Power of Chewing

When your mom told you to “chew your food,” she really meant it!

Pearly Whites!

The act of chewing. It sounds like common sense, but likelihood is, you aren’t doing it often enough or as much as you think. Next time you go eat a meal, I want you to count the actual number of times you end up chewing. My guess is, you’ll actually end up chewing even more than what you normally do just because you’re consciously counting!

What generally happens is, while you are eating, you will end up focusing on something else: your favorite show on TV, an engrossing conversation with your table mate, a book you are wanting to finish, a work document that has to be done before end of day, or something else that comes up.

Yeah but, how exactly does chewing help?

Without boring you with all the details about digestion, chewing is the first step beyond the brain. Chewing is not just a mechanical step that physically breaks your food down. It, along with your brain, is the signal that causes your enzymes to be released into your mouth to break down the food that’s in there.

Digestion is a North to South process, which means if you take shortcuts at the beginning (chewing for example), your digestion is going to be a lot worse off at the end. If your food is not properly broken down into small enough pieces in your mouth, your stomach will have a harder time doing its job. So, by the time that food hits your small intestine, your small intestine will have a harder time doing its job too. Then, your colon will end up getting stressed out also for all the work that did not get done by the mouth. We end up with problems such as: acid reflux, indigestion, food intolerances, constipation, diarrhea, etc. which can lead to other non-digestion-related issues that come from malnutrition and nutrition deficiencies. In fact, personally speaking, I would not even touch any antacid meds or any HCl orenzyme therapy at all until I figured out whether or not I was chewing properly first.

Eating is not a race, but sometimes we make it one. Eating needs to be an enjoyable activity, one in which your body is not in a state of stress. Taking the time to slow down while eating and chewing properly will help give your body the signals it needs to know that you are really focusing on digestion, and not running from a dinosaur. Doing these things will also give your brain a chance to discern whether you have eaten enough or not. Listen to your body!

How many times do I need to chew?

I’m not going to give you a number! Let your mouth assess the situation; if your tongue and teeth can still recognize the food (let’s say for our example, an asparagus tip) for what it is (does it still feel like an asparagus tip?), you haven’t chewed it enough. Some foods, especially proteins, can take much longer to chew than other foods. If your mouth can not recognize the bite for what it is, it’s time to swallow! Chewing 20 to 30 times for one bite may work for you, but that number may be different for every person. We are all biochemically unique — do what works for your body.

What generally helps me to remember chewing that often is to put my fork down in between bites. Overall, I end up eating slower as well as less food, giving my brain a chance to register fullness appropriately.

What methods work for you to help you slow down in eating and chew properly?

The Power of Touch

I remember hearing somewhere that people need 100 touches a day. When our societies were closer-knit and multiple families lived under one roof, this may have been possible back in the day. But, as Americans became more and more “independent,” we gained our freedom away from family, but we also became less connected with one another. What if part of dis-ease manifesting in us is due to lack of touch or lack of connection with other people? Most of us fall short of this 100 touches a day benchmark, but I think it’s a great goal to have because not only do we ourselves as “huggers” benefit from it, the “huggees” also benefit. If you have pets, go hug them. If you have family or friends near by, go hug them. Enjoy the sensation that comes from sharing energy with another being. Go spread the love…it may help you live longer!

Here’s a video I watched on Touch, Caring, and Cancer. While I do not know what it is like to have cancer, I can imagine it is difficult to deal with on physical, emotional, and mental levels. Or, if you are a caretaker, learning how you can help can be overwhelming. I have been working on my Healing Touch class for a while now, and it amazes me how much physical touch as well as having a positive intention can cause healing.

Enjoy the video. Maybe it will give you food for thought. If you are fighting cancer yourself, remember to think healing, loving thoughts for your mind and your body. And, have a dear one give you a massage!

Are you toxic?

If you are toxic, how do you expect your body to heal? If you answer yes to 20 or more questions, you may be highly toxic. All these questions demonstrate how living a “normal life” can result in toxicity that the body may need help to detox. We at Innate Wellness can help your body return to a healthy state by addressing these issues. Please call us at 949.596.9991 to make an appointment.

