Banana on Faces—Not in Smoothies…

The cold winter months can be very harsh on the mind, body, and spirit— AND especially on our sensitive skin. This blog explores using a banana, honey and yogurt healing mask to combat the winter blues and protect our delicate skin. In addition, a healing mask is a great way to forego the overused and unnecessary banana in our smoothies. Read more and find out why this is important.

Can anyone remember the last time you were standing in line at the local cafe waiting to order a smoothie? As you are reading the menu options, have you ever wondered why most smoothies are made with bananas? If you are like me and are allergic to bananas, you, too, might be asking this same question. I don’t bother going out any more for a smoothie treat because I will only be frustrated. So, I make my own delicious drink packed full of minerals, vitamins, and lots of love. Over the years, my morning smoothie has perfectly served my Pitta (overly heated) body type.

ACAI Smoothie. Ingredients: All organic and Demeter label when possible— Coconut water, 2- Medjool dates, chai seeds, flax seeds, 1-fresh apple, Ashwagandha powder, Clean Greens powder, Beet Root Immune powder, Maca powder, Wheatgrass powder, Green Magma (powered barely grass). For more information on Demeter foods, read "Upside Down...The Rise of an Evolution."

Frozen: Wild blueberries, cherries, and sometimes pineapple.

Optional: Kefir probiotic and fresh kale or spinach, topped with fresh fruit—usually blueberries and pitch of cinnamon. NO BANANA.

Recently, I had some feedback on my healthy smoothie habit. A client came forward from one of my Florida detox retreats and told me that she was making my smoothies but quickly stopped due to weight gain. When I finally figured out what she was putting into her smoothies, I understood her concern. ACAI frozen pulp might add a few extra calories, but not if you follow my recipe. The truth is that my client used bananas—no, no, no.

The main reason bananas are often used in smoothies is that they are cheap and create a sugary-packed thick smoothie—take the banana out, and you are left with not much. Yes, bananas are a great source of fiber and potassium, but the downside is that they can quickly raise our blood sugar. Most importantly, they are quite fatting. If you enjoy a smoothie loaded with bananas—then over time, you might indeed see a few extra pounds and maybe even an increase in blood sugar levels. So, remember, not all smoothies are created equal, always muscle test—find more information on muscle testing in Upside Down…The Rise of an Evolution book.

A few of my clients have mentioned that they are using AG1. This product is packaged and ready to go. All you do is open, add water, and get on with your day. The upside is no dirty blender to clean. Yay. No thanks, I will stick with my trusted concoction.

My morning yoga ACAI has become a sacred ritual since the early 90s. I muscle test daily the ingredients used to make sure my body isn’t getting too much of something it doesn’t need. All the ingredients are very healthy, but overtime, some may build up in the body and become toxic. Now our healthy drink/smoothie is no longer serving us. Products that are pre-made like AG1 make it nearly impossible to separately muscle test the ingredients. As we are healing from cancer and other diseases, we must pay close attention to what goes into our mouths. This is something very important to remember, especially if we are using food as medicine.

So, NO bananas in smoothies; however, it turns out this yellow fruit is pretty perfect for making a topical healing face mask.

Use one ripe banana, a teaspoon of Manuka honey and a teaspoon of plain Demeter yogurt or kefir. In a small bowl, mash the banana and create a paste. When your paste is smooth, stir in the honey and yogurt. On a clean face, evenly spread the mask. Make sure to avoid the eyes. Relax with the mask in place for 20 minutes. Rinse your skin with warm water and notice a beautiful smooth result. The moral of this story is that bananas are much better on our skin than around our waist. Giggle.

Let me know if you have enjoyed and even benefited from this lighthearted blog.

Love and Blessings,

Jyl Auxter-Kern, PhD.

www.jylauxterkern.com & www.jylauxter.com

Author of Upside Down…The Rise of an Evolution