Bananas are one of the world's most popular fruits. Runners love them for their potassium, mother's love them for their tendency to plug up a child stricken with diarrhea. So do they keep you on the go, or keep you from going?
Well, both!
It depends on what stage of ripening you eat the banana in which determines how the banana will behave in your body.
When a banana is picked for the grocery store, it is picked and shipped green (unripe). In this stage the banana is comprised of a type of resistant starch for which the human body lacks the enzyme to break down. This banana (#1-6) will plug you up. Plus it has that awful "dry" texture that makes you want to spit it out.
Isn't it interesting to know that the word "starch" is derived from Middle English sterchen, meaning to stiffen. Um, hello. Stiff bowels are NOT good.
After a banana ripens it turns yellow and starts to show brown spots: speckles & smudges (#7). The resistant starch has turned to sugar which is now fuel ready & waiting for your body.
By the way, corn does the same thing. Unripe corn will bind you up, ripe corn will provide immediate fuel. Unfortunately it's not as obvious when corn is ripe as when bananas are ripe. A bit of quick research about corn tells that waiting until the corn tassels are brown & dry and if the kernel, when pricked, exudes a bit of "milk" then the corn is ripe.
Bananas are awesome! They are available year around. One medium size ripe banana has 89 calories and is comprised of 93% carbohydrate, 4% protein and 3% fat.
Make sure all your future bananas feature some brown spots. Don't wait until they are mushy. Now you know why I eat upwards of 6 bananas a day: once they are the perfect ripeness, they need to be consumed ASAP before spoiling.
Organic bananas are about 30 cents more per pound than conventional. Bananas are not on the Dirty Dozen list because you don't eat the peel. I buy organic when they are available, but I don't hesitate to buy conventional when organic is sold out.
Be & stay well, Carla-gone-bananas!
1. Are you going to change the way you eat bananas? If so let me know by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message.
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