How do you get to be fifty-seven years old and not know the best way to open a banana? Without using some sort of utensil, like a knife, there are only two options, the stem end, the top, and the other end, the bottom. While I don’t ever remember seeing anyone open a banana from the bottom; with only two ends, why didn’t I ever even consider the bottom end? After all what’s the worst that could happen, I smash that part of the banana? It’s not like I never did that opening it from the stem end.
What finally got me to open a banana from the bottom? It was a story in Yahoo about how monkeys open them. Monkeys? We creatures who believe our minds separate us from all of the other inhabitants of our planet couldn’t think of something that to them was obvious.
So that evening, I decided to see what it would be like to open a banana from the bottom, and to my utter amazement, it could not have been easier. I simply pinched part of the end with fingers from left hand and pinched the rest of the end with fingers from my right hand and pulled down. It shocked me how easily the banana opened. “You got to be kidding me” was my immediate reaction. How could I have missed something so simple for all of these years?
By the way, after you’ve done a few, you discover that you can peel the entire banana with two quick motions, one down and one up, no strings or anything else to remove, it’s ready to eat.
What’s the real message behind the phrase and the cute but unusual picture?
It’s this; how many other things in our lives would be better if we just did something different, if we just looked at the issue or problem from a different perspective? What might we find?
According to Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity, is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Take a chance and do something different, or as say to myself, “Find the Solution!” It’s there if we trust ourselves, open our eyes to all of the possibilities, and commit to look until we find it.
A Real Life Example
Besides my discovery of how to open a banana the best way, not long ago, I had the opportunity to do something else I’d never done, scale a sheer forty foot rock cliff. While I have some athletic ability, this went way beyond my comfort zone, especially at the ripe old age of fifty-six. As I waited my turn at the bottom, the only thing I could relate to the experience I was about to have was my fear of heights. Finally, my time came. The only way to get to the top would be to change my mindset; because it was possible, I just hadn’t done it before. I decided to Find the Solutions. After quickly scaling the first ten to twelve feet; I hit my first real challenge, a deep concave crevice in the rock face. I was stuck and couldn’t reach the next hand hold. I began telling myself over and over, Find the Solution. I decided to push my hips and upper legs into the fissure to release my legs. That allowed me to step to a higher position, from which I found the next high hand-hold enabling me to begin again the assent.
There were more challenges along the way, and each time I kept saying out loud, Find the Solution, Find the Solution, and each time I found a way to overcome it. Upon reaching the summit, the sense of empowerment was indescribable. A few minutes earlier, getting here seemed impossible, and yet here I was. How did this happen?
I believe it happened because I stopped telling myself I CAN’T do this. Unfortunately, this is something we learn early in life. One of the first things we say to babies is NO. And what is the one of the first words most babies learn, NO? The affect of being told no, or do it this way not that way all the time is to put up artificial boundaries around ourselves, and the older we get the tighter the boundaries get and smaller the lives we live.
Changing the World One Banana at a Time™ is meant to be: a reminder, a memory anchor or trigger to remember to take a chance and live life differently, to Find the Solution wherever it exists, and see what happens. I’m betting you will be amazed at what you will discover about just how capable and incredible you truly are.
Dream Big and Make Your Life Great.
David Dean Barrett
Today's banana…
Question From A Reader:
Rosie, I thought “gluten” & “wheat” are the same thing but Lara said that some things can still have gluten even if they are wheat free? And eating Eezikeal bread is wheat bread even thought it’s been sprouted, are we still technically eating wheat? Thanks love! - d
Rose’s Answer:
Gluten is the protein that is in wheat that causes all the problems, but it’s found in other grains as well such as barley and rye.
When you eat Ezekiel bread you’re still eating wheat, but if you check the ingredients list you’ll see that it’s “sprouted.” When wheat is sprouted, the gluten is destroyed. The list must SAY the word sprouted before grain, otherwise the gluten hasn’t been eliminated.
However, you will also notice that a small amount (I mean VERY small!) of gluten is added back into Ezekiel bread. So, it’s not safe for Celiacs, but it’s usually fine for anyone with an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten, like myself. And believe me, YOU WOULD KNOW IF YOU WERE CELIAC! They’d tell you in the hospital – which is where a Celiac would be after eating even the tiniest bit of gluten.
