Besides yoghurt, the banana is another on my list of my amazing foods.
We are fortunate to have this highly prized fruit, favoured by many foreigners, as a local fruit. Bananas are relatively cheap here and can be grown in our backyard.
After reading through the long list of benefits, you may have a totally different perspective of the fruit. The banana is a meal-in-one and can replace expensive supplements.
Throw out the junk food. Fix your craving with home-made yoghurt, bananas and nuts. Stay healthy, live longer and defend your standard of living. Natural bananas don’t keep and you should never put it into the fridge. So the next banana you’ll have is probably a fresh one.
Perphaps, monkeys are really on the next rung "UP" on the evolutionary ladder. The kind of junk food that people consume may very well drive us to extinction.
Yes. You can have your banana and eat it too.
C grading C+, Jassmine.
You can do a better grading work as a teacher on poetry.
Heee, KT, you steady leh but not quite there yet…..let me copy, right it and send you on an ecstasy trip……….
Press me with a big banana,
Serve it with vaseline cream,
Spread me as is done in melodrama
No visas for a naughty team.
Together they had me unfold(ed),
With cherry, cream and chocolate,
They make sure that I feel it in my hole,
Fete me before I say brake.
“My banana is split” I grumbled,
In heat, they lost my cry in the din,
A rare, torturous trumpet,
Last entered me like a supersonic’s fin.
Poem @# 61
Critic speak
* A cleverly disguised erotic poem.
* A cryptic title – to avoid a cruel cut?
* Excellent rhymes and rhyming scheme (A grade A+ )
(A voice is heard )
“More!” shouts a voice,
” One on Porky’s trotters
And one on chickedy’s claws.
Mainstream poems, else once again, skirt the laws.”
Jas @ #60
Great work.
Here’s mine
Ode to the one who shares my love (freeware)
————————————————————–
Dress me like a big banana,
Serve me with ice cream,
Spread out in a panorama
Vistas from a naughty dream,
.
Together in an oval mould,
With cherry, cream and chocolate,
Make sure that I am cold,
Eat me before its too late.
.
Banana split with crumpet,
Eat slowly with a grin,
A rare, sensuous strumpet,
A tonic served with sin.
A poem dedicated to the banana
(copyrighted)
Bananas
A bunch of green bananas by a raffia string hung
On the knob of my storeroom door.
A glance I gave; they were easy to ignore.
The next day, passing by the storeroom, I saw,
Yellow bananas hanging brightly at the door.
Sixteen glorious, yellow bananas
In two rows the comb bore
On its stout, truncated core.
An appetite rose; sought I the most yellow one.
The ripe banana tasted so good,
I thanked nature for this wholesome food.
(copyright)
Need KC, QC or SC ?
Court adjourned.
Laughing time.
Steven, #56, regarding #54 and #55.
I wasn’t preaching or being hypocritical. I knew you were trying to be humorous and laughed out loud. It was a bit of fun that’s all right?
Nothing to do with indecency at all.
Hi Steven
Decency, true form and humility are always best.
Artificial is to white wash and not sustainable.
Whoa Steven, #53 #54
don’t let your imagination run wild. Haha.
Kenneth Tan,
That’s something new to me, peeling the banana from the bottom up. Yes, the stringy bits are a little bothersome. I must try that the next time.
Yes the best bananas are definitely those ripened on the tree. I used to have them in my back yard. The only problem was finishing them before they all got too ripe, haha. So, the neighbours always got to share them.
Hi Mary Chan,
…HUGE like some strawberries that are so distorted, they don’t look like the typical strawberries anymore.
….That scares me and I’d rather stick to the more ‘decent’ looking ones.
That reminds me of Brigitte Bardox French )or Amy Yip ( HK actress) both have unusually HUGE breasts.
( Silicon treated or water bags ? )That’s awfully distorted look more like papayas.
Just like you I’d rather stick to the more ‘decent’ looking ones. Ha! ha!
