Banana Girl: the controversial Aussie who's moved to Ecuador and is now a vegan in the jungle

[Bill Ryan]

Hi, All: this is interesting. Our very own Debra (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/member.php?9646-Debra) knows Banana Girl's mother, and we've just been talking about her at length. She's somewhere in Ecuador.

Here's a starting point:


https://news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/freelee-the-banana-girl-moves-to-the-jungle-and-off-the-grid/news-story/75e65b2416d6f41140c72e839bbfff16

Freelee the Banana Girl moves to the jungle and off the grid

The Queensland social media star known as “the Banana Girl” has moved “off grid” and now spends most of her days naked, eating fruit.

https://i2.sdpnoticias.com/sdpnoticias/2018/06/25/20180625131917_2_620x6200.png

Freelee the Banana Girl, a popular vegan YouTuber and blogger, has shared her new “off grid” lifestyle with her followers on social media, by moving to a cabin in a jungle in South America.

Originally from Queensland, Freelee (whose real name is Leanne Ratcliffe) says she now spends most of her days naked, no longer shaves her body hair or wears make-up.

Posting to Instagram and her YouTube channel, Freelee showed viewers her “day in the life”. The clip shows the blogger riding a bike and having a shower outdoors, then consuming fruit which she grew on her property.

She lives in the tropical oasis with her partner and says her alternative lifestyle saves her thousands of dollars (“I’m not buying make-up, shavers, beauty treatments, jewellery, heels, and unnecessary fashion”) and brings her a kind of peace that she could never achieve in the “9-5 grind”.

She also writes on Instagram: “My vegan diet is far cheaper than my old sad diet ... It also keeps me healthy and away from expensive pharmaceuticals.”

“I used to work in a concrete jungle, now I just work in the jungle,” she wrote in the above Instagram post on Tuesday.

“How did this happen? Well, I woke up one morning dreading the work day ahead. I was exhausted with the 9-5 grind. Waking to an alarm, commuting over an hour a day dressed in a restrictive suit, painting my face to ‘look the part’, binding my feet in high heels and faking a smile to the public.”

“I was sick of working my life away making someone else rich. Maybe the worst, I was bored. I wanted to be turned on and to FEEL something meaningful every day. That morning I decided to free myself from being a slave. There wasn’t any social media back then so I transitioned by becoming a personal trainer with my own business. Soon after I found veganism and my true passion in life. Don’t be afraid, you CAN create this too.”

Freelee made headlines in 2014 (http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/freelee-the-banana-girl-credits-extreme-fruit-diet/news-story/b5c1063f6f02469645b951dd5424db37)when she revealed her extreme diet on social media.
She stated that her day on a plate usually consists of “mono meals”, made up of a single fruit, such as two entire pineapples in a sitting or five mangoes, two litres of orange juice or as many as 20 bananas at a time (hence the “banana girl” nickname).

She also said she remains “raw until four”, eating no cooked or heated food until the afternoon. Then, she usually still sticks to her mono meals, sometimes baking several kilograms of potatoes in the oven.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l7YuaYW2yU
Her Instagram account:


https://instagram.com/freelee_official

[RunningDeer]

I’ve followed Freelee off and on for a couple of years. Here are a couple of her recent videos.

Freelee YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/Freelea/videos)


We made an outdoor fruit storage! | Rat/fly/ant proof DIY
toerKC7n0zc

Published on May 10, 2018

This storage is amazing! Keeps out all rats, most fruit flies, cockroaches and ants.

If you want to leave me any feedback on this video then feel free to do it here on the community tab.


Money
3yVcHE9T07k


Published on May 22, 2018

What do I REALLY need in this World to be happy? Do I need that extra clothing? Do I need the latest iphone? Do I need that beauty treatment? We get so caught up in getting rich that we forget the true meaning of life.

If you want to leave me any feeback on this video then feel free to do it here on the community tab

[Praxis]

I wonder if the Ecuadorans are worried about all these foreign people coming and changing their native culture.

Does the average Ecuadoran want immigrants coming to their jungles?

Interesting to note how immigration to "developing countries" isnt seen as the deep state cultural marxism that fill other threads on this site.

But immigration from those countries to "developed" countries is.

Compare this thread with the thread about Sweden.

[Mike]

I admire their industriousness on the one hand.

But it's presented as being way too idyllic. I wanna see the part where she stubs her precious manicured toe for the 4th time in a day and goes on a wild cursing tirade ..(f#ck these motherf#cking logs! Someone get these God damn motherf#cking logs away from my motherf#cking tent!!)

Or the part where, utterly defeated, she gives up on swatting the mosquitos away from her face and is left slump shouldered and weeping in her cute little jungle bikini.

Call me a cynic, but there is no way this lasts. I DO give her credit for trying. Perhaps she will prove me wrong (she won't). It looks like a big PR stunt to me.

She is adorable, there is no denying that. But within a year her teeth will be ruined from eating all that fruit.

[snoman]

Indeed Praxis.. (post 3)
Bravo

first post I have read in a very long time that expertly exposes the elephant in the room

[DeDukshyn]

I admire their industriousness on the one hand.

But it's presented as being way too idyllic. I wanna see the part where she stubs her precious manicured toe for the 4th time in a day and goes on a wild cursing tirade ..(f#ck these motherf#cking logs! Someone get these God damn motherf#cking logs away from my motherf#cking tent!!)

Or the part where, utterly defeated, she gives up on swatting the mosquitos away from her face and is left slump shouldered and weeping in her cute little jungle bikini.

Call me a cynic, but there is no way this lasts. I DO give her credit for trying. Perhaps she will prove me wrong (she won't). It looks like a big PR stunt to me.

She is adorable, there is no denying that. But within a year her teeth will be ruined from eating all that fruit.

I share your sentiment a little ... ever seen the show "Naked and Afraid" jungle edition? That's probably closer to the reality of living naked in a jungle. :)

She probably lives near the jungle in reasonably good living conditions with access to normal amenities, allowing herself to safely choose how much "jungle" life she wants to live ... and there's nothing wrong with that either. :)

Edit" To add ... here's what living naked in the jungle fully "off grid" is really like ... :)

aR_OXjeXvdE

[Bill Ryan]

I wonder if the Ecuadorans are worried about all these foreign people coming and changing their native culture.

Does the average Ecuadoran want immigrants coming to their jungles?

Interesting to note how immigration to "developing countries" isnt seen as the deep state cultural marxism that fill other threads on this site.

But immigration from those countries to "developed" countries is.

Compare this thread with the thread about Sweden.

Yes, I do agree. I live in Ecuador, as you probably know, and I've written before about how, though the Ecuadorians are almost uniformly very gentle and pleasant, I can sense their disquiet and unease at all the foreigners coming in.

They're worried for their culture... I can sense it. It's interesting being on the other side of the fence, where it's ME who doesn't speak their language, it's ME who doesn't attend their church festivals, it's ME who has the different colored skin.

And all this is justified. I never came here to contribute to Ecuador's wealth and culture... though I do my best, with my extremely limited Spanish, to be as friendly as I can be to everyone I come across.

I'm here because I could be. I'm the self-interested immigrant here.

