Eating healthy is not about strict dietary limitations, getting unrealistically slim or self deprivation of the food you love to eat rather it’s all about changing your lifestyle in order to feel great, have more energy and a stabilize mood. Some people actually feel very overwhelm by all the conflicting nutritional and diet advice out there, you are really not alone because it seems that every expert who tells you a certain food is not good for you, might be different from another who says the opposite. The big question is then which way forward to achieving a healthy life style? Setting a realistic goal, planning a healthy diet and following it up with gradual steps rather than one huge drastic change that will fade out in no time. Approaching the changes with commitment and determination base on the food you like not what is impose on you. Therefore the key factor for a healthy lifestyle is moderation which simply means eating only as much food as your body needs. That is feeling satisfy at the end of a meal not stuffed. Moderation is all about the ability to be able to balance your carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, vitamin and minerals to sustain a healthy body. The main purpose of a healthy life style is to stay a diet that you can maintain for life not just for a few weeks, months, or years because most of us it only require eating less of unhealthy food like refined sugar, saturated fat and replacing with healthy food like fruits and vegetables. It does not necessarily mean that we should eliminate the food that we love. Balancing is also an aspect that must not be neglected in keeping a healthy life style; ability to negotiate your meal knowing that for example eating 100 calories what of chocolate during lunch time means that at dinner to have a balance is to deduct 100 calories from your meal but if you notice that you are hungry it is better to fill up with fresh fruits. Gradually your diet will change once you set your mind on planning the food you enjoy in a healthy way and the easy way is putting into consideration what you eat, how your eat, and when you eat.
Do you know!: Banana & Plantain: Help maintain bowel health good energy boosting snack source of potassium and vitamin B6 Maximizing the benefits; Ripe bananas are an excellent source of energy boosting fruit sugars and make an ideal snack before or during or after exercise. Fresh ripe banana have the best nutrient content as plantain needs cooking in order to be palatable and digestible. How much to eat;Â One medium banana weighs 100g. use as snack on cereal in sandwiches and in desserts. Plantain traditionally used in Caribbean cuisine is generally cooked in savoury dishes.
Key Benefits; Bananas and plantains are sources of two biogenic amines, serotonin and dopamine. Biogenic amines are also made in the body and these forms of serotonin and dopamines can influence mood and appetite. Biogenic amins in food are inactivated by the enzyme monoamine oxidase in the gut lining so are unlikely to have direct effects in the body. However bananas are good source of vitamin B6 which the body needs to make serotonin. Chocolate contains biogenic amines too but can boost. Bowel health;Plantains are rich in resistant starch (starch that is not digested) which can aid constipation. Diet rich in resistant starch are linked to lower incidence of bowel cancer. Ripe bananas are well digested and their fibre content provides bulk and iads regular bowel movement.
Nutritional values;
Quantities per 100g, flesh
Calories —————–95
Fibre ——————–1.1g
Potassium————-400mg
Vitamins B6———— 0.3mg
Stay healthy!!!
Harriet Ogbobine.
