Bananas Come Ready Wrapped and Full of Benefits!

Unless you live in the tropics, you are not going to be able to buy bananas without their having to travel many miles so they are not ideal as a sustainable food when trying to reduce your carbon footprint.

However, a banana is the perfect food, ready wrapped and easy to take with you whatever you are doing AND a banana comes with so many benefits too!

Here is a whole list of those benefits 

• They come with three all natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - along with that all important fiber.
• Just one banana will give you an instant and sustained boost of energy.
• But jump up to two bananas and they will provide enough energy for a strenuous ninety minute workout.  Is it any wonder that athletes worldwide love to include bananas in their diet.
• A survey undertaken by MIND among those suffering from depression concluded that many of them improved their feelings of well being after eating a banana.  Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin which is well known for helping you to relax, to improve your mood and of course to make you feel happier.
• Bananas come with vitamin B6 helping to regulate blood glucose levels and another source of mood enhancing.  The B vitamins will help to calm anxiety too.
• As bananas are high in iron, they can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
• High in potassium yet low in salt, bananas are helpful in reducing the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
• They might even boost your brain power as research has shown that eating bananas during breaks at school or university can often make students more alert.
• As already mentioned, bananas are high in fiber and can help restore normal bowel action to avoid constipation.
• If you are suffering from a hangover, an ideal remedy is to drink a banana milkshake sweetened with a spoonful of raw 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.
• Eating a banana will provide soothing relief (with its natural antacid) for bouts of heartburn.
• Morning sickness can often be a problem during pregnancy.  Consuming bananas between meals can help to keep blood sugar levels up.
• Suffering from mosquito bites during the summer weather, the irritation can be relieved by rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.  It can be a very successful method to reduce swelling and irritation.
• Bananas are used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders including ulcers because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
• In some other cultures, bananas are considered to be a cooling fruit, helping to lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. 

How to make the perfect banana smoothie

You will need:

Two bananas

One cup of ice

Two teaspoons raw honey

One pinch of cinnamon

Half a cup of vanilla full cream yoghurt

Half a cup of organic full cream milk

Method:

We all know that saying about "An apple a day keeping the doctor away"!  Well a banana has even more to offer than the apple:

• 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 as well as being rich in potassium.

Just remember NOT to keep your bananas in the fridge for their maximum benefits!

Sources:

A primer on potassium. (2018).
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/potassium .(Accessed July 25, 2021).

Appendix 7. Nutritional goals for age-sex groups based on dietary reference intakes and Dietary Guidelines recommendations. (2015). 
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-7/ .(Accessed July 25, 2021).

Banana. (2018). 
http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/knowledgebase/banana-allergy/. .(Accessed July 25, 2021).

Banana, raw. (2019).
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169238/nutrients .(Accessed July 25, 2021).

Cohen, A. B., et al. (2013). Dietary patterns and self-reported associations of diet with symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3552110/ .(Accessed July 25, 2021).

Diet and headache — foods. (n.d.). 
http://www.headaches.org/2007/10/25/diet-and-headache-foods/ .(Accessed July 25, 2021).