Healthy Snack of the Week – Is That A Banana In Your Pocket?!

With all this working out we are doing I thought this week bananas should be the healthy snack of the week.

Serving size = 1 medium ripe banana

Total Fat = 0 g;
Cholesterol = 0 g;
Calories = 110
Potassium = 400 mg (10% of daily recommended value)
Dietary Fiber = 4 g (16% of daily recommended value)
Sugar = 14.8 g; Protein = 1 g (2% of daily recommended value)
Vitamin C = 16% of daily recommended value
Vitamin B6 = 20% of daily recommended value

Did you know that bananas are good for:

Reducing leg cramps: The potassium and magnesium makes them a near perfect sports food for those lactic acid related cramps. After working out eat a banana and it will help relieve muscle cramps within fifteen minutes.

Provide LOTS of extra Energy and are a great “pick me up” type snack: The sugars fructose and glucose are known to enter the bloodstream rapidly which is a good thing if you are experiencing low blood sugar. Plus a typical medium banana has around 100 calories and, with a glass of water, can be very filling. The effect of one banana on blood sugar and protein levels is good for up to two hours. This makes it a near perfect dietary snack.

Bananas are good for your heart and nerves: Bananas contain a high dose of potassium - an essential ingredient to keep your heart and nervous system in good shape. Potassium is essential for proper muscle contraction and hence plays an important role in muscle-influenced activities.

Bananas are good for your kidneys and bones.

Bananas can act as mood enhancers or mild sedatives.

Bananas are good for your blood.

Bananas are good source of dietary fiber.

Go ahead...grab that banana!! :)

Healthy Snack of the Week

Cherries!

I seriously have not been able to get enough of this lovely little fruit this week. Every time I get hungry at work I grab some cherries and they are the perfect snack. Now I am typically not a fan of “cherry flavored” items and do not care as much for the tart cherries, but fresh bing cherries taste like sweet little plums and I just love them. And since this blog is about being healthy it is good to know that this is a very healthy and beneficial snack for you! Though some may not be certain just how healthy both sweet and tart cherries really are, both are very high in anti-oxidants and a great snack.

Did You Know: Cherries are the New Antioxidant "Super Fruit"

“A growing body of science reveals tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

Emerging evidence links both sweet and tart cherries to many important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.”

So if you are looking for a healthy snack this week, grab yourself some tasty cherries!!