To undergo weight loss, people have to carefully plan all the meals and eliminate the junk like burgers and soft drinks. Some people suspect that bananas are fattening while other people refer to bananas as super foods for weight loss. So do bananas make you fat? We shall look at the answer in this article along with some other facts about bananas.
Do Bananas Make You Fat?
The answer is no. You get around 110 calories from a medium size banana which has little fat. Bananas contain other nutrients like potassium (450 mg), dietary fiber (3 g), protein (1 g) and vitamin C (15% of DRI). Around 30 g of carbohydrates are present in bananas, of which 19 g comes from sugars, 8 g from starch and the remaining from fiber.
Bananas were thought to be fattening because they contain high amount of starch, however, they contain fiber which is not absorbed in the body. It gives a feeling of having the stomach full and prevents eating, thus aids in weight loss. According to some researches, the starch in banana can actually help in burning fat after having a meal. It contains butyrate which nourishes the friendly bacteria and can speed up digestion.
The only time when you need to worry about bananas making you fat is when you eat bananas like a chimpanzee! You should limit yourself to 2 bananas per day, if you eat them on a daily basis.
How to Eat Bananas to Lose Weight
There is a weight loss diet with bananas which became so popular in Japan in the year 2008 that there was a shortage of bananas in stores. The belief is that eating a banana every morning along with some dieting will help in weight loss. Here are some of its basic principles.
1. Eat Bananas for Breakfast
Eat raw, uncooked bananas in the morning as breakfast. You can substitute other fruit, but it has to be just one type of fruit. If you still feel hungry after eating bananas, you can eat rice balls or oatmeal of around 200 calories.
2. Eat Normal Lunch and Dinner
Have regular meals by keeping the type and quantity of food in mind. Avoid fried foods and opt for fresh ones. Finish dinner before 8 pm and avoid dessert. Do not eat till you feel full or stuffed. Chew your foods well and take time to enjoy the taste of the food.
3. Drink Water
Drinking water is encouraged and it should be at room temperature. Sip on the water. Do not gulp the food with water. You can have tea, coffee and diet soda occasionally, but they are not encouraged. Drinking too much of milk products is also not advised.
4. Snack Is Allowed in the Afternoon
You can indulge your sweet tooth by snacking on chocolate and cookies around 3 pm. Donuts, potato chips and ice-creams are not allowed. You can choose to snack on fruits as well. A snack of fruits is also allowed post dinner but not on a daily basis. You can choose to have rice ball, seaweed snack for salty cravings.
5. Have Early Supper
Finish your dinner at least before 8 pm so that you have a 4-hour gap between your last meal and bed time if you are in bed by mid-night. However, it would be better if you could eat your dinner and go to bed earlier.
6. No Pressure to Exercise
Do not press yourself to exercise. If you feel like a workout, go ahead without putting stress on yourself. Walking every day is a good idea and you can also take up Kendama, a traditional Japanese light workout.
7. Keep a Diet Journal
The morning banana diet was formulated online and many followers choose to maintain an online journal. You can follow the same or maintain it in a notebook. Blogs, forums and social networking sites provide a lot of support.
Benefits of Eating Bananas
Since you get the answer to the question “do bananas make you fat”, you may want to know if bananas give you other health benefits and here are some of them.
1. Aid in Digestion
The fiber in banana gives a feeling of satiety and adds bulks to the diet. The fiber helps in speeding digestion and regulating bowel movements as well. It also supports the harboring growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.
2. Maintain Cardiovascular Health
You get 450 mg of potassium and 34 mg of magnesium from one medium size banana. High potassium is important in regulating blood pressure, maintaining electrolyte balance and preventing muscle cramping. Magnesium is also beneficial to maintain cardiovascular health.
3. Add Glow to Your Skin
Bananas contain vitamin A, B and C. They help in giving a glow to the skin and keep the wrinkles away, making your skin look young and healthy.
4 Elevate Your Mood
Bananas contain tryptophan which is able to give the sense of pleasure and happiness. Incorporate bananas in your meals to keep away depression and uplift your mood.
5. Anti-Oxidize
A lot of free radicals are generated in the body every day. These free radicals cause a lot of damage to the body. Bananas contain anti-oxidants which neutralize the free radicals and boost the immunity of the body.