If you are having one of those days where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or quarantine is getting you down it may be tempting to uber eats a tub of ice-cream and crawl back under your covers. But you know this is a bandaid solution and will leave you unsatisfied, unhappy and probably a little nauseous.
Just as some foods can negatively affect your outlook, some actually can help lift your spirits. What you eat plays a vital role in how you feel. As a general guide you want to aim to eat fresh seasonal produce, a wide variety of colours and as close to its natural state as possible. Meat should be organic and free-range when possible.
But lets get specific and focus on one individual mood-boosting superfoods, bananas.
Bananas are rich in three amazing nutrients that work together to turn your frown upside down; tryptophan, carbohydrates and vitamin B6. The healthy carbs increase your brains ability to absorb tryptophan whilst vitamin B6 helps to convert the absorbed tryptophan into dopamine and serotonin, your "happiness hormone". Serotonin helps to boost your mood and also improve your sleep, which again helps to boost your tomorrow-mood. Its a win win and a beautiful example of how mother nature always has your back with food as medicine when we eat unprocessed wholefoods.
When bananas are more green/yellow they are high in gut-healthy prebiotic fibers that feed your healthy microbes and also slow down the release of sugar into your bloodstream.
When bananas are deep yellow with brown spots they are rich in immune boosting compounds and are perfect for baking. Banana bread anyone?
Im sure you have noticed that banana bread is the "it" baked good of quarantine 2020, so of course we had to jump on board and perfect our own recipe.
Our banana bread is paleo and made with almond flour to give that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Here is how you make it,
Ingredients
3 large, or 4 small, very ripe bananas
3 pasture raised eggs
1/4 cup organic maple syrup (could use raw honey)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
3 cups almond flour
Method
Preheat oven to 180.
Mash bananas. Add in eggs, organic maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda and Himalayan salt. Mix until combined.
Add in almond flour. Mix with spatula to combine.
Pour batter into lined loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Shannon Rosie x