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: DINNER-PARTY, ROMANTIC, BACKYARD-PICNIC-BBQ

How Can This Ayurvedic Recipe Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

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.

WHY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Ayurveda shows you your specific body type’s needs and what should be favored in your Ayurvedic menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

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Is Blueberry, Mint & Coconut Milk Ice Cream Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Blueberry, Mint & Coconut Milk Ice Cream is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL QUALITIES

INCREASES Increases These Qualities (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main characteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE GUNA Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY GUNA Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT GUNA Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types People tend to get sick, over and over again, due to similar causes and habitual imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	EFFECT: Ojas OJAS Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness. LEARN MORE ABOUT OJAS , Sattvic SATTVIC Sattvic foods promote awareness and a refreshed mind by nourishing the body without taxing digestion. Sattvic foods do not stimulate desire or nervous energy. They create clarity instead of drowsiness or heaviness. LEARN MORE ABOUT SATTVIC , Alkalizing ALKALIZING An herb or food that makes the urine more alkaline (higher pH). This herbal action can be helpful for a number of inflammatory conditions. LEARN MORE ABOUT ALKALIZING , Prana PRANA Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy, similar to Qi in Chinese Medicine. Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter. LEARN MORE ABOUT PRANA TYPE: Fruits NUTRIENT: Antioxidant

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Energy Vitality Strength:

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

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Heart & Circulation:

Opthalmic

OPTHALMIC

Benefits the eyes.

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Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.

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Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Literally, an herb that restores the proper function of the body. In practice, alteratives are usually blood cleansers and blood chemistry balancers. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

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Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body or otherwise strengthens blood. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

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Immune System:

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

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Anticarcinogenic

ANTICARCINOGENIC

Herbs that inhibit or prevent the activity of a carcinogen or the development of cancer.

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Kidney & Urinary:

Kidney Tonic

KIDNEY-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the kidneys.

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Liver & Gall Bladder:

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias.

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Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Brain Tonic

BRAIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the brain, thereby improves either mental function, stamina, or stability.

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Skin Care & Beauty:

Antipruritic

ANTIPRURITIC

Antipruritics are herbs that inhibit itching that is often associated with itching skin conditions such as sunburns, allergic reactions, eczema, psoriasis, chickenpox, fungal infections, insect bites, or contact dermatitis (as in poison ivy exposure.)

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