Oooohhh, Ice Cream! Or Maybe Not!

Ooooohhh! Ice Cream! Yum! Don’t we all love that cool, sweet, creamy delight? Its so good that it seems to soothe the soul. Sometimes we just crave it! And no wonder ~ the combination of sugar and high-fat creaminess is exactly what our bodies demand in these high stress times. You see, stress and anxiety flood our bodies with cortisol which in turn, promotes desire for high-fat/high-carb foods. And ice cream “perfectly” meets the need.

But many of us can’t, or don’t, partake of that heavenly delight. Whether for health reasons ~ allergies, digestive problems, or concern about consuming all the by-products in commercial milk; or because of compassion for factory-farmed animals ~ we choose not to partake.

Today, there are alternatives. There are some yummy soy “ice creams” that are every bit as tasty as the “real stuff.” But there a few issues around soy as well. In excess of 90% of soy is genetically engineered. Additionally, soy, with the exception of fermented soy products, needs to be consumed judiciously. It definitely has an effect on our endrocrine system ~ as is attested to by the women who have been helped through menopause by including it in their diet. But soy, especially when consumed on a regular basis, has been shown to have a deleterious effect on the body’s ablity to utilize thyroid hormone, and that can cause a whole host of problems.

So, what’s an all natural Grammy to do???!!! Y

our guide to this culinary adventure is Avai, MSW

, RM ~

Founder of Choosing Eden, Living Foods for Vibrant Health. She comes to us from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, with more than 35 years experience in nutrition and its role in our health ~ and even more experience in food preparation!

Leap forward to the present day, and picture my three grandchildren doing the same ~ vying to be first on the stool to make their own Fruity Ice Cream. My youngest grandson, Cyrus, declared this special treat “awesomely awesome!” and Sam and Cayla agree. And I manage to get several servings of healthy, wholesome, organic fruit into them all at once. What could be better?

Roll over the cover to see Avai’s recipe!

Well, I, for one, fall back on an ole standby from my days teaching raw foods at a local comminity center. Once a month we had a special class for a group of children, 2 to 11 years old, and their moms.

We had all the usual activities available: crafts, sewing, dress-up... and The Kitchen!! The kids were allowed to flit from place to place, but they all seemed to love the kitchen best! They learned to cut and chop, scrape and clean (ie: splash in the sink!), and, whooo, the Best! ~ press the buttons (heavily supervised) on the various blenders and food processors.

It was kitchen madness, of course ~ but month after month we created vibrantly healthy meals that everybody loved. They even ate their salad! (Of course there was a special salad dressing that contributed to that accomplishment ~ but that’s another story.)

But the best part ~ the absolute BEST part ~ was the dessert. The Fruity-Banana “Ice Cream!” The kids would all line up, each holding their mug and spoon. When it was their turn, each would climb up on the chair and choose from the fruits before them ~ first, a piece of frozen banana would get dropped into the shoot, then a piece of frozen peach, or strawberry, or pineapple went in. Then they pressed down on the plunger and, out the front of the juicer, came a thick, creamy swirl ~ a pureed, frozen, fruity “ice cream” custard! And they LOVED it!! The sly little kiddies were getting back in line and coming up for seconds before their Moms even got some!