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#030: 

12 Astounding Reasons to Eat More 

Bananas Every Single Day  

January 20, 2014 

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Introduction 

 

● The 5 am Miracle - Episode #30: 12 Astounding 

Reasons to Eat More Bananas Every Single Day 

 

[Intro Song] 

 

● Good morning and welcome to the 30th episode of 

The 5 AM Miracle. 

● I am Jeff Sanders and this is THE podcast dedicated 

to dominating your day before breakfast. 

● My goal is to help you bounce out of bed with 

enthusiasm, create powerful lifelong habits, and 

tackle your grandest goals with extraordinary 

energy. 

 

● In today's episode I share a dozen compelling reasons 

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why you should consider eating many, many more 

bananas! 

 

● But first, let’s begin with the Tip of the Week! 

 

[Musical Interlude] 

 

● This week’s tip is all about vitamins and 

supplements. 

 

● Two months ago I received a question from a podcast 

listener who also just happens to be my former boss. 

● After college I moved to Boston and worked at an 

Apple Retail Store. 

● My favorite boss at Apple was Miss Nancy 

Sponpinato, and she has kept in touch with me since 

then. 

● Nancy sent me a great question two months ago. 

● Yes, my response is a little late, but I thought 

today’s topic about bananas would compliment this 

Tip of the Week nicely. 

 

● And before we get started: here is my lovely 

disclaimer: 

● I am not a doctor or a licensed health practitioner. 

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● My advice here is just my advice, based on my own 

experience and personal research. 

● If any topic here interests or concerns you, please 

consult a physician you trust before you try 

anthing I recommend. 

 

● For many people, multivitamins, supplements, 

medications, protein powders, or gummy 

Flintstones chewables are a very regular part of 

their morning routine.  

● In fact, on my personal Daily Rituals spreadsheet, taking my morning supplements is the 3rd item on 

the list, just after waking up at 5 am and feeding my 

dog Benny. 

● I also just wrote a blog post last week about my 

Daily Rituals, which you can find at 

JeffSanders.com/dailyrituals 

 

● For many years I never took any vitamins or 

supplements, mostly because I didn’t care about 

my personal health. 

● I like to refer to this season of my life as “the 

trashcan years,” which spanned from ages 16 to 23. 

● During high school and college I treated my body like 

a trash can, eating and drinking everything I could 

find without any regard to the consequences. 

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● After college I sporadically took multivitamins but 

never saw any direct benefit, so I stopped. 

● Then, at age 25, I stumbled into a season of life I 

now refer to as my “natural health transformation,” 

where I took my health very seriously, transitioning 

to a raw vegan diet and beginning a daily regimen of 

Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 supplements. 

● During my research into natural health and vegan 

diets it became very apparent that B12 would 

become a necessary supplement for me. 

● And yes, if you are on a plant-based diet that 

involves little or no animal products, you likely will 

need a B12 supplement too. 

● You can read more about my take on B12 at 

JeffSanders.com/B12. ● The best way to find out if this applies to you is to 

get a Vitamin Panel through a test of your blood. 

 

● This is what I did a few years ago. 

● I went to see a Naturopathic Physician who took a 

sample of my blood and tested it for various levels of 

different vitamins. 

● At the time I was in middle of training for my third 

marathon and had recently moved to a mostly raw 

diet, so I thought my blood work would be 

spectacular. 

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● Yeah, not quite. 

● It was good, but definitely not perfect. 

● I was very surprised to see that my B12 and Vitamin 

D levels were dangerously low. 

● Low Vitamin D levels weren’t too surprising because 

it was the middle of winter, but my doctor even said 

my results were much lower than they should be. 

● So, I started a powerful Vitamin D supplement that 

very day. 

 

● The low B12 levels shocked me because I had been 

taking a daily B12 supplement for over a year. 

● What I learned was that it’s not the amount or 

quantity of the vitamins you take, but what matters 

is how much your body absorbs and utilizes. 

● In other words, I was taking a large B12 dose every 

day through a chewable pill and my body was 

ignoring it completely. 

● I was effectively paying for very expensive urine. 

● This wasn’t the news I was hoping for. 

● So, my doctor set me up with weekly B12 injections 

until my levels returned to normal. 

● Within a month I was good to go. 

● Since then I have switched to liquid and sublingual 

supplements. 

● Sublingual means below the tongue. 

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● So, in order to improve absorption and ensure I am 

not wasting money on useless vitamins, I place the 

supplement under my tongue and wait for my body 

to absorb it. 

● Ideally, I would go back to the doctor every year and 

check my vitamin levels. 

