With health and fitness on the rise, you can’t forget about the perfect partner for regular exercise—a proper diet. No matter how much you work out, if you’re not eating right, it ultimately won’t amount to much.
Dieting shouldn’t be about restriction. Instead, it should focus on eating healthy, nutritious food. Avoid preservatives and go for natural food. Fruits and vegetables can do wonders for your health and fitness if you eat enough of them.
One of the best fruits to help you maintain a healthy diet are bananas, they’re simple, rich in nutrients, and there’s so much you can do with them that you won’t get bored. Here’s why you should include bananas in your diet:
It’s Rich in Nutrients
Bananas are a great source of nutrients like vitamins B6, C, manganese, and potassium.
Vitamin B6 from bananas is easily absorbed into your body. This helps produce red cells, metabolize carbohydrates, fat, amino acids, and do so much more. As for vitamin C, while bananas might not be the first thing you think of, but they can provide about 10 percent of your daily vitamin needs.
Manganese can be great for your skin, while potassium is good for your heart health and blood pressure. All of that is packed in one banana. Imagine what it could do for your health to include it in your diet.
It Aids in Digestion and Helps Beat Gastrointestinal Issues
Medium bananas can provide about 10 to 12 percent of your daily fiber needs. The recommended daily intake is around 20g for women and 26g for men. A medium banana can go a long way.
Your body needs soluble and insoluble fibers to function properly. Soluble fibers help control your body’s blood sugar level and get rid of fatty substances like cholesterols. Meanwhile, insoluble fibers add weight and softness to your stool. This makes it easier for you to have healthy and regular bowel movements and prevents harmful bacteria from building in your gut.
Newly-ripe bananas, in particular, have a good balance of flavor, thanks to the sugar, while still having good levels of resistant starch. While it’s good to have bananas in your diet, it’s essential to know the distinction between each ripeness level. Some bananas are better for managing your weight than others.
That said, here are a few gastrointestinal issues that banana can help you deal with:
- constipation
- stomach ulcers
- heartburn
It Can be Used in Many Dishes
Finally, you can do so much with your bananas. Make healthy bread, cakes, oatmeal, protein shakes, protein bars, protein balls. The possibilities are truly endless.
And just because it’s a cake doesn’t mean it can’t be healthy. It all depends on the ingredients you use. Luckily, bananas are so easily worked into different food that you can put them in practically anything, and your meal or snack will be all the better for it.
Conclusion
There are plenty of reasons to include bananas in your diet. These are just a few. For people that have a sweet tooth, it’s perfect for satisfying that craving without the guilt.
The wonderful thing about this fruit is that you can mix it into anything. So, even if you’re not very fond of bananas, there are a lot of creative ways to incorporate them into your diet!
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