Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - February 8, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Banana
Recipe - Grape kebabs
Activity - Sit-ups
History
The edible banana and the plantain commonly seen on the market have a long history. The banana, which is the forth-largest fruit crop in the world, originated in the Indo-Malaysian region and was exported to Europe in the 10th century. Bananas and plantains are commonly found in Latin America (65%), Southeast Asia (27%), and Africa (7%), which make up the worlds production of 28 million tons yearly. One fifth of this production is transported to Europe, Canada, the U.S., and Japan as fresh fruit.
Banana Facts
The banana plant is often erroneously referred to as a "tree", although it is a large herb with juicy stem that reaches the height of 20 to 25 ft (6-7.5 m). The fruit is technically a berry that obtains a deep-green to yellow, red, or white striped color. Its size can range from 2 1/2 to 12 inches (6.4-30 cm) in length and 3/4 to 2 inches (1.9-5 cm) in width. The flesh can be white, yellow, and salmon-yellow, and have a firm, astringent to soft and mellow texture.
The edible bananas are grown in tropical areas with an ideal temperature averaging 80°F and a mean rainfall of 4 inches per month. The bananas should be protected from wind, due to the detrimental effect of shredding leaves, interfering with metabolism and twisting and distortion of the crown.
After 70-80 days cutters, who use curved knives to cut down the 75% matured fruits, harvest the bananas. This is done once the top bananas are turning light green and the flower remnants at the tips of the bananas are easily rubbed off. The cutters must leave a stalk of 6 to 9 inches on the bunch for carrying. Once harvested, the fruits cannot be exposed to light to prevent the ripening process. The bunch weight is on average 110 lbs for 363 fruits, or the same weight for 150 to 200 fruits depending on the fruit size.
There are very many different kinds of bananas. Some common names are 'Sucrier', 'Lady Finger', 'Gros Michel', 'Dwarf Cavendish', 'Giant Cavendish', 'Pisang masak hijau', 'Robusta', 'Valery', 'Bluggoe', 'Ice Cream', 'Mysore'. Many have sub-names, and others are named differently depending on the region of growth.
Nutrition Facts
Medium 7-inch Banana (Ripe): Calories 105, Protein 1 g, Fat 0 g, Carbohydrates 27 g, Fiber 3.1 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 1 mg, potassium 422 mg
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup purple seedless grapes
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 2 kiwifruits, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 2 small bananas, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/3 cup small strawberries
- 1/3 cup melon balls
- 1/3 cup blackberries
Instructions:
- For the dip, in a small saucepan, bring the pineapple and apple juice to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand about 25 minutes or until cool.
- Transfer the pineapple mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and blend or process until smooth. If desired, cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
- Place the bananas in a small bowl. Drizzle with the orange juice, then gently toss until coated.
- Cut the kiwi slices into quarters.
- For the kebabs, thread the grapes, bananas, kiwi, strawberries, melon balls and blackberries onto 4-inch bamboo skewers.
- Serve with the dip.
Nutrition Information: 150 calories, 1 gram total fat, 36 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein, 4 grams fiber, 20 milligrams sodium, 0 milligrams cholesterol.
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, visit www.cdc.gov.
When winter weather is here, it is often hard to stay in shape and keep those muscles toned. However, one easy way to keep your abdominal (stomach) and lower back muscles in shape is to do some sit-ups. The great thing about sit-ups is that you can do them in your own home without the cost of fancy equipment!
It is very important to keep in mind the proper technique of doing sit-ups in order to avoid injury on your back and neck muscles. Here are some steps you can follow to ensure proper technique:
- Lie on a padded surface, with your knees bent at about a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
If you are a beginner, rest your hands at your sides because the closer your hands are to your head, the more difficult the sit-ups become. As you become more advanced, begin crossing your arms over your chest and eventually cross your arms behind your head. Avoid intertwining your fingers as this will put undo pressure on your head and neck.
- As you bring your torso up, breath out. This will help focus the tension on your abdominal muscles.
- To get the most out of your sit-ups it is best to stop halfway, when your head is about 6 to 12 inches off the floor.
- After stopping halfway, pause for a bit, and then slowly and gently bring your torso back down to the floor.
Tips
- It is important to do sit-ups slowly. Going too fast will not work the appropriate muscles and could cause injury and strain.
- Don't overdo it. Try a set of 5 repetitions at the beginning. Then with each work-out, add more repetitions. And remember that going fast does not mean a better work out. Your muscles will become more toned if you do slow, concentrated sit-ups.
- It is also important to keep in mind that exercises like sit-ups are considered "muscle toning" exercises, meaning they focus on strengthening a specific group of muscles. Muscle toning exercises are not meant to burn a lot of calories or benefit your cardiovascular system a great deal. For cardiovascular benefit, exercises such as brisk walking or jogging are great ways to benefit your heart and burn calories.
Caution: If you suffer from acute or chronic back pain, seek advice from a physician before doing sit-ups or any other exercise that could put strain on your back.