Banana is a very popular fruit in Vietnam and you can buy it at a cheap price in the market. Banana is a healthy and nutritious food that is widely consumed by professional gym-goers and weight loss trainers.
Bananas are rich in fiber, vitamin B, and potassium, which help boost metabolism and burn excess fat.
Why can bananas help you lose weight?
Bananas increase the body’s basic metabolic rate: Bananas are rich in vitamin B1, B2, and B6, which support the basic metabolic process. Increased metabolism leads to better calorie burning, allowing you to reduce accumulated fat and enhance metabolism.
Bananas are low in calories and have a low glycemic index (GI): Despite their sweet taste, bananas do not belong to the high glycemic index group of fruits. The natural sugar in bananas has a GI index of around 47 (foods with a GI value below 55 are considered low GI foods). Consuming low GI foods helps maintain a slow and steady increase in blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people with diabetes if consumed in a reasonable and scientific manner.
Eating bananas also helps you feel full for a longer period of time, reducing your overall calorie intake and helping to reduce fat accumulation. Some types of bananas contain about 90-100 calories, while a cup of rice weighing 150 grams contains about 252 calories. Therefore, replacing rice with bananas in a balanced meal can reduce your calorie intake.
Bananas are rich in fiber: Bananas contain a significant amount of fiber, with each banana containing about 2-3 grams of fiber. Fiber helps create a feeling of fullness, supports slow blood sugar increase, and promotes the bowel movement process in the body.
Optimal times to eat bananas for weight loss
Many experts and trainers recommend consuming bananas at two specific times: in the morning and in the evening. Eating bananas in the morning allows you to take advantage of the abundant enzymes in bananas to eliminate and detoxify accumulated toxins in the body. The enzymes in bananas pass through our stomach after 10 to 20 minutes, providing an energy boost.
Eating bananas in the evening can help enhance metabolism due to the presence of “arginine” in bananas, which can convert fat in the body into energy.
The hours between 10 PM and 2 AM are when the body secretes the strongest growth hormone, which can promote fat burning. Therefore, eating bananas in the evening can stimulate the secretion of growth hormones, making it easier to burn fat and prevent fat accumulation.
How to consume bananas for weight loss
It is recommended to eat a banana before a meal to reduce the amount of carbohydrate-rich food consumed, rather than adding bananas on top of your normal diet, which may cause weight gain.
When eating a banana, it is advisable to chew it thoroughly. Chewing the banana well helps generate enough saliva, improves digestion, and creates a greater sense of fullness.
After eating a banana, it is important to rinse your mouth with water, preferably filtered water without consuming sugary drinks.