A Time to Heal, a Time to Indulge

 

Pina Colada Frozen Dessert:

This recipe is easier if you own a ice cream machine, but it doesn't require it.  My ice cream maker holds about 4 cups of liquid ingredients, and as it freezes, of course it expands.  If you don’t have such an appliance, it may be worth it to buy one just for this recipe! This is creamy, and delicious when fresh, but if you want to save some for later, simply pour the liquid ingredients into an ice cube tray, freeze, then blend a fresh new batch in a high quality blender.  This is the best way to make this dessert without the ice cream maker.

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1 13oz. Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk (I use Thai brand)

1 8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple in Juice

1 Tbs Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Sweet Leaf Stevia

2 Ripe Mangoes, Cubed

Blend the first five ingredients together until smooth, except for the lumps of pineapple.  Include the pineapple juice from the can.  It is very important to turn the ice cream maker appliance on before adding the ingredients.  Pour into the ice cream maker, and follow your machine’s directions.  After the frozen yogurt forms, spoon into bowls and top with fresh ripe mango cubes.  Take your tongue on vacation!

To Everything There is a Season
1	To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2	a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3	a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4	a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5	a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6	a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7	a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8	a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9	What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth? ~Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

        There are times I have to take a step back and realize it's a time to heal.  I can't always go out and eat an ice cream shake every day in the name of having balance in my diet.  If I did that, I know what the negative consequences would be for me as an individual.  Physically, I know it lowers my immunity to have too much sugar.  So most of the time, I stay away from it.  If a person is trying to heal their body, and recover from an illness, it's not the best time to indulge.  For some, the time it takes to recover or heal from an illness takes longer.  Sometimes lasting weeks, or even months.  That's when we start looking for ways to indulge without contributing to the existing physical problem.  Frozen yogurt has been my best friend for this reason!  I confess, used to have a bowl of ice cream or sorbet almost every day.  Now it's fruit and yogurt, smoothies, and frozen desserts like this one.  What is so great about this dessert is that you have probiotics to raise immunity, fight candida, and help digestion.  You have coconut milk, which is a natural anti-microbial.  You have mangoes, being one of the highest fruit sources of fiber.  Naturally occurring Vitamin C, as well as bromelain enzymes are in the pineapple, (and this content goes up even higher if you use fresh pineapple.)  All this in a sweet treat with absolutely no refined sugar! Yum.

It's kind of like the same feeling I would get if I went to a yard sale and got some fine china for a dirt cheap price.  It just feels good to eat something you know is not costing you your health.

       On my yoga mat, there are some mornings I don't even feel like moving.  I heard someone say somewhere that an hour of yoga is more beneficial than an hour of sleep?  They were probably referring to Yoga Nidra.  I'm not the most advanced in this area, so sometimes, I have to laugh when I intended to do a yoga routine, but I wake up to find I fell asleep on my mat instead.  "Oh Well, that's probably what my body needed today."  I'll say to myself.  Call it justification if you want to.  There is a time to just stretch, meditate, relax, breathe, and focus.  There is a time to get your fire going and do amazing things you never thought your body was capable of.  It's important to key into what you might need that particular day.  Sometimes, I'll just fall asleep on my mat, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it.