I think it’s time for a quick update of my healthy drinks series. I picked bananas for today, and I have added a delicious fruit drink recipe that’s great against hangovers. I have also included a banana anti-aging mask for you ladies.

I have already covered the following healthy fruit drinks:

• Mango Fruit Shake
• Blueberry Anti Aging Drink
• Pineapple Natural Fruit Shake
• Grapefruit Shake & Hemingway Daiquiri Recipe
• Spicy Natural Fruit Shake with Mango, Peach & Banana
• Bunny’s Zucclinger - Healthy Fruit Drink with Zucchini, Limeaid, & Ginger

The Healthy Banana

Bananas are a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamins A, B (folic acid), E, and F. Plus, bananas contain no fat at all, and no cholesterol or sodium. So many vitamins and minerals are packed into this tasty and nutritious fruit (nutrition information).

The yellow fruit can help overcome or prevent a number of illnesses and conditions:

• Bananas neutralize stomach acid, which helps against ulcers
• Bananas have a high level of iron and help build up hemoglobin, which helps with anemia
• Bananas are natural antacids, which help against heartburn
• The fibers contained in a banana can help against constipation
• The vitamin B in a banana helps calm you down if you suffer from nervousness

The banana contains three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose. So if you have a weight problem, eat more bananas! The natural sugars will raise your blood sugar level, which will reduce your food craving.

Forget the pain pills when Aunt Flo comes to visit. It is filled with vitamin B6, which regulates blood glucose levels. These can affect your mood. The banana also has a high level of potassium - a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.

Anther great fact about this fruit is, it also contains 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. So this is very good for those who have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Bananas also tend to make us more alert.

A Quick Natural Hangover Fruit Shake Recipe

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Here’s the very simple banana fruit shake recipe:

• 1 large, ripe banana
• 1 1/2 cups milk (soy or regular)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, diced

Shake it all up. You can leave the ginger out of you don’t like it, but I would definitely give it a try. Drink slowly, allowing your body to absorb the shake.

Adjust the amount of milk to make the shake thicker or thinner, depending on your preference. You might want to try having a room temperature shake and take it easy on your upset tummy, or you can make a frozen version by keeping frozen bananas, still in their skins, wrapped in plastic, available.

Bananas & Healthy Skin

Banana has also become very useful for skin care, since it contains the vitamins A and E, which improve the quality of your skin. Besides, it also has anti-aging properties. This is how you can make an anti-aging mask with bananas:

Banana Anti-Aging Mask

• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1/4 cup of yogurt

Mash up the banana with a fork, then add yogurt and honey into the mixture. Stir well. Wash your face thoroughly before applying the banana anti-aging mask all over your face and neck. Let it stay on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing off with water.

How’s this for a healthier living style? Also, I’m curious about your results when you’ll try the banana hangover fruit shake. Tell me how it worked out