Hi Mary Chan,
…HUGE like some strawberries that are so distorted, they don’t look like the typical strawberries anymore.
….That scares me and I’d rather stick to the more ‘decent’ looking ones.
That reminds me of Brigitte Bardox French )or Amy Yip ( HK actress) both have unusually HUGE breasts.
( Silicon treated or water bags ? )That’s awfully distorted look more like papayas.
Just like you I’d rather stick to the more ‘decent’ looking ones.
Ken @ #49
“…Peel them from the bottom…” sounds so hot.
Let’s hear one over about the durian, mango and the rest.
Seriously, the fibre in a fruit is healthful. If you strip the fibre then taking the remaining pulp may very well give you the constipation problem discussed earlier.
I eat my fruits and vege whole with their skin and seed wheereever possible. Like grapes and potatoes.
Hi Steven,
Yes, these black grapes are very sweet aren’t they? GM? Don’t know if they are, but I don’t really care as long as they are not humongously huge like some strawberries that are so distorted, they don’t look like the typical strawberries anymore. More like lumps of strawberries. That scares me and I’d rather stick to the more ‘decent’ looking ones.
Hi Andrew Kuan at 45,
Ya loh,
MaryC could also bring along her exotic fruits esp. bananas to our Chinese class at Tanamera and
D and D for us to share her success as a poster lady.
What say u MaryC ?
I have a few points on bananas:
Peel them from the bottom… this will pull out the stringy parts at the same time as the skin.
Separate the bananas so that they will not ripen together too fast.
And, the best bananas are those ripened on the tree… not the ones we get at the supermarket which are picked green and shipped in nitrogen-chilled containers.
Hi Wong Kt,
I truly agreed with re: GM food.
(Going Mad )
USA and other countries have this in place.Surely,there is possible risk of harm in the long run.
Why is our MOH not making it compulsory for companies to label GM food products?
Although it is not proven to be harmful to our health, anything that man tampers with nature , we will have to face the consequences.
See the global warming at work.
And so Mary Chan beware of your seedless and too sweet grapes.
(” Man made ” )
Ron,
How about reviving the Malaysian tours with a twist.
Get a fund together to book banana, pineapple, mangosteen and XO durian trees in Malaysia. We’ll build a retirement hut with a good cook on site. Put a aquaculture fish pond or river nearby and we can have fish for dinner.
Members can gorge themselves silly on fruit fest group trips and turn out creative fruit based dishes. Bring back to sell the balance in the flea market.
Who can make a banana pie?
Steven @ #44
Nature or Nuture?
I am very supportive of thoughtful application of technology. GM (Genetically Modified) food needs careful thinking. Start by thinking about the objective and the deliverables.
If the objective is to create a sweeter fruit, the result is no different than, say, taking a sweet or an extra scoop of ice cream. If you are not about to take in extra sugar into your diet then avoid taking excessive GM food for the same purpose. It is not worth risking carrying the extra, though miniscule risk, that the GM process itself may be harmful to our health.
If GM is designed to carry specific health benefits or medicines (like research on carrying insulin in a fruit) then the return may well outweigh the risk.
In general, GM has not reached this medically beneficial phase of deliverables. Remember it may tke generations before we know more about the risks of GM.
Meanwhile, it is wise to bet on nature.
Hi Steven
Let Mary go shopping at Isetan for her Fuji exotic fresh fruits, then share with us her daring shopping and eating experience.
Hi Mary Chan,
…Have you tried the recent black grapes? They are absolutely gorgeous. Seedless and totally sweet.
Most probably its genes has been meddled with –
a GM ( Geneticaly Modified ) product.
The banana is the fruit of the banana tree which is actually not a tree but a giant herb (having no wood at all). The banana tree can reach up to 15 meters height depending on the variety.
Each banana tree produces only one banana stem in its life span. But nature being what it is, before it dies, new stems are developed from buds in the rootstock.
