Bananas Just As Helpful As Sugary Sports Drinks

Although I still have yet to try it, some people claim that bananas are a great alternative to chemical teeth whiteners. Apparently the inner part of the banana peel rubbed on your teeth can make your teeth whiter.

Now some researchers at Appalachian State University have discovered that bananas are actually as helpful as carbohydrate type sports drinks like Gatorade, without all that sugar, and other additives. It's certainly a better choice than grabbing a bottle of unnaturally blue colored, sugary liquid. Dr. David C. Nieman of  the Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus at Appalachian State in Kannapolis said:

"We wanted to see which was more beneficial when consumed during intense cycling -- bananas or a carbohydrate sports drink.  We found that not only was performance the same whether bananas or sports drinks were consumed, there were several advantages to consuming bananas."

Trained cyclists were the guinea pigs for the study, one group was given a carbohydrate drink the other  some banana:

For the study, trained cyclists consumed either a cup of carbohydrate drink or half a banana every 15 minutes during a 75-kilometer simulated road race lasting 2.5 to 3 hours. Blood samples taken from the cyclists before and after the exercise were analyzed at the NCRC Metabolomics Laboratory for more than 100 metabolites -- molecules associated with metabolism.

Unlike the sports drink, the bananas provided a much healthier alternative, and a few additional benefits that the drinks did not.

The bananas provided the cyclists with antioxidants not found in sports drinks as well as a greater nutritional boost, including fiber, potassium and Vitamin B6, the study showed. In addition, bananas have a healthier blend of sugars than sports drinks.

"Bananas come prepackaged with fiber, nutrients and antioxidants," said Nieman, adding the research translates to any exercise.

"The mode of exercise is not the issue. I think there are a lot of athletes who don't like the thought of drinking carbohydrate sports drinks, which are essentially flavored sugar water," he said. "This type of research shows that you can have healthier carbohydrate sources before and after exercise that will support athletic performance just as well as a sports drink," Nieman said.

I know which I would choose, if I was heavily into sports, which I'm not.

It should be noted that the study was funded by Dole, but even so, why wouldn't you choose a healthy banana over Gatorade?

Source: Science Daily

Whiten Teeth With Banana Peel

I love finding natural, alternative ways to deal with certain issues, and although I haven't tried this particular method of whitening teeth, it certainly can't do much harm. And the best part, it only costs the price of a banana.

People love having bright pearly whites, but many things can cause stains including certain foods, smoking and caffeine. There are a myriad of ways to whiten yellowing teeth- from expensive treatments at your dentist, to cheaper over-the-counter DIY processes. But those can cause problems from stripping the enamel on your bicuspids to sensitivity. One woman even comments about its addictive nature, and the potential for chemical burns and leaving your teeth even yellower.  When you think about it, the idea of putting chemicals in your mouth that  you could easily swallow isn't such a good idea. 

So, here's the banana treatment.  Again, I have not tried it so I can't vouch for its efficacy, but it might be worth a try.

The instructions on E-How suggest that you can either brush your teeth first (preferably with a natural toothpaste) or after, but I would recommend brushing after to prevent plaque build-up from food deposits.  In fact, I would also floss after the banana peel treatment, and then brush your teeth. They suggest using a ripe banana since ripe ones have more potassium. Apparently its all the minerals including the potassium, manganese, and magnesium that help with the whitening.

HOW TO:

1. Peel a banana as you normally would. Save the fruit to eat later or freeze in chunks to use in  smoothies.

2. Cut a piece of banana peel and start to gently rub the soft inside part (where the peel meets the fruit) against your teeth for about 2 to 3 minutes.

They also recommend doing this twice a day, morning and night.

If anyone has tried this, I would love to know what the results were. If I decide to try this, I will update you, as well.

Get Rid Of That Wart The Natural Way

When we think of warts, the first images that come to mind are those ugly bumps on the noses of witches. And no, you can't get them by touching frogs and toads, but they are contagious, if you happen to be susceptible. And they are actually quite common, mostly with children, though adults can get warts too.

Caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), there are a variety of different warts including:

1. Plantar Warts- lumps on the sole of the feet, and are usually very painful.

2. Common Warts- elevated, granular bumps that are usually found on hands, elbows and knees.

3. Filiform/Digitate Warts- have a finger-like shape and can be found on the face, normally around the lips, eye-lids and nose.

4. Flat Warts- are cluster-type warts. Small, smooth, and can occur on the face, hands, knees, neck, wrists. They like company, so you can have as many as a 100 clustered together.

5. Genital Warts- are, obviously found on the genitalia. (I would check with your doctor before trying any of these remedies on these kinds of warts.)

SOLUTIONS:

The most common, popular and effective home-remedies are:

DUCT TAPE: Take a small piece of silver duct tape and place on wart. Leave for a few weeks and it should disappear.

LEMON JUICE: Put some lemon juice on the wart three or four times a day, until they fall off.

CASTOR OIL/LISTERINE/VINEGAR: Dab these individually or as a mixture on warts.

BANANA PEEL: Tape a piece of banana peel to the wart (flesh side to the skin) or rub it on wart every night before bed.

PREVENTION:

Like colds, some people are more apt to get warts than others. It's all about your immune system and how strong it's able to fight infections. But there are some things you can do to help. Because HPV thrives in warm, moist places

-Make sure you wash regularly and keep clean and dry, and do not touch or pick at your friend's wart, or your own, if you happen to have one. By picking, scratching etc. you can spread the virus.
-Don't share towels. You can pick up the virus from using infected towels.
-Don't walk barefoot in a gym, or in other public places. Use waterproof shoes or sandals.
-Keep feet and skin dry.
-Change socks daily.

For more natural wart remedies, check out health911.com

Hat Tip: Earth Clinic Folk Remedies