Blueberry, Mint & Coconut Milk Ice Cream

How to Make Blueberry, Mint & Coconut Milk Ice Cream

• SERVINGS: 4
• PREP TIME: 120 MINUTES
• COOK TIME: 0 MINUTES
• MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT
• STYLE: WESTERN
• PREPARATION: RAW, PUREE
• EAT IN: SUMMER
• FOR OCCASION: ROMANTIC, BACKYARD-PICNIC-BBQ, DINNER-PARTY

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

On a hot summer's day, feel transported to the arctic by cool, refreshing Blueberry Mint Coconut Ice Cream. You'll enjoy the luxurious texture of silky coconut milk, while blueberries surprise you with their tart notes. The bright, cool taste of mint gives this ice cream a clean finish - just what you need to feel relaxed and refreshed on a sticky summer's day.

Cool Your Liver

A hot temper and red, itchy eyes in summer time is a sign that your liver is being taxed by the endless heat. Every single ingredient nourishes and cools your liver. You'll notice this cooling effect in your eyes as they become more relaxed, and by your calm mind as you "chill-out." Coconut milk, rich with cool oils, nourishes the liver by allowing blood and liver qi to move smoothly throughout the body. Mint is a classic herb for releasing extra heat and cooling the liver. Adding mint as a garnish completes this delicious formula for your liver. Blueberries also reduce levels of inflammation in blood.

Blueberry, Mint and Coconut Milk Ice Cream also has powerful liver-healing abilities. Blueberries (and berries in general) protect the liver. They are high in beta-carotene, which stimulates your liver. Regular consumption of blueberries in particular led to a reduction in liver size, indicating improved liver function (University of Michigan). A diet rich in berries reduces liver enzymes by as much as 23 percent (Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2010). High liver enzymes are a sign of liver cell injury.

Calm Your Mind

Like a cool breeze, or sitting in your favorite shade tree, blueberry brings a restful reprieve to an overheated mind. It calms your thoughts, and encourages a more passive demeanor. The heavy, cool fats of coconut milk also calm your stressed-out, overheated mind on even the hottest of days. These nourishing oils soothe the nerves and allow the nervous system to come to peaceful rest.

Several studies extol blueberries nourishing effects on the brain that are consistent with its pitta pacifying nature. It has been shown to minimize age-related memory loss, have an anti-inflammatory effect on your nerves, and offer benefits in Alzheimers. According to James Joseph, PhD, leading scientist at the Laboratory of Neuroscience at Tufts University, "When it comes to brain protection, there is nothing quite like blueberries. Call the blueberry the "brain berry."

Mint clears all forms of stagnation - in the stomach, blood, gall bladder, lymph, lungs, and even emotions. A sprig of mint helps you release pent up emotions that create heat in your liver and anger in your mind. Prepare this recipe as a remedy for your hot-tempered pitta friends this summer, and have fun with it! Don't tell them the effect of your creation, simply serve, sit back, and watch the transformation.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.