We're Bananas About Bananas!

We love bananas around here. So, its only natural that Owen loves bananas too. I've been feeding him pieces of cut up bananas for several weeks now but just remembered a really nifty {did I really just say nifty??} trick someone told me when one of the big girls was a baby. 

When babies try and pick up banana pieces they just slip right out. This was evident last night by looking at the floor under our table. I thought Owen was having a great time chowing down on some bananas and kept replenishing them for him at an alarming rate. Once he was done I realized that more pieces hit the seat, his clothes and the ground then actually made it into his mouth. 

{This is where the trick comes in} 

Tonight, though, I remembered something BRILLIANT!  

When you cut up the banana pieces you can toss them in some baby rice cereal and it makes it easier {read:less slippery} for the baby to grasp and pick up. So....more pieces actually make it into their mouths! And, as an added bonus, their hands are less sticky when they're done! 

 

Look at those grimy little boy hands! Love it!

And, just because I think my little guy is super cute, heres one for the road...

I'll let you in on a little secret though. I don't have any baby cereals here at the house. But, I did have some rice crispy cereal so I just crunched that up and coated the bananas in that. It worked and he l.o.v.e.d it!

And, since we're on the topic of bananas did you know that:

If you peel a banana and stick your finger right down the middle of it (starting at the top) it will seperate into 3 equal parts! Cool, huh? {thanks for the tip, Abby}

If you peel a banana from the bottom to the top there will be no strings. Pretty sure this is what monkeys do. {So now I'm wondering why my kids don't already do this...har har}

And some more fun banana facts {really I'm adding these because I wanted to earn some swagbucks and so I searched for fun banana facts. But, they ended up being worth sharing!}

Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. 

Providing energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. 

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. 

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. 

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. 

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. 

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. 

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. 

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit t hat can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan. 

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
 

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. 

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! 

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! 

When you compare a banana to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!" 

So, our love for bananas with these tips is What Works for Me!