Hmmmm! Why You Should Eat Bananas.

     If you think bananas are just for monkeys, think again.

         Banana

A banana is an edible fruit, botanically a berry, produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives 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.

Nutrition Facts
Bananas
Amount Per 100 grams

Calories 89
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.3 g 0%
Saturated fat 0.1 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 358 mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 23 g 7%
Dietary fiber 2.6 g 10%
Sugar 12 g
Protein 1.1 g 2%
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 14%
Calcium 0% Iron 1%
Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 20%
Vitamin B-12 0% Magnesium 6%

*Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Wonderfully sweet with firm and creamy flesh, bananas come prepackaged in their own yellow jackets and are available for harvest throughout the year.

The banana plant grows 10 to 26 feet and belongs to the Musaceae family of plants along with plantains.
You'll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet. Bananas combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. 

Here are some working wonders of this passionate fruit  

1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin -- the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.

2. Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.
3. Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps by eating a banana.
4. Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.
5. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.
6. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
7. Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
8. High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke. 

9.  Eating Bananas Aids Digestion
10. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
11. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
12. Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
13. Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea.
14. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.
15. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids. 

Natural Cures From A Simple Banana

1. Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.
2. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
3. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.
4. Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.
5. Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.
6. Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.
7. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.
8. The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan, helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
9. Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.
10. Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.
11. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine.

Oh, and remember -- bananas make great snacks and delicious smoothies. 

Serves 1 Ingredients   ( use organic ingredients where possible)

1 banana (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon honey, or sugar

1 cup milk

Ice (optional)

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for half a minute until you reach a smooth consistency. Enjoy! 
  
 I LOVE BANANA!