Reflections on Banana Island

Hey everyone,

I know that I said that I would upload this yesterday, however I decided to pass final judgement I wanted to see how my body would tolerate coming off of Banana Island, and if the effects of the cleanse appeared to be sustained.
I have also broken down this entry into sub headed segments so that you can skip the preamble and get to the good stuff.

Why did you go on banana Island?

For the past few months I had been struggling majorly with my digestion. The symptoms were akin to IBS; bloating, constipation, poor mood, irritability, food sitting poorly in stomach and water retention along with other gross symptoms. It was such a downer considering I had transitioned fully raw in July 2013 and felt great for a period of time. The amount of time I dedicated to healing my body from years of medications, sickness and negligence felt completely redundant because I felt as if food was rotting inside me, (over exaggeration I know) and I looked always distended.

Causes

There are multiple reasons why I believe my digestion got to such a horrendous stage. Stress and poor eating habits are the root of all evil and rely on one another to perpetuate the problem. I was stressed because I was working 16 hours days and as a result had no time to exercise and eat at regular intervals. I was commuting three hours a day and often worked through my lunch hours. This resulted in getting home far too late and eating dinner at nine, only to go to bed an hour later. It is near impossible to sleep well with a stomach full of food. As a result I became stressed and anxious. This lasted five months. Finally my contract ended and I was thrust into the Christmas splendour and with it comes the social gatherings. There was no time to dedicate towards figuring out the cause let alone healing it. Finally January rolled around and I decided to do a seven day juice cleanse. It worked wonders for my digestion, however it was temporary in terms of healing it. It did clear my skin and other ailments though and I would recommend it to others who are interested in detoxifying rather than healing. Dissatisfied I kept reading about Banana island and finally decided screw it, lets try.

Preparation

It is most important to plan the length of time and quantities required. I ended up staggering my banana purchases. For a seven day cleanse I purchased bananas on three separate occasions; three days before,   one day before and two days in. This allowed me to have a consistent stream of perfectly ripe bananas. I based my quantities on caloric requirements. One banana is roughly 100 calories therefore I purchased 20 bananas for each day.

Detoxification

When undertaking a cleanse of any kind many people report some symptoms of detoxification. I honestly can't say that I experienced any symptoms. I felt puffy on day two and my weight fluctuated a few kilograms, this passed within 24 hours. This was on the account of me coming from a raw diet prior so there was very little to detoxify.

Physical results

This is the part everyone is interested in so I won't delay.
Banana Island has healed my digestion, improved my skin and enhanced my athletic ability.
Since completing the cleanse my stomach has become flat and shows some of the muscle definition that I have been working so hard on. During the cleanse I focused on practising better bathroom hygiene, that is, resetting my bathroom clock by allowing myself a period every morning and an hour after lunch and dinner to do its thing. I do apologise for going there, but it essentially was one of the issues that needed to be addressed. moving on...
Secondly, my skin quality improved immensely. I have struggled with acne for the last 12 years and since becoming vegetarian, then vegan, then 80 percent raw, and finally fully raw my skin has improved. It has been an immensely long and tedious process of trial and error. Despite only having minor issues now, the scaring remains. Banana island has helped my scarring fade, not completely, but there is definitely a significant improvement in tone. I also noticed that my skin became softer and took on a rosy glow. I was pretty excited about it. I imagine that the result would be more significant if I sustained Banana Island for a longer period of time.
Finally, I found my energy levels were through the roof on most days. I was increasing my workout intensity and found that I was still able to complete the workouts without crawling to the shower after. I did notice that I was sweating more; as in perspiration dripping down my face and only the mat in puddles. I account this to the reduced sodium levels in my body.
Based on the wonderful results for my digestion and skin alone I am very impressed.

Emotional results

Banana Island is a cleanse and due to the nature of the body healing occurs on a physical and psychological level. My experience was rather dull as I have undergone numerous bouts of cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectic behavioural therapy. From experience it is best to deal with emotions heads on rather than let things overwhelm me over time. Whilst I had no Freudian Epiphanies of childhood trauma, I was surprised to have to deal with my emotional eating and snacking issues. I found myself opening the pantry door thousands of times a day during days two and three. Finally i came to the conclusion of asking myself, "what am I trying to do if I am not hungry?" Usually the answer was procrastination or boredom. I was able to stop the circle of stress, procrastination and eating and get down to the core. Banana Island also cuts down on cooking time so with the extra time on my hands I was able to enjoy my hobbies more, like spending time with my fiance, saving Skyrim and reading which made me appreciate these things even more and as a result I hope to develop better time management.

During the final days I found that my creativity truly lies within my food. Despite all efforts creating art with bananas is limiting. On day seven I became so frustrated that cooked my fiance dinner just so I could enjoy creating something new. It was refreshing to dig about in the cupboard and experience with herbs and spices and difference textures. I cooked a Moroccan chickpea dish. Whilst I don't eat cooked food I love the act of cooking and nourishing someone with food. If I make you food. It means I care about you. The pleasure of seeing Ross enjoy his meal filled me with  satisfaction and renewed my passion for creativity in the kitchen. I feel that this renewed passion has transferred into my food since ending the cleanse and my presentation of meals has improved drastically.

Ending the cleanse.

Whenever cleanses are completed the individual must gently reintroduce food back into the body. I have decided that my goals are to avoid sodium and overt fats for three days after. So far my digestion has still been perfect. I did experience difficult eating a large salad with some indigestion pains. I was eating too quickly and slowed down. The discomfort alleviated itself and I was able to enjoy my dinner. I do not think this experience with turn me into an obsessed 80/10/10 who is dogmatic about nutrient ratios. I love cooking gourmet raw as it inspires those around me to contemplate healthy vegan options rather than toasties and cheese and crackers. I aim to reduce the amount of salt and fats in my foods and instead focus in eating fresh fruit as my number one source of calories. I will still consume kale chips by the bucket. just not every day...

Final thoughts

Banana Island has offered me so much in the short week I have visited. I have healed my digestion, skin and creativity for a very cheap trade off. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is looking to detoxify and heal their bodies on a budget. I can see banana island becoming my "go to" cleanse as opposed to juicing or smoothies which can be expensive. If you are considering undergoing a cleanse or are wanting to transition to a raw food diet this would be the best possible option. I hope that my journey has informed and inspired you to consider veganism as a healthy lifestyle.

If there are any issues that I hadve not addressed here please do not hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you.

Peace, love and bananas,

Kaitlin