Banana nutrition

The easy digestibility and nutritional content make ripe banana an excellent food, particularly suitable for young children and elderly people. In the green stage (and after liquefying) it is used in Brazil to treat dehydration in infants, as the tannins in the fruit tend to protect the lining of the intestinal tract against further loss of liquids. In general, the banana is appropriate for consumption when a low-fat, low-sodium, and/or cholesterol-free diet is required, making it particularly recommendable for people with cardiovascular and kidney problems, arthritis, gout, or gastrointestinal ulcers. As the fruit is easy to carry and peel, it is of great value to athletes as a quick and healthy method of replenishing energy because of its high energy value: 75–115 kCal/100 mg of pulp (the lower range for banana and the higher for plantain). Both bananas and plantains contain complex carbohydrates capable of replacing glycogen and important vitamins, particularly B6 and C, and minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron). Ripe fruit has been used to treat asthma and bronchitis, and, as mentioned, in the control of diarrhea. Boiled and mashed ripe fruit, especially when mixed with other appropriate plants, is also cited as a good remedy against constipation. The juice extracted from the male bud is thought to be good for stomach problems. The peel of ripe bananas has antiseptic properties and can be used to prepare a poultice for wounds or even applied directly to a wound in an emergency. The banana pseudo stem is also cooked in India as a dish called “Khich Khach,” to be taken monthly to prevent constipation. Fresh leaves have reportedly been used medicinally for a whole range of disorders from headaches to urinary tract infections—at one time, stem juice was considered a remedy for gonorrhea.

Banana nutrition is very useful for all astrological signs.

Banana leaves

An interesting Central African cooking method is steaming or grilling food wrapped in packets fashioned from leaves of banana trees or other plants. This is an old cooking method, predating the use of iron, maybe even clay cooking pots. It is very practical when camping or traveling as it eliminates the need to carry pots, and the leaves can also be used as plates and bowls.

Certain leaves are especially favored because they give a particular flavor to food. Kwanda, for example, is wrapped in leaf packets before its final steaming. Maboke – leaves-wrapped packets of meat or fish, with onion, tomato, maybe okra, seasoned with lemon juice or hot chili pepper-are grilled over hot coals or steamed in a pot. Crushed peanuts, or mbika, are sometimes include in the packets. Filling the banana leaves packets with mashed beans (such as black-eyes peas) and sautéed peppers, and then steaming, produces koki.

This cooking method is very healthy as avoid using excess of fat.

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Healthy Plate: Boxed cakes can be healthy and still feel homemade

By Jim Romanoff

For The Associated Press

Article Last Updated: 11/04/2008 02:23:34 PM MST

During the holidays it's nice to have baked goods on hand for guests. Even nicer would be finding time to make them.

One solution is store-bought baked goods, but these often are loaded with excess fat, trans-fats and preservatives. Plus, they lack the personal touch that can make friends and family feel special.

Doctoring prepared cake mixes is an alternative that can yield great results that have much of the homemade feel you get with from-scratch baking. But you do need to be vigilant about reading labels.

Like store-bought baked good, many mixes are loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients, as well as partially hydrogenated oils. Check the labels to be sure you're getting ingredients you feel good about.

Many larger grocers and natural foods stores offer a wide variety of healthy, whole grain cake and cookie mixes. Even wheat- and nut-free versions are becoming more common.

Once you've found a mix you like, it's easy to add your own flourishes. For example, this cranberry-mandarin orange upside-down gingerbread cake starts life as a boxed mix, but you'd never know it by the results.

It calls for a boxed whole-wheat gingerbread mix such as the kind made by Hodgson Mill. Mixes of this type are almost always free of trans fats and are a good source of healthy fiber.

Gingerbread cake is perfect for pleasing those who haven't warmed to whole-wheat baked goods. The intense flavors of molasses and spices mask the earthy flavors that can come with whole-wheat flour.

Convenient, canned whole-berry cranberry sauce and mandarin orange segments make an attractive topping for this upside-down cake. If you prefer, you could substitute sauteed apples or pears for the oranges.

The healthy recipe lowers the fat by substituting applesauce for the butter that normally is called for by the mix. Alternatively, you also can use canola oil instead of the butter, which will reduce the saturated fat.

Of course, if you have a favorite recipe for gingerbread cake batter -- and have the time -- this recipe will work just as well with that.