It may be the same with Banana Girl. But I've NOT yet read any of her posts or watched her videos, so I really don't know how much trouble she's taken to learn Spanish, and make friends and integrate with the locals. I'd be interested to know.

* Nor is she living 'off the grid', btw. For sure, she has better internet access (and probably a better computer, and a better camera, and a better vehicle), than I do. :) She talks a lot about diet and disconnecting from materialism (and good for her, too, because that's important) — but I've not heard anything yet about the diesel generator they use, or how they've made a giant water wheel to power everything they have.

I suspect that apart from maybe not going to the supermarket quite as often, they're as dependent on the grid as you and I are. But they're just in a different place, promoting an 'Anastasia' lifestyle, and making a moderately good living directly from that, too. And again.... that's no bad thing.

[RunningDeer]

Call me a cynic, but there is no way this lasts. I DO give her credit for trying. Perhaps she will prove me wrong (she won't). It looks like a big PR stunt to me.
Yes, kudos for her life changes and uplifting messages. Here’s the but…

What isn’t mentioned in the article is that until recently, Freelee’s fame and fortune as a YouTube blogger was made through stirring up controversy and judgement on folks lifestyles and looks. Her focus was on her physical appearance which also included breast implants and botox injections.

In part, she’s able to live off the grid because she continues to make money off those earlier videos. She removed many of the over the top, raunchy ones, and at least one other YouTube channel. Maybe she doesn’t need bushels of money, but knowing you have an ongoing financial cushion makes the current lifestyle easier. Also not mentioned was the maintenance on their top of the line bikes and gear and tech equipment.

[Matt P]

I see the immigration comparison as an apples to oranges thing. Bill correct me if I’m wrong but the two sides are immigrating for very different reasons and I doubt there are millions sneaking into Ecuador illegally, trashing the jungle, increasing crime rates and expecting the Ecuadorian government to provide free food, housing, school and medical care.

Matt

[Zak247]

I think maybe she’s suggesting being not out of the grid but above the grid.

All the “grid” is actually, merely a human infrastructure and eco-system to get us all something to eat and a warm place to live. The grid now is about expanding creature comforts as far and wide as possible.

We’ve moved beyond (we hope, though, probably not the case) the survival level to a world where we can consider reality beyond the survival level of the dog eat dog rapacity of our past.

Somehow humans have to grow out of the attachment to the intrigue of war and strife. We have to really learn to love peace, really want peace, learning how to truly love, and not just be addicted to marshal pursuits of neocon/nazi philosophy: always something to beat up, something to fight, something to steal from others, someone to feel superior to.

Unless we realize the truth that we are our own enemy and the war is about what’s inside you not outside of you.

The banana girl may have perceived this and is living inside that insight.
....Living inside her self.

[Bill Ryan]

What isn’t mentioned in the article is that until recently, Freelee’s fame and fortune as a YouTube blogger was made through stirring up controversy and judgement on folks lifestyles and looks. Her focus was on her physical appearance which also included breast implants and botox injections.

Yes. Do a Google image search for [Freelee Banana Girl]. You get this:

http://projectavalon.net/Freelee_Banana_Girl_images.jpg

[Foxie Loxie]

Mike....you are EVER the optimist! :bigsmile: Apparently this lady has learned how to "use the system" quite well....and it's worked for her! :ROFL:

[Bill Ryan]

Actually, I have to say that I've seen enough already to know a narcissist-who-wants-to-be-a-celebrity when I see one.

My suspicion is that she's misrepresenting how she's living and just not being completely honest.

But that doesn't mean that she might not have a valuable message for some people (who really need it!). Marketing is all about catching people's attention, which she's clearly very skilled at.

[Tam]

Ugh. Freelee. She's everything wrong with veganism, off-grid lifestyles, and the like. She's a self-righteous, judgmental bully that is very dark and mean inside. She's also a total crook.

Here's a few reasons why Freelee should not be looked up to or respected:

- Her diet has absolutely no scientific basis. She adheres to this insane 98-1-1 diet: 98% of her 3000 calories a day (she claims) come from carbs, with the remaining 2% from fat and protein, respectively

- She rose to fame selling a book claiming that eating 3000 calories worth of fruit, especially bananas, and going raw vegan, is healthy and will make you lose weight. It doesn't, and she made a small fortune peddling this lie to her followers.

Oh, and of course, she's staunchly anti-GMO and waxes poetic about whole and natural foods (nothing wrong with any of that, btw), yet she eats primarily bananas. Irony much?

- She has said in her videos that she believes people should be forced to go vegan, and those that refuse should be killed

- She's been a massive bully to other YouTubers, particularly women, saying nasty, mean things about their appearance. Among her many, many grievances was one particularly memorable incident in which she called a young teenaged girl recovering from severe anorexia (which she had to be hospitalized for) "dumb and irrelevant".

She and her boyfriend take photos of fat people secretly and shame them on social media regularly, as well.

Yet she claims she's a feminist into female empowerment, who doesn't shave, wear makeup, etc. because she doesn't believe in that.

There's way, way more. I could go on. I could cite all of this, but frankly, I don't want to wade through years of her incendiary videos just to find the ones where she said those things. You'll just have to trust me when I say, she's a hypocrite and another not so nice word I won't say here :)

I don't know about her mother, of course. She could very well be lovely.

[snoman]

I see the immigration comparison as an apples to oranges thing. Bill correct me if I’m wrong but the two sides are immigrating for very different reasons and I doubt there are millions sneaking into Ecuador illegally, trashing the jungle, increasing crime rates and expecting the Ecuadorian government to provide free food, housing, school and medical care.

Matt

If you have the money you are ok.
If you don't, you're not.

Crime does tend to cling to the ankles of the underclass, tis true

Mind you, depends what crime you are focusing on. Banking and deforestation permits and condos in the sun lol

Just glad I have a passport and the money.. I am too sensitive for jail.

Thanks for the affirmation I wasnt wrong in my perception of the current

[happyuk]

Her videos are just too darn slick to be believable for me. Truly going back to the land would involve a great deal of gut-wrenching hard work, disappointment and watching predators and pests gobble up your hard work all in the knowledge that your best efforts may well come to nothing.

In some countries, starvation, malnutrition and poisoning (https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/despite-schemes-primitive-tribes-die-unnaturally-in-jharkhand-32927-2008-11-05) among very poor tribal communities is a very real threat and happens in spite of government intervention.

For me, the recent Avalon thread on the back-to-the-land movement taking place in Russia ('From Vedic Russia with Love') was much more believable, authentic and sincere:

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?103551-New-documentary-film---From-Vedic-Russia-with-Love--

My own stance on this is that it's not necessary to be an absolute purist when it comes to living a simpler, natural life - why disown your evolutionary heritage?

There is no need to completely disconnect oneself from the grid.

Food? An intensively utilised suburban plot can provide a large portion of the food a family needs, but you can start with just a garden. If you are able to have chickens where you live, you can easily be self-sufficient in eggs. Revive the lost art of foraging - my earliest happiest memories were of mushroom picking with my dad in St Fagan's in South Wales.

Clothing? Learn to sew, knit, weave, spin and darn. Just like my great-grandmother did.

