Bananas!

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!Bananas: Containing 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 astrenuous 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 amongstpeople suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating abanana. 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 containsregulates 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 potassiumyet low in salt, making it the perfect way 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 bloodpressure and stroke.Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) 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 fiber, including bananas in the diet can helprestore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem withoutresorting to laxatives.Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make abanana 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 rubbingthe 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 crisps. 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 intestinaldisorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only rawfruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It alsoneutralizes 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 temperatureSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophanSmoking: 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 theheartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's waterbalance. 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%!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 carbohydrates, 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!"You might want to pass this tidbit to your friends!!!

Leaving It On or Shutting It Off

Q. Is it better to turn off the computer or can I just keep it on all the time?
A. The question about whether it is better to shut down your computer at the end of each day or to leave it up and running has been raging for years, with concern for both the computer hardware and saving electricity factoring into the debate.
One older argument for leaving the computer on was that turning it off every night and starting it up again in the morning caused strain on the hard drive - because the magnetic heads that read and write information inside the drive had to start up as well, and could damage delicate parts. But the hard drives in most modern computers park their heads when the computer is turned off, and starting back up is a much safer process than it used to be.
It does take an extra bit of electricity when the computer pops on after being shut down, but the amount of power is less than what would be consumed if the machine was left on continuously.
Leaving the computer on - and linked to the Internet with a high-speed connection - all the time can make it more vulnerable to infection and invasion by intruders. Even if the machine is turned off every night, though, security programs like firewall, antivirus and antispyware software should be installed and updated regularly to help keep the computer safe when on and online. (Macintosh machines are currently less vulnerable to viruses and spyware, but Mac OS X comes with a firewall worth using.)
You obviously save electricity when you shut down the computer after you are done using it, potentially around $100 a year depending on your system. Turning your machine off at night also clears up items in the computer's memory and gives it a fresh start in the morning, which may make it appear less sluggish if you generally have a lot of programs running over the course of the day.
If you are torn between leaving it on or shutting it down, consider the third option: setting the machine to hibernate or sleep for the night. The computer uses minimal power in this state, but starts much faster than if it was started up cold in the morning.
Web Surfing Without Leftovers