1. Have you used any prescription medications, including birth control pills?
2. Have you used antibiotics?
3. Have you used over-the-counter pain medication pills like Tylenol or aspirin?
4. Were you vaccinated as a child? Do you get the flu vaccine every winter season?
5. Do you eat fast food regularly?
6. Does most of your food come prepackaged and ready-made?
7. Do you use plastic containers in the microwave?
8. Do you use artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet or Splenda?
9. Do you drink regular OR diet sodas?
10. Do you eat white refined sugar regularly?
11. Do you have fewer than 2 bowel movements a day?
12. Do you cook with nonstick pans?
13. Do you drink less than 8 glasses of purified water every day?
14. Do you use regular tap water to shower/bathe in/drink?
15. Do you eat conventional meat & poultry with antibiotics and hormones?
16. Do you eat farmed fish?
17. Do you drive every day?
18. Do you use electronic devices (phone, cell phone, computers) without electromagnetic protection?
19. Do you use hair dyes or highlights?
20. Do you use nail polish or get manicures/pedicures from salons?
21. Do you use standard cosmetics and other beauty products?
22. Do you put lotions or sunscreens on your skin?
23. Do you use standard cleaning products around your house?
24. Do you dry clean your clothes?
25. Do you use standard detergent and/or dryer sheets for your clothes?
26. Do you use air fresheners in the house?
27. Do you use a standard deodorant/antiperspirant?
28. Do you wear perfume/cologne?
29. Do you spend most of your time indoors?
30. Do you always wear sunscreen when going outdoors?
31. Do you rarely spend time out in nature?
32. Do you live within a few miles of a manufacturing plant?
33. Do you live within 100 miles of farmland?
34. Do you use bug sprays in or outside of your home?
35. Do you swim in a chlorinated pool?
36. Do you use toothpaste or mouthwash with fluoride or bleaching agents?
37. Have you ever had silver “mercury” amalgams?
38. Do you have any tattoos?
39. Do you smoke or breathe in second-hand smoke?
40. Do you take synthetic supplements?

Oil Changes Aren’t Just for Cars

That’s right…do you need an oil change? Are you eating the right healthy fats for you? With all the confusion out “there” about what’s healthy and what’s not, let’s take a look at what fats you are eating and see where we are at.

When you hear the word “fat”, what do you think of?

Some of you may think of fatty foods, like butter, margarine, olive oil, lard, canola oil, fish oil, etc. Some of you may think immediately of that lovely stuff that is stuck to your hips that has a hard time coming off! Biochemically speaking and not to bore you with too many scientific details, fats are in a class by themselves and distinctly different from the other macronutrients, carbohydrates and proteins. There are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats; all of which are based on the chemical structure of the fat molecule. Most fats as you and I know them in foods are actually combinations of the three. For example, olive oil is 13.8% saturated fat, 73.1% monounsaturated fat, and 10.5% polyunsaturated fat, but since it is mostly monounsaturated fat, we tend to classify it as such. The term “fat” is usually reserved for animal sources and are solid at room temperature. The term “oil” is usually reserved for plant sources and are usually liquid at room temperature.

Why do we need fat?

Every cell membrane for every cell in your body (somewhere between 50 to 100 TRILLION cells for an adult body!), including your brain (which is 60% fat), is made up of yes, dare I say it, saturated fat. The saturated fat is necessary to maintain the cellular rigidity and flexibility and to keep the extracellular communication going. Fat is essential to carry fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, K, and E to where they are needed. Fat makes our skin look plump and healthy. You may have heard the term “essential fatty acid”. What “essential” means in nutrition is that our bodies cannot produce that substance internally; we must get it from our foods in order to have it available as a body-building material. Therefore, we must eat fat, especially good fat, to help maintain our health!

Fats are NOT inherently bad.

Your doctor may have told you that saturated fats are bad for you, but did your doctor study nutrition? (Actually, the average medical doctor only has about 4 hours of nutrition in all of their studying…) Well, there are good fats and bad fats, and what category a fat fits into depends on the way it was processed and where it is from. Good vegetable fats are organic, raw, unrefined, and cold-pressed. Bad fats include highly refined or oxidized fats, such as trans fatty acids or hydrogenated fats. Corn, soy, grapeseed, and canola oils all have a high Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio, which add to cellular inflammation. Cooking vegetable oils at high heats also oxidizes them, adding to their inflammatory response.