Two main types of bananas
1)Plantain or cooking banana
It cannot be eaten raw and requires cooking to break down the starchy pulp. Unlike the dessert banana, don’t base your choice on its aspect, it comes in an irregular green color with lighter spots. It can be eaten at different stages of ripeness but for different purposes. Avoid products that have completely black skin and are soft or have spots of mold.
2) Dessert banana
It is eaten raw. The more yellow and speckled it is, the sweeter it will be. Don’t put your bananas in a fridge, they would turn black.
Conditioning
The fruits are harvested after 8 to 13 months when still green. They are then taken into a shed to be washed and conditioned for exportation.
The dessert bananas are then left in ripening room for a few days. The amidon will turn into sugar. The fruit, which is technically a berry, turns from deep green to yellow or red. The plantain bananas don’t go to the ripening room as they can be eaten unripe.
Each stem can weight more than 30 kg and have 200 to 250 bananas, grouped in bunches of 18 to 22 fruits called hands.
It is also interesting to note that Banana has the efficacy as follows :
Efficacy of Fluoride Toothpaste in Preventing Demineralization of Smooth Dentin Surfaces and Narrow Grooves in situ under Frequent Exposures to Sucrose or Bananas
Happy interacting
Patrick Yeo
KT at #15
Buy Singapore Bananas, must be from your garden ?
Walau eh, AndrewK, you steady, man. After dishng out 3,000 Chinese words frpm the 35 yuan book to our Mandarin-learning butties, you’re now poring thru the Amo-rous dictionary for words.
KT, you’re in luck…………another 2,999 words on its way, specially dedicated to you. So, what must you say to AndrewK?
Yes, it’s “thank you”……..good boy.
KT at #18, you want that word after checking the dictionary?
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines bombastic as pompous and empty .
Bombast – pompous and meaningless words.
Any English teacher(s) likes to clarify?
Hi Mary
Understand you love shopping, only a suggestion for you to shop at the Lido s/mart, and another at Paragon for exotic fruits.
Then you share your wondrous experience.
Heard of cleaver with age, KT
Three humorous versions :
1) A cleaver is a heavy knife with broad blade used by a butcher for chopping meat; with (ed)ge, used with “mean” intention.
2) A cleaver with age is one mellows with usefulness for the butcher, serves its appropriate purpose.
3) You figure out the last possibility, smart chap, with speghetti !
Was happily smoking my cigarettes & playing my cigar in geulang when I heard KT’s call @#26.
Normally I only answer damsels in distress but when KT is so obsessed with Reflections that he got himself possessed and hung upside-down from a banana tree, I hv to come to his rescue.
Lucky you to own a backyard but you waste it, growing banana trees. Think big & see the big picture.
Grow grains like wheat & rice, rear chickens and start a pig/cattle farm on yr backyard. Hate inflation, love spore and so feed spore. For that, you’ll be remembered for more than Scorebot ATMs or yr hahaha kissing with Har there.
MaryC, constipation from eating bananas……yes, I know.
Saw you working yr mouth up on the tree. If you continue eating the unripe bananas off the branches, then you’ll hv to smile more sweetly than yr frozen meat smile at workers digging the roads when you walk past them…makes it easier to borrow their drills & tools as laxatives are likely to fail.
Sorry to submit so many times but I suppose I am trying to put my point across hehehehe!
Thanks KT although I dont them soft and mushy.
Will have to try and get used to it.
Carol @# 31
Diversify. Eat some of this and that. And eat your banana in all kinds of way. The same as you would do to yoghurt.
Don’t eat only one way, if possible. This is true in general for any particular food or fruit that you want to make integral to your diet.
Mary @ #27
I know we sometimes get to be called “babe”. But a “wholesomebabyfood” article hardly applies to us. Here’s the constipation facts agan.
“Bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. Bananas also contain resistant starch, but this amount varies depending on their degree of ripeness. In their lesser ripe stages, bananas score as low as 30 on the glycemic index (below 50 would be considered low). In their riper stages, this number usually rises to a moderate level in the 60’s. All of the above features help place banana in a more favorable digestive light than might otherwise be expected for a sugary fruit.”