Recently, I’ve heard from several people expressing concerns about the amount of chlorine found in the water in our homes.
Chlorine is a toxic chemical present in both our drinking and bath water. It’s harmful to our health and dehydrates our skin. Plus, when we run water at a high temperature, the chlorine is transformed into a breathable gas which infiltrates our lungs … not to mention the damage it does to color treated hair. (Gasp!)
My suggestion for combating the chlorine in your bath is to purchase a filter for your showerhead. Simple to attach, it’s a device that removes a great deal of the chlorine, and softens the water.
The one I have is by Nature’s Shower and I got it for less than $40 atwww.thegreenlifeco.com. Using calcium sulfite and carbon, it removes 90% of chlorine, heavy metals, and hydrogen sulfide, and it’s bacteriostatic (inhibits bacterial growth).
I love how my showers aren’t stinky with chlorine and now when I take a bath, I run the showerhead to fill the tub. It may take a little longer, but knowing that I’m not going to be soaking in toxins makes it worth the wait.
As you probably know, part of living holistically is removing as many toxic chemicals from our food, cleaning products, and body care products, but the chlorine in our showers and baths are often overlooked.
Over a career that has spanned more than three decades, Dave has acquired a broad range of experience from positions in: senior, project, operational, and sales management, marketing research, product development, IT consulting, and as a professional speaker. Dave has worked with or directly for many well known companies including: Visa, MasterCard, AT&T, Burlington Northern Railroad, Coors, NCR, Xcel Energy, Invesco, and 1stBank. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. and internationally. This broad base of vocational responsibilities and diverse experience with a wide variety people has manifested in a big picture mentality.
Always willing to take on a challenge and expand his horizons, Dave accepted an assignment as Executive Producer for a feature motion picture in the late 1990s. A few years later, in 2001, he returned to school in quest of a Masters degree in history (he already held a B.S. in Business). In August of 2006, he received an MA from the University of Colorado at Denver. Combining his new scholastic expertise in history with his earlier foray into the motion picture industry, Dave is currently engaged in writing a screenplay about one of the most controversial periods in American history.
Changing The World One Banana At A Time™ represents an outward expression of Dave’s personal growth discoveries and those of the community he is a part of. Click here to read how Changing The World One Banana At A Time™ came to be.
Previous Bananas
My fiancé Nat and I made 39 sugar scrubs last night and decorated them in about 3 hours. They’re super cute, and who doesn’t appreciate homemade gifts? And all the materials for these delectable little gifts only cost about $120! Where on earth could you buy 39 gifts for that? And yes, Nat deserves the “Fiancé Of The Year Award” for helping!
Sugar Scrub Base:
1 Cup Sugar (white table sugar or the brown course sugar will work)
¼-2/3 cup Grape seed oil (coconut oil works well too)
Just mix together with your favorite essential oils or flavoring, add to a Mason or Ball canning glass jar, and decorate. That’s it!
Here are some of my favorite flavors and add ins to add to the base:
We also played around with adding in fresh ground vanilla bean to make a Tahitian vanilla ice-cream body scrub too, which was awesome! This is you chance to play and be creative, so have fun!
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Idea For What to Write on The Gift Tag (I printed them on pretty paper and tied them on with ribbon):
This yummy sugar scrub is all natural and replenishes your skin with vitamins, minerals and loads of antioxidants. It’s great for smooth, healthy skin and also for a little sexy fun in the tub with a partner… it’s entirely edible!!
Stand in the shower or tub while still dry. Wet your hands well and apply the scrub all over your body and face… it’s good for those sensitive, hard to reach places too
It’s best to let the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants soak in for 5 minutes before jumping in the bath or rinsing off in the shower. You’ll be shocked how soft and smooth your skin feels afterwards!
Ingredients:
- Sugar (exfoliate)
- Grape Seed Oil (moisturizer that won’t clog pours; loaded with antioxidants)
- Raw Cacao Powder (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants)
- Cocoa Bean Extract: (vitamins, minerals and antioxidants)
- Vanilla, Cinnamon and Cassia Oil (yummy tastes & scents)
Love, (add your name here)
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Enjoy making youir gifts!
Cold sores suck. You get that tingle in your lip and you know it’s coming. The dread sets in waiting for that
week of pain and embarrassment that comes with the outbreak.
