananas.

4. Banana is derived from the Arab word "banan," which means finger.

5. A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers. 

6. Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms. The banana tree grows from a bulb (or rhizome) not a seed. 

7. Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. Bananas are America's #1 fruit. 

8. Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise. 

9. Bananas are not grown commercially in the continental United States. They are grown in Latin and South America from countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala. 

10. Bananas are perennial crops that are grown and harvested year-round. 

11. In 2001, there were more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins. 

12. There are more than 500 varieties of banana in the world. 

13. There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants. 

14. The banana plant reaches its full height of 15 to 30 feet in about one year. 

15. Despite being usually being grown in a tropical climate, Iceland has begun to successfully produce bananas with the help of geysers providing energy to create a tropical environment.

16. 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!

17. Banana leaves, pseudostems, fruit stalks and peels can all be used for various culinary purposes. Bananas are primarily eaten as a fruit, either on its own or as a part of a salad. All parts of the banana have medicinal applications as well. 

18. The banana trade is big business. It comes fifth in terms of world trade in agricultural produce-after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa.

19. Bananas contain tryptophan and vitamin B6, known to help make you feel happy. 

20. Wild bananas originated in Asia, and have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. 

21. Bananas are available all year around. They are harvested every day of the year.

22. All eight essential amino acids that the body does not produce are contained within a single banana.

23. Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, iron and fiber. Bananas are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free.

24. Red bananas contain more nutrients then their yellow cousins.

25. Bananas, however, can be cooked and are frequently found in Spring Rolls and deep 

fried in Asian cultures.

Late eating is not detrimental for our figure

Getting food at night is the enemy № 1 of weakening. Stress leads to weight gain. Pungent harmful. Surely these claims are familiar to you. But are they true?! And really these habits are so bad!? Some recent studies refute that have become axioms posts.

Misconception 1: Eating at night leads to weight gain.
In practice, there are prerequisites for claims that eating at night leads to weight gain. According to German experts, quoted by Reuters, however, claims that the late evening is the enemy number one slender figure are exaggerated. More than 10 years they have watched over 7000 people and their eating habits and come to conclusions that are not time consuming food and its calorific value is of utmost importance. Therefore, if indeed in the late hours of eating high calorie food to gain weight, but not if you dine with a light meal.

Misconception 2: The negative emotions should be avoided completely.

In fact, negative emotions are just as needed by the body as positive. Of course, it is good they are in limited quantities, but to have them. Most gracious are those negative conditions that are caused by the fact that the work we have done, has not brought the expected results. In moments such negative attitudes can act as an incentive for more targeted and effective action.

Misconception 3: Another popular, but the misconception is that the hot and spicy food harmful to the stomach.
A group of U.S. scientists, however, refute this claim after a series of experiments. During one part of them volunteers consumed sore spicy and the other part – a certain stage of trying drank aspirin tablets. The results showed that people taking aspirin, there was partial damage to the gastric mucous. For others who gambled on a spicy, lesions were found.

11 Motivational Weight Loss Tips For Women

Getting motivated to lose weight is not all that difficult to do. Millions of women start diets and exercise routines every single day.

However, not many are able to maintain that initial burst of motivation. That is the reason why so many weight loss programs fail.

In this article, you´re going to find some great tips to stay motivated to do what you have to do until you reach your weight loss goals. Just one or two of these powerful tips may be exactly what you need to get and, most importantly, stay motivated.

#1 Get Inspired

Whenever you hear a story about a woman that has successfully lost weight, know that they have no more ability than you do! If other women have done it, you can too.

Joining a supportive community (such as sparkpeople.com) is one of the best things women can do to get inspired and motivated.

Also, occasionally spend time searching for and reading weight loss success stories.

#2 Start Your Own Support Group

Collaborate with friends, family and co-workers that also want to lose weight. Plan fun social gatherings and share ideas about what it’s going to take to lose weight. Make a promise to check up on each other regularly.

#3 Start a Weight Loss Journal

Studies show that women who take a few minutes to journal their meals and workouts are more successful at losing weight.

#4 Hire a Personal Trainer

If you can afford it, this is one of the very best things you can do. Just make sure you ask him or her for credentials and referrals.

#5 Start a New Hobby That Requires You To Be Physical

There are all sorts of ways for you to take the boredom out of exercise. You can try rock climbing or swimming. Go dancing, bowling, or skating once a week.

#6 Increase Your Overall Activity

You can do a lot in addition to exercise to burn up some extra calories.

Take a walk at lunch. Whenever possible, use the stairs instead of an elevator. Park your car far away from the entrance at the mall or grocery store and walk.

Being active is motivational because you know that every bit of activity is leading you closer to your goal.

