What Apples and Bananas Can Do For You...if you eat them
By Rudy Silva, Natural Nutritionist
What Apples and Bananas Can Do For You...if you eat them If you get advice from a Nutritionist on what to eat to be healthy, he will tell you to eat more fruits and vegetables. And in some cases, he will tell you to avoid certain ones if you have specific illnesses. In this next series of articles, I am going to write about the benefits of specific fruits. You should be eating between 4-6 fruits per day to get fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemcials that these fruits give. So let’s start with apples. The apple has a history, in Greek and Roman times, of being associated with reincarnation, immortality, love, fertility, and healing. Today everyone knows that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and I say “three apples a day keeps you away from the doctor.” Eating three apples a day is strong medicine and they taste good. Just like most fruits, apples are free of cholesterol, sodium, and fat. They contain about 80 calories. Nutrients in apples Apples contain the essential minerals, chromium, iron, magnesium manganese, and potassium. For those of you looking to lose weight, chromium increases your metabolism naturally. You can take a chromium supplement each time you eat an apple. Magnesium relaxes your body and helps you to absorb calcium. So, if you are taking a calcium/magnesium supplement eat an apple also to get some true organic magnesium into your digestive system to get more calcium into your bones. Apples also contain biotin, and thiamin, which help with your brain function. They also contain a variety of vitamins including vitamin C. Fiber in apples Apples contain 80% soluble fiber and 20% insoluble fiber. Fiber is necessary in your body to prevent constipation and re-adsorption of estrogen and cholesterol in the colon. Insoluble is known to prevent some types of cancer and to slow down their growth. The apple skin is extremely high in fiber, so buy apples that are not waxed so that you can eat the skin. Antioxidants in Apples
The apple skin is also high in phytochemcials and antioxidants such as flavonoids, polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, phloretin glycoside, and quercetinglyocside. All of these phytochemcials protect you against free radical attacks. Your lungs are also protected by eating apples. In a clinical study, researchers found that those who eat apples freqently have better lung function as they aged than those who did not eat them. You can lower your cholesterol by eating two to three apples per day. Apples lower LDL and raise HDL and this benefit is obtained from the apple pectin in the apple skin. And because apples lower cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar, they are good for diabetics. But if you can’t find apples to eat, their juice is just as healthy. Their juice was found to inhibit LDL oxidation just like the whole apple. So look to eat or drink three apples a day to stay healthier and to stay away from the doctor. You can lower your cholesterol by eating two to three apples per day. Apples lower LDL and raise HDL and this benefit is obtained from the apple pectin in the apple skin. And because apples lower cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar, they are good for diabetics. But if you can’t find apples to eat, their juice is just as healthy. Their juice was found to inhibit LDL oxidation just like the whole apple. So look to eat or drink three apples a day to stay healthier and to stay away from the doctor. Banana Nutrition Guide
Banana nutrition has always been thought of as high in potassium. In another article I have written, I point out that avocados have more potassium than bananas. In this banana guide I give you banana nutrition and history, so that you know when you eat a banana what it can do for you and what it has done for others in the past. Banana History The bananas were once thought to be the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. They have been labeled “heavenly fruit.”
This fruit had its origin through India, Philippines, and Australia. Bananas were brought to Europe in 1516 but only the leaves and bark were used to make a variety of products. After the American Civil War, bananas became popular because of the low cost and availability. Banana Remedies Guide Bananas in the past have been used as natural remedies. In Africa and Panama the banana stem juice was used to stop toothaches. In South American this fruit was used to treat peptic and duodenal ulcers. It was thought that bananas neutralized stomach acid, but in fact bananas provide nutrients to the stomach and small intestine lining to strengthen the surface against toxic attacks. High in fiber, bananas help prevent constipation and provide for good digestion. They contain more fiber than apples and avocados. They have some vitamin C but are higher in potassium. Potassium helps in regulating water balance and blood pressure, lessening the risk of hypertension and stroke. It is needed in nerve communication between the brain and body and is used in heart and kidney function. There is around 450 mg of potassium in bananas. Banana Nutrition Bananas contain vitamin B2 and B6. It also contains all 8 essential amino acids. It was found that slightly green or green bananas contain strong anti-mutagenic properties, which decrease your risk of specific cancers. Bananas are high in sugar with 21 grams per banana. If you are concerned about sugar, eat bananas when they show a little green on the peel. When they have brown spots, they are high in sugar. But when any fruit is slightly green it will be more acidic. One medium banana will have around 116 calories. You should not eat more than one banana per day. One way to eat them is to prepare a morning smoothies with strawberries, apple juices and other booster additives.
What Apples and Bananas Can Do For You...if you eat them
By Rudy Silva, Natural Nutritionist