Healthy cake recipes

Cranberry-mandarin orange upside-down gingerbread

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons applesauce

1 (15-ounce) package whole-wheat gingerbread mix (such as Hodgson Mill's Whole Wheat Gingerbread Mix)

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, in light syrup, drained

1 1/4 cups whole-berry cranberry sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Place dish in oven until butter melts, about 2 minutes. Tilt pan to coat bottom with melted butter. Set aside.

In a large bowl, use milk, egg and applesauce to prepare gingerbread mix according to package directions (substituting applesauce for the butter). Set aside.

Arrange mandarin orange segments in an even layer over bottom of buttered baking dish. Spoon cranberry sauce over oranges, making sure to fill in any empty spaces. Pour batter over oranges and sauce.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of baking dish to release sides of cake. Invert cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings » 14

Alcohol and Gemini

People under this sun sign are known to be very sensitive and tactful. The Gemini sign is represented by the ‘twins’.

Gemini people are very versatile and can adapt to anything, talkative and quick-witted, smart and polite, energetic.

But Gemini also is prone to nervousness and tense, inconsistent and superficial, inquisitive and cunning. Alcohol aggravates these negative features of Gemini.

Alcohol horoscope for Gemini

As a rule, Gemini at presence of the good party isn't interested in binge. Their behavior and mood don’t vary from of strong drinks unless, they become more talkative. They can amaze you by conversing with finesse and allusion, then doing something to contradict an extremely advanced state of intoxication, like puking in your shoe. Gemini possesses the magic ability to flirt successfully (and infuriatingly, which is very tricky) with several people at once However strong alcohol is counter-indicative to them: their weak place - the nervous system does not maintain such overloads. Gemini prefer easy dry and Muscat wines which in small dozes even are useful to them as contain required microcells. Drunken Gemini can catch a cold.

It is general description of alcohol horoscope of Gemini. Found out more detail from Live Expert Advices.

Alcohol and Taurus

This sign is represented by the ‘bull’. The people of this sign are reliable with lots of patience, extremely kind and loving, strong determination and very security minded.

It is positive features of Taurus. But they have also negative features which emphasis by alcohol: prone to jealousy, they can be resentful and rigid, greed and self indulgent.

Alcohol horoscope for Taurus

This is not to say that the Bull is by any means a nondrinker. He is “experts” in tasting wine and tries drink from each bottle. It's better to keep far away from them. Taurus is quiet and imperturbable when sober but having drunk they can fly into a rage, like a furious bull. To tell the truth there is a lovely way to extinguish its aggression - to suggest singing his favorite song. Taurus's organism better accepts concentrated wine with the sated taste and aroma. A drunk Taurus will get, social (full of loudmouth soup, some would say) and is extremely amusing to drag to a karaoke bar when intoxicated. Taurus should protect a throat from cold, and jaw when he sick in "extreme" situations.

Of course, here are only common features of alcohol horoscope for Taurus. More details you can get when have Live Astrology Advice.

Alcohol and Aries

Whether you know that stars provide us not only different temperament, but also influence our "friendship" with booze? You’d better to learn what to drink before to be put to a wine-glass. It is especially important if you are going to drink together with your chief or the ladylove and you don't want that this party become last in your career and private life. So, strong alcohol (as it is sad) is swept aside by astrologists at once.

Aries alcohol horoscope

Aries has passionate nature and practically does not know that is indecision and doubt। Aries people like to party and sometimes don’t know when to call it a night. He can not notice how will drink too much. Alcoholic impacts on Aries with exciting effect and push on reckless acts and he will regret about it later. Aries can become combative when very drunk, but they will assume that whatever happened should be forgiven (if not forgotten) by sunrise.

Their competitive streak makes them prone to closing-time shot contests. They’re sloppy, fun drunks, and they get mighty flirty after a couple tipples. Getting Aries people drunk is a good way to get what you want out of them, should other methods fail. They can be counted on to do the same for you so long as you haven’t gone and done anything really horrible to them last night.

In fact Aries even when they are sober very often act and then think. It is better to representatives of this zodiac sign to choose champagne but no more than two glasses for time. Astrology advices slightly tighten Aries to protect the face and head. Aries should better avoid red wine in combination with cheese better as it can provoke a strong headache. Ask expert about your personal alcogol horoscope.