Shelter? Learn to choose a dwelling that is suitable for your needs in an area where taxes are reasonable. Are you really benefiting from having a huge house with mortgage payments you can barely meet - I realise I'm probably preaching to the converted here.

[Justplain]

I spent time gardening this past spring planting potatoes, tomatoes, kale, carrots and a few other vegetables. This was done during blackfly season. I had multiple layers of clothes and mosquito netting on. When i got indoors after 3 or 4 hours, my face was dripping blood from multiple wounds. It was like living through a torture of a thousand pin sized knives.

Quite frankly, i dont know how our anscestors survived the bugs. I know that the aboriginals here in northern north america used to make smudge fires (a lot of smoke) and sat in the smoke to get away from the bugs.

I just wonder how bad the bugs are in the Equatorian jungle, and how banana girl survives them in the raw?

[RunningDeer]

Her videos are just too darn slick to be believable for me. Truly going back to the land would involve a great deal of gut-wrenching hard work, disappointment and watching predators and pests gobble up your hard work all in the knowledge that your best efforts may well come to nothing.


Offgrid Jungle Vlog | We have a big problem…




The feral pigs are a big problem here and although I love animals we are forced to put ourselves and our food source, first. That means using primitive technology at this stage by creating deterrents made of bamboo that will stop the pigs destroying our gardens and uprooting our seedlings.


Critters on clothing @ 4:44 (https://youtu.be/NUW7Oo7LBAQ?t=4m44s)...
https://i.imgur.com/Z5xLr4L.jpg

NUW7Oo7LBAQ

0:07: Pigs are beautiful but breeding rapidly and need food
0:48: We collect the fallen breadfruit to reduce breeding
0:54: They root up soil all over property and destroy its integrity
1:09: Pedalai has been damaged by pigs
1:24: Using sharp bamboo sticks to deter pigs from rooting around
2:24: They destroy our seedlings and vegetables so we need to act
2:36: Lucky enough to find some mangosteens
2:56: Saving the seed and sprouting into a baby!
3:09: Planting new life and future food
3:17: Collecting breadfruit leaves for compost and mulch
3:55: We get through a new compost bin very quickly
4:08: Robin trying to make it secure against the pigs
4:58: Robin keeping fit with the rings
5:26: Harvesting breadfruit for dinner is not always easy
5:58: Harvesting avocados, really nice
6:20: Harvesting papayas
6:50: Salad of Okinawan spinach, sweet leaf and more
6:55: Stirfry in water breadfruit experiment
7:10: Sugar Apples atemoya
7:35: Harvesting some grapefruit
8:17: Night falling sounds, enjoy.

[AutumnW]

I admire their industriousness on the one hand.

But it's presented as being way too idyllic. I wanna see the part where she stubs her precious manicured toe for the 4th time in a day and goes on a wild cursing tirade ..(f#ck these motherf#cking logs! Someone get these God damn motherf#cking logs away from my motherf#cking tent!!)

Or the part where, utterly defeated, she gives up on swatting the mosquitos away from her face and is left slump shouldered and weeping in her cute little jungle bikini.

Call me a cynic, but there is no way this lasts. I DO give her credit for trying. Perhaps she will prove me wrong (she won't). It looks like a big PR stunt to me.

She is adorable, there is no denying that. But within a year her teeth will be ruined from eating all that fruit.

Publicity stunt. I don't give people like this credit for trying. Two pineapples at one sitting? Complete nonsense, unless she has the GI tract of an elephant.

[Bill Ryan]

Two pineapples at one sitting? Complete nonsense, unless she has the GI tract of an elephant.

Made me laugh! :bigsmile:

I've done that once or twice here in Ecuador... but your stomach needs to be pretty empty. And NOT something to do every day. :)

[Zak247]

I have an idea. Maybe the banana girl can take in Julian Assange when they boot him out of England.

[Debra]

Interesting comments. I’d like to add a note though that Freelee has chilled quite a bit from her ‘bully’ vegan tactics, which is such a relief. And she is long finished with the partner she had in those days as well. Yup, I don’t like being hit over the head with a sledgehammer either so I can sympathise with some of the critiques of her that have been strongly said up thread.

I would though like to back her up on her claimed intake of raw whole fruit; later vegetables and later still, combining cooked vegetable as well after 4. Believe you me, she has survived on all she shows you. Her family are also now serious vegans - and when they sit down to a pile of bananas - you bet they eat through the lot. For Freelee, that diet has truthfully contributed to her health vastly improving as well as leading her to cease - a long time ago - her previous implant and Botox lifestyle. So yes, she is serious arse about it all, and has been for many years now - and has thrived on this totally vegan lifestyle.

Is it for everyone? Well that is up for debate but Freelee today knows her stuff and can quickly point you to any number of similar case studies. How she has packaged herself is not for everyone. Has she pissed people off? Hell yes. Has she made a positive difference to other peoples’ lives? Well of course she has. You can’t dispute either. I said to Bill, her bluntness about her beliefs has won her millions of followers but also millions of haters. As for myself, I will continue to look in on her with much interest. I am hoping she evolves further.

Here’s a few screen grabs from one of her Instagram accounts where Freelee explains her own journey.



http://a67.tinypic.com/2im80ub.jpg


http://a65.tinypic.com/24xlwky.jpg

[happyuk]

Her videos are just too darn slick to be believable for me. Truly going back to the land would involve a great deal of gut-wrenching hard work, disappointment and watching predators and pests gobble up your hard work all in the knowledge that your best efforts may well come to nothing.


Offgrid Jungle Vlog | We have a big problem…




The feral pigs are a big problem here and although I love animals we are forced to put ourselves and our food source, first. That means using primitive technology at this stage by creating deterrents made of bamboo that will stop the pigs destroying our gardens and uprooting our seedlings.


Critters on clothing @ 4:44 (https://youtu.be/NUW7Oo7LBAQ?t=4m44s)...
https://i.imgur.com/Z5xLr4L.jpg

NUW7Oo7LBAQ

0:07: Pigs are beautiful but breeding rapidly and need food
0:48: We collect the fallen breadfruit to reduce breeding
0:54: They root up soil all over property and destroy its integrity
1:09: Pedalai has been damaged by pigs
1:24: Using sharp bamboo sticks to deter pigs from rooting around
2:24: They destroy our seedlings and vegetables so we need to act
2:36: Lucky enough to find some mangosteens
2:56: Saving the seed and sprouting into a baby!
3:09: Planting new life and future food
3:17: Collecting breadfruit leaves for compost and mulch
3:55: We get through a new compost bin very quickly
4:08: Robin trying to make it secure against the pigs
4:58: Robin keeping fit with the rings
5:26: Harvesting breadfruit for dinner is not always easy
5:58: Harvesting avocados, really nice
6:20: Harvesting papayas
6:50: Salad of Okinawan spinach, sweet leaf and more
6:55: Stirfry in water breadfruit experiment
7:10: Sugar Apples atemoya
7:35: Harvesting some grapefruit
8:17: Night falling sounds, enjoy.

