Summer is here and with the beautiful change in weather also comes a change in our eating habits. We all have a list of our favorite cold and refreshing foods and beverages to cool us down on a hot summer day and, if you are anything like me, ice cream is high on that list. I really appreciate a good bowl of ice cream, but I have found that, for me, ice cream can be a very difficult food to eat. Why? Because it is so difficult to eat only the standard ½ cup serving size that you see on the Nutrition Facts Label. For example, my all-time favorite ice cream is Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip. It tastes really good, but eating only a ½ cup portion of this ice cream is very difficult because:
When speaking to the Corinthians about the balance between exercising their freedom and honoring God, Paul counters the argument about having the "right to do anything" by saying: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 This passage specifically refers to the Corinthian’s appetite for sexual immorality. But, like the Corinthians, I also have appetites, including an appetite for ice cream. If I am to honor God, my appetites must be managed in a way that acknowledges who I am in relation to what He has done for me: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 And I would do well to heed the words from the wise about the dangers of excessive indulgence in food and drink. Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Proverbs 23:19-21 I am free to enjoy ice cream, but when I allow myself to become mastered by that appetite and consume that entire 14 fl. oz. carton of my favorite ice cream (1,050 Calories, by the way), I am not honoring God. My appetite has mastered me and 1,050 Calories of dessert are not beneficial for my body as I desire to be a healthy and energetic servant of God. So, how do I eat ice cream? Here are some things that I do that enable me to enjoy a wonderful summer dessert in a way that allows me to master my appetite for ice cream and preserve my health: When serving up ice cream, always, always use a 6 ounce Pyrex custard cup. Of all of the items in your kitchen, this one is most likely the closest you will get to serving up ½ cup of ice cream without having to get out the measuring cups (assuming you don’t pack it down as if you were measuring brown sugar for a recipe). When going out for ice cream, always, always order the kid’s size scoop. Again, this is the closest you will get to a ½ cup serving at the ice cream parlor. Another option to split a regular size serving with someone else. Make your own ice cream alternatives. I have two “go to” ice cream alternatives that I really enjoy because they are:
Here are the recipes for my two “go to” ice cream alternatives. You may want to give them a try. Raspberry Ice Cream Alternative (my very favorite) 3.5 oz. plain Greek strained yogurt ¼ cup of frozen raspberries (slightly thawed) ½ tsp cherry jam (or some other red fruit jam or preserve) Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Alternative (for when I want some chocolate) 1 small frozen peeled banana (slightly thawed) 2 tsp peanut butter 1 T chocolate chips (at least 60% cocoa) or cocoa powder For both recipes, simply combine ingredients and mash together by hand or pulse in a mini food processor until they reach your desired ice cream consistency. Happy Summer! If you have a question or comment about this blog post or any other information on this website, please click here.
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About the AuthorHello! My name is Ginger Hill and I am a Christ follower and a n employee wellness professional. I am passionate about helping myself and others to live a healthy lifestyle and I believe that good health is essential in helping us to do the good works that God has called us to do. Because I am a work in progress, I write these blog posts to encourage myself and I share them with others in the hope that they may be encouraged as well.
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"But the godly will flourish...Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green."
Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
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Psalm 92:12,14 (NLT)
All Contents Copyrighted © Ginger Hill and Good Health for Good Works 2017-2022. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
unless otherwise indicated. You may share this website by any of the following means:
1. Provide a back-link or the URL of the content you wish to disseminate.
2. Quote extracts (with context) from the website with attribution to www.goodhealthforgoodworks.org