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: PUREE, RAW

EAT IN: SUMMER

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

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

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.

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.

LEARN MORE

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 your body type. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute. See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (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 BIOCHARACTERISTIC Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD DIFFICULT ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest. LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT OILY ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily. LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY
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 BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and 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

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.