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It's Just Half A Banana... Right?

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collegefbfan
collegefbfan Posts: 346 Member
in Social Groups
Before keto diet I was mixing my morning protein shake with half a frozen banana. It gave the shake some chill and great texture and flavor. Since I have been on the keto diet, I have eaten no fruits. Would half a banana a day be that bad? I usually eat less than 20 carbs a day. Many thanks again peeps...

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  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
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    It's not an answer to your question (I can't eat bananas so have no experience to add), but avocados make a decent smoothie base. They have a fair amount of carbs, but mostly fiber. It might be less of a blood sugar hit than a banana.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
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    I agree with cheesy, freeze some avocado you only need a little for some good creaminess. But if you want half a banana go for or, though not having fructose for so long your tummy may revolt.
  • karebear5891
    karebear5891 Posts: 141 Member
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    Everybody is different, but as suggested by other people, if you try the avocado and like it, then why use the banana? A lot of times, the "it's only" way of thinking leads down a bad road. Either way, for this way of eating, unnecessary sugars could stifle your body's ability to burn fat and heal itself the way you want it to. But every body is different and only you can manipulate your diet to figure out what you can do and still get healthy. For me, I have to stay away from
    all sugars except for in green leafy veggies. Fruits are too much for me, bc my body is severely resistant to losing weight.
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
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    No cells can use fructose as energy (like alcohol ethanol) So depending on sucrose content, using fruits as preworkout is mainly a placebo effect. Only the liver can handle fructose...by converting it to glycogen or fat. If you want a banana, have it, but try make conscious choices. I agree with Stephie that a frozen avocado is probably a good substitute for the banana.

    Ultimately it's IIFYM according to your goals and what you're trying to achieve. There's no keto police here :)
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    If you fit can fit it into your daily carb allowance, doesn't you cause any negative effect and you like it, eat it.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    kpk54 wrote: »
    If you fit can fit it into your daily carb allowance, doesn't you cause any negative effect and you like it, eat it.

    Yep! Weigh it, log it, and realize it may limit your food choices for later in the day (in terms of carb count).
  • supergal3
    supergal3 Posts: 523 Member
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    Personally, I use a hand full of frozen berries in my smoothie (less carbs than 1/2 bananna) however, I think kirkor hit it on the head.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    Yep, I agree with kpk54 and kirkor. It's worth experimenting with but I also might try the frozen avocado or frozen berries. I do basically follow IIFYM within keto/LCHF range so I don't see any food as off-limits but I try to note how individual foods affect me. Some aren't worth it, trigger carb cravings, etc., so I note that and choose differently in the future.
  • CanGirl40
    CanGirl40 Posts: 379 Member
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    I recently have been using a quarter of a banana (keep them chopped in quarters in my freezer) and even just that little bit was great!
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    I suppose you do also need to take into account your low carb/keto WHY.

    What I mean is, if your sole goal is weight loss, then you can get away with a more IIFYM approach

    but if your goal is for something like diabetes management or pain control, then ANY banana no matter how little, probably isn't going to fit into that goal.

    For me it is about mood stability and pain control, so I stick to very strict keto. I couldn't do half a banana or even a quarter.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I like this article about IIFYM with regard to Keto:

    If It Fits Your Macros.

    It's liable to offend, but it's still worth the read.

    Edit: This one is also very good:

    Is it Keto or Not?

    Keto is a very specific thing, that is easy to get muddled up, so for me this particular article was helpful.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    We are however talking about a half of a banana versus a Snickers bar.

    That said, The two articles you posted @Phrick are excellent reads IMO. Thank you for sharing.
  • daylitemag
    daylitemag Posts: 604 Member
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    Depends one what you are hoping to accomplish with LCHF. If you are diabetic then that's different than simply losing weight. I'm just about at my goal weight and have been adding in more fruit to my diet. I have no concerns that fruit will cause me to start gaining weight. It wasn't apples that got me to 300lbs. LOL
  • collegefbfan
    collegefbfan Posts: 346 Member
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    True to all of those posts. Thanks. Not diabetic. The half a banana just added a good chill and extra creaminess to the shake. Not a make or break deal. I am not so sure I can think of something green, avocado, in my chocolate breakfast shake.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
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    collegefbfan wrote: »
    True to all of those posts. Thanks. Not diabetic. The half a banana just added a good chill and extra creaminess to the shake. Not a make or break deal. I am not so sure I can think of something green, avocado, in my chocolate breakfast shake.

    You likely wouldn't even notice it especially if you're only using a small amount it'll just blend right in.

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