#7 Use Exercise Videos

Exercise to high energy, fun DVDs such as the Zumba Workout. The more fun you can have while exercising, the more likely it is that you will maintain a routine.

#8 Listen To Music

Load up some of your favorite music on your iPod. Music is a great motivator for exercise. It will take the boredom out of otherwise boring activities like walking or lifting weights.

#9 Know The Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise

Wanting to look good is not enough for most women. It’s too superficial.

Knowing what health conditions can be avoided with exercise and good nutrition can boost your motivation to consistently practice healthy habits.

#10 Make a List Of Reasons To Lose The Weight

Are you trying to avoid the family curse of high blood pressure or diabetes? Do you want to fit into your favorite pair of jeans again? Or do you want increase your energy level?

#11 Think Small

You may want to lose 20 or 30 pounds, but don’t think about losing that much. Think more about losing two or three pounds each week, or losing eight to ten pounds each month.

Having shorter term goals gives you something that’s realistic and attainable in the near future. This is motivating all by itself.

Now, start putting these 11 tips for motivation to use today!

5 Tips for Rapid Weight Loss

5 Tips for Rapid Weight Loss

Many people are now realizing that they are overweight. They are discovering this as they run for their train to work or attempt exercise. One of the problems with being overweight is that your appearance becomes distorted and your ability to walk normally is hindered. This article discusses five tips to help you lose weight.

1. Go on a Diet
The first step to losing weight is going on a diet. Your diet should be designed specifically for you so as not to cause any health problems. One way to diet is to consume lower carbonates and less fat. Do this with care though because quickly reducing your carbonate and fat intake can lead to health problems. Choose to drink black coffee instead of adding sugar or cream. Eliminate salad dressings, butter, candy, and soda. You should focus on reducing your fat intake while maintaining the food’s nutritional value. Choose lean meats such as chicken and fish. Snack on low fat foods that are high in fiber such as fruits, carrots and nuts.

2. Start Exercising
Keeping up with exercise on a regular basis is not only good for your body but it also benefits your mind. Exercising uses your body’s fat and any stored carbohydrates for energy. Some popular forms of exercise are aerobics, jogging and yoga. Yoga is a good form of exercise if you have not exercised in a while. There are a few different types of yoga. One type is called Vajrasana.

3. Pick Up a Sport
Soccer is a great way to lose weight. Research performed at the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen University Hospital and Bispebjerb Hospital shows that those who play soccer get better results that those that run. The research project studied fourteen men ages twenty to forty. Over a period of three months the men played soccer for about two hours a day. During the study the subjects had their fitness levels, blood pressure and muscle mass tested. The results showed that fat and blood pressure decreased while muscle mass increased. By the end of the test period, the soccer players lost over seven pounds of fat and increase their muscle mass whereas those that just ran did not gain any muscle mass and only lost about four pounds of fat.

4. Try Fasting
Fasting works to lose weight and control your mind. By consuming just water during the days that you fast you will remove toxins and waste product from your body. Fasting is a tradition in India. While you are fasting take some honey. Honey will help to lower body weight.

5. Try Slimming Pills
There are many types of weight loss program on the market today. Select the kind you take with care. One of the best that can be recommended is  The Beta Switch.

Get Rid Of Belly Fat For Women

How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat For Women

Not every woman wants to go to the gym and pump iron and do crunches while hanging upside down. In fact unless it’s an all-female gym it’s sometimes a little creepy working out in the gym. Now, if that is your cup of tea I’m not knocking it. However, this article is about how to get rid of belly fat for women, not looking to sweat it out in the gym, with ogling men.

For many reasons as time goes by the fat seems to slightly begin to navigate to the belly for both men and women. For many men it’s accepted as cute or sexy, i.e., love handles. For women, accumulated belly fat is viewed as them, letting themselves go. I can’t explain the double standard but if you want to figure out how to get rid of belly fat women, it’s probably easier than you have been making it out to be.

Where’s the belly fat coming from?

It’s the million dollar question and one that has a “well it depends answer”.

I know that’s not a popular answer but its true. The simple answer is that you basically begin to accumulate belly fat as you take in more calories than you need or burn each day. The fats is stored throughout the body and over a period of time, especially as you begin to age, and exercise less, it settles in the mid-section area.

Another culprit that women have to deal with is a decreasing amount of estrogen produced as they age. Estrogen has been associated with regulating where fat is stored and many experts have linked estrogen changes to increased belly fat in woman.

What is the big deal about belly fat in women?

Well, besides the fact that many women feel unattractive carrying belly fat, it has been associated with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer. With the excess belly fat accumulating you also have visceral fat which raises your blood pressure and negatively affects your good and bad cholesterol levels.

