Why are Bananas Junk Food?

These days I'm finding it harder and harder to write blogposts, so when I do start writing I tend to try and express an opinion without telling the whole story....so here's what I meant when I said that bagels and bananas are junk foods.....

First of all let me say that I noticed that the comment on my last blogpost left by Paul, asked me the question...."why are bananas junk food?" BUT not "why are bagels junk food"! We all know, or should know, the false security of "low calorie", "no fat" bagel....right? (most bagels are around 400 calories btw...that's with nothing on them...like butter, cream cheese jelly, etc...) Remember the 80's when muffins were all the rage? I mean the super big "Rebecca'a Mighty Muffins"? But they're made with bran......doesn't that make them healthy? But what about the false secruity of the harmless "low calorie" banana?

Since I am a former "fat person", I feel I can use the phrase "fat person", and to me, usually, it describes someone that is at least 40-50lbs overweight....(and more, lots more....although I do recognize the "skinny fat", but that's another blogpost) Anyway......most people that are fat really do want to lose weight, that I believe, but..... No one wants to be uncomfortable doing it, so most people try and justify what they already eat as "not that much". In fact, I can't tell you how many times someone asks me for diet advice and then claims that they can't figure out what they are currently eating that's so bad, because they barely eat anything at all! Or, they make the claim "I eat pretty healthy".....what does that mean? Most people overweight in this country today eat very little fresh foods, like veggies, but most never even eat fruit, unless it's a banana!

Without fail, seriously, without fail, put a fat person on a diet, and when given the choice of one fruit a day, guess which fruit they pick? I'll give you a hint...it's not an apple. Stereotyping? Well, whatever...I've heard it enough times to believe it.

To me bananas are the "potato" of fruits.....potatoes are low in calories too, but why do they affect the body differently than most other vegetables? Bananas are super sweet, and super dense, and high in calories, as far as fruits go (so are mangos BTW), I believe bananas can affect our body composition differently than other fruits, similar to how potatoes affect us differently than other veg. But why is this a problem? Because most overweight people already overeat....that's the problem! What keeps them from overeating healthy bananas (and bagels)? Nothing.....they still overeat these foods. I've never met a person who has lost a significant amount of weight eating bananas as their "fruit of choice".

I've made public my own "weightloss menu" as including a yogurt/fruit/fiber shake as my lunch meal. In fact, this shake combination was my daily lunch for at least one year, but I used blueberries as my main fruit. When I did use banana, I never used a whole banana, it was always 1/2 of a banana. If I remember correctly here's the recipe;

1 cup plain yogurt (unflavored, unsweetened, not nonfat, but mostly 2% Fage)

3/4 cup frozen blueberries

2 tbl psyllium fiber

tons, and tons, and tons, of ice

& sometimes the leftover morning coffee....

it was a "treat" to use 1/2 banana!

Bottom line....recognize starchy foods, calorie dense foods, super sweet fruits and veggies (beets, sweet potatoes, etc.), and don't fool yourself into thinking you can overeat these foods and still lose weight. Here's a list of seasonal fruits that are much better choices....

Spring

apricots

cherries

strawberries (if you eat strawberries at any other time of the year, then shame on you)

cherimoya (I've been paying $3.99 lb for these at the market!)

Summer

grapes (my favorite)

berries (this includes blueberries)

figs (moderation)

melons (go hog wild...I do, lol)

nectarines and other stone fruits like,

peaches and

plums

Fall

apples!

asian pears (and all pears....do I see some cheese in the picture?)

persimmons

pomegranates

Winter

citrus

blood oranges
clementines
cranberries
grapefruit
rhubarb
kiwi
passion fruit

Of course I kid around about eating "out of season" fruits.....if you don't mind eating fruits grown and trucked/shipped from other parts ot the world, then knock yourself out! But seriously....for the life of me I really don't understand why, when there are so many food choices in every season....well, maybe not winter, but winter foods are wonderful in their own way....anyone would have to eat strawberries in the Winter, BUT, we do live in modern times, and if it's available, and you have the money, and not the conscience....again. I'm kidding.....