Stick to just ripe bananas and adults should be just fine for most in theory.
Check with others. Let’s run out a survey.
“Anybody has a shit problem with your banana?!”
Hee-hee
Hi KT
I love to eat my bananas when they are still firm and not so ripe. Does that mean I have been taking in starch instead of the natural sugars?
So I should eat the bananas after it is fully ripened – yellow and soft :(
Pls advise.
Many thanks
Caroline Gee
Jon @ # 29
Ripen your banana?
Here’s all you want to know …
“The bananas are picked green from the trees, and are kept from ripening until they reach the shops. As the banana ripens, all that mealy, squishy starch is supposed to turn into sugar. Unfortunately, if the bananas are refrigerated at any time between being picked and being eaten, they will not ripen properly. So don’t stick them in the fridge. Imperfectly ripened bananas are composed of starch; but as the natural ripening proceeds, the saccharine material is converted into dextrin and glucose. The best thing to do is to get a paper bag and store them somewhere at room temperature. If you can, find a way to hang the bananas from a hook, you’ll avoid bruising the bottoms. When they look ripe enough, stick them in a fridge (again, in a container that protects the bottoms). The skin will blacken, but the fruit will remain at the same ripeness.”
I would eat the yellow fresh and cook the greens as a general rule. Also depends on variety.
KT & all,
I heard from a chinese physician that unripe yellow bananas or the green ones are the best. The unripe ones are supposed to have lots of healthy enzymes!
Joke:- What was Beethoven’s favorite fruit?
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–
–
–
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Answer:- Ba-Na-Na-Na Ba-Na-Na-Na ;-)
KTWong.
Looking for support from Tim? Haha. He’s in Geylang, looking for, of all things, cigs.
Oh another adjective, “obsessive” I see. I only said “condescending”. So that must be from someone else. Haha.
#15
How come all of a sudden, patriotism and forex came into the picture? I thought it was about the food value of the banana? Aiyah, make up your mind lah.
Terence @ #6,
Are you sure that Banana is better as a “Reflection” than “General”. It is just a fruit.
And they say that I am obsessive and condescending …..
hee-hee
Tim,
#25 calls you to service from the wild side.
We need you to “Stand up for Spore banana”.
The neanderthal surfaces again. Or should I say ‘basic instinct’?
Yes Andrew.
Can you explain #8?
Oh AndrewK, I wasn’t disagreeing with that statement at #9.
“Was told very good quality, delicious and excellent for mind, body and spirit build-up.”
You gave the impression that the people there told you that.
What is the more creative, innovative and challenging banana recipe that you have come across? I think there is not enough emphasis on this cooking fruit like pineapple.
Please share.
KTWong,
perhaps you would like to read up more on constipation both in adults and babies before advocating bananas for relieving constipation.
Go to:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/constip.htm
Another article on constipation below :
CONSTIPATION
By Mark B. Levin, M.D. and Timothy Patrick-Miller, M.D.
The Pediatric Group, P.A., Princeton
Quote:
“Offering starchy snacks to a child is a sure way to encourage constipation (as well as undesirable weight gain). Fruits (other than bananas and apples), dried fruits, fresh vegetables (other than tubers), nuts for a non-nut-allergic child over five years old (younger children can aspirate them) and meats make fine snacks.”
The banana is a wonderful fruit but eating too much of it can cause constipation.Bananas may be constipating to some people because they contain less water than other fruits, and they also contain pectin. Pectin is used to make jelly, and has a similar binding effect in the intestines.
You can prevent constipation by consuming a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks each day as well as including beans, nuts, whole grains, plenty of water and daily physical activity.
A @ #8
Can you explain. Don’t understand.
Have been too busy to catch up with my critics lately and the latest rumours.
A @ # 13
Seriously now. You are right. An average person should not eat more than two per day on average.
