Bananas for Consumption

Bananas for Consumption
Bananas are ripe when they are solid yellow without any green and are overripe once they develop large brown spot. Unripe bananas contain enzyme inhibitors and are therefore constipating and difficult to digest, whereas ripe bananas do not have the inhibitors and are considered laxative.

Avoid commercial bananas, which are picked unripe and then treated with ethylene gas to hasten ripening during shipment; instead purchase organic bananas and place them in a paper bag to encourage natural ripening. To preserve bananas at the peak of ripeness, store them in the refrigerator, which will turn the skin brown but not adversely affect the flavor, or keep them in the dark, plastic bag sealed with a twist tie.

Use bananas in pudding, pies, fruit salads and smoothies. Bananas blended with water make nourishing banana milk. Snack on them fresh, or try a sandwich of banana and raw almond butter. Freeze peeled bananas and run them through a juicer to make dairy-free “ice cream.” Dried banana chips make a tasty, sweet treat.

People who exceedingly cold, frail, or lethargic should only consume bananas in moderation, as eating them may exacerbate those conditions.
Bananas for Consumption

Healthy Fruit: Banana

Healthy Fruit: Banana
Bananas are considered cold and have a tendency to move energy inward in the body. They are sweet, being rich in carbohydrates (mostly the sugars glucose and fructose), as well as in folic acid, vitamins B6, and C, potassium, and pectin. They also contain an enzyme that aids in the production of sex hormones. As bananas are high in calories but low in fat, they are an excellent food for pregnant mothers, babies and children.

Bananas provide long term energy and improve stamina. They moisten the ‘yin’ fluid of the body, including the lungs and large intestines, and have some antiseptic activity. They support the friendly intestinal flora (helpful bacteria within our bowel) and stimulate the proliferation of cells that provide a protective coating between the stomach and harsh digestive acids. Bananas also stimulate the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improve sleep and elevate mood.

Bananas have been used to treat alcoholism, arteriosclerosis, celiac disease, colitis, constipation, depression, diarrhea, dyspepsia, exhaustion, hemorrhoids, hypertension, weak muscle and ulcers. They also have been used to help treat insulin shock in diabetics. Ripe bananas are very easy to digest – even easier when mashed – and are recommended for those suffering from weak digestion, vomiting or emaciation.
Healthy Fruit: Banana