Are Bananas Good for You? Yes!

A wide variety of health benefits are associated with the curvy yellow fruit. Bananas are high in potassium and pectin, a form of fiber, said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist. They can also be a good way to get magnesium and vitamins C and B6. “Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing Type 2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain . . . Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin,” 

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Do you ever look at pictures of yourself after a night out and notice that your face looks unusually puffy?. . .  Foods that have shown to cause facial bloating are often are high in sodium or monosodium glutamate (MSG). It’s also called “sushi face,” thanks to actress Julianne Moore, and has been used to describe bloating and water retention that occurs after eating high-sodium meals like ramen, pizza, and, yep, sushi – likely due to refined carbs and soy sauce). Normally after eating a meal that is high in sodium, your body needs to balance itself out, so [it] will end up holding onto water in certain places, which can include the face. For every gram of glycogen, which is stored carbohydrate, your body stores 3 to 5 grams of water. Avoid these food late at night.

• ramen
• sushi
• processed meats like ham, bacon, and salami
• milk
• cheese
• chips
• pretzels
• french fries
• alcoholic beverages
• condiments such as soy sauce and teriyaki sauce

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Energy Balance

Energy balance is important for maintaining a healthy weight. The amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks (energy IN) is balanced with the energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active (energy OUT):

• The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = weight stays the same (energy balance)
• More energy IN than OUT over time = weight gain
• More energy OUT than IN over time = weight loss

To maintain a healthy weight, your energy IN and OUT don’t have to balance exactly every day. It’s the balance over time that helps you maintain a healthy weight.

You can reach and maintain a healthy weight if you:

• • Follow a healthy diet, and if you are overweight or obese, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories for weight loss
  • Are physically active
  • Limit the time you spend being physically inactive.

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Up Your Emotional Wellness by Developing a Positive Mindset

• Remember your good deeds. Give yourself credit for the good things you do for others each day.
• Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from what went wrong, but don’t dwell on it.
• Spend more time with your friends.Surround yourself with positive, healthy people.
• Explore your beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life. Think about how to guide your life by the principles that are important to you.
• Develop healthy physical habits.Healthy eating, physical activity, and regular sleep can improve your physical and mental health

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Don’t Push Your Metabolism to the Slow Lane

Determined to lose 10 pounds fast, you turn to a crash diet. Perhaps your plan calls for nothing but grapefruit or cabbage soup each day. You slash your daily calories to fewer than 1,000, and sure enough, the pounds melt away. But when you eat so few calories, you train your metabolism to slow down. Once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly, and you usually regain the weight.

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A positive view of life and aging may help you live longer. Do you look forward to the next week? Do you feel younger than your age? Do you have a sense of purpose? If so, you may already have done something to reduce your risk of degenerative diseases and may even be adding years to your life.

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The Benefits of Stretching

Increased flexibility – Regularly stretching may help improve your flexibility especially if you live a sedentary lifestyle. Your flexibility naturally decreases as part of the aging process, but stretching may help slow down this process.

Improved circulation – Stretching causes short-term improvements in circulation by relaxing your blood vessels and increasing the amount of blood your heart pumps.

Stress relief – Static stretching activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Activating this branch of your nervous system may help alleviate the psychological effects of stress. This, in turn, may help induce feelings of calmness and relaxation.

Better sports performance – Being able to achieve a full range of motion through all your joints may help boost your sports performance. 

Improved posture – Muscle tightness and tension can negatively affect your posture by pulling your spine into positions that can put stress on your back, neck, and core muscles. Research has shown that regular stretching in combination with core strengthening exercisesmay help improve poor posture and alignment.

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The term “anti-nutrients” suggests what they are. Whereas nutrients are substances that nourish plants and animals to grow and live, anti-nutrients earn their title because they can block the absorption of nutrients. Anti-nutrients are naturally found in animals and many plant-based foods. In plants, they are compounds designed to protect from bacterial infections and being eaten by insects. . . . It is not known how much nutrient loss occurs in our diets because of anti-nutrients, and the effects vary among individuals based on their metabolism and how the food is cooked and prepared. Many anti-nutrients like phytates, lectins, and glucosinolates can be removed or deactivated by soaking, sprouting, or boiling the food before eating.

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Oatmeal’s claim to fame is its proven ability to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol. Chalk that up to a type of soluble fiber called beta glucan.

Eating oats is linked to an average 7% drop in LDL cholesterol, research shows. Many other things also affect your heart‘s health (like what else you eat, how active you are, and whether you smoke), but oatmeal is a simple heart-smart start. Oatmeal also:

• Lowers blood sugar levels
• Provides antioxidants
• Promotes healthy bacteria in your gut
• Helps you to feel full to manage your weight 
• Relieves skin itching and irritation
• Lowers your chance of colon cancer

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