Banana With Yogurt

A banana and yogurt diet provides calcium, potassium and protein.

Dr. Jonny Bowden identifies bananas and yogurt as some of the healthiest foods to include in your diet. Bananas and yogurt offer a wide variety of nutrients essential for your body. Bananas are a good source of potassium, folate, vitamins C and B6. Yogurt provides your diet with calcium, zinc, phosphorus and protein. Including bananas and yogurt in your well-balanced diet offers many nutritional benefits.

Uses of Bananas

According to the University of California at Berkeley, the most popular fresh fruit in America is the banana for several reasons. The fruit is inexpensive and in generous supply all year in supermarkets. Bananas can be consumed at any stage of ripeness. Bananas can be easily digested by anyone such as babies and the elderly. The fruit has a peel that comes off easily, making it an ideal and convenient portable snack or dessert. Several types are available such as plantains, cavendish, finger, yellow and red bananas. Slice bananas on top of yogurt, toast, pancakes, waffles and fruit salads. Blend frozen bananas with skim milk or juice for a smoothie. Mash bananas and add them to muffin or bread recipes.

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Benefits of Potassium

Bananas are a rich source of the vital mineral potassium. One medium banana offers 422mg of potassium. Potassium plays a major role in the body by helping maintain cells, fluid and electrolyte balance and a steady heartbeat. Low potassium is often associated with hypertension, muscle cramps and fatigue. According to Dr. Jonny Bowden, regular consumption of bananas reduces your risk of developing kidney cancer.


History of Yogurt

Yogurt has long been a staple in certain parts of Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe for centuries. Low-fat and nonfat yogurt is recognized as a nutritious and healthful food. It is an excellent source of calcium, protein, riboflavin, phosphorous and vitamin B12. Yogurt is made through the fermentation of milk sugar into lactic acid. The process retains healthy bacteria, enzymes and other live microorganisms. Yogurt is more digestible than milk for people with lactose intolerance because it is fermented. Types of yogurt that are available include lassi, kefir, Bulgarian and Greek yogurt.

Benefits of Probiotics

According to The Reader's Digest Association, yogurt supplies good bacteria called probiotics that support and improve your immune and digestive systems. Yogurt contains bacteria strains called bulgaricus, bifidobacteria and lactobacillus. Bulgaricus and bifidobacteria have antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. The lactobacillus strand helps control inflammation which is associated with certain cancers and heart disease.

Considerations for Yogurt

Yogurt made from whole milk contains high levels of saturated fats. Consume low-fat or nonfat yogurt to limit the amount of fat in your diet. The best nutritional deal is plain yogurt with live active cultures. Highly sweetened containers of yogurt contain more calories and carbohydrates. Make sure to read the ingredients list on nutritional labels for protein and sugar values. Choose those that are higher in protein and with a lower sugar content.


Bananas and yogurt are good for the whole body

Looking for a tasty, sustainable, quick breakfast, lunch or snack? Try bananas and yogurt for a healthy, hearty, nutritionally intense treat.
Bananas
The why: They’re inexpensive, easy to purchase, soft and easy to chew, they ripen after being picked, and they’re packed with nutrients. The best part is — they taste fantastic. They’re sweet as candy, and they come in their own wrapper. Bananas contain folate, vitamins C and A and magnesium. They help reduce stress levels and increase serotonin levels.
Health perks: Bananas are loaded with potassium (422 milligrams), which is necessary for muscle contractions (including your heartbeat), transmission of nerve impulses and the delicate balance of fluids and electrolyte regulation. Diets rich in potassium blunt the adverse effects of salt and lower blood pressure (one in five Americans have high blood pressure).
In terms of stress relief, the potassium helps to relax muscles. There is a basic balancing act that goes on in the body between sodium and potassium. Sodium creates muscle contraction and potassium relaxes muscle, so together they help transport nutrients to the cells. Additionally, bananas contain tryptophan, a protein that converts to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps the body relax and enhances your mood. Bananas are also high in vitamin B6, which, according to research reported in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, helps facilitate the synthesis of serotonin from tryptophan.
One medium banana provides 422 mg of the 4,700 mg per day of potassium that the Institute of Medicine recommends for adults.
Nutritional information: (1 medium) 105 calories; 0.39 g fat; 27 g carbs; 3 g fiber; 1.29 g protein.
Yogurt
The why: It’s packed with lean protein (nearly 30 percent of the recommended Daily Value), a strong, sustainable energy source known to help keep you fuller longer. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that eating protein in the morning affects feelings of fullness all day.
Additionally, yogurt has nearly 25 percent to 40 percent of your recommended Daily Value for calcium, which helps build strong bones. Research appearing in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that those who eat a breakfast including calcium are more likely to meet their necessary recommended daily calcium needs. About 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium are needed per day; however, most women do not meet these goals.
Finally, for those who are lactose intolerant, yogurt provides a double benefit: It has probiotic cultures that help digest lactose, and it has less than 50 percent the amount of lactose in milk.
Health perks: There are many reasons why yogurt has a reputation for being a healthy food. It improves digestion, prevents intestinal infection and reinforces your immune function. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphate, and it’s low in fat.
Eating yogurt has been linked to lower blood pressure, a reduction in premenstrual syndrome symptoms, lower cholesterol and a reduction in certain kidney stones.
All yogurts are made with a starter culture (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) that aids digestion and has other health benefits, such as improved immune function.