Sunday, March 17, 2013

Blueberry-Banana Blendy and its amazing benefits

 
-1 ripe banana
-1 cup  fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries
-3/4 cup water, or less or more for desired creaminess.
 
Blend.
 
 
Packed with antioxidants, B-Vitamins, and Potassium, this blueberry-banana smoothie makes for an incredibly flavorful, creamy smoothie, and a great way to start the day with healthy energy.
 
Blueberries are low-glycemic and burst with flavor. They are great for memory improvement, youthfulness, regulating blood sugar levels, protection from oxidative stress, muscle recovery, protects digestive tract (especially from risk of colon cancer), increases good cholesterol levels (HDL), consistent intake of blueberries maintains healthy blood pressure, and they keep our nerve cells functioning and communicating properly. These amazing gems are great for people with Type II diabetes to enjoy and benefit from.
 
Oh wait....there's more! The research on blueberries shows that they may promote anti-cancer properties for breast cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, and cancers of the small intestine.
They are high in Vitamin K, manganese, Vitamin C, and fiber. Resveratrol is found in blueberries, one of the many anti-oxidants in them.
Blueberries were cultivated by Native Americans. They rank second place, right behind strawberries, in the most popular consumed berry. Buy them when they are in season in the early summer for a cheaper price. Freezing them has shown to have no damage on their nutrients. Buying frozen blueberries is cheaper than fresh ones.
 
Blueberry's scientific name: Vaccinium (rhymes with vaccine!)
 
 Blueberries are my favorite fruit, next to the tropical Cherimoya.
A big bowl of ripe sweet blueberries is one of my comfort foods!
They are also great for a pop-corn replacement for movie night ;)
 
 
 
What would I do without a banana? This I consider a superfood for me. Bananas stabilize my energy immediately while at the same time they relax me (thanks to their high content of B Vitamins). They are found year-round at the market, and are very inexpensive. Bananas help prevent bone decay from high-salt diets, anemia, constipation, depression, high blood pressure thanks to their high potassium content, soothes heartburn, and strokes.
 Fiber rich foods has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Bananas protect against stomach ulcers. They activate cells in the stomach that make the stomach lining thicker. The stomach lining is a protective mucus against stomach acids.
They aid constipation.
Prevent kidney disease.
They are a good source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and Potassium.
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Fun benefits: mashed banana applied on the skin helps relief it of dryness. Bananas mashed with almond oil makes a good hair conditioner. They relief us from hangovers. They improve eyesight. Rubbing the inside of the peel onto our skin relieves warts. "Banan" in Arabic stands for finger. Makes sense. We tend to think bananas grow from trees, but really, they grow from an herb, the world's largest herb called Musa Sapientium.
 
When bananas have brown spots on them, it means they are ripe, their nutrients are better absorbed, and guess what! When bananas have the spots on them, they contain TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which has been shown to fight off cancer cells.
 
 
 
 Enjoy blueberries & bananas:
  • after a workout (also great for athletes to be used as a strong replenisher)
  • as an awesome pick-me-up snack
  • to start the morning blend a banana with a cup of blueberries. Add some water or Coconut Water for your desired consistency. I love using plain water. The flavors of the blueberries and bananas go great together.
  • add to a bowl of granola or yogurt.
  • add to desserts
  • top off pancakces instead of using syrup.
  • A bowl of chopped banana with blueberries and toppings such as nuts, goji berries, other berries, shredded coconut.
  • Add to salads.
 
 

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