What banana a day can help you achieve...

Fruits and vegetables are universally promoted as healthy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend you make one-half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables include a diverse group of plant foods that vary greatly in content of energy and nutrients.

Additionally, fruits and vegetables supply dietary fiber, and fiber intake is linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Fruits and vegetables also supply vitamins and minerals to the diet and are sources of phytochemicals that function as antioxidants, phytoestrogens, and anti-inflammatory agents and through other protective mechanisms
Bananas are one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world for good reason.

According to the United Nations, bananas are one of the world's most appealing fruits. Global banana exports reached about 18 million tons in 2015. Bananas are rich in various nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, iron, and antioxidants.
Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist, noted that there are wide variety of health benefits associated with the curvy yellow fruit. Bananas are high in potassium and pectin, a form of fiber, said she.
According to the FDA, bananas are good for your heart. They are packed with potassium, a mineral electrolyte that keeps electricity flowing throughout your body, which is required to keep your heart beating. Bananas' high potassium and low sodium content may also help protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure.

Maintaining a low sodium intake is essential to lowering blood pressure. A 2017 animal study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama found that the potassium in bananas is also linked to arterial effectiveness; the more potassium you have, the less likely your arteries are to harden.

In the study, mice with lower-potassium diet had harder arteries than mice consuming a normal amount of potassium. Arterial stiffness in humans is linked to heart disease. Many also suggested that potassium may reduce the risk of kidney stones forming as people age. In turn, healthy kidneys make sure that the right amount of potassium is kept in the body.

Laura Flores also pointed out that bananas can also be a good way to get magnesium and vitamins C and B6. "Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing type-2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain," Flores said.


A 2009 study published in Food Science and Technology Research, found out that bananas with dark spots were eight times more effective in enhancing the power of white blood cells than green-skin bananas.
Bananas are high in resistant starch, a form of dietary fiber in which researchers have recently become interested. A 2017 review published in Nutrition Bulletin found that the resistant starch in bananas may support gut health and control blood sugar.

Resistant starch increases the production of short chain fatty acids in the gut, which are necessary to gut health. Bananas may also help prevent gestational diabetes. Lack of sleep during pregnancy can contribute to gestational diabetes, according to a meta-analysis published in Sleep Medicine Reviews. But the magnesium and tryptophan in bananas can help ensure a good night's rest.

According to Flora, Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin. Eating banana could also help lower blood pressure and reduce the risks of cancer and asthma.

A study published by The Royal Society suggested that the potassium in bananas maybe associated with women giving birth to baby boys. The study looked at 740 women and saw that those who consumed high levels of potassium prior to conception were more likely to have a boy that those who did not.

Sources: .medicalnewstoday.com/
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
livescience.com/banana-nutrition-facts.html
medicalnewstoday.com/

What to expect during the rainy season>>>

Rainy season –
The rainy season in Nigeria usually run from April to October every year.
The rainy season is beneficial especially to the farmers as it maximizes the production of crop. Intense rain can kill the plants because of erosion in the farm.
Rain has a dramatic effect on agriculture as the plants need some water to survive. However, it is also a season to be conscious of.

This season is marked by heavy rainfall and can cause much adverse effect on both human and the society at large. This season is often marked by poor sunlight which may lead to spread of infectious diseases.

According to Dr. Richard Shaugnessy, Director of the clean Air Programme at the University of Tulsa, damp walls and houses have been proven to cause respiratory illnesses. He also explained that moisture in homes has been identified to be associated with respiratory problems and other detrimental health to people with homes.

Eruke Mume wrote in the Pointer “the health implication which the geologist have propounded is that the weather controls digestive system and for such reason, the rainy season which majorly lives the day damp and dull is not the time people consume more because there is no proper digestive activities taking place.”

Some researchers have provided evidence that mortality rate increase during the period of cold weather. This mostly occur from diseases such as hypothermia, influenza and pneumonia.
The road and drainage system become muddy and water – logged and there is presence of water everywhere. This can lead to flooding which according to National Emergency Management Agency is the excess water on land that is not normally dry. Flooding is commonly caused by heavy downpours of rains on flat ground.

Floods can have devastating consequences and can have effect on the economy, environment and people. Flooding brings a lot of diseases and infections such as malaria due to the increased presence of mosquitoes, typhoid, pneumonia. Some other insects and snakes make their way to the area and can cause havoc. Floods do not only damage properties and endanger the lives of human and animals but also produce other secondary effects like the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and malaria as well.

Flooding encourages the breeding of mosquitoes. Malaria has always been the biggest public health problem and the most common disease in many parts of Africa including Nigeria. According to WHO, malaria affect children more during the rainy season when the parasites are produced in generous quantity. Prevent stagnation of water and the storage tanks should be covered and cleaned to avert the breeding of mosquitoes so as to prevent malaria.

Heavy rainfall also makes the roads dangerous as accidents mostly occur because of bad weather. According to research accident mostly during bad weather and specifically during the rainy season.
Food poisoning commonly occurs during the rainy season as there is possibility of contamination from the flood water. Cleanliness is high important in this season as the cases of food poisoning is prevalent during rainy season. Always wash your hands as it often helps to reduce the transfer of germs. According some researchers people should reduce or stay away for street food this season to avoid food poisoning.

