BANANA SPLIT {GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE}


Last night Tod and I got to get out of the heat (33° ) and see the new Planet of the Apes film in our awesome air conditioned movie theatre. (We don't have air conditioning at home so it was much appreciated.)

The movie was sooo good! I highly recommend watching the first one and then going to see the second one.


Our oldest, Chloe, as babysitting and Kyri was happy as could be, waving to us through the front window, as we walked up the drive way. Chloe handed me my hot happy baby and we said goodnight to Seth and Chloe. I took Kyri for a walk around the house to cool off a bit. The sun was going down and the sky was clear. We could see the mountains on the mainland and the clouds were turning pink. It was breathtaking. Our neighbours were outside so Kyri had to wave at them, saying Hi, repeatedly until they drove off. (It's her thing.) I showed Kyri flowers, plants, weeds (I haven't weeded in a couple months), spiders hanging from trees is big cob webs, and a white butterfly that we watched for two minutes. It even landed on a flower in front of us, then flew around Kyri's head while she just stared at it, keeping both eyes on it's every move. At the edge of the house I explained to Kyri that the back yard was her play area and the front yard was not for Kyri. Cars only in the front yard. We live on a somewhat busy street and we need our fence finished soon. She is still too scared to go past the porch but one day she will.


I took the little missy inside and turned on the fan in her room and fed her in the comfy breastfeeding chair. I put my feed up and relaxed, enjoying her tiny hands and her calm state. I hummed Sunshine, You are my Sunshine, while I ran my fingers through her hair. She fell asleep in no time and I put on my bathing suit and joined my husband, Tod, in the sauna. It had reached 49° so Tod had turned it off to wait for me. He was already sweating bullets by the time I got in. He turned it back on. Tod was listening to a podcast from Rich Roll. He was interviewing T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study & Whole. Rich had reached over 2 million downloads.

"In honor of the milestone, I thought it appropriate to bring you one of my most compelling and important interviews to date. A conversation with a man I owe my life. A man whose studies, books and tireless advocacy have transformed countless lives across the globe. A man absolutely instrumental in paving a path for my own personal transformation" - Rich Roll


In the podcast, Rich talks about how he started his plant based diet because he was inspired by T. Colin Campbell. He talks about how critics have challenged The China Study, and have tried to debunk it for years. (To me, it is clear that as humans, when we read something and become denfensive, it is our nature to try to contradict things and question them. When I wasn't healthy I thought the Conscious Health was wrong. I thought the findings were ludicrous and I wanted nothing to do with it. But I needed to open my eyes and make a change. I needed to become un'brainwashed' by TV commercials and really follow this natural way of living, IF I wanted to get healthy. Like Milk! Milk is bad for you? Dairy and meat products can harm your body? But the TV says to drink milk to make strong bones. And to eat animal protein to become strong. Later I found out that it was just companies trying to sell their products who made those lies up. Milk is actually bad for your over all health, along with it's partner in crime, cheese and other dairy and meat
products. Especially meat sold inorganically in stores. Go coconut milk ice cream!)


Anyway, T. Colin Campbell explained his book The China Study, which I love and is on my bedside table,  and how the studies came to be. Everything just fell into place for Campbell. One awesome thing let to the next, while doing research and studies Campbell and his team made amazing discoveries, about the link between animal protein and cancer. (We still eat animal protein but only grass fed organic local bison and fresh caught salmon. No hormone injected, soy fed, caged up animals like beef, pork, poultry and farmed Alaskan salmon. We only eat it twice a month.)

The part that I liked best about the podcast was the thing Campbell said about nutrients, about how the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, found in whole live foods, are so important. They need each other to help digest one another and benefit the body. There are phytonutrients in living foods, so small, half of the nutrients don't even have names yet. They discover more and more everyday about how small nutrients are. As infinite as the universe is, it just keeps going and going, same with the smaller scale of things, it just keeps going and going. All those tiny nutrients help us become healthy. It's another world we are still yet to discover. Cool eh! That is why it is important to eat an orange, and to pass on a vitamin C pill.


This banana split was perfect for the hot days we have been having in western Canada. This treat and a nice cold refreshing salad were greatly appreciated though out the day. Oh yes and let's not forget about our home brewed Kombucha!

BANANA SPLIT
Serves 1

Prepare ahead (optional) - If you want to make your own vanilla coconut milk ice cream, place can of coconut milk in the fridge over night to let the cream and the water separate

  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 tsp. liquid sweetener, such as unpasteurized honey or maple syrup
  • fresh home made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (optional) or you can use a handful of pecans instead
  • 1 can coconut milk- full fat, use cream only or 1 container vanilla coconut milk ice cream
  • 1 tsp. sweetener (void if using store bought coconut milk ice cream)
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (ditto above)
  • 1 container chocolate coconut milk ice cream
  • 2 tsp. caramel sauce (optional)
  • 1 tsp. shredded coconut for garnish

Caramel
  • 1/4 can coconut milk
  • 2 heaping tsp. almond butter
  • 2 tsp. clear agave nectar or unpasteurized honey
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
  • pinch of celtic sea salt
  • 3 dates, pitted & soaked in hot water


1. For the coconut milk - Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge over night to let the cream and the water separate. Open the can and save the water for a smoothie. Place the cream in a freezer safe bowl. Add 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract and 1 tsp. sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup. Mix with a hand meld mixer for 2 minutes. Place into the freezer for half an hour, mix every half hour until thick and creamy ( I mixed it 3 times). Add back to the freezer until ready to serve.

2. For the raspberry sauce - Take out 6 raspberries and set aside. Add your raspberries to a small pot and heat on low temp. Mash the raspberries and add 1 tsp. filtered water. Mash and stir. When the raspberries get warm, add 1 tsp. sweetener like honey or maple syrup stir and take off heat. Put raspberries through a tea strainer or cheese cloth, discard the seeds.

3. Make caramel sauce - Caramel - In a medium sauce pan, over the lowest heat, melt all the ingredients except the dates. Stir well and add to a high speed blender with the dates. Blend until smooth. Add to a sealed container or mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use. I had some left over so I used some but this is totally optional.

4. To create the banana split - Put your banana in half length wise. Place a piece of banana on the outer edges of your bowl/dish. Add scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and drizzle them with caramel and raspberry sauce. Add crumbled up oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or nuts and raspberries. Garnish with shredded coconut & grab a spoon and dig in. Add lots of ice cream if you plan on sharing!



Thanks for reading Mandy's Healthy Life. Be sure to visit my facebook page Mandy's Tips for Everyday Health. Enjoy your day!!!!!


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