Gardening.4

OMG…the salad greens in my garden are producing “off the hook.” Even though we’re a household of 2, we weren’t eating the romaine leaves fast enough. Then, I came across this simple recipe:

Salad Singles

Romaine Lettuce

Thinly sliced bacon

Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Roma Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Thoroughly wash/dry the romaine lettuce and tomato; grill the bacon to your taste.

2. Trim the base of the lettuce leaves; place them on a serving platter. Finely chop the grilled bacon and scatter across the lettuce; finely grate your cheese across the lettuce. Drizzle the platter with olive oil.

3. Slice your tomato in half and use a squeezer or spoon to gently squeeze the tomato juice across the platter. You can chop up the tomato and add to the salad or leave it out and use them for another dish. Season the salad with salt and pepper just before serving.

Nutrition.1

Someone sent me this viral email re bananas. I already had a healthy respect for the tropical fruit but, IF everything cited in this email is true (which I can’t actually verify), bananas have gone up to an higher position of respect in my book. Check it out:

“+ Bananas contain three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber so bananas offer 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 better.

+ 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 the perfect way 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 England) 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.

+ Snacking at work: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. 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 should 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: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B-6 and B-12 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 re-balanced 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 from strokes by as much as 40%!

+ When you compare a banana to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, 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 it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A banana a day keeps the doctor away!’”

As if that wasn’t enough, the email ended with this footnote: “If your roses are covered with Aphids, drape banana skins over the branches. It's amazing, but in a day or less, they are GONE! I've tried it, and I couldn't believe it, no more aphids, as long as I save my banana skins for the rose bushes!” Who knew?