But eating dosage is related to excercise. If you workout more often you can take more good things. You get double the benefit.
Problem is people eat char kway teow every other day and then go for weekend marathons. This is a double negative.
Unfortunately, there are many more people like the latter.
A @ #16
Bombastic also for me. Must be a compliment. Checking dict …
A @ #13
Yep. Many species. Two dimension matrix selection.
Long, longer, longest. And curvature ….
The long and curved ones are great. They can fit round a bowl and is eye candy for a banana split.
Problem in life is that there are too many short bananas around with an attitude and long ones with an overarching ego.
hee-hee
Hi Mary
What is condescending attitude (with bananas)?
I do not understand this bombastic phrase.
Like to help?
A @ #9
Buy Spore. We support local fruit-lah. All these amor fruits are expensive. Must buy with foreign exchange. Hedge or suffer forex losses.
All fruits are generally good for health when taken in moderation. Some are more detrimental to financial well-being. Question to ask is …yes… “what value”! Which gives more for less.
Banana offers tremendous value and opportunity.
hee-hee
Mary
Please go and find out first hand is the best policy.
Enjoy shopping!
KT
With decent exposure of the yellow for right application.
Was told a normal person should consume no more than 2 bananas daily. They are also rich in potassium.
Those with kidney or liver issues should avoid bananas.
There are many species of bananas too, right, KT?
Oh oh, KTWong, when some people commented to me about your condescending attitude, I wasn’t quite convinced. Now I am.
AndrewK.
The supermarket people told you that??
Mary @ #7
Constipation with bananas….! This must be medical history.
Uhhh…… you do know that you’ve got to peel the thing before eating it??
As for mozzies, do not eat the skin. You are suppose to cut it, mash it and rub on the affected area.
Hi Mary
I heard there are many sweet and juicy Japanese Fuji strawberries, blueberries, grapes, mangoes and others at a supermarket at Lido.
Was told very good quality, delicious and excellent for mind, body and spirit build-up.
Hi KT
Have you offered your pink to be c on 7th day?
Also sending three bunches for 131 mouths to White Sands/House or The Pines without a cleaver with age.
Steven,
I like bananas but eating too much of it can result in constipation, contrary to the belief that it helps constipation.
I think eating with moderation is the key.
I love fruit and can’t do without them, especially strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Yum!
Have you tried the recent black grapes? They are absolutely gorgeous. Seedless and totally sweet.
Another favourite is mangos. I think it probably has as good food value as the banana.
Hi KT,
Please make effort to categorise your Post. If it is just something you feel like sharing, please use “Reflections”.
Terence Seah
KTWong. Well, well, well. Something I can finally agree with.
If only I had know about the goodness of bananas for morning sickness…….
I will try the skin for my next mosquito bite and if it doesn’t work, I’ll ‘have your skin’ for it hahaha.
Hangovers. Hey, Caroline, what about a generous donation of bananas for the D n D? So that everyone with an impending hangover can bring one or two home for their banana milkshakes? ;-)
Hi Wong KT at 3,
I always had a bunch of bananas hanging in the kitchen and help myself whenever I feel like it.
It contains so much nutrients for good health
And Mary’s good genes,healthy and youthful looks and how she take good care of herself is indeed a source of motivation for all of us.
“Young at Heart”
Steven @ #2
Not so fast. Word from sponsor.
When you are stressed out with a losing position and your cook is asleep, grab a banana. No not that one. The one hanging in the kitchen.
Now you can compliment again.
Hee hee
Hi Wong KT,
Thanks for the health issue on BANANAS.
What a refreshing change from your normal posts of investments.
V. Good! Keep it up!
I will go bananas too.
Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.
But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in ‘The New England Journal of Medicine, ‘eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A banana a day keeps the doctor away!’
Share this with friends, if you like the banana…
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe…polish with dry cloth..
Amazing fruit!!!
(By courtesy of Simon Wong)