Thursday, March 27, 2008

Bananas, Ooh Bananas - The Miracle Fruit!

When I was little I was forced to have oatmeal with sliced bananas for breakfast. If I had know what I know now, I would have never complained... bananas boost brain power, keep us alert and make learning easier. To think I could have been a genius...

Bananas are more than an item in our kids' lunch box; here some reasons for their greatness:

-Bananas are the most complete fruit we have.

-Bananas contain amino acids that our body does not produce.

-Bananas contain vitamins C and E, phosphorus, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, selenium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, niacin and pantothenic acid.

-Contain sucrose, fructose and glucose, all natural sugars.

-Bananas contain trytophan, a protein that our bodies convert to serotonin which helps us relax and feel happier.

-Feeling blue? Stressed? Eat a banana - you will feel better.

-Bananas' B6 vitamin will regulate blood glucose levels - glucose levels affect our mood.

-Anemia? Eat bananas! They stimulate the production of hemoglobin.

-It is also used to control blood pressure due to its high potassium content - this reduces the risks of a stroke up to 40% - now I know why the older you get the more important bananas become.

-Constipated? Eat bananas, lots of fiber, no need of laxatives.

-Banana vinegar is good to unclog drains, I learned this during our two-year-stay in the "Banana Capital of the World".

-Bikers consider bananas a source of energy.

-A banana milkshake with honey is said to be a quick cure for a hangover.

-Bananas are also used to sooth heartburn.

-I have been told they are good for morning sickness - I have to ask a pregnant woman about this...

-Bananas are rich in Folate, a water-soluble B vitamin needed to prevent the anemia during pregnancy and very important during infancy.

-I just read that the inside of the banana peel can help reduce the swelling and irritation of a mosquito bite.

-Because of all the B vitamins, they are good for the nervous system.

-Good for ulcers. Even chronic ulcers.

-Banana flowers are used to treat bronchitis and diarrhea. Cooked flowers are also used to treat diabetes.

-The banana plant sap is said to be used in cases of hysteria, epilepsy, leprosy and hemorrhoids.

-My husband just told me that many years ago, when bananas did not travel in boxes but on their stem, the stems were used to make fiber for the stuffing of mattresses.

-Green bananas are used as cattle feed in Ecuador.

-And to add to all this goodness, I just read that the banana peel is also good to kill warts: Take the peel and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out and secure with a band aid or surgical tape. If you try this one, please let me know how it works and how long you have to keep the peel over the wart.

-If you run out of plates, you can confidently use banana leaves; it would be interesting to see the reaction of your guests.

There are many ways to eat bananas:

-Banana cream pie

-Dried, they are very sweet and delicious

-Banana milkshake

-A smoothie made of bananas, strawberries and oranges

-Raw, sliced on your cereal

-Flambée

-Banana bread pudding

-Banana bread

-Raw bananas with sour cream and brown sugar on top

-Cut open with peanut butter

-Green banana soup for babies

-Dice green bananas and add them to your beef soup while still cooking, mmh... good!

-Banana chips - a great alternative to potato chips

If you want to share your favorite banana recipe, please do so! I love banana cream pie, but never learned to make it…

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once it was thought that this fruit could have been the forbiden fruit of the Garden of Eden

Anonymous said...

The Banana is not a tree but a grass, yes the earth's largest gramedia. Having both male & female flowers on the same stak.

Narda said...

Thank you for your visit and comments Anonymous. You are right, banana plants are not trees.

Something that might be of interest too is that although their origin is said to be Malaysian, it was brought to the western world by Alexander the great from India, where it was the privilege of the sages. Its botanical name Musa Sapientum means fruit of the wisemen.

In Burma the generic name for bananas means "the birds told", because, according to the legend, the birds were the first to eat them.

Narda said...

Thank you anonymous, it could very well have been the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, but why? After all, God wanted the best for Adam and Eve, that is why He had given them Eden as their home. Bananas are good for humans... I rather believe it was something harmful - a hallucinogen, maybe...