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| HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANA |
This should have been my first post in this collection of Sadhya recipes I had been writing for this year's Onam. First served item in a Banana Leaf Meal. Banana an unavoidable piece of item in a South Indian Banana Leaf Meal. The tradition of serving a Banana is customary in South India when it comes to a Virundhu/Sadhya. Usually, a ripe Banana is served during the Sadhya/Virundhu. Banana is one fruit which has a ubiquitous presence in a Sadhya/Virundhu. In Kerala Sadhya Banana is served as such or sometimes in cooked form. Least to mention the Sadhya items prepared with Raw Plantains.
Almost every part of a Banana Tree is useful. Bananas, the Stem and Banana Blossoms can be eaten, Banana Leaf can be used to serve, cook and decorate food & the Bark of the Banana Tree is used to make threads and papers. The stealer of the show is always Banana, for which the plant is cultivated. You can find Bananas throughout the world and it is one fruit which is cultivated and consumed in large.
Bananas - Guilt-free Sugar treats. A versatile fruit which can be eaten as such or converted into wonder desserts & snacks. Banana is a sacred plant in Vedic lore. Fresh, ripe Bananas are considered to be Earth's pure nectar. It helps to keep your body cool & replenish fluids, refreshing and energizing your entire body. Bananas are the ideal delight for restoring electrolytes, its natural sugars will restore your energy levels as well.
BANANAS ARE POWERHOUSE OF NUTRIENTS
Banana is loaded with Nutrients, Anti-oxidants, Vitamin B6 & Vitamin C & Minerals such as Potassium, Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin which contribute to keeping us healthy.
Vitamin B6 in Bananas helps your body to
Produces Red Blood Cells.
Metabolize Carbohydrates & Fats, turning them into energy.
Metabolize Amino Acids.
Remove unwanted chemicals & toxins from your liver and kidneys.
- Good for pregnant women as it helps in the development of the foetus.
- Maintains a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin C in Bananas helps to
Protect your body against cell and tissue damage.
It helps your body absorb Iron.
It helps in the production of Collagen - the protein which holds your skin, bones and body.
- Vitamin C in Bananas support brain health by producing Serotonin - a hormone that affects our sleep cycle, moods, experiences of stress & pain.
Manganese in Bananas helps your body to make collagen and protects your skin and other cells against free radical damage.
Potassium in Bananas helps your body maintain a healthy heart.
Low Sodium & high Potassium content in Bananas helps to regulate blood pressure.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BANANAS
Bananas can aid digestion and help beat gastrointestinal issues
Banana has a combination of a sweet and sour taste. The sweetness in it brings a sense of fullness and the sourness stimulates the digestive juices. Hence supporting digestion and building up metabolism. Banana is loaded with fibre, both soluble and insoluble. The soluble fibres help to slow down digestion and helps you to keep you full for a longer time. Eating foods that are high in fibre, supports normal bowel movements. Bananas are described as a laxative fruit too. This helps to relieve constipation, benefits regular bowel movements and also keep our gut healthy and safe from harmful bacterias.
Bananas are Energy Boosters:
Bananas contain three natural sugars –
Sucrose, Fructose and Glucose. It is a fat and cholesterol-free source of energy. Natural Sugars in Banana will keep you cool & replenish fluids, refreshing and energizing your entire body. Bananas are the ideal delight for restoring electrolytes, its natural sugars will restore your energy levels as well.
Rich in Anti-oxidants :
Bananas are rich in Antioxidants, including Flavonoids and Polyphenol. Because of this, Bananas are believed to prevent various forms of cancer and DNA damage.
Prevents Colon Cancer :
Bananas are an excellent source of Dietary Fibre, Vitamin C and other antioxidants. With these components, Bananas can help combat the formation of free radicals which are known to cause cancer. The insoluble fibre content in Bananas helps in the reduction in the possibility of Colon Cancer.
High Mineral Content :
Bananas are loaded with Minerals like Potassium, Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Folate. The Iron and other minerals help in raising the level of Oxygen in blood and helps in increasing the Metabolism.
Lowers Hypertension/Blood Pressure:
Maintaining a low Sodium intake & increasing Potassium intake helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. The impressive amount of Potassium & considerably low amount of Sodium in Bananas reduce the tension in blood vessels and arteries, helps in increasing blood circulation and lowering the stress on the heart by eliminating hypertension.
Healthy Heart:
The Fiber, Potassium & Vitamin C content in Bananas support heart health and thus helps in reducing Heart diseases.
Helps Fight Anaemia:
The high Iron content in Bananas helps to increase the number of red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood. It helps to fight against Anaemia.
HOW TO SELECT & STORE BANANAS
Unripe bananas are highly astringent and cooling, helping to bind up the stool and prevent diarrhoea. Overripe bananas taste sour, perhaps even pungent, and are often soft or brown due to fermentation and alcohol content. Overripe bananas are Pitta provoking, causing looser stools. Perfectly ripe bananas are speckled. They taste smooth, sweet and mucilaginous.