Yes I'd seen this but it still all looks contrived to me. Rather than getting back to a simpler more harmonious way of living she is carrying all that modern day uptightness (that she purports to be getting away from) with her. Her obsession with diet and veganism, which I think is a yuppie invention, is but one evidence of this.

But that is not even my main objection. As noted by others, it is this person's sanctimoniousness that is the biggest turn-off for me.

[Tam]

Furthermore, this is just downright insulting to the locals.

Think about it.

Ecuador is a third-world country. A lot of people are starving to death, living in ramshackle little slums. Furthermore, as happyuk said, a lot of the tribes that remain there struggle daily to stay alive.

Then comes in this gringa, who prances around naked despite all the bugs, and left behind luxuries these people would weep with joy to have even a quarter of.

It's pretty f*cked when you think about it.

There is a difference between going off grid or becoming self-reliant, and what she and her boyfriend are doing.

[Bill Ryan]

Furthermore, this is just downright insulting to the locals.

Think about it.

Ecuador is a third-world country. A lot of people are starving to death, living in ramshackle little slums. Furthermore, as happyuk said, a lot of the tribes that remain there struggle daily to stay alive.

Then comes in this gringa, who prances around naked despite all the bugs, and left behind luxuries these people would weep with joy to have even a quarter of.

It's pretty f*cked when you think about it.

There is a difference between going off grid or becoming self-reliant, and what she and her boyfriend are doing.

I do completely get the point. And largely agree.

But an off-topic technical correction, if I may (I live in Ecuador):

It's a second-world country... not first, not third. It's a lot more first-world than, say, many countries in Africa. (Been there: I know.) It's very much like Mexico.

Another term to use is a developing country, not an underdeveloped country.

And no-one's starving here. Not a single person. That happens in Africa, not in South America.

Some 'ramshackle slums', yes. But a more accurate description might be very simple accommodation.

An example: a neighbor here is a single mother, aged maybe 40, with six children. They all live in something that looks from the outside like a small wooden barn, with no windows. It measures about 20ft x 10ft. Really. That's their whole house, 200 sq.ft.

A friend of mine was invited inside one day. They reported it was organized, clean and immaculate. The kids are all cheerful, active and healthy.

:)

:focus:

I completely respect and value what Debra has explained (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?103584-Banana-Girl-the-controversial-Aussie-who-s-moved-to-Ecuador-and-is-now-a-vegan-in-the-jungle&p=1237174&viewfull=1#post1237174). But I do agree that (in my opinion) what Banana Girl is doing really is rather an insult.

It's a little as if I went to put up a large modern tent in the middle of the Australian outback desert, moved in there, and claimed using my satphone hookup that I was then all wise and grounded and totally connected to all the ancient Songlines and Mother Earth. It'd be pretty insulting to the Aborigines who've lived there for the last 40,000 years.

[Tam]

Ah, my bad, Bill. It seems I am severely misinformed about Ecuador.

Mea culpa.

[Debra]

Furthermore, this is just downright insulting to the locals.

Think about it.

Ecuador is a third-world country. A lot of people are starving to death, living in ramshackle little slums. Furthermore, as happyuk said, a lot of the tribes that remain there struggle daily to stay alive.

Then comes in this gringa, who prances around naked despite all the bugs, and left behind luxuries these people would weep with joy to have even a quarter of.

It's pretty f*cked when you think about it.

There is a difference between going off grid or becoming self-reliant, and what she and her boyfriend are doing.

I do completely get the point. And largely agree.

But an off-topic technical correction, if I may (I live in Ecuador):

It's a second-world country... not first, not third. It's a lot more first-world than, say, many countries in Africa. (Been there: I know.) It's very much like Mexico.

Another term to use is a developing country, not an underdeveloped country.

And no-one's starving here. Not a single person. That happens in Africa, not in South America.

Some 'ramshackle slums', yes. But a more accurate description might be very simple accommodation.

An example: a neighbor here is a single mother, aged maybe 40, with six children. They all live in something that looks from the outside like a small wooden barn, with no windows. It measures about 20ft x 10ft. Really. That's their whole house, 200 sq.ft.

A friend of mine was invited inside one day. They reported it was organized, clean and immaculate. The kids are all cheerful, active and healthy.

:)

:focus:

I completely respect and value what Debra has explained (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?103584-Banana-Girl-the-controversial-Aussie-who-s-moved-to-Ecuador-and-is-now-a-vegan-in-the-jungle&p=1237174&viewfull=1#post1237174). But I do agree that (in my opinion) what Banana Girl is doing really is rather an insult.

It's a little as if I went to put up a large modern tent in the middle of the Australian outback desert, moved in there, and claimed using my satphone hookup that I was then all wise and grounded and totally connected to all the ancient Songlines and Mother Earth. It'd be pretty insulting to the Aborigines who've lived there for the last 40,000 years.


Hi Bill and Indigris, I would like to add that as far as I understand banana girl and her partner are simply doing what you, Bill, and others have done in moving to Ecquador as a destination. For Freelee and partner, that was an opportunity to live very simply in nature. And do it as lightly as possible because they don’t want to upset the eco system they are inhabiting. They wanted to live in a jungle.

Just saying.

Before we all make judgements, I really think it is important to find out the real details - and where people are concerned. I don’t know Freelee. We are allowed to have our opinions and sure there is a lot of evidence she has generated herself over the years for some of us to be triggered by. Absofreakinglutely. But I would be back in the wilderness now too - if I could. Let me tell you that.

[RunningDeer]

In fairness, Freelee wasn’t the only one that was in competition for subscribers and views. There was a lot of drama between the vegans, Raw-til-4, raw, high carb, low carb, etc.

For the most part, it’s settled down. Once YouTube overhauled their policies and the advertisers pulled out of the unsavory content, many dropped out. Others realized that they had to reinvent themselves if they wanted to grow their channel.

Freelee went through several evolutions to reach where she is today. Rather than lecture, guilt trip, use heavy judgement or finger point, now Freelee simply shares her experiences and philosophy.

[Debra]

Ugh. Freelee. She's everything wrong with veganism, off-grid lifestyles, and the like. She's a self-righteous, judgmental bully that is very dark and mean inside. She's also a total crook.

Here's a few reasons why Freelee should not be looked up to or respected:

- Her diet has absolutely no scientific basis. She adheres to this insane 98-1-1 diet: 98% of her 3000 calories a day (she claims) come from carbs, with the remaining 2% from fat and protein, respectively

- She rose to fame selling a book claiming that eating 3000 calories worth of fruit, especially bananas, and going raw vegan, is healthy and will make you lose weight. It doesn't, and she made a small fortune peddling this lie to her followers.

Oh, and of course, she's staunchly anti-GMO and waxes poetic about whole and natural foods (nothing wrong with any of that, btw), yet she eats primarily bananas. Irony much?

- She has said in her videos that she believes people should be forced to go vegan, and those that refuse should be killed

- She's been a massive bully to other YouTubers, particularly women, saying nasty, mean things about their appearance. Among her many, many grievances was one particularly memorable incident in which she called a young teenaged girl recovering from severe anorexia (which she had to be hospitalized for) "dumb and irrelevant".

She and her boyfriend take photos of fat people secretly and shame them on social media regularly, as well.