Dr. Bharat Jagiasi, Critical care intensivist at Sunrise hospital also advised– make drinking water safe by boiling, filtering and by using ultraviolet purifiers to ensure its purity or just stick to a bottled mineral water to protect yourself from water – borne diseases.

The commonest adverse effect of flood is drowning. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death world wide accumulating for 7% of all injury – related deaths, according to WHO(World Health Organisation).

Sorces: Privateproperty.com/get home for rainy days
Indiacelebrating.com/rainy season – essay
Eschooltoday.com/natural disaster/effects of flooding
Niaraproject.com/project
Thepointernewsonline.com
Indiatimes.com/monsoon related diseases and dangers to be wary of this rainy season.

Staying healthy during the weekend>>>Tips

Studies show that changes in lifestyle behaviors over the weekend can lead to worse sleep and weight gain. During the weekend, many activities go on that may tempt you to derail from the healthy habit you maintained during the week such as overindulging in food intake and dropping your workout schedule.

Beer and meat consumption is also on the increase during the weekend, thereby increase in weight gain. Several studies have found that people tend to eat more on the weekends, and that this weekend indulgence may contribute to weight gain.
A study from Cornell University found that people tend to weigh a little bit more on Mondays than they do on Fridays. Meaning all that hard work you put in can be completely derailed by the short span of time between happy hour on Friday and Sunday.
The Jawbone reports that as workouts decline over the course of the week, bacon, beer and French fry consumption spike, hitting a peak between Saturday and Sunday.

A study conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that people who stuck with a strict diet all week, then overindulged on the weekends, not only lost weight slowly, but actually gained an average of .17 pounds per week (which, over the course of a year, would leave them nine pounds heavier!).
Cutting on your diet intake during the weekend can help you maintain a healthy weight as weight gain may not be good for you.
WORKOUT during the weekend. This can help you avoid unnecessary weight gain while maintain a healthy weight.

But unfortunately people tend to decline in workout activities during the weekend probably because of the much social activities.
A report released by Jawbone (that looked at data from their fitness and diet trackers) found that workouts peak on Monday. Not so surprising, they decline throughout the week, bottoming out on the weekend (they hit an all-time low on Friday).

Which makes sense: When you’re on a specific schedule during the workweek it’s easier to keep exercise on the calendar. But once you hit Friday afternoon, you’re easily convinced to trade the sneakers for a pitcher of sangria.

The UK’s National Health Service recommends that to ward off an early death, people should spend 150 minutes a week performing moderate exercise, or 75 minutes a week doing vigorous exercise.
In fact, researchers emphasized that even a small amount of regular exercise wards off death. People who cram all their exercise into one or two sessions at the weekend benefit nearly as much as those who work out more frequently, researchers say.

A GOOD SLEEP over the weekend can help one stay healthy. According to Torbjörn Åkerstedt, a professor and director of the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University, , sleeping in on the weekends can be a real help.

Sleep is something you need to replenish regularly if you don't want to hurt your health. "It's a fundamental part of our biology, like breathing. It's a requirement," said Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
He thinks a lot of people may relate to sleeping less during the week and, at the very least, may want to have an excuse for sleeping in on our days off.


Sleeping in on the weekends can throw off your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This could make it harder for you to fall asleep at your usual bedtime, and get up at your usual time once the workweek starts again.
That's why it's best to keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent, and to vary your sleep schedule by no more than an hour on weekends, the NSF says.


Researchers also noted that with every one hour that sleep is shifted, you increase your risk of heart disease by 11 percent.
SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS can equally be good. Meeting with friends on the weekend may be good for your health, and help your job performance during the workweek, according to the results of a 2005 study conducted by psychologists in Germany
"It appears as if spending time with important people rebuilds [physical and emotional] resources that pay off after the weekend," the researchers wrote. "These findings support research indicating that spending time with other people can be one way of recovering from work demands," they said.
Spending time with friends can also help you to manage stress.

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that older women who maintained large social networks reduced their risk of dementia and delayed or prevented cognitive impairment.

And another study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who had an active social life in their 50s and 60s had slower rates of memory decline compared to those who were more isolated.
Sexual activities is also likely to be on the increase with many engaging in unprotected sex, probably due to the weird excitement that follows weekend activities.

A survey conducted earlier this year by Illicit Encounters, UK's largest married dating site, found that weekends are the most popular time to have sex. Another study suggested that people are more likely to engage in unprotected sex during the weekend, thus increasing their risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

No doubt, sex is people’s way of relaxing but protecting yourself during sexual intercourse over the weekend is also a healthy habit.

Sources: edition.cnn.com/sleep-late-weekend-life-expectancy-study/index.html -
heguardian.com/weekend-workouts-nearly-as-good-as-whole-week-of-excercise-researchers-say
nbcnews.com/5-science-backed-ways-have-healthier-weekend
https://www.livescience.com/