Interestingly, the journal Medicines in 2017 reported that banana peel can help to reduce skin swelling and irritation from mosquito bites. Also, you can make your own poultice for wounds to reduce inflammation and pain. (25)
All you need to do is apply the banana peel flesh side down to your irritated skin to help reduce discomfort and speed up healing.
Use banana peels in your compost
Another way to get the benefits from banana peels is to put them into your compost. Nutrient-rich banana peels in compost breakdown into their base elements and create a wonderful fertilizer for your plants.
Can You Eat Too Many Bananas? How Many Bananas Should You Eat a Day
Bananas are a popular fruit that make a great snack because they are already pre-packaged in their own protective skin. How many bananas should you eat in a day to get its health benefits?
You can safely eat bananas without worrying too much about overdosing. For example, one medium-sized banana contains 422 mg of potassium. According to medical sources, you need around 4,700 mg of potassium per day as part of a healthy diet. (26) That would mean that you would have to eat around 11 bananas before reaching your RDI of potassium.
If you have an underlying health problem like kidney disease or diabetes, you should limit your banana intake.
Most people can eat safely 4 or 5 bananas a day.
How to Add More Bananas to Your Diet
You can easily increase the number of bananas you eat as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Here are a few ideas:
Chop up a ripe banana and add it to plain yogurt for sweetness and to increase your vitamin intake.
Add a sliced whole banana to your blender along with other fruits to make a delicious smoothie (see recipes at the end of this article).
Boost the antioxidant levels of your smoothie by chopping off the ends of a banana and adding raw banana peel.
Roast a banana in the oven to create a deliciously sweet dessert. The peel should also be soft enough to eat as well after roasting.
Mash up banana flesh and spread it on some tasty rice crackers for a healthy snack.
How to Store Bananas
You can try to buy organically-grown bananas, although bananas have low to moderate pesticide residue score according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) annual guide to pesticides in produce. Bananas continue to ripen in the store and when you take them home. Bananas should be stored at room temperature to ripen properly.
If your bananas are about to become overripe, you can freeze them and keep them for several months. To do this remove the peel first, cut the bananas into chunks and arrange them in one layer on a parchment lined baking tray and freeze for about two hours. Once frozen, transfer to plastic freezer bag.
Health Boosting Breakfast Banana Smoothies
While you cannot juice bananas, it doesn’t mean that you can’t blend them with your juice. Bananas make excellent smoothies – they add thickness and fiber to smoothies and make them taste smooth, creamy and delicious.
Here I would like to share with you some great banana smoothie recipes that are great for breakfast and will provide you lots of energy to face the day ahead.
Heart Smart Oatmeal Banana Smoothie
Oatmeal provides high levels of fiber, has low levels of fat and is a good source of protein. It is a recommended food to control diabetes as the large amount of fiber causes a slower absorption of glucose.
Almonds are rich in minerals (zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium), vitamins (E, folic acid, B1, B2, B3), polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein and fiber. They also help lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels, help lower blood pressure and strengthen bones because they are rich in calcium. This yogurt smoothie recipe combines all these nutritional benefits and is delicious too!
Ingredients:
2 whole bananas (best with brown flecks on peel)
2 cups Ice
1/3 cup yogurt – preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup almonds
Pour all ingredients in blender, pouring the ice in last. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie thickens.
Breakfast Banana Green Smoothie
Another great recipe is for green smoothie that combines the goodness of leafy greens and banana. You can also read my article on how to upgrade your health with green smoothie recipes.
Green smoothies enable us to consume various combinations of greens and vegetables that can improve our health. The health benefits of green smoothie vary depending on the green leaves or vegetables you choose, but generally speaking they help clear toxins, add many nutrients, cleanse the digestive system, nurture the skin, improve vision, and more.
Ingredients:
5-6 lettuce leaves or a big handful of spinach
1 cucumber (or celery if you like)
Handful of sprouts
1 banana
Dried pitted date
Optional: flaxseeds or chia seeds (for the addition of omega- 3 fatty acids)
Cool water as needed, depending on the desired consistency.
Put all the ingredients in a blender without the water and blend. Add the water gradually until you have reached to the desired consistency.
Banana Cocoa Smoothie
And last – a recipe for cocoa banana smoothie. I’ve already written about the amazing health benefits of raw cacao, and smoothie is a great and easy way to incorporate raw cocoa into your daily nutrition.
4 oranges, juiced (you can change the taste by replacing orange juice with coconut water or milk substitutes)
2 tsp raw cocoa powder
2 bananas, peeled
1 mango, peeled and pitted
Pour the orange juice and all the other ingredients into the blender and blend. If you want you can add more juice or water to thin the smoothie.