Yet she claims she's a feminist into female empowerment, who doesn't shave, wear makeup, etc. because she doesn't believe in that.

There's way, way more. I could go on. I could cite all of this, but frankly, I don't want to wade through years of her incendiary videos just to find the ones where she said those things. You'll just have to trust me when I say, she's a hypocrite and another not so nice word I won't say here :)

I don't know about her mother, of course. She could very well be lovely.

Hi Indigris,

Firstly, I would just like to say I think you are an awesome writer. I love your voice!

I can see that you are very aware of Freelee and her history but what interests me in these times is people waking up and changing their lives for the better. It's not something that happens overnight, where they miraculously change but I will give kudos to Freelee for her decision to do some evolving. I mean, she has in many ways. She has moved on from her more brasher period and also her relationship with her former partner Durian Rider, which framed a pretty toxic period. But she stepped out of it. She woke the **** up.

By the way, she did consume a lot of bananas back in the day from what I know and still does but she does the same with any seasonal fruit. From what I understand, from her mum who is also now an avid vegan, she can happily eat one species of fruit - as a meal - in a sitting. So for you and me who would probably just chomp on a couple of slices of watermelon, she would go through the whole watermelon.

[Debra]

In fairness, Freelee wasn’t the only one that was in competition for subscribers and views. There was a lot of drama between the vegans, Raw-til-4, raw, high carb, low carb, etc.

For the most part, it’s settled down. Once YouTube overhauled their policies and the advertisers pulled out of the unsavory content, many dropped out. Others realized that they had to reinvent themselves if they wanted to grow their channel.

Freelee went through several evolutions to reach where she is today. Rather than lecture, guilt trip, use heavy judgement or finger point, now Freelee simply shares her experiences and philosophy.

Haha, we were in sync Paula :happythumbsup:

I do so remember the clash of the vegans! One of the flame wars I remember was between Freelee, Durian Rider and this team ... Matt and Angela of the Raw Food World ...

Bill, I have always wanted to know if you know about these two because I believe they live very near you.

-M17LJqdeWg





Reply from Bill (to keep this on topic): — No, never heard of them!

:flower:

[RunningDeer]

By the way, she did consume a lot of bananas back in the day from what I know and still does but she does the same with any seasonal fruit. From what I understand, from her mum who is also now an avid vegan, she can happily eat one species of fruit - as a meal - in a sitting. So for you and me who would probably just chomp on a couple of slices of watermelon, she would go through the whole watermelon.

I’ll re-added this.

Watch me eat 51 BANANAS today!!!!!
dtgS7vSSIJQ

[RunningDeer]

Haha, we were in sync Paula :happythumbsup:

I do so remember the clash of the vegans! One of the flame wars I remember was between Freelee, Durian Rider and this team ... Matt and Angela of the Raw Food World ...


-M17LJqdeWg


Haha, we were in sync Paula :happythumbsup:
Yes, I thought the same thing when I read your post.

Durian Rider, the Sprite Guy. http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/smilies/belly-laugh.gif I didn't resonate with him. I follow some of the mind games and shenanigans during a break-up and new couplings.

I watch Matt and Angela early on, but was impatient with Matt going on and on and on. About six months ago, I caught a Matt vid and learned they live separate lives now. Angela has her own channel called, GlowWithGrace (https://www.youtube.com/user/GlowWithGrace/videos).


Conscious Uncoupling - My Perspective
mnfaEHIfTME

GlowWithGrace
Published on Oct 23, 2017

Many people have been asking me lately to share "my side of the story" about Matt and I splitting. Here is a little video explaining my perspective on this big, unexpected recent life shift...

[Mike]

This woman has got me feeling competitive. I'm tempted to blend up 51 pork chops just to piss her off.

In all seriousness, I'm going to try the banana thing. I'm off to the store now. I'm gonna try 10 to start. If my heart seizes up from excessive potassium and I die, I'm going to haunt this Freelee woman for decades by making spooky noises and routinely knocking her hemp jewelry off her dresser until she has a complete nervous breakdown.

Deb, thanks for posting here. My cynicism and wise assery didn't allow me to think the whole thing thru. Her and her boyfriend deserve some credit for sure. It appears they're building all this by themselves, whereas i can barely hammer a single nail into a 2 by 4. It's gutsy to live out in the middle of nowhere, even if they do have some amenities. It appears she's evolving from some of her earlier, slightly obnoxious incarnations, and that's commendable. That diet frightens me a little, but she looks extraordinarily healthy! There's no denying that. It's working for her, and she's made a name for herself with her industriousness and fortitude. I do admire that!

[RunningDeer]

I joined a center for a little over a year. I participated for two to three hours of training a day, five or six days a week. It was a combination of Nia, yoga, Pilates and circuit training. The protein in my diet consisted of chicken, eggs, fish, cheese, buffalo, whey, etc.

When I left, I still had 6 lbs (5.9 lbs) to loose. By comparison, today I weigh 4 lbs. more. I have only a 1/2 lb to loose. I have 4 lbs less body fat and 7 lbs more lean muscle. Back then, I never gave my body a chance to recoup. Now, I do gentle exercise about three times a week for 30 minutes.

I eat somewhat similar to Freelee: whole foods, plant based. Carbs/starches mostly come from brown rice, barley, beans, corn, yams, and potatoes. I eat more vegetables than fruit. The healthy fat comes from walnuts, sesame seed tahini, avocados and almonds, etc. I don’t monitor what I eat when I'm with family and friends.

I keep a running log. I designed a spreadsheet so I don't have to calculate every time. I plug in the information and the measurements which is based on the formulas from Covert Bailey Body Fat Percentage (http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/). I also use a scale that registers weight, muscle, bone, fat and water.

[Pam]

Isn't this just trading one social media identity for another? A genuine life is not one that is advertised,sanitized and idealized on social media.. she still craves the adoration of "followers".

[RunningDeer]

I joined a center where I participated for two to three hours of training a day, five or six days a week. It was a combination of Nia, yoga, Pilates and circuit training. The protein in my diet consisted of chicken, eggs, fish, cheese, buffalo, whey, etc.

When I left, I still had 6 lbs (5.9 lbs) to loose. By comparison, today I weigh 4 lbs. more. I have only a 1/2 lb to loose. I have 4 lbs less body fat and 7 lbs more lean muscle. Back then, I never gave my body a chance to recoup. Now, I do gentle exercise about three times a week for 30 minutes.

I eat somewhat similar to Freelee: whole foods, plant based. Carbs/starches mostly come from brown rice, barley, beans, corn, yams, and potatoes. I eat more vegetables than fruit. The healthy fat comes from walnuts, sesame seed tahini, avocados and almonds, etc. I don’t monitor what I eat when I'm with family and friends.

I keep a running log. I designed a spreadsheet so I don't have to calculate every time. I plug in the information and the measurements which is based on the formulas from Covert Bailey Body Fat Percentage (http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/cbbf/). I also use a scale that registers weight, muscle, bone, fat and water.

