Food Of The Week: Bananas

A very close friend of mine recently asked me what was so nutritious about a banana and why she in particular, should eat them. And as I rattled off one or two reasons, it dawned on me that there are many more reasons why we should eat bananas. In fact, there are hundreds of other foods which require the same recognition, and so I was encouraged to write a "Food of the Week" (weekly) post.

DID YOU KNOW?

A banana is considered a herb! The actual banana is a fruit and the black stem at the end is a dead flower.

The Benefits:

1. Bananas are excellent sources of potassium, calcium and magnesium (the minerals needed to help ease cramps) as well as small amounts of iron and zinc. The potassium also helps the brain function more effectively.

2. Bananas are an excellent food for diabetics when having low blood sugars as they are rich in glucose and gently raise the glucose level in the blood and don't cause any blood sugar spikes (and being a type 1 diabetic for twelve years, I should know!).

3. Bananas, when being digested are involved in the slow release of glucose and therefore are good sources of energy whilst exercising.

4. Bananas also contain protein and glucose and are rich in soluble fibre to help beat constipation.

5. Bananas also have many vitamins such as Vitamin A, C and all the essential, different types of Vitamin B.

6. Bananas help beat depression as they are rich in a particular protein, tryptophan, which is converted to serotonin and makes you feel happier =).

7. Bananas help make the stomach less acidic and are thus used in helping prevent heartburn.

8. Bananas have been said to help stop the itching of mosquito bites. So the next time a dreaded "mozzie" happens to snack on you, rub the inside of the banana peel over the bite. It also saves you the expense of buying anti-itch cream!

9. Bananas are also a saving grace for smokers who want to quit. The fruit is rich in Vitamin A, C and B, as well as magnesium and potassium, which help ease the nicotine withdrawals. They have also been said to be excellent hangover cures!

10. Bananas are also inexpensive and are available all year round!

In the past, I have never really been the greatest fan of bananas and would always opt for another fruit instead. However, after seeing the numerous advantages of this amazing yellow fruit, I too, am changing my view. I found that the best way to encourage myself to eat bananas was to make banana bread and the bananas provide the sweetness, so you need very little sugar to make it. I also used to slice up a banana into my All Bran and found that it also made the cereal sweeter and was a great tummy filler too!

When thinking about all these bananas, Gwen Stefani's pop song immediately gets stuck in my head and I am literally going B-A-N-A-N-A-S!! God help me until next week! Adios!