● But, to be honest, I have neglected my annual 

checkups, mostly because testing blood for Vitamin 

levels is very expensive. 

● My insurance doesn’t cover the vitamin panel, so I 

have to pay hundreds of dollars to see how I’m 

doing. 

● I’m a bit stubborn and cheap, so I haven’t done this 

yet, but it is on my to-do list. 

 

What Vitamins Should You Take? 

● I wish I could just give you a short list and say, “Take 

these, you’ll be great!” 

● But, it’s never that simple. 

● However, I do have a few recommendations and I 

think you will find these useful: 

 

#1: Find a doctor you trust 

● When I first began my Natural Health Transformation 

I learned very quickly that the doctor I trust most is 

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me. 

● Even though I make mistakes, there is no other 

doctor on the planet who cares more about my 

health than I do. 

● So, my absolute best advice is to take your health 

into your own hands. 

● Do not trust any single doctor or health guru 

outright. 

● I went through a funny phase after college where I 

had to see 4 different doctors to get an accurate 

diagnosis of dry skin. 

● 4 doctors! 

● The first 3 gave me wild opinions that varied from 

herpes to possible skin cancer. 

● It’s funny to retell the story now, but at the time I 

was pretty freaked out. 

 

#2: Get Your Blood Tested 

● I know I said it was expensive, but depending on 

where you live and what coverage you have, you 

may not need to pay nearly as much as I did. 

● The only way you will know for sure where you stand 

is to get the information and see it in writing. 

● Like I said, I was pretty shocked by my own results 

and I really thought I was healthy at the time. 

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● So, get your blood tested soon. 

 

#3: The Best Supplements are Not Pills 

● Nancy, this should answer your question about 

gummy vitamins. 

● If you are paying for supplements now that aren’t 

doing anything, you can save yourself a lot of money 

and stop taking so many useless pills. 

● The form that the vitamins come in matters a lot, 

whether it be pills, chewables, injections, gummies, 

drinks, or powders. 

● If your body absorbs gummies really well, then 

gummies are great. 

● If gummies taste good and are cheap, but your body 

can’t use the nutrition, then it’s not working and 

you will need to find a replacement. 

● Don’t get caught up on choosing a chewable versus a 

gummy. 

● For most people, directly injecting the supplements 

is most effective and liquid or sublinguals are a close 

second. 

● But, the only way you will know for sure is to get 

your blood tested and see if what you are doing is 

working. 

 

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#4: The Best Supplements are Not 

Supplements 

● The best nutrition almost always comes directly from 

food. 

● I say almost always because I don’t like making 

absolute statements, only to be proved wrong later. 

● But, in my opinion, nutrition should be the first line 

of defense and the best way to keep yourself 

healthy. 

● It’s amazing how many people take supplements for 

vitamins and minerals that are found in very 

common fruits and vegetables. 

● Most often, the best form of treatment is to make a 

smoothie for breakfast and eat a big salad for 

dinner. 

● That solution has worked wonders for me and I’m 

sure it can help you as well. 

 

● Now let’s jump into Today’s Feature Segment! 

 

[Musical Interlude] 

 

● The title of my website just a year ago was “Jeff 

Sanders Runs on Bananas” 

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● At the time, I was planning on blogging about health 

and fitness fulltime, with a strong focus on raw 

vegan athletics. 

● The direction of my site has changed a bit since 

then, but my passion for healthy fruits and veggies 

has only increased! 

 

● If you are listening to this podcast you have likely 

read the first paragraph of the about page of 

JeffSanders.com. 

● It reads: “Hey there! I’m Jeff – a lifestyle 

management author and coach, personal 

development junky, host of The 5 AM Miracle 

Podcast, avid marathon runner, and passionate raw 

vegan. I eat a lot of bananas . . . no really, a lot. 

Like 15 a day – sometimes more.” 

 

● Yes, it’s true. I do eat my fair share of bananas. 

● In fact, over the last 4 months, the most popular 

blog post on my site, has been “How to Eat 30 

Bananas a Day,” which you can read at 

JeffSanders.com/bananas. ● Apparently many other people are also interested in 

consuming huge numbers of bananas like I am! 

● Also, you may have noticed that I waited until 

episode 30 of the podcast to discuss bananas. 

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● I thought it would make for great timing! 

 

● In the summer and autumn months I eat around 

20-25 bananas per day while I’m training for 

marathons. 

● The rest of the year I average around 10 per day. 

 

● Every now and then I wonder how I’m able to 

continually eat so many bananas. 

● I never get tired of them. 

● Even if I am craving a pizza or tacos, if the only food 

I have is bananas, I’m totally happy. 

● Bananas satisfy my cravings, fill me up, and make 

me smile! 