Update:

I forgot to add why I left the center. Within a week, two things happened. I ran into the instructor at the market. He had a stack of frozen Hungry-Man TV dinners. The other was I overheard his wife say that he’s joining her on early morning walks around the track because he’s gaining weight. [That was on top of the five to six classes (hours), six days a week.]


http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/images/space-bar-white.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1HeDOiP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rjqvoYZ.jpg

[Bill Ryan]

It's interesting to cross-reference these threads:


Ketogenic Diet Beats Chemo For Almost All Cancers (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?72429-Ketogenic-Diet-Beats-Chemo-For-Almost-All-Cancers)
A major key to a long and healthy life: fasting or a ketogenic diet (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?89036-A-major-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-fasting-or-a-ketogenic-diet)

My own stance on this is that:


I don't think we should be getting into food fights with each other. :) (Not that anyone is, here!)
The real truth may be that all bodies are different, and some may be very different from others.
We have to know our OWN body. All bodies are finely-tuned engines, and need their own very specialized fuel and servicing.
Blood type may be ONE clue to what one's body really needs.

I'm not a dietician, or a naturopath, though (like many reading this) I feel I know quite a bit on the subject. But I am friends with a very highly skilled and experienced naturopath, who told me personally that he's ALWAYS rescuing seriously malnourished vegans who've been victims of a value-driven belief system and haven't actually listened to their bodies at all.

Eating a ton of fruit and veg may not be enough... it's possible that long-term problems may develop for some people. (Steve Jobs, in his last days, may have agreed.)

[Foxie Loxie]

"To each his own".......I'm on Meals on Wheels!!! :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:

[Orph]

"To each his own".......I'm on Meals on Wheels!!! :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:So you're saying you always go to the Drive-thru lane at the local greasy spoon.

[Tam]

Ugh. Freelee. She's everything wrong with veganism, off-grid lifestyles, and the like. She's a self-righteous, judgmental bully that is very dark and mean inside. She's also a total crook.

Here's a few reasons why Freelee should not be looked up to or respected:

- Her diet has absolutely no scientific basis. She adheres to this insane 98-1-1 diet: 98% of her 3000 calories a day (she claims) come from carbs, with the remaining 2% from fat and protein, respectively

- She rose to fame selling a book claiming that eating 3000 calories worth of fruit, especially bananas, and going raw vegan, is healthy and will make you lose weight. It doesn't, and she made a small fortune peddling this lie to her followers.

Oh, and of course, she's staunchly anti-GMO and waxes poetic about whole and natural foods (nothing wrong with any of that, btw), yet she eats primarily bananas. Irony much?

- She has said in her videos that she believes people should be forced to go vegan, and those that refuse should be killed

- She's been a massive bully to other YouTubers, particularly women, saying nasty, mean things about their appearance. Among her many, many grievances was one particularly memorable incident in which she called a young teenaged girl recovering from severe anorexia (which she had to be hospitalized for) "dumb and irrelevant".

She and her boyfriend take photos of fat people secretly and shame them on social media regularly, as well.

Yet she claims she's a feminist into female empowerment, who doesn't shave, wear makeup, etc. because she doesn't believe in that.

There's way, way more. I could go on. I could cite all of this, but frankly, I don't want to wade through years of her incendiary videos just to find the ones where she said those things. You'll just have to trust me when I say, she's a hypocrite and another not so nice word I won't say here :)

I don't know about her mother, of course. She could very well be lovely.

Hi Indigris,

Firstly, I would just like to say I think you are an awesome writer. I love your voice!

I can see that you are very aware of Freelee and her history but what interests me in these times is people waking up and changing their lives for the better. It's not something that happens overnight, where they miraculously change but I will give kudos to Freelee for her decision to do some evolving. I mean, she has in many ways. She has moved on from her more brasher period and also her relationship with her former partner Durian Rider, which framed a pretty toxic period. But she stepped out of it. She woke the **** up.

By the way, she did consume a lot of bananas back in the day from what I know and still does but she does the same with any seasonal fruit. From what I understand, from her mum who is also now an avid vegan, she can happily eat one species of fruit - as a meal - in a sitting. So for you and me who would probably just chomp on a couple of slices of watermelon, she would go through the whole watermelon.

Thanks, Debra :)

I'm glad to hear she's come around, but I'm still not to keen on her next-level off-grid lifestyle. Still, she's doing more than most people, so she deserves credit where credit is due.

Glad to hear she's toned down her diet.


Thanks :)

[Tam]

"To each his own".......I'm on Meals on Wheels!!! :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:So you're saying you always go to the Drive-thru lane at the local greasy spoon.

Nope! Meals on Wheels is a volunteer-run organization that provides meals to disabled seniors that struggle financially.

https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org

[Foxie Loxie]

Orph.....here in my county in Central New York, Office for the Aging delivers meals to those no longer "up" to doing food preparation.

"Meals on Wheels" is kind of like a joke about us Oldsters! I am grateful for this service as it allows me to remain living independently & not have to check myself into a nursing home...YET!!! :happythumbsup:

[Orph]

Sorry for the confusion. I was merely making a joke. As in -- going to a drive-thru at a local burger joint in your car = meals on wheels.

If you look at my age you'll see I'm no spring chicken myself. So I've certainly heard of "Meals on Wheels". I apologize for the misunderstanding. I guess I should've put in a :sarcastic:
:)

Anyway, now back to the topic at hand, .... banana girl.

[Flash]

It's interesting to cross-reference these threads:


Ketogenic Diet Beats Chemo For Almost All Cancers (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?72429-Ketogenic-Diet-Beats-Chemo-For-Almost-All-Cancers)
A major key to a long and healthy life: fasting or a ketogenic diet (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?89036-A-major-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-fasting-or-a-ketogenic-diet)

My own stance on this is that:


I don't think we should be getting into food fights with each other. :) (Not that anyone is, here!)
The real truth may be that all bodies are different, and some may be very different from others.
We have to know our OWN body. All bodies are finely-tuned engines, and need their own very specialized fuel and servicing.
Blood type may be ONE clue to what one's body really needs.

I'm not a dietician, or a naturopath, though (like many reading this) I feel I know quite a bit on the subject. But I am friends with a very highly skilled and experienced naturopath, who told me personally that he's ALWAYS rescuing seriously malnourished vegans who've been victims of a value-driven belief system and haven't actually listened to their bodies at all.

Eating a ton of fruit and veg may not be enough... it's possible that long-term problems may develop for some people. (Steve Jobs, in his last days, may have agreed.)

I have been completely vegan for 2 years and half, many years ago. At the end of this period, I would dream non stop of eating a big juicy steak. Every single night I would dream of steak, while the previous 2 years I never dreamed about meat.

I figured that my dreams were telling me something about my body. I finally gave in and ate the most delicious juicy steak I thought I ever had, gosh was it good! And I stopped being vegan.

To finally find out that I regularly start having anemia (like every 3-4 years). I never found the cause of it, but I am made that way. The only fast way to recuperate from one of those anemia bouts is to eat meat.

Listen to one's body truly.

One thing strange happened to me lately about food:
I am overweight for years, since my very distressing and stressing marriage and more stressing divorce and the aftermath. Of course, my body has not been in equilibrium nor healthy.

I wanted to lose weight, but could not even with extraordinary efforts.

