If you're interested in hacking your gut microbiome, introducing more resistant starch into your diet is a great first step.This type of starch feeds the beneficial bacteria residing in the microbiome and gets transformed into energy boosting and anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Whilst starchy foods such as white rice and potatoes contain very little/if any resistant starch- green bananas happen to contain nearly 9 grams per 100g, which is more than half the recommended intake of 20 grams per day! This article is a must-read if you're wanting to gain more knowledge about this powerful ingredient and provides you with a recipe for the ultimate green banana and vegan "ice-cream".

Contents:

What are Green Bananas Key Benefits of Green Bananas About its Ingredients The Ultimate Green Banana "Ice-Cream" Final Thoughts on Green Bananas

What are Green Bananas

During the ripening process, bananas lose their concentration of resistant starch as they slowly get converted into simple sugars (glucose, sucrose, and fructose). However, green bananas are the unripe form and maintain a high concentration of up to 70-80% of resistant starch. This valuable source of starch acts as a prebiotic and encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut, helping to heal and seal its lining. Green bananas also contain another type of dietary fibre called pectin. This form of fibre is broken down by enzymes as bananas begin to ripen and plays a role in monitoring cholesterol levels, blood glucose levels and improving digestive health.

Key Benefits of Green Bananas

As mentioned earlier, resistant starch and pectin are fantastic sources of dietary fibre, which is also responsible for aiding in food absorption and digestion in the small intestine and promoting a sense of satiety or fullness. Additional health benefits associated with green bananas include:

• Boosting the absorption of nutrients.
• Feeding beneficial bacteria in the large intestine.
• Regulating blood sugar levels and reducing insulin resistance from inflammation.
• Stimulating fat burning and glycogen storage.
• Supporting intestinal barrier function (i.e. eases symptoms of leaky gut) and the healthy secretion of hormones and enzymes in the gut.

About its Ingredients

When we think of ice-cream we picture a creamy product made with milk, heavy cream, and buckets of sugar. Here's the deal though- if you freeze a banana and blend it, you'll be surprised to find a creamy-like consistency which mimics that of ice-cream. Add to that the flavours of peanuts, cacao and coconut and you've left with the richness, flavour, and creaminess of the real thing. What's more? There is no churning or ice-cream machine necessary! All you need is a blender or food processor and a lazy 2 minutes for preparation time. The most difficult thing about this recipe is having to wait for your beloved ice-cream to set! And if that's too long? I guess you could always have it as is (can confirm it's delicious and tastes just like chocolate mousse). Not only does this recipe provide you with an abundance of resistance starch, we've also contributed to its high nutritional value by adding coconut, which is a valuable source of healthy fats, dietary fibre, iron and valuable minerals. On top of this, the addition of peanuts and almonds promote a healthy and happy gut due to their high levels of fibre, as well as their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Interestingly, a study conducted over a 6-week period found that just two handfuls of almonds per day led to significant improvements in the growth of beneficial strains of gut bacteria.

The Ultimate Green Banana "Ice-Cream"

✓ Vegan ✓ Gluten-free ✓ Refined-sugar free ✓ Dairy-free What you'll need:

• 1 banana, frozen and chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 scoop Fermented Happy Fibre
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (plus extra for top)
• 2 tbsp all-natural peanut or almond butter
• 1 tbsp Certified Organic cacao powder
• Slivered almonds/raw nut of choice (for topping)

Steps:

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and blitz until smooth and well combined (making sure to scrape edges of bowl as you go).
2. Scoop mixture into a freeze-proof container and freeze for an hour or so.
3. Transfer into a ramekin and top with extra coconut and nuts. ENJOY!

*Serves 1- Simply double the mixture for an additional serve.

Final Thoughts on Green Bananas

Whilst bananas in general are highly nutritious and contain essential vitamins and minerals, green bananas offer unique health benefits that may make them a more preferable choice for individuals wanting to address certain health conditions. To keep up with the recommended daily intake of 20g of resistant starch, we developed Fermented Happy Fibre which contains the ONE ingredient: 100% Certified Organic Green Lady Finger Bananas grown in tropical North Queensland, Australia.