Help For Women Getting Rid Of Belly Fat

The natural tendency for women seeking to get rid of belly fat is doing those ab targeting exercises that is helpful for losing weight but not necessarily belly fat. This is confusing for many women looking to trim the belly fat. The best way to get rid of belly fat women is to put together a plan that includes both dieting and exercise.

I know what you are thinking “I have been there and done that”. Well I’m not suggesting that you try to do the same things that you have always done to lose belly fat. That would be insane and I’d like to believe that I’m not crazy.

To get started losing belly fat, I would suggest the following;

Make smarter food choices which means eating more fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Also, make sure that you cut back on your meal portions. If you are preparing the food at home, make sure you don’t overload your plate. Just because you are healthier foods, you can’t subconsciously consume larger portions. It defeats the purpose of eating healthy if you consume just as many calories because you eat more. Also, you need to include a little regular exercise to get the process of getting rid of belly fat off to a good start.

The good news is women that getting rid of belly fat for you doesn’t have to be a life altering event. You can make subtle changes that can have a significant positive affect of getting rid of your belly fat.

Losing Belly Fat For Women-Will You Ever Succeed?

Losing belly fat for women seems to be a common need these days and there are Do you ever wonder if losing your belly fat is possible, based on past results? hundreds if not thousands of possible solutions to help women. You have to wonder though with so many solutions, why is the success rate so low in losing belly fat?

I can tell you that there are many fad diets that just flat out aren’t useful in reducing fat. In fact, I could probably give you sugar pills and tell you that they are miracle weight reduction pills and you would see the same results. Unfortunately because there is such an urgency and desire to lose weight millions of dollars are wasted on useless products. The problem is that as long as folks are taking these useless products they are not reducing their belly fat.

There is also a long term problem that stems from following unsuccessful diet plans and that is you could lose your hope regarding losing belly fat. As I’m sure that you know it takes quite a bit of determination to succeed at losing any weight. What I have found is that after a long period of time of not seeing results, women start to doubt if they can or will ever lose their belly fat.

If you believe that you can lose weight in the mid-section area then you have half the battle won. If you don’t believe you can and will, your behavior will probably reflect your beliefs and thus lower your chances of success.

Losing Belly Fat For Women – Things To Avoid

Quick Weight Loss – 
Some diets that you see advertised promise quick weight loss results in 7, 10 or 14 days. If you do your homework what you will find is that very often what is being suggested is that you create a nutritional deficiency for your body via calorie restriction, using a laxative product or other diet methods. Very often these methods cause long term health issues and in the end could result in binge type eating.

Significantly Restricting Calorie Intake – It’s been proven that when you restrict the amount of calories your body needs it begins to hold onto fat. It’s hard to believe the body is that smart but once it senses that food is an issue, it begins to store fat in anticipation of needing it later. So it converts the calories into fat and will convert it back to energy when and if it’s needed. For most folks their body will not continue to feel starved and thus the fat will never be used.

My suggestion is that you don’t go for the short term weight loss but lose weight in a healthy and joyful manner. Losing weight should not be a stressful process for you but rather something that you enjoy. Of course you want to lose weight as quickly as possible. However, if you do it the right way and don’t over restrict your body, you will see the long term results that you have been hoping, praying and dreaming about.

Will you ever succeed at losing your belly fat women? If you follow the right plan which incorporates a proper balance of diet and exercise, I’m certain that you will.

Burning Fat: A Lifestyle Change

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Do you really want to burn calories, reduce your percentage of body fat, and get in shape? You cannot think of this as something that you just have to do for a short amount of time. Many people make this mistake. They assume that they can work out for a few weeks or take up jogging every other day, and that they will quickly be in shape. They then assume that they will be able to stop exercising since their goals have been accomplished. With this outlook, they will never be in the shape that they want.

In order to really burn fat, you must change your lifestyle. You cannot just change things for a short amount of time and then revert to what you used to do before. When you do this, you will just gain back all of the weight that you lost. You may be in shape for a few days or even a few weeks, but it will not be a lifelong alteration. This can cause you to feel discouraged because your plan did not work, but the real problem is that you had the wrong plan all along.

Changing your lifestyle will also help you to succeed because it means that you will do more than one thing to get in shape. You can start running three times a week, for example, and you can start to eat less calories every day as well. Perhaps you will want to lift weights once or twice a week, at the same time. You can concentrate on drinking enough water and getting your body the nutrients that it needs. You may also consider adding a weight loss supplement to your diet. When you do all of these things at once, the odds are much higher that your overall weight will go down.

Remember that a dynamic change is needed. When you first start to do things differently, you have to have the outlook that this is how your life will be from now on. You have to make all of these new healthy choices into healthy habits. Only by doing this will you succeed in losing the weight that you want to lose. Only by doing this will you be able to keep that weight off for years to come. If you start with this end in mind, you will find that it is easier than you ever thought it would be to get in shape and to stay that way.