Welcome to our weekly editors’ round-up, featuring the week’s news, inspiration, and big ideas for body, mind, and spirit. This week: Why bananas are so great for athletes, the true cost of gas, a father’s influence, plus a treehouse built to honor God ...

Refuel with Bananas

Next time you log a long run, bike ride, or strenuous hot yoga class, reach for the fruit bowl rather than the Gatorade. Recent research has found bananas to be better for the body than sports drinks when it comes to refueling after strenuous exercise. The study followed a group of cyclists and measured the effects that eating a banana versus drinking a traditional sports drink had on exercise-related factors like blood glucose levels, oxidative stress, inflammation, and changes in immune function. Not only were the bananas just as good at supporting performance as the sports drinks, they offered a unique blend of low-to-medium glycemic carbohydrate, antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients that the sports drinks could not replicate. Yet another point in favor of plants over processed foods.

The True Cost of Gas

With summer travel season upon us, and concerns over pump prices continuing to rise, we were struck by this short video by the Center for Investigative Reporting about how we’re paying far more for gas than we think. It’s a thought-provoking piece that’s certainly inspired us to think twice about our driving and travel habits. How much would you be willing to pay for a gallon of gas?

Fatherly Love

In time for Father’s Day this weekend, a new study reports that dads can have just as much influence in shaping their children’s personality than moms do. The study, published in the journal Personality & Social Psychology Review, found that children are more likely to pay attention to whichever parent is perceived to be the more interpersonal power in the household―meaning that if a child perceives that his or her father is the more dominant figure at home, he may be more influential in the child’s development.

One for the Road: The Minister’s Treehouse

This sprawling, 10,000-square-foot treehouse in Tennessee is the work of minister Horace Burgess, who built the structure―with no blueprints―over a period of 11 years after receiving a vision of the treehouse and a message from God to build it. The treehouse includes a chapel, belfry, and four-story swing-set; word of mouth has led to thousands of visitors coming to Burgess’ private property over the years to see and explore the space. View more photos of this inspired spectacle over at thisiscolossal.com.