Fitness Friday - Bananas

I have decided to highlight one of my diet staples and favorite fruits in today's Fitness Friday.  I eat a banana every morning for breakfast and this is one of the few fruits that I can easily get all throughout the year, I usually change my diet with the changing of the seasons but bananas are a staple of mine and I wanted to highlight the health benefits they offer.  I have eaten a banana every single day since college and this is a practice that I plan to continue for many years to come.  I will admit that I sometimes enjoy a frozen banana covered in milk chocolate and peanuts but we are going to ignore that fact for now...

I found some details about the health benefits of bananas from livescience.com and I am glad that I have been in the habit of eating bananas for so long.

"The curvy yellow fruits are high in "potassium and pectin, a form of fiber," said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist. They can also be a good way to get magnesium and vitamins C and B6. "Bananas are high in antioxidants, which can provide protection from free radicals, which we come into contact with every day, from the sunlight to the lotion you put on your skin,"

"Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing type-2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain."

The website also lists the following benefits of this fruit...

- Bananas are good for your heart. They are packed with potassium, a mineral electrolyte that keeps electricity flowing throughout your body, which is required to keep your heart beating. Bananas' high potassium and low sodium content may also help protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure, according to the FDA.

- Bananas can be helpful in overcoming depression "due to high levels of tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin, the mood-elevating brain neurotransmitter". Plus, vitamin B6 can help you sleep well, and magnesium helps to relax muscles.

- Bananas are high in fiber, which can help keep you regular. One banana can provide nearly 10 percent of your daily fiber requirement. Vitamin B6 can also help protect against Type 2 Diabetes and aid in weight loss. In general, bananas are a great weight loss food because they taste sweet and are filling, which helps curb cravings. They also help sustain blood sugar levels during workouts.

- Bananas may not be overflowing with calcium, but they are still helpful in keeping bones strong.  According to a 2009 article in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, bananas contain an abundance of fructooligosaccharides. These are nondigestive carbohydrates that encourage digestive-friendly priobotics and enhance the body's ability to absorb calcium.

The article goes on to further state that people should eat no more than two bananas per day.  Excessive amounts can cause sleepiness and headaches.  They also contain a higher amount of sugar than most other fruits and this could quickly cause damage to teeth (if proper oral hygiene is not in place).

Bananas are a staple part of my diet in the morning, they are easy to find and can be purchased any time of the year.  A banana at breakfast helps hold me over until lunch and kills many cravings for mid morning Starbucks snacks...

photo courtesy of Google