So, what fats should I eat?

Good fats include raw nuts, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, evening primrose oil, and coconut oil. Good animal fats include raw whole milk and butter or ghee (if you tolerate dairy well and it is coming from pastured, grassfed cows or goats), cod liver oil with natural vitamins A and D, egg yolks from pastured chickens, wild-grown fatty fish, and animal fats (including lard… from clean, organic animal sources, of course). Healthy saturated fats like unrefined coconut or palm oil or lard from pastured pigs are the most heat-stable and best for cooking; leave the vegetable oils and nuts raw! Coconut oil, a mostly saturated fat, is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and has medium-chain fatty acids which are easier for the body to digest.

Personally, I include a spoonful of fermented cod liver oil as my daily health insurance, along with a healthy dose of good fats with my meals.

Symptoms Relieved by Eating Good Fats

If you are eating the right kind of fats, you’ll reduce these symptoms: cravings for fatty or greasy foods (the wrong types!), headaches when outside in the sun, sunburn problems, easily fatigued muscles, dry flaky skin, and dandruff.

What if I’ve had my gall bladder removed?

If you have had your gall bladder removed, then you need digestive support like ox bile, carrot juice, and others (like GB Support) even more so than before. Yes, your doctor may have explained that your gall bladder was just a place to store your bile, but what your doctor didn’t explain is that it makes it that much harder to break the fats you eat down without a concentrated amount of bile. Remember, your body needs good fats… they are the raw materials for every cell membrane and your sex hormones and help to carry fat-soluble vitamins to all your body parts, etc. And, eating a low/no fat diet is NOT the answer if you want happy cells!

References include: Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates.

Water Filtration Systems

Water makes up somewhere at least 60% of the adult human body (unborn babies are more than 80%!), so the quality of the water you are consuming can have a significant impact on your body. Here are a couple of links that can help you make sense of the various water filtration systems that exist. If anyone else has other good links, please let me know!

Water Filtration Systems Comparison – Drinking water, shower water, and whole house water filters compared

Water Softeners, Water Purifiers, and Filters

Not all brands are listed there, but hopefully you can become a little more informed about what these systems do and how they work.

Are You Deficient in Minerals? Find out with a Hair Test!

How do you know if you are mineral deficient? You can certainly take a guess based on the foods you are eating, but how much of the minerals you are eating are actually being assimilated and used?

ABCs of Minerals

To give you some background, there are essential or necessary elements and there are toxic ones. Of the essential elements, you have major minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Sulfur, and Iron. These we need in fairly large quantities to be healthy. There are also minerals your need in trace amounts: Barium, Boron, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Germanium, Iodine, Lithium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Rubidium, Selenium, Silicon, Strontium, Vanadium, Zinc, and Zirconium. On the other side of the equation, you have heavy metals which are toxic to our bodies: Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Gadolinium, Gold, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Palladium, Platinum, Silver, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, and Uranium. All of these elements will affect you in different way. They can be found in air, food, water, supplements, clothing fibers, makeup, pipes, computer equipment, phones, light bulbs, cleansers, etc., so basically anything you eat, breathe, drink, or put on your skin in the form of clothing, skin products, cleaning products, etc., all will affect the cumulative mineral “bank” we have inside us in our bones, teeth, organs, muscles, etc.

Why are Minerals Important?

Our human bodies cannot manufacture minerals, that is, we need to consume them from external sources. Minerals in our bodies are found in tissue proteins, enzymes, blood, some vitamins, etc. Phosphorus and Calcium can be found mainly in our bones and teeth — they help gives us structure and strength. Electrolyte minerals, sodium, potassium, and chloride, help regulate fluid and acid-base balance of our bodies. Sulfur is essential for our liver to detoxify chemical junk. Major minerals we need are used in countless functions throughout the body. For example, Magnesium has been found to be necessary in at least 300 different reactions in the body. And, that’s just one mineral! Imagine what they all do when combined together in your body!

