livingafitlife:

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So a Banana is basically 80% sugar (starch, fructose & glucose) Great for fast energy. Not so much for anything else.

Not so fast! Many people make this mistake regularly, but if you dig deeper and look at what this chart and other studies say, bananas are not so easily dismissed!

Read these sources for understanding the appeal of bananas.

Sources: 
healthyeating.sfgate.com whfoods.com foodmatters.tv cnn.com

But here’s the skinny!

The amounts of fiber, starch, vitamins, and minerals are well balanced in bananas to offset that sugar. This means digestion is slowed and the sugars have more time to be used as fuel, and don’t have the same sugar-rush-energy-crash effect of many other foods. Scoring as low as 30 on the Glycemic Index, depending on ripeness, bananas are actually a low-sugar-rush food, not high, as people assume when they see the sugar count!

And the benefits go way beyond being a fast-energy food! Here’s a quick list of the other known and accepted benefits of bananas:

  • Weight Loss
  • Regularity
  • Heart Function / Cardiovascular Protection
  • Eye Health
  • Ulcer Protection
  • Digestive and Elimination Health
  • Bone Health
  • Kidney Health
  • Protection from and Relief for Depression and SAD
  • Protection Against Muscle Cramps
  • PMS Symptom Reduction
  • Immune System Health
  • Type II Diabetes Prevention
  • Swelling Reduction
  • Blood Pressure Reduction, Stroke Prevention (Officially recognized by the FDA for this use)
  • Cancer Prevention
  • Blood Sugar Stabilization
  • Aids in Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms 

And this is only my personal experience, but I find 2 bananas and 2 hard boiled eggs are perfect for my pre-run meal. I can run 6-10 miles carrying only a simple protein drink (200 calories) after eating my bananas and eggs, and I don’t hit The Wall or run out of energy before the end of my run, and I have a smooth, continuous flow of energy from start to finish.

So please, do not dismiss the banana and mentally place it in the same category as candy bars! They are, along with other fruits, a valuable source of nutrition and should be eaten regularly for your fitness and health goals!

Here’s the rule of thumb: If it’s whole, raw, and fresh, you should be eating a large variety of them in good quantities!

Now go enjoy and be healthy!

Awesome Info! Thanks!

(Though since I din’t tolerate carbs at all well I’ll stay away. Though admittedly bananas are one of the few foods I miss)