Bananas

Do you eat them?

They're pretty high in calories and sugar compared to other fruits.

If you have one -- do you consider it a 'treat'? Or do you eat it regularly? Or maybe only half?

I sometimes add banana to my massive bowl of cereal for breakfast ... but it just seems like a lot of extra unecessary calories and sugar! Especially for every morning... so maybe only 1/2? Or every other day, once a week, treat?

Random, but frozen bananas are quite delicious too! :)

5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended per day, and many people have trouble even getting to 5. so i say eat the banana. all fruits have sugar, but it's good sugar. if you can't afford the cals, eat only half the banana and freeze the other half for later use (like making a milkshake as an afternoon snack) or buy those little baby bananas. less cals, same great taste and it's not HUGE so you can add a whole one to your cereal and still feel full without feeling like you ate a "treat".

Bananas are like a miracle food. They do have sugar in them like any fruit but the electrolytes and potassiam are great for after a work out. I eat them right off the treadmill and a 5mile run, the electrolytes help replenish your body from the workout, the potatssium I believe is what helps lower your blood pressure and the sugar gives you some energy. Not to mention all the other things in them.

 

Check this site out... http://www.finetuneyou.com/Bananas.html

 

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 proved 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.

A banana can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must for our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.  This is  because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana.  The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure.  So much so, the  US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.  The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.  Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps.  Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs.  The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.  It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases.  It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:  Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.  In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.  When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.  These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine", eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%"

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out.  Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.  It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

I dont eat bananas because Im really strick on fruits but I would NEVER suggest anyone interested in banans not to enjoy them.  They are SO healthy and I can remember years ago someone seeing me on my diet with a banana saying they were really so high cal and did I know it.  At the time I thought they were crazy strict and now look at me LOL.  BUT I doing something that works for me and while a banana would be a treat that I would consider, I can completely understand someone eating them regularly as a non treat, healthy fruit in their diet.

My mom put half a banana in her cereal for breakfast what I can remember most my life.  There was always a 50/50 chance of seeing that half banana with the fruit.  I think its a great way to add some bulk to a cereal breakfast. 

BTW off topic, I dont normally fresh blueberries even though there a favorite fruit in desserts but I found I did like them in cereal and theyre always on top 10 healthy food lists for I cant remember LOL but whatever particular nutrient they hold.

i eat them...You're are totally right, though. When I started calorie counting i hated eating bananas, but now that i'm maintaining and not in starvation mode, I eat half of one for breakfast.

i think you should eat them..even if it's half. they have loads of potassium (mispelled sry) and fiber.

I just started my diet and I have a very long way to go,  searching for a snack food to replace my candy/chocolate cravings.  I'm eating dried unsweetened banana chips, from my local health food store.  While it may not be the ideal snack, its stops my cravings and the benefits are way better than candy or chocolate. So I say go ahead eat a banana and enjoy!!!

I ALWAYS eat a banana with my main breakfast--usually cereal or oatmeal. They are so refreshing!

I eat 1/2 bananas occasionally .... I prefer raspberries, blueberries and apples.

But they are great on peanut butter toast, and great in cereal!

Yum!

=^..^= MOLLY

I avoid them because of the calories (but i love really ripe bananas! so really enjoy them when i have a reason to be eating them).

I have been thinking of grabbing a few and getting them super ripe so i can make banana muffins (1 banana should be enough to flavor the entire batch, and thats a lot easier to accept in terms of calories).

I love bananas! I eat 1 or 2 everyday. They make me feel better and they fill me up. I dont even think much of the calories I think more of all the benefits of eating a banana!

i like bananas in my oatmeal or mixed into cottage cheese and then i will only add half because i don't feel that i get enough to eat from a banana for 105 cals. i have to add it to something else or i feel cheated somehow. but they are good.

I would never eat a banana. I only eat fruits like raspberries and blueberries.

I eat one every day with my breakfast.  In fact, I feel like my day is a little off when I don't get one.  And what's the big deal about calories?  A medium to small one is only about 100 cals. 

And bananas make the best desserts:  muffins, cake, ice cream, and don't get me started on Bananas Foster!  (mmm...bananas and caramel....)

I used to not eat bananas because they were higher in calories. Then again, I was anorexic, and my world revolved around calories. When you start thinking that bananas have too many calories, then take it as a sign that you are getting too obsessive.

Sure, bananas may not be one of those foods like celery stalks or tomatoes where you can eat ten of them for few calories. They are very healthy, and should be eaten regularly - just not out of control.

If you think dieting means simply eating lower calorie foods in order to be able to eat in large, unhealthy portions, then you will not learn any self control. Portion control is a key factor in dieting that lets you enjoy the foods you love without overindulging. :)

Oh, and bananas are so friggin' cheap - usually $0.39 a lb, here. I have half of a banana with cinnamon in my oatmeal sometimes, mmm.

You know, you don't have to eat an entire large banana.  You can eat just half a banana, get the nutritional advantages and still have a low calorie snack.  A 118 gram banana has 108 calories, so half would be just 54, same as most fruits.

Portion control and moderation are everything!

 

I try to eat one after every workout.    They are a perfect post workout snack.  Especially if you do weight training.

banana's are my favorite fruit and I have one a day. kind of weird becuase a few years ago I hated them lol and well got some advice from this topic to after my runs now im going to eat a banana lol

I love bananas! I have one in my cereal/oatmeal every single day. Or 3/4 of it, I eat the rest with a little bit of PB. So yummy! Bananas have definitely never stopped me from losing weight.

I tend to eat too many bananas but they are sweet and delicious so how could I resist? I just had 3 of them for breakfast...

I EAT UP TO 4 A DAY AT TIME! (Hence my name! haha) but at least one a day! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! and no they are not a TREAT! a treat would be like ICE CREAM!!! :)

I eat bananas, but yes, they have quite a few calories.  I shop for the smaller ones, and then usually just eat a half at once.  Best way is sliced on toast over a thin layer of almond butter.  Also sliced on cereal, or over a bowl of plain yogurt.

The best thing is that you can leave 1/2 a banana in the fruit bowl and then go back and eat it a day or two later, just slice off the icky brown part at the cut end.  Also they are pretty decent frozen (peeled) and then whipped up with nonfat milk.  Very filling :)