Bananas have a great rep for fueling high-intensity and long endurance workouts. Bananas are not only a great carb source but are packed with a significant source of vitamins and minerals. Not only do bananas provide excellent fuel for endurance exercise but can also serve as a natural way to promote positive moods and fight depression. 💆🏻

BENEFITS: 🔽🔽🔽

🔸POTASSIUM: can lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. It can also have a big positive impact on our cardiovascular health.

🔸VITAMIN B6: benefits include stimulating co-enzymatic activities, protecting the immune system, and having positive effects on metabolism, premenstrual syndrome, hormone control, emotional disorders, skin. One medium-size banana can provide up to 33% of the RDI.

🔸VITAMIN B9/FOLATE: is a nutrient that fights against depression by boosting a substrate with antidepressant properties in our body. This basically helps serotonin (the feel-good chemical) enter our brain faster. -

🔸TRYPTOPHAN: is a precursor for serotonin. It's one of the most important brain chemicals that has natural anti-depressant properties. This not only treats anxiety and insomnia but also helps other mood issues such as fatigue, irritability, anger, and aggression. -

🔸MAGNESIUM: can help with muscle contraction and relaxation as well as protein synthesis. This will in turn increases lean muscle mass. It also helps boost lipolysis. (a process where our body releases fat from its stores.) -

🔸CHOLINE: is a fat-blasting B vitamin that fights directly against the genes that cause fat storage in the abdomen. (One reason heavy drinkers have bloated bellies is that alcohol depletes choline, gaining weight around the liver.)

🔸RECIPE: 2 scoop protein powder, 1c oats, 1 egg, 1/2 mashed banana, 1/4c cacao nibs, 1/2c 0 calorie sweetener, 1tsp baking powder. The mixture should be like sticky cookie dough. -

🔺TIP: Bananas mostly consist of water + carbs with little protein & no fat. Best to pair it with protein source to make for a great for a post-workout shake or in this case a chewy banana oatmeal protein cookie