Thursday, April 22, 2010

banana nutritional health gives more energy and longer life

health food
A banana is not only one of the tastiest health foods around, it is a wonder snack too. It contains three natural sugars - fructose, glucose, and sucrose. These, combined with its fiber, provide a quick, sustained, and substantial nutritional health energy boost.

Compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, five times the iron and vitamin A, three times the phosphorus, and twice the carbohydrate and other vitamins and minerals. Like other fruits, it contains no fat or cholesterol. It is a widely acknowledged fact that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for health and for lowering the risk of diseases like cancer and heart disorders.

Potassium

Bananas are known for being high in potassium, one of the essential minerals that help regulate heartbeat, normal growth, muscle-building, and fluid balance in the body. It plays a role in nerve transmissions and muscle contractions, and so helps to prevent muscle cramping. It is also important for bone strength, as optimal intake of potassium reduces loss of calcium in urine, which in turn minimizes the risk of kidney stones.

Potassium helps to oxygenate the brain. Studies have shown that the potassium-rich fruit can improve learning by making students more alert.

Besides being rich in potassium, it is low in salt, which makes it ideal for preventing high blood pressure and protecting against atherosclerosis. From research carried out, the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that consuming bananas regularly can reduce strokes by as much as 40%. The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has allowed the banana industry's claims for the fruit's ability to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

For more on the importance of potassium, see benefits of potassium .

Vitamin B6

Bananas are high in the B vitamins that help calm nerves. They are especially rich in vitamin B6 that is needed for normal growth and brain function, and that help the body eliminate toxic substances and fight off diseases, as well as regulate blood glucose levels and enhance moods. Vitamin B6 is also useful in cancer prevention, treatment of allergies, and in alleviating premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

For the many other functions of vitamin B6, see benefits of vitamin B6.

Iron

Bananas nutritional health are rich in iron, which is needed for the production of hemoglobin to make red blood cells. A lesser-known fact about iron is that it is required for the immune system to function properly, and for resistance to disease and infections.

For more on why iron is important to health, see benefits of iron.

Stress

People suffering from depression can benefit from a banana. Bananas contain tryptophan, that the body converts to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is used to regulate moods and induce relaxation.

Nicotine Withdrawal

Bananas are also said to be useful for people trying to give up smoking. The vitamin B6, B12, potassium, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals present in them help the body recover more quickly, physically and psychologically, from nicotine withdrawal.

Digestive Health

Being high in pectin, a water-absorbent fiber, bananas can help in cases of both diarrhea and constipation, to restore normal bowel function. They are also exceptionally rich in a prebiotic-like compound, so called because it nourishes friendly bacteria (probiotics) in the colon, that are beneficial for digestive health. These friendly bacteria improve our ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium, and protect us from 'bad' bacteria in our gut.

Bananas have also long been recognized for their protective effects against stomach ulcers. They not only help eliminate the bacteria that cause ulcers, but can significantly increase the thickness of the protective mucous membrane on the inner walls of the stomach.

They can calm an upset stomach, neutralize acidity, and reduce irritation, especially in cases of chronic ulcers. As they neutralize acidity, they are a good way to reduce heartburn, by acting as a natural antacid.

Storage

The best bananas are, of course, the tree-ripened ones. They are also the sweetest.

Most bananas nutritional health turn yellow when ripe, though there are reddish/purplish varieties as well. As bananas ripen, their starch turns to sugar and they become sweeter.

Commercially sold bananas are typically plucked and sold while still green. Store those over the counter at room temperature until they turn yellow. They are best eaten at this stage before they over-ripen, which is when the skin turns black and the flesh becomes mushy. You can store ripened bananas in the refrigerator. In the fridge, the skin of the fruit might continue to darken, but the flesh should still be firm.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

How to Avoid Being Denied Health Coverage


During the past 10 years there has been a dramatic upturn in obesity and overweight adults in America and as you can imagine this has had a serious impact on the cost of U.S. health coverage system. While many consumers who are denied health coverage for being overweight or rated with a "fat tax" may feel that they are being jilted by the system of insurance underwriting. Fair or not treatment for health issues associated with overweight and obese individuals have significantly the economy and the overall cost of health care.

The underwriters use a system for determining your height and weight calculations for learn acceptable range. The correlation of the two refers to a number of so-called BMI or body mass index and provides an estimate of bodyfat underwriters. According to the department of human services health of a BMI of 30 is considered obese at 25-29.9 is overweight. If your BMI is higher than 43 you probably do not qualify for traditional health insurance coverage. If your BMI is between 29-43, a health insurer may choose to offer health insurance with a premium rated up. If you have pre-existing health issue related to your weight, such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, a health insurer can refuse coverage you completely, even if your BMI is within range . In addition to BMI's belly fat or waist circumference is a good indicator of future health problems associated with excess weight such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Overweight inactive individuals with a propensity to store excess abdominal fat is finally experience insulin resistance, and other health coverage or heart issues. When underwriters review the application and see that an applicant has a combination of pre-existing conditions a red flag is raised immediately about the application. Underwriters have certain risk criteria they use when you took your BMI to other risk factors like smoking and health issues that may previously mentioned exacerbated when combined together. Some combination of these will result in a decline for health coverage.

Excess Weight Affect Your Health and Health care Costs?

While many individuals who are overweight may feel they were railroaded by insurers, the conclusion is that between 2 and 7% of all health care costs were associated with overweight and obesity, which resulted from the health issues associated with the treatment of overweight factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance or diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiac conditions, the specific types of cancer, respiratory issues, inactivity, absence from work, mortality rates, and loss of income from premature death.

What You Can Do to Get Approval For A Health Insurance Policy

If you believe you may be overweight and can not qualify for individual or family health coverage, you can take some precautions before submitting an application to health. you should see a qualified health insurance broker offering more than one product carrier and the knowledge about some underwriting requirements Or is able to research the best plan for you. You can complete a firescreen application which will allow the broker to communicate with underwriters to the issue before the submission of applications and improve your chances of approval and prevent a potential decline. a decline can actually be bad getting creditable coverage. You should also review the BMI table while all the tables are the same as it will give you an idea of how close or far you are from the current healthy levels of body mass index for your height. Finally consider improving your health for your own benefit by starting some basic exercises such as walking 30 minutes a day, educating yourself about healthy foods, eliminating empty calories as sugar and saturated fat and creating a lifestyle that makes you feel good, makes you productive, to make you look great, reverse some health problems and greatly extend your life and more importantly affords you quality health coverage insurance


aetna health care protection

Aetna Health Insurance has long been a highly recognized insurance company. Millions of people have put their trust in Aetna health insurance over the years. Aetna individual health insurance is a top choice of employers who want to obtain adequate coverage for their employees. Medical costs these days are spiraling higher than ever before.

Aetna has risen to the occasion and created some effective new plans to satisfy today's Aetna individual health insurance needs. For example, the Aetna Health Fund is gaining in popularity. The employer shall establish an amount of money in the fund and the employee pays out until it is gone. After that the workers from their own pockets to pay for medical expenses, to a certain value. Any amount remaining at the end of this year may be carried forward to next year. This is just one example of innovative new ways Aetna individual health insurance may fit your needs.

Preventive care is a high priority in the Aetna insurance. Regular check ups can determine health problems early before they become life threatening. While this might think, not necessarily the case with all insurance companies. Your health is in good hands with health insurance Aetna.

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