● One of my favorite experiences every week is 

shopping for bananas -- not for the joy of picking out 

2-3 dozen at a time -- but for the looks on the faces 

of the employees at Whole Foods. 

● Inevitably, they always ask me if I’m making banana 

bread or feeding a pet monkey. 

● Sometimes they ask if I’m making smoothies, or if all 

these bananas are for just one person. 

● After I tell them I just eat them -- they seem 

confused and a little shocked. 

● How can one man eat so many bananas? 

● Is that healthy? 

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● Won’t you turn into a potassium pumpkin? 

● Won’t your blood sugar spike, causing premature 

diabetes? 

● Is he telling the truth? 

 

● I distinctly remember a Christmas vacation when I 

traveled back to Missouri and the family was sitting 

around a big table playing cards and eating dessert. 

● I quietly sat at the end of the table eating 7 

bananas.  

● I stacked the peels on the table as I ate them and 

then my Aunt Janet noticed the pile of peels and her 

jaw dropped. 

● This started a lively conversation about my habits 

and it seemed that most of my family was convinced 

I had finally lost all sanity. 

 

● The reality is that bananas are not only good for you, 

they may be one of the absolute best foods you 

could possibly eat. 

● I know that’s a bold statement, so let me back it up 

with 12 Astounding Reasons to 

Eat More Bananas Every Single 

Day! 

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#1: Bananas Taste Great! 

● If you love sugar, and I’m sure you do, it’s hard not 

to love the taste of a banana. 

● I’m not a big fan of banana flavoring, but an actual 

banana seems to always hit the spot! 

● Bananas are also great in just about every smoothie 

recipe because the banana flavor compliments many 

other fruits and the texture is great too. 

 

#2: Very Affordable! 

● This was one of the first reasons I jumped on the 

banana bandwagon. 

● It’s amazing to me that even organic bananas are 

inexpensive. 

● I can buy 3 dozen bananas for under $20 and I can 

usually find cheaper ones if I shop around. 

● Don’t let price deter you from enjoying one of 

nature’s most amazing fruits. 

 

#3: Easy to Find Year Round 

● Thanks to the tropical climate that bananas thrive 

in, you can usually find affordable and ripe bananas 

all year. 

● This may vary depending on where you live and how 

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far the bananas have to travel to get to you, but at 

least in the US you can find bananas everywhere. 

 

#4: Plenty of Healthy Fiber 

● Bananas are full of fiber, which is awesome for your 

digestive health. 

● If you experience stomach cramps, bloating, gas, 

constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, 

ulcers, or any other nagging digestive issue, try 

dramatically increasing your intake of bananas and 

see what happens. 

● I used to have a bunch of digestive problems before I 

changed my diet. 

● Bananas were a huge part of the solution then, and 

they play a central role in my ongoing health as well. 

 

#5: Instant, Sustained and Substantial 

Boost of Energy 

● The sugar and the fiber work together to slowly 

release energy, which makes bananas great for 

snacking on throughout the work day. 

● There’s no doubt that I have more energy, and more 

consistent energy every day thanks to eating plenty 

of bananas all day long, and not just for breakfast. 

 

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#6: Easy to Digest 

● One of the first benefits I noticed after I switched to 

a plant-based diet was that my heartburn and 

indigestion disappeared. 

● Since I was eating a ton of bananas, I noticed that 

digestion had become a non-issue. 

● It’s amazing how simple it is to digest a banana 

because it’s texture is so smooth and soft, which 

makes it great to eat when you have an upset 

stomach. 

 

#7: Low in Fat 

● Bananas have less than 3% fat, which is remarkable 

when you compare it to other snack foods, candy 

bars, or even other health foods that have 10-20x 

more fat content. 

● If you are nervous about gaining weight by eating so 

many bananas, don’t break a sweat. 

● Bananas played a key role in my weight loss plan a 

few years ago and they continue to help me stabilize 

my weight whether I am training for a marathon, 

lifting weights, or slacking off and not working out at 

all.  

 

#8: Bananas are Filling 

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● The average banana has around 100 calories, which 

is why you can eat 6 or 7 at a time and call it a 

meal. 

● I have a high metabolism because I exercise 

frequently, and I have conditioned myself to eat 

more fruit than the average person, so bananas 

don’t keep me as full as long as they used to.  

● But, when you are first starting out, you will notice 

that your stomach will likely fill up after 2 or 3 

bananas. 

● If this is the case for you right now, I recommend 

using bananas in your breakfast smoothie and 

definitely take a bundle with you to work or school 

every day.  

