It really should be “A banana a day keeps the doctor away”.  Not that I have anything against apples, as I think they are a very nutritious, vitamin-packed fruit. It’s just that the banana to me is the ultimate energy-packed snack, and it has nearly four times the protein and twice the carbohydrates as an apple.

Let’s take a look at what make bananas so great:

• They do not contain sodium, fat or cholesterol. (Very important for a healthy lifestyle, but I know you can make the same claim for many fruits and vegetables.)

What else?

• Bananas are also loaded with potassium.  And for those out there that are into weight training, you know that potassium is the mineral that helps in the building of muscles and protein synthesis.  That’s why it is always recommended to get enough potassium after a workout.

• Energy, Energy, Energy! Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose along with fiber. This combination ensures an instant and substantial boost of energy, some experts claim that 2 bananas would provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.  Didn’t you ever wonder why there is usually a table of bananas for participants at marathons and other long races?

• Bananas contain Vitamin B6, which helps in the synthesis of antibodies in the immune systems.

• Bananas have more digestible carbohydrates than all other fruit.

• Bananas are high in resistant starch which is a type of fiber that is suppose to promote fullness and increase fat burning.

OK…you convinced me I should eat them as part of my healthy diet. What else are they good for?

I’m glad you asked. Let me leave you with a few other interesting uses for bananas:

• You can polish leather shoes with a banana peel and then buff with a soft cloth.

•  Rumor has it you can remove warts by rubbing them with the inside of a banana peel every night for several weeks.

•  Rub scraped knees or cuts with the inside of a banana peel to promote healing.

Best part yet is that bananas are ridiculously inexpensive.  I’m talking around $.19 each on average. There really isn’t an excuse you can have (unless an allergy of course) to not incorporate this miraculous fruit into your diet. Just try to convince me.

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