1. Banana is an energy booster.
2. Banana contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that is known to make you feel happy and improve your mood.
3. Banana is a rich source of iron, thus it is helpful in cases of anemia.
4. Banana is good a good source of potassium. If you are taking diuretics take 2 bananas a day to prevent the depletion of potassium in the body.
5. The skin of the banana is said to help remove warts(cover the warts with the inner skin of banana).
6. Banana is good for people who have high blood pressure because it is low in salt.

Banana is also helpful in the following cases : Stomach ulcer (banana has a natural antacid), Colitis, Digestive disorder, Diarrhea, Constipation (banana is high in fiber), Hemorrhoids

Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm.

* Vitamin A : 430 I.U.
* Vitamin B : Thiamine .04 mg.;
* Vitamin C : 10 mg.
* Calcium : 8 mg.
* Iron : 6 mg.
* Phosphorus : 28 mg.
* Potassium : 260 mg.
* Carbohydrates : 23 gm
* Protein : 1.2 mg.
* Calories : 88

One special health benefit of dragon fruit which has been verified by the authors of this web site is the special dragon fruit health benefit that dragon fruit helps control levels of glucose blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes (and type 1 diabetes by some reports). This is one of the health benefits of pitaya fruit in addition to the pitaya fruit nutrient profile being full of dietary fiber and Vitamin C. The pitaya nutritional benefits even include a high level of pitaya fruit antioxidant levels. All these great dragon fruit nutrients make fresh dragon fruit or dried dragon fruit both great additions to a healthy diet – and you get the nutrition benefits of dragon fruit from the dried or fresh fruit just as well.

The USDA recommends that every American eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, but unfortunately, most people don’t even come close to that. Adding fresh strawberries to your diet, whether they are in salads, smoothies, or on their own, is a great way to get the servings of fruit you need for a well-rounded body and a healthy immune system.

What’s so nutritionally good about strawberries?
Strawberries contain a range of nutrients, with vitamin C heading the group. They also contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which fight free radicals. These antioxidant properties are believed to be linked to what makes the strawberry bright red.

So what are these weird free radicals? Free radicals are elements that can damage cells, and they are thought to contribute to the formation of many kinds of cancer.

In addition to vitamin C, strawberries also provide an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

So many uses for strawberries!
Strawberries are among the most versatile of fresh fruits. Unfortunately, they are quite perishable as well. So purchase fresh strawberries only a few days before they are to be eaten. When strawberries are in season locally this is rarely a problem. But at other times of the year, it may be necessary to make due with frozen strawberries, which lose much if not all of their nutrition.

At the produce section choose strawberries that are plump firm and free of mold and have a deep red color. Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not continue to ripen after they are picked, so be sure to choose the ripest, reddest strawberries, as they will provide the best taste and the highest nutrient density. Many people find that medium sized strawberries are sweeter and more flavorful than larger ones. When buying pre-packaged strawberries, be sure that the berries have not been packed too tightly, as this could cause them to be crushed or otherwise damaged.

Handle strawberries properly and store them well after they have been purchased. Like all fruit, strawberries should be washed thoroughly prior to eating or storage. Any strawberries that show signs of mold should be discarded at once, as they will contaminate the remaining strawberries. The strawberries should be placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and kept in the refrigerator. Fresh strawberries will keep in the fridge for a few days.

From Chetday

• A large consumption of tomato can help improve skin texture and color.
• Tomato is a good blood purifier.
• Tomato helps in cases of congestion of the liver (protects the liver from cirrhosis) as well as for dissolving gallstones.
• Tomato is a natural antiseptic therefore it can help protect against infectionNicotinic acid in tomatoes can help to reduce blood cholesterol, thus helps prevent heart diseases.
• Vitamin K in tomatoes helps to prevent hemorrhages.
• Tomato contain lycopene (the red pigment in tomato), this pigment is a powerful antioxidant that can also fight cancer cells.

Apple varieties that ripens in late autumn may be stored for as long as one year in cold temperatures (just above freezing), so make sure you stock up during those prime months.

Apple pie is an American institution. In fact, the expression “as American as apple pie” is often used to describe something as quintessentially American

Benefits:

• Betacarotene, another powerful antioxidant that protects our cells from being damage.
• Calcium that helps protect and maintain the health of our bone and teeth.
• Folic Acid for proper brain development.
• Magnesium helps maintain blood pressure.
• Potassium helps maintain electrolyte balance in the cells, and is important in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
• Thiamin helps to convert food into energy.
• Vitamin B6 helps support the production of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.

• Good blood and body builder, it is also a quick source of energy.
• Grape juice is easily assimilated and called the “nectar of the gods”. It is indicated in cases of constipation, gout, rheumatism, skin and liver disorders.
• This alkaline fruit (also called “the queen of fruits”) helps greatly to decrease the acidity of the uric acid and lends itself further in aiding the elimination of the acid from the system, thus benefiting the kidneys greatly.
• Studies shown that grape juice, red wines and raisin tea showed strong antiviral activity against poliovirus, herpes simplex virus.
• Helps reduce platelet clumping and harmful blood clots.

• Eat a variety of foods – the less processed the better. Bran, for example, is a superb source of fiber.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat them unpeeled, such as baked potatoes or apples with their skin.
• Drink plenty of liquids. Otherwise, fiber can slow down or even block proper intestinal digestion.
• Spread out your fiber intake. Getting all you fiber at one sitting may cut the benefits and increase unpleasant side-effects.

• Put blackberries on your shopping list. They have the most antioxidants per serving even more than super foods like red wine, dark chocolate and red cabbage.
• Slice up some vitamin C. One serving of strawberries (about one cup) contains 144% of the daily value of vitamin C. That’s 24 percent more than a typical eight ounce glass of orange juice from a carton.
• Grab a plum for an on-the-run snack. A recent study found that some varieties may have just as many antioxidants as a half cup of blueberries. Be sure to eat the skin: That’s where the bulk of a plum’s (and most other fruits) disease fighting phytonutrients reside.
• Benefit from the blues. New research suggest blueberries may help keep high blood pressure in check. Canadian researchers report that feeding stroke prone animals a blueberry enriched diet for six weeks lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 30 percent compared with that of animals on a control diet.