Having a cold sore is a miserable process, but what are you going to do? Western Medicine insists that there is no cure for Herpes Simplex 1, the virus that causes cold sore outbreaks.
With all due respect to the Western Medicine Community, I disagree. Being a holistic Practitioner I believe, and this is just my belief, that the body can heal from ANYTHING.
And, for those of you who carry the Herpes virus, there is hope! Your body is an incredible machine that is capable of fighting and healing any malady that comes its way. It’s just a matter of finding the right key to unlock the chemical changes needed for your biology to heal itself.
Over 60% of the population are carriers of Herpes 1, the virus that causes cold sores and 40% are carriers of Herpes 2, the virus that causes genital herpes. When carriers experience outbreaks of either cold sores or genital herpes, they are displaying outer signs of an inner war being waged between the viral infection that has taken up host and the body’s immune system.
Cold sores and genital herpes outbreaks tend to increase in colder weather because your body is using extra energy just to keep your body’s temperature up, dealing with added stressors that accompany the winter holidays, and coping with the increased sugar intake from all those seasonal treats. This leaves your forces weakened, and opens the door for viral troops to break through and break out.
You can fight back. By taking a holistic approach and analyzing the body’s entire system, you can reinforce your Immunity Army’s troops and kill off the foreign invaders once and for all! Here are some recommendations for doing just that:
Boost your immune system by taking Astragalus. Available in pill form or as a tea, this herb increases your natural T-Cell levels. Your T-Cells are like the Navy SEALs of your immune system, providing a highly intelligent, extensively trained front line of defense against any foreign bacteria or viral invaders. Also, increase your levels of Vitamin C and Zinc as these minerals further reinforce your immunity, equipping your T-Cell warriors with armor and ammunition.
Add a 300mg L-lysine supplement to your daily regimen. An essential amino acid, L-lysine affects the virus’ RNA and shuts down its ability to replicate itself in the body. L-lysine won’t kill the existing virus, but it will inhibit the viral army from adding any more troops. Protein-rich foods are good sources of L-lysine.
Watch out for foods high in L- Arginine. This amino acid will betray your Immunity Army by providing support for the foreign forces. Say no to chocolate, almonds and walnuts – all high in L-Arginine, and say yes to foods like soybeans, spinach and lentils which are low in L-Arginine and high in L-lysine. Finding the proper balance of these two amino acids is essential in wiping out the Herpes Simplex viruses.
Liquid Colloidal Silver
Discover the wonders of colloidal silver! Extensively used to treat maladies prior to the creation of antibiotics, colloidal silver is a bacteria killing machine that can be taken internally or applied directly to the sore outbreaks. Once I had a wart that wouldn’t go away. I used colloidal silver on it for two days, it disappeared and I haven’t seen a sign of it since! It is important to note that colloidal silver doesn’t discriminate and it will destroy your good bacteria as well as the bad, so be sure to reinforce your system with probiotics. I recommend taking Acidophilus in pill form because other methods aren’t as strong and you want to be certain you’re getting enough.
Also, the use of topical oils can be used on outbreaks until the virus is defeated. Essential oils such as lavender oil and lemonbalm are highly effective in soothing Herpes outbreaks and will work well until your Immunity Army ousts the viral invaders. Simply dab a bit of the oil directly onto your sores using a cotton swab and experience instant relief.
Taking this multi-pronged approach and fighting viral infections from every angle is your Immunity Army’s best bet in conquering foreign invaders. You can triumph over Herpes Simplex viruses, all it takes is a little internal biological warfare. Go. Fight. Win!
SUCCESS STORIES
SUCCESS STORY OF JOSH WHITE
Hey Rose,
I’ll send you better before and after pics but here is what I was talking about. Before photo was taken in December and my weight was 207. The second one was in late April after taking your 10 Week Transformation program. At that point I was down to my current weight of 165. I lost 42 pounds!
– Josh White
Have a success story from something I’ve shared in my programs? Be our next success next Success Story by emailinginfo@ChangingTheWorldoneBananaAtaTime.com with your story, picture or video (we LOVE before and afters!) and any url link you’d like to feature.
balm are highly effective in soothing Herpes outbreaks and will work well until your Immunity Army ousts the viral invaders. Simply dab a bit of the oil directly onto your sores using a cotton swab and experience instant relief.
