A pair of slippers (haha)

Today for ‘Saturday Superfoods’ I want to tell you about one of the cheapest, most common, ordinary, everyday foods out there… and it’s actually a superfood!!  It’s the banana!  I LOVE bananas!  I go ‘bananas’ for bananas!  They’re just so versatile!  Blend one into a fresh fruit smoothie, mix it with eggs to make protein pancakes, freeze one and make your own ‘ice cream’, or if it gets too ripe, you can bake up some fresh banana nut muffins!! YUM!

Enough about MY love for bananas and more about how BANANAS love me back! …because just like all superfoods, they are not just delicious foods that we enjoy eating, they actually have ‘superpowers’ that cure our ailments and nourish us from the inside out!

Did you know that a typical banana has 12% of your daily fiber and potassium needs?  Sure, everyone knows bananas are ‘famous’ for their potassium content… but did you also know that same banana has 25% of your daily Vitamin B6 needs?!  Vitamin B6 is believed to reduce heart disease risks and even cancer prevalence!  Bananas also help to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Talk about a superfood!

Bananas also help to keep you ‘regular,’ …they even help to keep your bones strong by allowing more calcium to be absorbed.  The tryptophan in bananas helps to reduce depression and promote ‘feel good’ feelings.  Bananas help with eyesight and reduce the risk of macular degeneration.  They help to keep you more alert and they stabilize blood sugar!

Bananas truly are a delicious AND nutritious snack!  If you want something sweet and healthy… go for a banana!  My latest banana trick?  Take a moderately ripe banana, chop it into little pieces, put it into a small zip lock and freeze it!  When frozen, enjoy it with a scoop of organic almond or peanut butter for a naturally sweet, but healthy dessert!!

How about you?!  Do you go ‘bananas’ for bananas?  What’s your fave way to enjoy them?!