Freewrite #13 - Banana
“Focus on 100 grams of protein daily”, they said. “Stay on that liquid diet for two more week and then you can graduate to soft foods,” they said. Two infamous quotes that my doctors said to me after I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. 2 weeks previous to these profound statements, I had started my journey towards a new me. The liquid diet was the hardest thing I have done because while it appeared to be a physical battle, it was actually mental.
Without getting into the sordid details (this is just a five minute freewrite), the cliff notes are that I was able to successfully go on a liquid fast/diet for a total of 33 days before I died. Yeah, I know I sound like a broken record, but are you ready for the punch line? If the doctors had bothered to tell me to focus on Potassium and Magnesium, I never would have died. One damn banana a day was all it would have taken to right the ship and keep my levels in check.
Are you aware that your heart will stop if you don’t get enough Potassium? That means you need to eat a damn banana or avocado, once in awhile. Who would have thought that a banana was the main thing missing from my diet.
My indifference towards you, oh multi-faceted banana, has changed. I get you now. I understand how you’ve always wanted to be in my life, but I was too oblivious to notice. Originally annoyed by your mushiness. Put off by the stiffness of you being too green or ripe. I merely relegated you to topping on my cereal or the wicked ingredient that made my momma’s Nut Bread the stuff of legend.
Damn you, Yellow Banana. I tried to quit you, but realize I can’t.
Dude! 3 minutes and 58 seconds of the Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-na-na song! Just the thing I need to drive my little sister nuts!
And irritating banana songs aside, the rest of the Banana Collective would like to celebrate this fantastic post on the excellent health (and taste) attributes possessed by bananas. Great job!