12 Feb HEALTHY AND YUMMY: THE CHOCOBANANO SMOOTHIE
James Brown dix it,“Get up with THIS thing”: The CHOCOBANANO smoothie.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 bananas
- 2 soup spoon cocoa
- 1 soup spoon of Brown sugar
- 1 glass regular or coconut milk
- Ice
Add all the ingredients to the blender. Blend well.
FEEL THE GROOVE!
IT’S GOOD TO KNOW THAT:
BANANAS
Are one of the high calorie, tropical fruits. 100 grams of fruit carry 90 calories. Besides, it contains good amount of health benefiting anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
The fruit is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh made up of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that upon consumption instantly replenishes energy and revitalizes the body. Thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
Finally, they hold good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems. It contains health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, ß and a-carotenes, albeit, in small amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
COCONUT (milk)
Is highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Unlike cow’s milk, coconut milk is lactose free so can be used as a milk substitute by those with lactose intolerance. It is a popular choice with vegans and makes a great base for smoothies, milkshakes or as a dairy alternative in baking.
Coconuts are one of those foods that oscillate between the ‘good’ food and ‘bad’ food camps. Coconut milk, especially the lower fat variety, can be used in moderation (1-2 times per week).
Coconuts contain significant amounts of fat, but unlike other nuts, they provide fat that is mostly in the form of medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) in particular, one called lauric acid. Lauric acid is converted in the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin, an antiviral and antibacterial that destroys a wide variety of disease causing organisms. It is therefore now thought that consumption of coconut milk may help protect the body from infections and viruses.
COCOA POWDER
Comes from cocoa beans, which are produced by the cacao tree, which is farmed in many tropical countries. The beans are processed into chocolate liquor, most of the fat is removed, and the remaining paste is dried and powdered.
Cocoa powder contains 12 grams of total fat in one cup, 7 grams of which are saturated fat, 4 grams are mono-unsaturated fat, and a remaining fraction is poly-unsaturated fat. Cocoa powder has 17 grams of protein in one cup and 50 grams of carbohydrates. When the fat content is figured in, there are 196 calories in a cup of cocoa powder. Fiber amounts to 27 grams, with only about a gram of sugar in one cup. Cocoa powder has no added sugar, so it can be useful to get chocolate flavor, without all the calories and fat in other forms of chocolate.
Thanks for watching!
Sources:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com
http://www.livestrong.com
