I eat a banana almost every morning. When I have a tummy ache or sore muscles I generally reach for one, so easy on the stomach and packed full of potassium for the muscles. But just recently while studying nutrition and the healing properties of foods I learned why you should not be throwing the peel away…and how great bananas are for sleep. Throw out the sleeping pills and hold onto your banana peels – I’ve got a great tip for you: (you’ll love this!)
Banana Cinnamon Sleepy Tea in 3 easy steps!
Did you know that bananas – those silly looking yummy fruits – can help you sleep? Yep, not only do they contain lots of potassium, which soothes sore muscles and helps build strength and elasticity, they’re also chocked full of magnesium. Magnesium is beneficial for the nervous system and one of the most important minerals for muscle relaxation. Potassium and magnesium combined can reduce muscle cramps along with other aches and pains.
When you are stressed, guess which mineral is depleted from the body first? Magnesium – you need magnesium to cope with stress, allowing you to relax and fall asleep. Sleep is extremely important, and there’s no arguing that. When you are deprived of sleep, you lose out on what your body can do to function optimally. Your cognitive thinking skills are impaired, your motor skills decline, your energy drops, and you’re at even more risk for diseases and health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cancer.
Many different factors, both external and internal, can influence your brain, hormones and nervous system which can offset your sleep or deprive us of quality sleep. You need a full night’s sleep. You’ll feel better, function better and prevent disease by getting, at least, eight hours of sleep each night. You do not want the side effects that sleeping pills offer, so what can you do? Enter banana cinnamon tea.
Make a delicous cup of tea to enjoy before bedtime using what you’d normally throw out – the peel. The banana peel has even more potassium and magnesium than the banana itself and it is often thrown away as trash. Not anymore! In this recipe we’ll also use cinnamon to sweeten the flavor and because cinnamon is one of the best ways to balance blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are balanced, your hormones can function in a way that allows for better sleep. If your blood sugar levels are off, then you may have energy at night or be tired during the day. Utilizing the therapeutic value of the banana and cinnamon is a great approach to kicking insomnia and other sleep disorders to the curb — for good.
Banana Cinnamon Tea
1 organic banana (with peel)
1 small pot of water
A sprinkle of cinnamon (if you’d like)
Simply cut off both ends of the banana (top and bottom)
Put the banana into a pot of bowling water and continue to boil for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle some cinnamon into the water as well
Strain tea and enjoy!
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