My endocrinologist had suggested gastric surgery years ago, even if I am not morbidly obese yet, but because of diabetes, to get a hold on it.

I hesitated, because of the consequences (having to take lifelong vitamins, not ever being able to eat normally again, etc etc).

Lately, a new medication has been put on the market (semaglitude under the commercial name of Ozympic) which is presumed to have the same effect as gastric surgery, namely curbing the appetite (probably working on the stomach release of appetite hormone, I do not remember its name). So my doctor prescribed it to me.

I have been taking it for a month and half (injection once a week). It is working, slowly, but I am losing weight. The outstanding effect is that I do not feel the hunger as much as I did before. If you put a full plate in front of me, I will eat it, being hungry as I eat. But if the plate is just half, I will eat the half and be happy. And prior to eating, most of the time, I do not feel hungry.

The second outstanding effect is that it is changing my psychology, or even my brain workings. It is as if all my life I felt like on a starvation precipice, which created behaviors and psychology of anxiety and restlessness, kind of survival needs.

Now, I am starting to feel like life will provide, no need to feel stress, all survival needs are easily met. It is changing my overall psychology.

I am at the point now where I think "wow, some people lived with this restful state about hunger all their life. They never felt any thing regarding starvation or danger for survival. How lucky they were" - I was not aware of those feelings before they are finally slowly stopping.

I am pretty sure that Taurine supplements have something to do with this as well, having started to take them before the prescribed medication and having seen a difference in my stamina at that time.

[Joe Sustaire]

Ya'll are missing the main point damnit!


She's young, great looking, and naked...……. or damn near...…….. what more do you want from a lady?
:happythumbsup: :inlove: ;) :waving:

[Bill Ryan]

Ya'll are missing the main point damnit!


She's young, great looking, and naked...……. or damn near...…….. what more do you want from a lady?
:happythumbsup: :inlove: ;) :waving:


Ahem! :P

:focus:

We're talking about BananaPerson. :)

[RunningDeer]

FYI: Mike will add a post to his photo.


https://i.imgur.com/eng1Sez.jpg

[Mike]

Thanks Paula!

So I tried the banana thing(that's my drink in Paula's post above).My little nutriblast machine could only handle 8 bananas (I wanted to try 10).

I mixed it with coconut water, and it was pleasant tasting. It wasn't too tough to get down.

I felt pretty good after finishing it. It gave me a nice little energy bump.

Banana's are so high in fiber.... My concern was that at some point I would run to the bathroom and have a bowel movement roughly the size of a fire hydrant. But nothing like that happened.

Interesting experiment. I can see now that it's not too unrealistic to get maybe 30 or 40 a day.

[spade]

Contrary to popular belief, Bananas actually cause semi-constipation instead of diarrhea / bowel movement. It's apples and water that that contribute towards a quicker BM.

[RunningDeer]

Contrary to popular belief, Bananas actually cause semi-constipation instead of diarrhea / bowel movement. It's apples and water that that contribute towards a quicker BM.



Two major factors to consider are the number of bananas you eat, and how ripe they are. It is also important to be aware that we are all individuals with unique digestion, and what is suitable for one person may not be for the next. (article below)



http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/images/space-bar-grey.jpg





Bananas are a conundrum when it comes to constipation foods to avoid. It's a matter of timing: Unripe bananas can cause constipation; ripe bananas can help relieve constipation. ... Bananas also contain fiber (pectin), which draws water from the intestines toward the stool. From - 15 Foods That Cause Constipation (https://www.medicinenet.com/top_foods_that_cause_constipation/article.htm#bananas)

https://i.imgur.com/ncRIG16.jpg


Bananas: Cause or Cure of Constipation?

{article snippets} (http://www.constipationexperts.co.uk/blog/2014/06/bananas-cause-or-cure-of-constipation.html)

Good source of fibre

A medium sized banana provides a generous dose of dietary fibre, as much as 3g. This is around 10% of our recommended daily intake of fibre - and can therefore be a useful addition to your daily diet, helping to keep your bowels healthy and regular. It is important to ensure you drink plenty of water in addition to eating fibrous foods, as the fibre has the effect of bulking up the stool, and it requires fluid to help its transit through the large intestine.

Mineral rich

Bananas are a rich source of the mineral potassium, known as an electrolyte. Electrolytes are important in maintaining the balance of fluid in our cells. We know that it is important to ensure we are properly hydrated in order to support bowel function, and as a result the potassium in bananas may be helpful in contributing to our optimal hydration. This will help to keep our digestion moving and bowel functioning as it should. However, if we eat too many bananas, this may upset the balance of electrolytes, causing things to slow down, therefore leading to constipation. As mentioned previously, always ensure drinking plenty of water alongside your banana intake.

Summary

Overall, in terms of research it seems there is a bit more supporting bananas as a remedy as opposed to a cause. However, we are all different and, as explained above, the pectin and other ingredients may create problems for some. Two major factors to consider are the number of bananas you eat, and how ripe they are. It is also important to be aware that we are all individuals with unique digestion, and what is suitable for one person may not be for the next. If you believe bananas are a trigger I would recommend reducing them to a minimum in your diet, perhaps just eating them 1-2 times a week. If however they are helpful in keeping you moving, enjoy this lovely bendy fruit! 

[David Trd1]

This woman has got me feeling competitive. I'm tempted to blend up 51 pork chops just to piss her off.

In all seriousness, I'm going to try the banana thing. I'm off to the store now. I'm gonna try 10 to start. If my heart seizes up from excessive potassium and I die, I'm going to haunt this Freelee woman for decades by making spooky noises and routinely knocking her hemp jewelry off her dresser until she has a complete nervous breakdown.

Deb, thanks for posting here. My cynicism and wise assery didn't allow me to think the whole thing thru. Her and her boyfriend deserve some credit for sure. It appears they're building all this by themselves, whereas i can barely hammer a single nail into a 2 by 4. It's gutsy to live out in the middle of nowhere, even if they do have some amenities. It appears she's evolving from some of her earlier, slightly obnoxious incarnations, and that's commendable. That diet frightens me a little, but she looks extraordinarily healthy! There's no denying that. It's working for her, and she's made a name for herself with her industriousness and fortitude. I do admire that!

Well said😊

[Bill Ryan]

This woman has got me feeling competitive. I'm tempted to blend up 51 pork chops just to piss her off.



She may be pissed off already. Bananas are in danger. (Yes, seriously.)

From https://forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/08/13/its-time-to-build-a-better-banana

(Caution: this writer is advocating GMOs to save bananas. And presumably, to save Banana Girl.)

