I’m not really big on the whole “food cleanse” thing. You can swear up and down about how fabulous you feel when it’s over; I tend to feel like hell when I’m really hungry (headaches, the works) though, so the idea of boiling my nutrient intake down to a whole lot of juice just isn’t that appealing to me. That said, though, would I try an ice cream cleanse? You bet I would.
Granted, this isn’t your standard ice cream; it’s raw, organic, non-dairy ice cream that gets its creaminess from coconut. But believe you me, if I lived in Southern California and had access to the Venice ice cream shop known as Kippy’s, I would be all. Over that.
It’s still in its early stages of development, but as of now, here’s how it works: At the beginning of the four-day cleanse, you pick up your supply of ice cream from Kippy’s. You eat five meals a day, each consisting of one pint of ice cream, for a total of 20 pints of ice cream over the length of the cleanse. Sound like a lot? It is, but at least it’s all different flavors: Meal one is Coconut Yogurt; meal two, Orange Crème; meal three, Dark Chocolate with Himalayan Fire Salt (um, yum); meal four, Master Cleanse (lemon with a touch of cayenne); and meal five, Super Food (honey and cinnamon). You can also drink as much water as your little hydration-loving heart desires.
What’s the science behind it? Basically, you’re eating a boatload of raw saturated fat from the coconuts, as well as nutrients from the fruit and superfoods that flavor each ice cream. According to Kippy’s introduction to the cleanse, fat solubility helps your body absorb nutrients more efficiently; it also causes your body to release heavy metals, plastics, and other toxins that may have made their way into your system. It does sound a little scary to be consuming, but when Gizmodo talked to nutritionist Maren Robins, CNC, MPH, they found out the following:
“While virgin, cold pressed coconut oil has a high level of saturated fat… numerous studies have found that high quality coconut products may contain health properties that far outweigh any health implications associated with a high saturated fat content. In fact, while other oils with a similar level of saturated fat (e.g., butter) are associated with heart disease and cholesterol issues, regular coconut consumption can improve the cholesterol ratio…. Evidence suggests that it actually may reduce risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis – the precursor to heart disease.”
So, y’know… there’s that.
Gizmodo actually gave the whole thing a road test, so if you’re curious to see what the experience is like, head on over there to check it out. In the meantime, I’ll be dreaming of coconut cream if you need me. Yum.
