Bananas, I've got no bananas...

One of the best staples for the fruit basket has to be bananas. When I was little I disliked bananas with a passion and could eat them only when they were very green. Now I'm a fanatic of them! Not only do they taste good they:

*are full of vitamin B (which calms nerves)

*neutralize over-acidity and lessens irritations by coating the lining of the stomach (which helps control heartburn and risk of ulcers

*keeps our blood sugar levels up

*chock full of fibre

*are known for their potassium (which helps give you more brainpower apparently)

*high in protein

*full of iron, they can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood (which helps those subject to anemia)

*contains vitamin B6, which regulates the blood glucose levels and thus control mood swings

*has tryptophan in it, which is a type of protein that our bodies convert to serotonin which makes you relax and in aiding moods (bananas have been known as the "happy fruit")

*because it's a carbohydrate and has a lot of natural sugars in it...it's very good for high energy activities. It releases it's energy instantly; yet it's substantial enough for a hard 45 minute workout and that's just one banana!

After all that, it just makes you want to go eat a banana! Hence my title, I've got no bananas!

Fortunately, some will be picked up today and besides that, we try to always keep a lot of frozen bananas in our freezers. So I was able to have a gorgeous strawberry/banana shake this morning topped with hempseeds (which are a complete source of protein).

When bananas go on sale it's a good idea to pick lots up, have a banana peeling party, and plop them all in the freezer. Raw eating doesn't have to be expensive.

Here's one of my favorite banana shakes...so creamy and dreamy.

Simple Vanilla Shake

*four bananas (frozen)

*almond milk (or another favorite nut milk, tho' if need be you can use water)

*one and half teaspoons of pure vanilla

Whizz it all up in a blender, adding the nut milk to the desired consistency. Put in a tall glass, garnish with a strawberry, and drop in a straw. Enjoy!