Oops, I Just Made Your New Favorite Banana Bread

plus, if you're an overthinker like me, I've got just the recipe for you inside...

I think so much that even my thoughts are tired of me thinking about them. 

The only way I can describe to you my way, my process, of thinking is best exhibited by what would happen if you were watching a towel being wrung completely dry. When I’m done thinking, there is not a single drop, iota, dot, drip, smidge of water left in that poor, porous material. My thinking runs the well of my cerebrum dry, with even anxiety wondering if there’s room for it to exist (....rest assured, there is). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think…I think too much.

I’m sure a professional might say that my overthinking is some sort of derivative of people please-y anxiety. A byproduct of being an empath. Rumination. That I should meditate. Journal. Check, check. I, in fact, do it all. The biggest fear maintained by my thoughts is that they’ll have a day off. For whatever reason, they absolutely love to be on the clock constantly, even when I decidedly am not. 

anyone else, lol

Flaws. All of them. That’s how I used to view my tendency to overthink, my desire to please others above myself, my propensity to deeply feel or try to anticipate other peoples’ feelings as if they were my own. I have historically chalked up all of these traits as ones that are indiscernible to others but debilitating to me, holding me back from being the strongest, most tenacious, most [insert great, evolved, perfection-seeking adjective here] version of myself. I was wrong, because there’s always perspective when you decide you want to look for it.

I’m not sure why I initially even decided to think of all of these traits as ones that could even be categorized as dichotomous. It’s not “bad” to have qualities that are all rooted in an underlying positive theme. It’s care! It’s deep affection! It’s a desire for belonging. Most of all, it’s love. Perspective.

That’s the foundation. But I will always maintain that there are ways to grow, improve, evolve. Could I, and we, fine tune these? Of course. Are they weaknesses? No. This is my focus now: how can I tend to others, maintain that desire to outwardly express love and care but not at the expense of giving it to myself, too?

I’m going to tell you what I choose to tell myself everyday, which is to accept how I’m feeling in the moment without judging, labeling, or jabbing at my character. What I, we experience in this moment may not last forever, but it’s simply what we are currently dealing with, now. Current reality. Not forever sentence.

Radical acceptance is something I have been working on over the last couple of years – it sounds easy but it’s inherently challenging, as it forces you to look both in the mirror and at your circumstances and say – okay, you are here, and this is what it is. Now how are you going to move through it? 

I’d like to share a few things that help me when I catch myself a state of overthinking, over functioning, or in any overall state of overwhelm. And yes, there is a recipe ahead…

1) One (and only one) thing at a time.

That’s the rule! If you’re like me, you often pile on multiple tasks into one single to-do item, immediately overwhelm yourself in your head, and then feel paralyzed on where to to even begin. Instead, break it down — one, single step at a time. By the way, your steps do not need to be big. I’m talking one SMALL step at a time. It still moves you forward. And that’s all we’re going for.

2) Positive Self-Talk

I know the things you say to yourself don’t make it out of your head, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch what you say. I’m sorry, but it is not fair game to be rude to yourself just because no one else is hearing it. If what you’re speaking to yourself is unkind, untrue, made up in your head out of fear, or just straight up mean, I want you to immediately toss it into the garbage of your thoughts. Goodbye! We are saying ew, how could I even ever say that about myself, that’s not cute or cool, to anything that doesn’t move us forward and sets us back into spirals of negativity. We simply do not have the time.

3) Transfer your energy to a single, unrelated, focused task. Like, perhaps, making banana bread…

Now this is where it gets delicious. You know all the time you’ve been spending ruminating about that one thing, that one person, that one text you sent? You can’t get it out of your mind? Okay, now’s the time to try. I want you to take all of that energy you’re spending in your head and move it into a task. A single task, with a start and a finish. I bet you know where this is going now.

exactly.

We are turning our compulsive thoughts, into a compulsive ritual! Like this: Miso Date Banana Bread. There is nothing more comforting than the smell of banana bread wafting through the house (in my case, apartment), even better when it’s got little undertones of savory, umami miso and sweet, chewy dates.

This flavor combination is out of this world - it brings me back to earth in a way that feels wholesome and true. There is nothing to focus on but the smashing of the bananas, the mixing of the wet & dry, the slicing of the dates. Focusing on all of these little tasks brings you out of your head and into your body — best of all, you’ll have something to show for it in just around an hour.

This recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free! Everyone gets a seat at this banana bread table.

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium, very ripe bananas

• 2 eggs, best at room temperature

• 1/4 cup maple syrup (can adjust to 1/3 if you like a sweeter bread)

• 3 tbsp white miso paste

• 1/4 cup melted, cooled coconut oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (you can use gluten-free oats and process them in a food processor or blender. I like to use store-bought)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 cup medjool dates (9-10 large dates), chopped into 1-inch pieces

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf tin with coconut oil.

2. In a medium bowl, mash ripe bananas.

3. Beat eggs and add to bowl with mashed banana. Mix together until smooth.

4. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract to banana mixture and stir to combine.

5. Add melted and cooled coconut oil to wet mixture and stir until incorporated.

6. Add miso paste - mash into the wet mixture with a fork, then whisk to ensure it’s well incorporated.

7. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, oat flour, and baking soda.

8. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Careful not to over-mix, fold together until thoroughly combined.

9. Fold in the chopped dates.

10. Transfer batter to your greased loaf tin. Add a sprinkling of coconut or date sugar on top if desired.

11. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Middle of banana bread should be cakey & moist! Let cool completely before slicing and enjoying. You can enjoy as is, or with a little smear of peanut butter or vegan butter on top.

I know you’re going to love this recipe. The second I tasted it, I knew it was going to be my new go-to. There is absolutely nothing not to love! Let me know in the comments how you enjoyed this post and if you'll be making the recipe. Until next time.

With love and ALL the good thoughts,

xx Samah

The Video