Cup of Coffee vs. Going Bananas

Coffee…. More please. I love coffee. Without it I cannot read for my course work, catch with my friends, do business and talk to my amusing grand parents. The reality behind the coffee drink is that it has been around for centuries. There are different versions of coffee as well as variations. One can drink coffee strong, mild or weak. Depending on your personality and preference.

Dr. Nathan Pritikin in his Book ‘The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise’ states “While the final verdict  on beverages containing caffeine is not yet, the research available raises grave suspicions about the wisdom of drinking either coffee or tea regularly. The entire topic of caffeine toxicity, however, is quite controversial.”

Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine has a component called theophylline. Theophylline comes from a group of Xanthines. Xanthines stimulate the central nervous system. While stimulating the nervous system it alleviates drowsiness and fatigue.

Facts about coffee:

• Coffee sharpens thoughts.
• Coffee contains caffeine of which is a drug. Thus it produces rapid heartbeats.
• Drinking large amounts of coffee lead to insomnia.
• Coffee may lead to high free - fatty - acids levels in the bloods.
• May be the cause of high blood glucose levels in diabetics.
• Increases gastric acid secretion.
•  Does lead to high blood pressure.

Dr. Nathan states “The more caffeine you extract from leaf or bean. Coffee, brewed or instant, contains between 90 and 120 milligrams per five-ounce serving; decaffeinated coffee between 1 and 6 milligrams; leaf, 30 to 60 milligrams; bagged tea, 42 to 100milligrams; instant tea, 30 to 60 milligrams; cocoa up to 50 milligrams; and cola drinks, 15 to 40 milligrams.”

Chills run down my spine knowing that my favorite beverage can be a threat to dear my life and the lives of many other coffee lovers.

But when faith is lost, one has to find a way to regain it. And that is what I did! The next best thing to coffee is a banana. And if you don’t believe it keep reading on…

Bananas are made up of three natural sugars namely: sucrose, fructose and glucose. This is the reason behind giving one that energy boost when you are in the dire need of it. Bananas are hence the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

These tropical fruit contain: protein, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, selenium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folate, niacin and pantothenic acid.

The benefits of a banana are as follows:

• Depression

Bananas generally make you feel happier. They contain tryptophan which is one of the common amino acids that make up protein and convert it  into serotonin which is known to  improve ones mood a make them happy. Research done by an organization known as ‘MIND’ proved that depression suffers felt better having eaten a banana.

• Anemia

The high content of iron in bananas stimulates the production of hemoglobin. These yellow fruit contain up to .4mg of iron.

• Blood Pressure

When I traveled to the Buganda kingdom in Uganda I was keen to notice that on a scale of one to ten, only eight suffered from blood pressure.  Apparently they are banana eaters. Thus bananas constitute their main diet. US Food and Drug Administration have now allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of reducing blood pressure and stroke.

• Brain Power

The next time you need to ace that paper, eat a banana. 200 students at Twickenham (Middlesex) school did well throughout exams by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch. Amazingly it worked. Their brain power was boosted. For that reason, potassium which is contained in the banana helped the students learn and kept them alert.

Other health related issues can be managed as easy as ABC if we eat more bananas. Constipation, heartburn, mosquito bites, over weight issues, ulcers, temperature control, stress, strokes and warts can all be solved by having a banana.

With all these highlighted benefits of a banana. I am learning to say good bye to my cup of coffee. At the moment I have gone bananas doing: banana milk shake, smoothies, cake, chips, ice cream and so forth. It’s easy to follow the trend. Try a banana today. However, if we have to meet over when you insist, let’s do decaffeinated coffee!

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