Heavy metals, on the other hand, are also important but that is due to their being very disruptive to body functionality. They can compete with essential minerals so that the body ends up using heavy metals instead, which can cause hormone receptors to malfunction. For example, Cadmium displaces Zinc and Lead displaces Calcium. Cadmium cannot function as Zinc nor Lead function as Calcium so the crucial functions that are normally completed by Zinc and Calcium are left unfinished, and symptoms start to manifest. Some heavy metals can cross the blood-brain-barrier and damage the brain and become endocrine disruptors, affecting multiple body systems.

What Causes Mineral Deficiencies?

Many of us are mineral deficient and don’t even know it. You can get most minerals from your foods if you are eating quality produce grown in good soil. With the eroding quality of our soils, we have to question the quality of nutrients we get from our foods. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and animal products, all have varying amounts of the minerals we need, so eating a wide variety of foods will help reduce the chance of mineral deficiencies. EATING SUGAR WILL DEPLETE YOUR BODY OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM! Your body will try to balance the acidity in your blood by pulling alkaline minerals out of your teeth, bones, and muscles to neutralize the sugar.

Your body will give you signs like muscle cramps, joint aches, or other symptoms when you incredibly deficient, but otherwise you may not know for a LONG time. But, we health-conscious people… we like Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

How Do We Find out If We Have a Mineral Deficiency?

Taking a hair mineral test will give you a decent idea of how your body is using its minerals. Your body is always in a process of elimination through the typical channels (kidneys, liver, colon, lungs, skin). Excess essential minerals AND toxic metals can get stored in the hair, especially when the body is struggling to eliminate things through the normal channels. No one test (hair, urine, blood, stool, etc.)  is 100% perfect in analysis because different things get stored or eliminated in different places, but a hair test has been shown to be the best way to test mineral status. All one takes is some clippings of your hair near the roots and sending them off to a lab which analyzes all the data. A toxic and essential minerals hair test will reveal several things about you that you may not know:

• Any abnormally low or abnormally high essential/other minerals. Too little of a good thing can cause deficiencies, and too much of a good thing can also cause problems with toxicity. Any numbers that are abnormally low are areas that need to be addressed with diet or supplementation. For example, my own hair test revealed that I am incredibly deficient in chromium, which is necessary for healthy blood sugar regulation and carbohydrate metabolism. I had guessed this about myself years ago (and back then, I took a form of chromium that didn’t work!), but only recently (as in the past few days!) started supplementing with a natural, food-based chromium. Updates on this will come later.
• Any “yellow-zone” or “red-zone” high toxic metal. Too much OR even a little of a bad thing is still a bad thing! Remember that the hair stores minerals that are in excess, especially if those substances are in high quantities and cannot be stored elsewhere. Lead and mercury are particularly harmful and so prevalent in so many products — they have been linked to endocrine disorders, environmental illnesses, chemical sensitivities, allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc. Sometimes, it is necessary to follow a chelation therapy to remove heavy metals because they have a natural affinity to our tissues and organs, especially if you have many systemic problems that have not been addressed by other means. Sometimes, it is just a matter of removing the source of the toxic exposure and increasing good foods in the diet that will naturally help you detox, especially if you are feeling well and just want to stop your continued exposure to that heavy metal.
• Deranged mineral transport. Heavy metals have a way of preventing minerals from being used properly. Looking at the highs and lows of your non-toxic mineral levels can be statistically relevant to mercury toxicity, even if your mercury line itself is low normal.

Innate Wellness does provide essential and toxic hair element tests with consultation and a comprehensive plan to detox based on your body’s needs. There are other non-invasive tests (like Nutrition Response Testing) that can be done to determine if you are deficient in particular minerals (and vitamins). If you are interested in learning more about these for your own health, please talk to us!

Remember, it’s not just what you eat, it’s what you eat and what you assimilate and use in your body.

Death and Emotional Eating

Sorry folks for being away from writing the past few weeks. My father-in-law, a wonderfully blessed man with a great sense of humor, passed away two weekends ago from devastating prostate cancer, and we are all missing him very much. My in-laws pretty much ate a meat-and-potatoes diet and alas, my offer to help nutritionally was ignored and pretty much came too late. I am happy to say that the Dear Hubby has been more receptive to dietary changes over the past few years, in fact, making kombucha and having a loaded veggie smoothie everyday have become his hobbies! Go Real Food!

