[Newsletter] Why bananas are one of the best foods for your gut health
Plus, you’re more predictable than you’d like to believe
My weekly three best insights from me, Medium and the web to help you live longer better.
Shopping TV offers a course of eye exercises with a promise that you can throw away your glasses. Should you buy it ?— item #3.
In some human fields of activity, such as renting an Airbnb, human behaviour falls into a disappointingly predictable set of patterns — item #2.
Scientists are still unravelling the mysteries of how good gut health affects so many other parts of our metabolism. Bananas help — keep reading —
From around Medium…
1. Bananas are prebiotic food, which improves our gut health
We tend to think of bananas simply as “carbs” despite them having a legitimate claim to being called a superfood.
Bananas promote our gut health, help grow beneficial bacteria that ultimately strengthens our bones, and delay neural degeneration in our brain.
It all starts with inulin, a special type of carbohydrate — a resistant starch. These “resist” being digested in the stomach. Also called prebiotics, they stimulate the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria such as Bifidobacteria.
Unlike other carbohydrates, inulin does not lead to a rise in blood sugar levels; in fact, inulin is found to lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels. It also increases the absorption of minerals, particularly calcium, improves our immune function, and produces healthy (LDL) cholesterol as it ferments in the gut.
You can’t really go wrong by eating a banana or two daily. What a great snack.
My post: How Bananas Benefit Your Bones, And Brain
👉 Here is my collection of posts about food which will help you.
2. Humans behaving badly — we’re predictable
This week in Medium I enjoyed this brief 4 minute read from Stephanie Tolk — “What I Learned About Humanity As An Airbnb Owner” (And it ain’t pretty).
The patterns of behaviour made me laugh out loud, especially when I recognised myself. And the outcomes are disappointingly predictable.
Humans are far more predictable and far less creative than we imagine ourselves to be— Stephanie Tolk.
I’ve love to see a similar article by someone who deals with carpet layers. We had carpet laid during the week. Two brothers — one sells, the other lays the carpet — working together for 18 years. The layer denies that the brother could have possibly promised what was promised because “we never do that”.
According to friends with properties, carpet layers are a breed apart.
What this means for us: Your host — at Airbnb or your local restaurant — has seen it all before. They have you nailed. So be polite and respectful and treat them as you’d want to be treated.
And if you have stories about carpet layers let me know.
The article: What I Learned About Humanity As An Airbnb Owner
Related: Optimism is important but it is not the choice between it and pessimism that will help you succeed
From the web …
3. Eye experts say visual gymnastics don’t delay glasses
This article caught my attention as I had cataract surgery last week. Perhaps I could have avoided it by clicking one of those Google ads promising to help us throw away our glasses and restore our youthful vision?
Harvard Health says that our optimism is misplaced. Practised faithfully, eye exercises may actually help delay the need for glasses or contacts in some people, they say. But for most people, the exercises won’t help.
Exercising eye muscles will not eliminate the most common maladies that necessitate corrective lenses — namely, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia (age-related lens stiffening) — Harvard Health.
What this means for us: It’s still a good idea to rest and to exercise our eyes for the purpose of relieving tiredness and soreness.
For example, there is the 20/20/20 method of looking away every 20 minutes and focusing with one eye on something 20 metres away and blinking 20 times. I also like these “yoga”-based 4 Eye Exercises (Youtube 2:35).
The Harvard Health Article: The Lowdown on Eye Exercises
Related: Relieve Your 8pm Burning Eyes With These Three Simple Moves
Questions, just HIT REPLY, love to hear from you.
Wishing you a safe and active week,
Walter ⭑Keep Moving⭑ Adamson ⭑Top Food Writer⭑
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