 

#9: Great for Athletes 

● Ask any marathon runner what their favorite food is 

for training and race day and you are likely to here 

bananas. 

● The high levels of sugar and potassium make bananas 

perfect for long distance running. 

● I also eat 3-4 bananas in the morning before lifting 

weights to give me an extra boost. 

● So, if you are an athlete or you’re working through 

an exercise plan, I highly recommend you make 

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bananas a staple in your daily diet. 

 

#10: Bananas are Easy to Transport 

● Unlike other fruits, like strawberries, oranges, or 

tomatoes, bananas are easy to carry with you 

wherever you go. 

● They are clean to eat and it’s easy to toss out the 

peels or, better yet, you can compost them. 

● You can verify this next statement with my wife, but 

I always bring three things with me when I leave the 

house: a pen to write with, my Nalgene water 

bottle, and a bunch of bananas. 

● I never want to be somewhere without food, water, 

and something to take notes with. 

 

#11: Bananas Can Help Overcome 

Depression 

● I didn’t know this fact until I looked it up, but this is 

what I found: 

● “Bananas contain tryptophan, the popular 

Thanksgiving protein found in turkey, that the body 

converts into serotonin, which is known to make you 

relax, improve your mood, and generally make you 

feel happier.” 

● I have never personally experienced depression, but 

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I can attest to the fact that bananas do make me 

happy! 

● If I am in a bad mood, I like to exercise, drink a lot 

of water, and eat a few bananas. It works every 

time. 

 

#12: Bananas Regulate Blood Pressure 

and Increase Mental Alertness 

● As I mentioned earlier, bananas are high in 

potassium and low in sodium, which is great for 

athletes, but potassium also protects against high 

blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and strokes. 

● If any of those sound bad, that’s right, I think it 

would be awesome if you ate more bananas! 

● Another benefit of high levels of potassium is 

increased mental alertness. 

● I don’t know the science behind this one, but I can 

say that a simple diet of bananas and water has a 

tremendous effect on my alertness and focus. 

● I normally attribute being alert to hydration, but it 

was also great to read in my research that bananas 

help keep your brain focused and attentive. 

● So, if you are a student or a parent of a student, or 

you would like to increase your alertness at the 

office, bananas and water are now your best friend! 

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Brown Spots are BEST! 

● I have had many conversations about when bananas 

are ripe. 

● Honestly, you can eat a banana whenever you want, 

no matter what color it is or how hard or soft it is, 

but I have a strong preference towards brown spots. 

● When a banana is the sweetest, when it’s the 

softest, when it’s the most nutritious, and when it 

has the most flavor -- that’s when I want to eat my 

bananas -- and that time is when it has been sitting 

out long enough to have a few brown spots. 

● At this stage the banana is fragile, meaning it can 

bruise very easily and turn black overnight. 

● So, the second you have a decent number of brown 

spots, dig in! 

● That’s the ideal time to get the most value out of a 

banana. 

 

Best Resource 

● If you want to know more about eating incredible 

amount of bananas and other raw fruits and veggies, 

I highly recommend Dr. Douglas Graham’s book: 

The 80/10/10 Diet. 

● It’s a great introduction into the world of fruit. 

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● As always, if you have any questions for me, feel 

free to email me: Jeff@JeffSanders.com or submit a 

voice message for me to answer here on the 

podcast: JeffSanders.com/podcastquestion. ● I am happy to answer any question you have about 

any topic, so don't hold back! 

 

[Fade In Music] 

 

Announcements 

 

● Just 2 quick announcements here at the end of 

this episode. 

 

● First, if you have not yet joined The 5 am Club, you 

can easily do so today for free. 

● When you join the club you will get a free copy of 

The 5 AM Miracle eBook, which shows you exactly 

how to wake up each morning with vigor and make 

enormous progress on your biggest goals. 

● To join The 5 AM Club AND jump start your morning - 

visit 5amMiracle.com.  

● My 2nd announcement is that for my next podcast 

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episode I will share Why 25-Year Plans Don’t Work 

and How You can Prepare Now for Your Unknown 

Future.  

Final Thoughts 

 

● Also, I would be grateful if you would rate my 

podcast in iTunes with a full 5 stars. 

● That helps tremendously with keeping my podcast 

visible so that people who have never heard of it can 

discover it. 

● Just head on over to JeffSanders.com/itunes 

 

● Also, if you would like to see all of the resources I 

mentioned in this show, please visit the show notes 

page at JeffSanders.com/30, as in Episode 30. 

 

● Well, that's it for this episode of The 5 AM Miracle. 

● Until next time remember, you have the power to 

change your life, and the fun begins bright and 

early. 

 

[Fade Out Music]