But about the title… the Death part is pretty much explained in the first paragraph. The Emotional Eating is something I am processing now. My example happens to be around my FIL’s passing, but for you, it doesn’t have to be a death.  It could be a loss of any relationship, stress, a major fight with a spouse or family member, financial issues, job loss, etc. Anything can trigger emotional eating. Even with my 90% healthy eating habits, when push comes to shove, sometimes a traumatic event can cause me to go overboard. Usually that means eating sweets and comfort foods (which almost always means too many carbohydrates).  I noticed I’ve been giving myself permission to eat off-plan, and I have definitely been feeling it in a not-so-nice way. My upper and lower back aches, my all-day fatigue, brain fog, and excessive sleep are lovely reminders that, yes, certain foods and habits over the past few weeks aren’t agreeing with me. As much as we may want to think that eating makes the emotional pain go away, it really doesn’t. Food can be like an anesthetic drug – it is numbing yes, but not really taking care of the root of the problem.

So, listen to YOUR body, what’s it saying? Are you eating something that isn’t agreeing with your body? Are you nurturing your body with enough rest and playtime? Does your body need more emotional or spiritual healing? Do you need to meditate, pray, or connect with God, aka Source? Do you need uplifting quality time with friends and loved ones? Or, do you need more “me time”? Go for a walk, pull some weeds out of your garden, or go rub a furry friend down. There are many things you can do that will fill up your soul’s bank account, and they don’t have to cost a lot of money.

I am going to go take care of my Self now. I hope you do too. ♥

Old school kim chee

Can you handle the heat??

No, I’m not talking about the sun outside, although I think it’s a good idea to enjoy the sun every now and then! I’m talking about kim chee or kim chi, otherwise known as Korean-style fermented spicy cabbage. I contemplated using the kim chee recipe I found in Nourishing Traditions, but it just wasn’t “authentic” enough for me. I have heard stories about people burying their kim chee for days underground and digging the jars up when they were ready to be eaten. I did not go that far! I ended up seeking advice from a Hawaiian recipe book that Dear Hubby owns called Favorite Island Cookery by the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, a Buddhist Temple in Oahu, compiled in 1973. The members decided to create several fundraising cookbooks of their combined knowledge of traditional and contemporary eastern and western foods. I’m glad they created these books because I used their basic kim chee recipe and supercharged it to make it less junky (no MSG or sugar tyvm!) and full of veggies.

The fermentation process of leaving the food out for a couple of days allows the production of good, healthy probiotic bacteria, the kind we need in our digestive tracts. Without these good bugs, our immune system would be compromised from anything and everything that wants to take control. Our colon, which has more critters in it than all of our body cells combined, is a constant battleground of good versus bad. So, eating fermented foods or taking a good probiotic will help our good-to-bad bacteria ratio and keep our immune system up and running.

We have this kim chee or fermented cucumbers or ginger carrots as a side dish to many of our meals. Fermented foods are generally raw so you can be assured that you are getting living enzymes in this side dish along with the good bacteria.

This is rather hot and spicy, so if that bothers you, cut back on the chili sauce, but the chili/garlic does a body good!

Ingredients:

2 pounds napa cabbage*

1/2 cup Hawaiian/sea salt

4 cups water

2 carrots, shredded

1 daikon radish*, shredded

3 tsp chili garlic sauce* OR 2 tsp minced red pepper with 3/4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced ginger root (fresh)

1/2 tsp paprika

 

*You are likely to find these most often at an Asian grocery store.

 

Wash cabbage and cut into 1.5″ long pieces. Soak cabbage in water with salt for 3-4 hours. Cabbage should appear wilted and have released alot of water. Rinse and drain. Add daikon and carrot shreds to cabbage mixture. Combine seasonings and add to cabbage, mixing thoroughly. Pack into a large, clean jar. Cover loosely – there should be an 1″ of space between cabbage and lid. Let stand at room temperature for 2 days. Place in refrigerator. Chill before serving. Enjoy your creation!

Listening to your body – Thirst

Is your body crying for water? Are you listening?? Check in with yourself… What is your body feeling now? Is it hunger that is making you reach for that snack, or are you really thirsty?

