Bananas are full of nutrition and energy, making an ideal snack of the day whenever your energy starts to go down. They also satisfy sugar cravings and are delicious to eat! The Benefits

• Energizing
• Natural antibiotic
• Good source of fibre
• Cleansing
• Mildly sedative
• Mood enhancer
• Alleviating symptoms of menstrual and menopause, as well as depression and anxiety

Energy Source

Unusually rich of protein, their energizing content makes it an ideal fruit to have for breakfast or snacks. Compared to other fruits, they’re high in calories: where 100g of bananas are 79 calories, and apples are 46, and pears are 41. They’re also high in fibre content, making it mildly laxative. Paradoxically, besides being energizing, bananas also contain tryptophan, an amino acid with naturally sedative elements, making it a good bedtime snack for anyone who has sleeping troubles. It’s also a mood enhancer, possibly alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety and PMS.

Positive Benefits

Other positive benefits of bananas include high potassium content that helps cellular growth, controlling blood pressure, the smooth functioning of the nervous system and even in regulating body fluids. It’s also flooded with antioxidants, notably beta-carotene, which converts naturally within the body to vitamins A and C. Bananas also are filled with Vitamin B6,which helps relieve menstrual and even menopausal problems.

Bananas are easily digested and also an ideal ‘startet’ for infants (don’t give any solid foods to infants under 6 months, though). They’re also very sweet, making it a really healthy alternative to sugar when you crave them.

Picking the Right Bananas

Choose bananas that are firm, with strong yellow colour and few brown flecks. They mix well with most other fruits (try fruit salads) and are the perfect snack on the go. You can cook them in a number of fruit puddings, cakes and for this, the riper they are, the better. Store them in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. Never store them in a refrigerator.

Stay tuned for some delicious, but healthy desserts!