12 Incredible Uses For Leftover Peels!
If you’re concerned about the planet and really want to do your part in helping
the environment then you may want to hold onto your peels.
Peels?
Yes, banana peels.
The goal of this blog is to find the best alternative methods (food & exercise)
to keep you hale and hearty, so naturally, using all parts of the fruit and vegetable
is recommended.
Most of us feel we’re doing our part for the environment by throwing peels
into our backyard compost pile, but no- from this point on, we would like
you start using your peels for more than just compost nourishment and use them
to…
a) Natural Teeth Whitener-
Some teeth whiteners are expensive and may harm your teeth after long term use,
so it’s best to use something all-natural and inexpensive and that is the banana peel.
After eating a banana, put it aside and after brushing, use a small part of the
inside peel, (the white side) on your teeth for 2 to 3 mins.
Banana peels contain minerals like magnesium, potassium and manganese, and
all 3 nutrients minimize stains on the teeth without damaging the enamel.
You should see results after 2 weeks of using.
b) Youthful Beauty-
If you’re starting to see small lines around your eyes and upper lip, try the banana
peel facial first. Compounds in banana peels have been shown to increase collagen
production, which can help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Plus,
the textured peel can gently slough off dead, dry skin.
If you only see the beginning signs of fine lines, rub the inside of a banana peel
onto the skin for 1 minutes, then leave it on the face for 15 mins. After that, use
warm water, your regular cleanser and then moisturize as usual.
For deep wrinkles, you can scrape off about a spoonful (or two) of the white insides,
place in a small pot, along with 1/4 cup of milk and simmer for few mins.
Turn off the stove, let cool, remove any excess milk, and then lie back
and place the banana residue on the parts of your face and neck that really show
signs of aging. After that, rinse off the facial with warm water, use your regular
cleanser or soap and then moisturize. To see results, you may have to do this 2
to 3 times a week, and then once a week for maintenance.
c) Create A Backyard Utopia-
This simply means attract butterflies to your backyard.
To do: Place a few banana peels near your water fountain or by a tree stump and
let the magic happen. The peels contain sugar, which the winged creatures love,
and they’ll flock to your yard for a smell and taste of the yellow peel.
d) Natural Bug Spray-
Concerned about using chemically-laden bug sprays?
Well, put those fears aside, and either pack bananas on your outings, or save
some peels and bring them with you. For fast relief- rub the inside of a peel
on the mosquito or flea-bitten area. The peels are full of polysaccharides, which
sink into cells and soothe inflammation.
e) Help For Your Furry Friend-
If your precious “fur baby” keeps licking his or her paws it may be a wart,
and if it is a wart, rub the inside of a banana peel over each of the warts for
a few mins. each day. Plant compounds in the peel will help kill the virus
that causes warts.
Important tip: If the wart is still around after 2 weeks, or if they disappear
and then reappear, head to the vet, as warts can be contagious to other dogs.
g) Meat Tenderizer-
You use a small hammer to pound out that steak or chicken or
you slather some plain yogurt on London Broil to make it tender,
but you may also want to use banana peels.
To do: When cooking chicken or a steak, lay a banana peel (inside peel) on top
the steak or chicken breast and cook as usual. The peel will act like a skin
and lock in the meat’s juices without changing the flavor.
h) Rock-Hard Avocados-
You planned on making guacamole for “girl’s night out” but then you realize that
avocado you bought a week ago is still rock hard. To speed up the process of getting
that avocado to soften, is to place that avocado (or two) inside of a small brown
lunch bag, along with a banana peel or two. The peel will release ethylene, the gas
that triggers ripening in fruit, so your avocado will be ready come game time
or girl time. Works in 1 or 2 days.
i) Clean Shoes-
You ran out of shoe shine polish and you want to get your shoes or your son’s shoes
military like clean for church, no problem, just rub a peel (white side) on the shoes and
then remove the peel off with a clean rag.
j) Fix Boo-Boos-
Your little ones have been outside playing and now one of them has a splinter,
before reaching for a safety pin, try this: Cut a section of a banana peel into a small
square, place it over the wound, (white side of the peel) secure it with a piece of tape,
leave on for 30 mins. Enzymes in the peel will soften skin, allowing the splinter to come
to the surface and all you have to do is grab a pair of tweezers and remove it.
Important tip: If a banana peel isn’t available, you can also use a small piece of bacon to
remove the splinter.
k) Remove The Pests-
If small bugs are chewing up your rose leaves or other plant leaves and you want
something natural to get rid of them, try banana peels.
To do: Cut up 2 to 4 peels, then dig a 1″ deep hole in the ground at the base of your
plants and place the peels inside. Peels contain a chemical that aphids detect as a
warning sign of danger, so they’ll stay away.
l) Natural Insomnia Relief-
If you have trouble sleeping in the winter or in the dog days of July, you may
want to reach for banana tea and not something prescribed by your doctor.
Banana peels contain magnesium and potassium, two nutrients that
relax muscles, and help you get to sleep fast.
To make: Cut off both ends of one washed banana, (the whole banana)
place in a medium-sized saucepan and let gently boil for 7 to 10 mins.
(Boiling this long sterilizes it). After that, strain into a mug, add some dark
honey and drink warm or leave in the refrigerator overnight for Iced-banana tea and
drink the next evening.
Tip No. 2-
It’s rumored that in some parts of China, doctors give this tea to patients that
are suffering from mild forms of depression, and if this describes you, you may
want to try this an alternative to doctor-prescribed meds.
You may also want to eat more fish- salmon, sardines, get some exercise (about
30 mins. a day) give up or eat occasionally white foods (breads, pasta, pizza,)
sugary foods and overly processed foods and lastly, interact with more people,
and see if your blue and dark moods become distant memories.
m) Headache Relief-
Believe it or not, some people swear that when a headaches strikes, before reaching
for aspirin, try the banana peel first. To do: Place a banana peel (white side) over your
forehead and a banana peel on the top part of the back of the head, secure both peels
with a long string or a long piece of masking tape. Leave on for 15 to 20 mins, and
then remove. Bananas are rich in potassium, and if it (the headache) is caused by
too much salt in your system, the potassium will draw it out.
Thar’s it- 12 tips for becoming “real conservationists” and using up all of the banana
peel. You may also want to go back to some of our past posts and read how peels
from citrus fruits can also benefit your health, reduce cholesterol levels,
work like natural sunscreen and stop constant dizziness.
The post: The Healing Benefits of Winter Citrus Fruits.
Sources:
* The Farmer’s Almanac
* Birds & Bloom, Magazine
* Home & Garden Magazine
* Journal of Alternative Medicine
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