Most of us don’t drink enough water. The standard recommendation for daily water intake that I have seen is to take your body weight in pounds and divide by two. That number, in ounces, is approximately what you should be drinking in one day. If you are exercising or live/work in a hot place, you should conceivably be drinking even more water.

Did you know that the act of breathing causes you to lose water? Breathing, sweating, peeing, and pooping all cause us to lose some water. Situations like diarrhea, vomiting, fevers, and diabetes can cause us to lose even more water.

Lack of water in our system is the cause of many health complaints, and we may not have even know it!  A list of symptoms/diagnoses that have been linked to dehydration are:

• Dry mouth
• Inability to sweat
• Inability to create tears
• Muscle cramps
• Heart palpitations
• Lightheadedness
• Hypertension
• Back pain
• Diabetes
• Headaches and dizziness
• Kidney issues
• Bladder issues

When you don’t drink enough water, certain things will start to happen to your body. Your body will try to hold onto as much water as it can, making your urine and your stool very concentrated and difficult to pass. Being constipated also means that the toxins that would normally be exiting your body in a timely manner end up being reabsorbed back into your body and doing other damage. Your blood, the lifeline of your body that carries nutrients to your cells and carries wastes out to your elimination organs, becomes thick and sluggish. Without the fluidity that water offers for our blood and our cells, toxins just do not move as quickly out of our bodies. In the Nutrition Response Testing that I do, I have noticed with my clients that when they are dehydrated they do not test as well AND they don’t even realize they are thirsty! I believe this testing problem happens due to our cells not being able to communicate as well with one another when we are dehydrated.

So, how do we get more water in our systems? Well, easiest way is to find time to drink it. If you ever see me outside of the house, I am always carrying a water bottle with me. It’s a cool thing to carry around your own reusable water containers nowadays! If you don’t like the way your water tastes, consider using a filtration system (whole house or point of service, like Brita) or add some cucumber slices or pineapple chunks to a pitcher of water. Or make some sun tea by adding some herbal tea bags to a pitcher full of water and let it sit out in the sun for a few hours. Or, add a squeeze of lemon or lime to a glass of water. Anything to help you get that water down. During the wintertime, try adding some hot soups. During the summertime, cold soups like gazpacho are great to drink. But, it is actually not a good thing to drink water with your meals. Doing so actually dilutes your stomach acid, so it is best to drink water at least half hour away before a meal or an hour or two after a meal.

And watch out for caffeine. If you absolutely have to have your cup of coffee or black/green tea, do so but don’t overdo it. That caffeine will throw your melatonin/cortisol cycles off, and affect your sleep. It is also a diuretic, which means you will need to drink even more water to make up for the water that the caffeine forces out of the body.

Another way to get water into your body is through showering. If you do not have a whole house filtration system, purchase a shower head filter to remove chlorine, fluoride, and other baddies. Your body can absorb more chemicals from a ten-minute shower than from drinking all the water you need during a day, so it is really important to drink and bathe in clean water.

Next time you feel hungry or have a dry mouth, check in with your body. When was the last time you had some water? Could it be that you are thirsty?

How do you get more water into your body?

Homemade ice cream for a hot day

Ice cream is great for a hot day, or for that matter, any day or night! I’ve tried some commercial coconut milks, but something is always lacking. I found them to be too sweet or too “artificial”. This gluten-free recipe can become dairy-free as well, which is usually how I make it. Strawberries are in season now, so it’s great as a topping. Or blueberries too! Use leftover egg whites add fluffiness to a pancake recipe or whip them up to add shine to your hair (make sure you rinse your hair out well though!).

Ingredients:

2 Cups raw cream (or coconut milk to make dairy-free)

3 organic egg yolks (the best you can buy, quality matters here!)

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

3 droppersful of liquid stevia

5-6 strawberries, cut up OR blueberries, or whatever fresh fruit you like and is in season

Mix all ingredients, minus the fruit, in a bowl. Pour into ready ice cream machine and follow machine directions. If cream/milk was cold, it takes about 25 minutes mixing in machine, longer if at room temperature. Pour resulting ice cream into individual bowls and top with fruit. This ice cream is best eaten same day. It does not seem to taste as good when frozen. Enjoy!