It's Time To Build A Better Banana
Steven Savage, 13 August, 2019

As I wrote for Forbes in 2018 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/01/04/yes-we-have-no-bananas/#524c825b1e83), we might lose bananas as an affordable part of our diet. A dreaded new strain of a soil-born fungal disease (http://www.promusa.org/Fusarium+wilt) that has already severely hurt the industry in Australia and Africa has now been confirmed to have reached the Americas (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/banana-fungus-latin-america-threatening-future/). Others have raised this alarm (https://www.cnbc.com/2014/04/21/worlds-banana-supply-threatened-by-virus-says-un-group.html). This also happened in the mid 1900s when an earlier strain of this fungus wiped out the “Grand Nain” banana variety. That calamity made the 1923 song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpbC_j5Xb4k) by Frank Silver and Irvin Cohn, “Yes, we have no bananas” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes!_We_Have_No_Bananas) sound prophetic. The great old Simon and Garfunkel song, "Slip-slidin Away (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUODdPpnxcA)" also comes to mind.The current “Cavendish” banana of commerce has a colorful history traveling through England of all places (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35131751), but by chance it was was resistant to the first strain of the fungus. Unfortunately the new, Tropical Race 4 strain (http://www.promusa.org/Tropical+race+4+-+TR4)has overcome that resistance. Once the fungus is introduced into a given plantation’s soil, there is no way to get rid of it. The industry tried really hard to keep the pest out, but all it takes to spread it is a bit of dirt on someone’s boot.

Now I’m sure some will say that this is all a problem because of “monoculture (http://appliedmythology.blogspot.com/2011/03/monoculture-may-not-mean-what-you-think.html).” Yes, the whole commercial banana industry relies on very few varieties, but that isn’t something easily avoided as I explained in that earlier article (https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2018/01/04/yes-we-have-no-bananas/#524c825b1e83). No one can do “conventional breeding” of bananas with any efficiency because, in case you hadn’t noticed, the bananas we like don’t have the big black, hard seeds of wild bananas. Remember the old kid’s song, “I love bananas because they have no bones!”

Bananas, wild or domesticated, reproduce very happily by making new sprouts, or “sons” around the base of the “mother tree.” That basically means they are "cloned," but so are most fruit crops. Bananas also provide their own “packaging” for food safety. There really isn’t any need to put them in a disposable plastic bag to bring them home from the store and even then they don't need to be refrigerated.

It's not like people haven’t tried to breed a new banana, but to get one that yields productively, can be ocean shipped (minimal carbon footprint) and then ripen as it approaches consumer sales has been a huge challenge as long as the breeders are handicapped by the anti-GMO thing.

In the late 1990s I was involved in consulting projects for two of the biggest banana shippers. We were evaluating potential solutions that might be amenable to a biotech solution. We also evaluated the the economics of those choices. However; once the anti-biotech activists figured out that they could intimidate brand-protective companies, the biotech banana projects were dropped before they really got started. It was sad.

So, shall we just resign ourselves to the eventual demise of this fruit? We certainly should appreciate it while we can, but there is a long-term solution. That solution is to fully employ the now even more advanced science of biotechnology. The tools and understanding today are vastly improved over what they were when we first considered this in the 90s. Indeed public sector scientists in Australia have already made some progress (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171115091806.htm) on this front. Yes, some will call this a, “gasp,” GMO, but I think it’s time to go there - past time really. Those who don’t want to accept the scientific truth about this can find some other fruit to eat. What isn’t fair is if they continue to block that freedom of choice for the rest of us.

Okay, but if we need make the jump to a biotech banana just have bananas, we might as well make a number of other changes for the benefit of those who grow this for us and for we as consumers. Here are the “upgrades” I would love to see for the banana crop for both rich nations like ours and also for poor people to depend on banana or plantain for a significant part of their diet. The efforts for the rich world market could pay for the work and those improved bananas could be given to poor farmers to grow for free.

Disease resistance

The “Fusarium Race 4” that just arrived in South America is the driving issue today, but there are other diseases for which a new solution would be fantastic.

There is a severe fungal disease that infects the leaves (Banana Sigatoka) and the crop has to be sprayed over and over throughout the season because if there is too much infection, the bananas won’t make the boat trip to our ports.

There is also a bacterial disease and several viruses. The viruses are an even bigger deal with key banana and plantain cultivars in places like sub-Saharan Africa. Some resistant lines have already been developed (http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=17201) but rich-world activists have been largely successful in blocking their use where they are needed the most. One of the ways this disease has been achieved is through the use of “cisgenics (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525145/).” That is the act of moving specific genes from wild Bananas into our preferred types. Basically, that is a way to tap into the considerable biodiversity that exists among wild bananas without bringing along the big hard seed issue.

Reduced Food Waste

As you have certainly experienced, bananas can move from green to yellow to black rather rapidly and that might mean throwing them out. One of the earliest ideas for biotech bananas was to stretch out that process by changing the expression levels of some of the genes related to the ripening process. The other big issue with bananas is bruising. It does not take much, including handling by your fellow shoppers, to elicit an injury response based on the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. This has already been done for apples and potatoes and I'm hoping we can start buying those options soon (https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2019/08/06/three-foods-i-wish-i-could-buy-at-costco/#32997b6e34f7). By turning off that gene this major cause of food waste could be dramatically reduced. You could probably even start to see bananas offered on the “salad bar” at restaurants.

Nutritional enhancement

Bananas have already been developed that have enhanced levels of vitamin A, a nutrient that is unfortunately not that abundant in the diets of many poor people around the world. The “Golden Bananas (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27734628)”, like “Golden Rice (http://www.goldenrice.org/)” have also been largely blocked by the activists. I’d like to be able to buy such bananas and rice even though I have plenty of other sources of the vitamin in my food supply. It would be a solidarity thing with those who need it the most.

So is it likely that the big, brand-sensitive banana companies will move ahead on this? I hope so because this is not just about their businesses. There are a lot of families in places like Central and South America whose livelihood depends on being to be able to help produce and pack this fruit. In many cases these are countries that also have terrible gang violence issues that are driving their people away. To lose this huge part of their nation’s income would only compound their suffering.


https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/42452486/960x0.jpg?fit=scale
A worker carries freshly harvested bananas at a farm in the town of Tenexpa, Guerrero state, Mexico

I think we should start a campaign to encourage the banana companies and the food retailers to muster the courage, the rationality, and the compassion to bring us a better bananas. If they get started now the new options might be available in time as the Fusarium will inevitably spread. Maybe someone can modify the old tune to, “Yes, we will have bananas, we will have bananas today!”

Steven Savage (https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/)
Follow me on Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/grapedoc) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/pub/steven-savage/3/a26/820). Check out my website (http://www.drstevesavage.com).

I’ve been involved with agricultural technologies for more than 40 years. After a B.S. in biology at Stanford I pursued an M.S. and Ph.D in Plant Pathology (study of the diseases of plants) at the University of California, Davis, working on grape diseases. Since then I’ve worked in academics (Colorado State), an international technology company (DuPont), and for a small, start-up that specialized in biological controls (Mycogen). Since 1996 I’ve been consulting for large and small companies, for venture capital groups, and for multi-stakeholder organizations studying sustainable. I’ve worked on dozens of crops from strawberries to potatoes to wheat. I’ve worked on topics ranging from biotechnology, to bio-fuels, to pesticide residues assessments, to technologies that reduce food waste. Since 2009 I’ve also been blogging and speaking with the goal of sharing true stories about the people and innovations characteristic of modern food and agriculture. Since April of 2016 I work part time for the non-profit, CropLife Foundation communicating the benefits of crop protection agents via blogs and the POPagriculture podcast.