Banana is a sensitive fruit and should be careful in its selection and storage. Here are some helpful tips on how to select and store green apples.
Selecting Bananas:
Unripe bananas will have a green hue, especially at the stem. Those with green tips are not quite ripe, When buying a Banana, select the ones with skins that are neither yellow nor too brown. If you can see brown/black speckles on its skin, it is a sign that the Bananas have ripened naturally.
Storing Bananas:
@Room Temperature:
- Bananas stay good for about 2-3 days at room temperature, but they will continue to ripen if stored at room temperature.
- Avoid keeping it in a plastic or paper bag as the gases they emit stimulate further ripening.
- Bananas when kept along with other fruits, tend to speed up the ripening process of other fruits too.
- Avoid putting Bananas in the refrigerator, it will quickly turn brown.
- Remove the Bananas into individual pieces from the Bunch keeping its tip intact. This way we can avoid it falling off from the stalk when ripe ( A trick I learnt from Winnie Aunty).
- Store it at room temperature lined up on a sheet of Paper, preferably.
- Keeping down the stalk tip portion in a bowl of water helps to slow down the rapid ripening of the fruit.
In Refrigerator:
- If kept in the fridge, the enzymes that cause them to ripen are deactivated. Instead, you might find the skin blackens quickly.
- If you prefer an underripe Banana you can very well keep it in the fridge.
In Freezer:
- Bananas freeze well.
- Peel the skin off, cut it into slices and freeze in a Ziplock bag.
- Frozen bananas can be blended in a food processor to make a delicious dairy-free ‘ice cream’ or pop them in your blender for a cool and creamy addition to a smoothie.
HOME REMEDIES WITH BANANAS
- Diarrhoea - Eat 2 Unripe Bananas
- Constipation - Eat a ripe Banana in the evening before bed.
- Burning Urination - Eat one or two Bananas with a pinch of Cumin as a snack between meals.
- Dry Cough - Eat a Banana with a teaspoon of Honey and 2 pinches of Pepper Powder twice, daily.
- Asthma, Allergies, Rhinitis - Insert cloves into a peeled ripe banana, keep it overnight and eat it in the morning. Drink a Cup of Water with Honey after an hour.
- Dry Skin, Wrinkles - Apply a face pack prepared with mashed Banana & Milk.
- Warts - Cut a small portion of a Banana peel & tape it over the wart each night for a week. Use peel from a ripe banana.
- Cracked Heel - Apply mashed Banana to the cracked area.
- Mosquito Bite - The inside of a Banana skin can be used to calm an itchy mosquito bite, which helps to reduce irritation.
RECIPES WITH BANANAS
Bananas are not just delicious, but healthy as well, provided that it is eaten in the right way.
- Bananas can be consumed in a number of ways. You can eat the whole fruit as such. Even the Banana peel is considered to be edible.
- The best way is to consume it as whole fruit, this way it retains all the natural nutrients.
- Can steam certain varieties of Bananas like Nendhra Banana. Steamed Banana is a perfect recipe for a balanced and filling Breakfast.
- Can make Banana Shake or Smoothie out of it
- Add Bananas to your Desserts, Pudding, Fruit Salads or Ice Creams.
- When you have 2 or 3 Bananas too ripe to be eaten, the best way to use it up is in a Banana Cake/Muffin.
- Can use Bananas to bake Banana Bread, Banana Oatmeal Cookies etc.,
- Certain Banana Varieties are used to make Banana Fritters/Pazham Pori/Pisang Goreng.
- Kerala style snacks like Unniyappam, Unnakkaya, Pazham Nira, Pazha Boli, Payasam, Unda Pori etc., are prepared with ripe Bananas.
- Bananas can be converted into Indian Desserts like Kheer, Malpua, Halwa, Sheera etc.,
- Raw Fruit(Plantain) is used to make Subzis, Kebabs, Pakoras & Vazhakka Bhajji, Vazhakka Fry, Chips etc.,
- Delicious Kerala Curries like Kalan, Pulissery, Avial, Moru Curry, Madhura Curry etc., can be prepared with Raw Plantain.
- A Kerala style Curry called Nendhra Pazha Pulissery is cooked with ripe Nendhra Banana.
- In Chettinad Cuisine, they prepare a sweet Paniyaram with Bananas.
- You can make Bananas into Banana Wines.
Important - Food Safety :
- Some medical conditions can result in people having a high level of potassium in the blood. In that case, it is advisable to avoid eating Bananas.
- People with diabetes can eat Bananas in moderation.
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DISCLAIMER:
Please remember these treatments options are only meant as guidelines and in no way replaces the advice or treatment provided by your medical practitioner. It is always good to seek the advice of your physician, homeopath, naturopath, or herbalist for professional advice in any matter related to your health. This article is for information purposes only.
