gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream
What is normal?
“I just want to eat like a normal person.”
I hear it in the allergen free isle at the grocery store, I hear it from people with chronic illness in the numerous health groups I belong to, and I read it on social media all-the-time. And although those words haven’t really slipped from my lips in years and years, sometimes I do fantasize about what I would eat if I had one 24 hour allergen free day and a promise that I wouldn’t feel terrible.
So, I do understand the mindset of wanting to eat like a “normal” person. Having to eliminate things from your diet in a such a major way because it’s harming your health can be overwhelming. It takes research, extra time, and usually involves a lot of whiny grumpy family members, and friends who think you’ve lost your mind who try to sabotage your diet.
I have to continually be diligent and try new ways to help my body feel well. I started dairy free living many years ago, then went gluten-free, and as of about 6 months ago, I’m grain free the majority of the time as well. Believe me, I feel your struggle. That’s why I try to come up with tasty things for you and I to eat so we don’t feel like we’re missing out.
Now, let’s think about how these so called “normal” people really eat. If we base a normal person’s diet just on what people in the U.S. are consuming, the majority of their diet is fast food and prepackaged food, which is loaded with chemicals, pesticides, and hormones. They drink gallons of refined sugar laden, caffeine boosted, carbonated drinks every year. They eat meat that is fed GMO corn and wheat, and meat that is saturated with growth hormones. They eat chickens that have never seen the light of day and are fed only grains and chemicals.
“Normal” eaters consume vast amounts of soy in all of the packaged and fast foods they eat. Which is not only highly estrogenic, but also the most genetically altered food on the planet. The majority of their diet is white. They fill their bodies all day, every day, with things that their systems no longer even recognize as food. Enter leaky gut, candida overgrowth, and auto immune disorders. Our guts are damaged, and what we know now is that our gut is the epicenter of our immune system. A damaged gut puts your immune system and histamine into overdrive which means that your body is working against you and the inflammation in your body sky rockets. This leaves you vulnerable to a whole host of auto immune issues, viruses, bacterial infections, and parasites which leads to big trouble.
These people with a “normal” diet who some people think are so lucky to be able to eat whatever they want, are suffering dearly. They can’t really eat whatever they want without any issues. Let’s be logical. Our nation, along with many others are having major health issues. Human beings are on TONS of pharmaceuticals because they are treating only the symptoms of what really ails them. And sadly, many of these “normal” people, along with their under educated physicians, often have their heads in the sand when it comes to learning and implementing new ideas about diet and health.
A “normal” person’s school lunch program considers a chemical laden ketchup packet a vegetable serving. Cancer is rising, chronic illness is rising, psychiatric issues are rising, pain levels are rising, heart disease is rising, obesity is rising, children’s behavioral issues are rising, auto immune diseases are rampant. There are all kinds of studies now that link what we eat and how those eating habits wreak havoc on our bodies inside and out.
In fact, they are learning more and more now about how the damage we’ve done to our bodies changes our cells and affects future generations. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle can determine which DNA is switched off and on for your descendants. Diseases, mental illness, deformities, behavioral issues… Scary stuff.
The good news is that by taking care of yourself and eating well, you can actually reverse damage. It’s a pretty amazing thing to know that the way you live can determine how your future generations will fare, health wise. If you’ve been negative and acting like a Debbie Downer about the dietary changes you’re required to make, work at changing your perspective.
Taking control of your health and educating yourself IS normal. Getting rid of allergen foods that are setting you up for chronic illness and slowly killing you, IS normal. Trying to focus on eating real food, and loving your body for your own sake and those you love, IS NORMAL.
Jump for joy that YOU are NOT society’s definition of “normal”!
You have been empowered to make a positive change in your life and the lives around you. When you are healthy and feeling good, you are happy. You are energetic, you sleep well, love well, and enjoy life. Life is meant to be so much better than settling for “normal”.
Be well.
Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream
3 Cups of Organic Non-BPA Full Fat Coconut Milk
2/3 Cups of Organic Coconut Sugar
1/4 teaspoon of Instant Coffee Granules
1/2 Cup of Organic Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon of Organic Ground Cinnamon
1 Can (drained) of Dark Sweet Cherries (15 oz)
6 Organic Egg Yolks
3 Ounces of Organic 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped/chunks
In a medium saucepan add the coconut milk, sugar, instant coffee granules, cocoa powder, sea salt, cinnamon, cherries, and egg yolks. Heat on medium stirring constantly until it comes to a tiny bit of a simmer and the liquid coats the back of a spoon. About 20 minutes or so. You should be able to run your finger down the back of the spoon and it will leave a line.
Pour the liquid into a heat proof container and allow to cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 4 hours.
Pour the chilled liquid into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Serve as soft serve or scoop into a freezer proof container and allow to set in the freezer at least 3 hours before serving. When ready to serve, allow it to sit out on the counter with the lid off for 20 minutes. This helps it to defrost, allowing for a creamy consistency, avoiding the ice crystal texture that coconut milk ice cream sometimes has.
12 Comments on “Chocolate Cherry Chunk Ice Cream”
Leave a Reply
gluten free zen 
Oooohhhh, that looks so good!!! If only I could eat eggs too… 😦 (I raise layer hens and found out I have an egg allergy in addition to gluten, dairy and peanut. And our eggs are the healthiest omega-3 rich eggs around.) I will try this recipe for my husband though. He’ll love it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are egg free recipes! I’ve run across them here and there. How sad that you have hens with such healthy eggs too! Maybe you’ll be able to heal your gut and then add them back in someday. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of my top goals!! Until then, I’m being very good. (and not settling for “normal” 😉 )
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay! Now that’s what I LOVE to hear! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That does it! I have to get an ice cream maker!!
>
LikeLike
Linda, do you have a Kitchen Aid mixer? I bought the ice cream attachment. SO EASY! I absolutely love it. 🙂
LikeLike
All of the pictures were making me salivate. I love chocolate ice cream and this looks yummy. I have dealt with allergy issues my whole life and my daughter was a celiac baby and has become an adult with colitis since the age of 16. She has done well with gluten free eating. She had given up on meat many years ago. Poultry was eliminated in college after viewing a documentary about the raising of chickens. Several years ago, she suffered a concussion that has left her with the inability to smell or taste food. It has been horrible to watch her struggle to find something to eat when we go out.
LikeLike
Oh no, that would be awful. I wonder if memories of how food tasted and smelled helps at all? Those food videos of traditionally raised animals are enough to make anyone switch to vegetables forever!
LikeLike
Your ice cream looks amazing. I love the chunks that would give it wonderful texture. Yes, I try to eat like a normal person too but say ‘no’ to the additives and chemicals xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rock on homie. No to normal, yes to icecream 👌😜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Simple Roasted Vegetable Lunch | gluten free zen
Excellent post. When I first started reading it all I could think was “but ‘normal’ people are sick, I’m not.” As I kept reading I was delighted to see you address that issue.
Love the ice cream recipe.
LikeLike