Healthy Snacks: Cocoa Pomegranate Vegan Creamsicle

Are you fanning yourself ineffectively while roasting in 90 plus degree weather? Are you mentally pleading with the universe for a moment’s worth of respite from the blistering heat? Consider for a minute, how amazingly refreshed you’d feel this very second eating a smooth and refreshing cocoa pomegranate creamsicle. Not just any creamsicle, but a deliciously frigidly cold one, straight from the freezer. There’s not too much better in this world than the instantaneous cooling effect of its frozen goodness on an overheating body. It only takes a few minutes to make. Yes, you will have to patiently wait until they are frozen, but just imagine of the anticipatory build up! Before we get into the simple how-to of this recipe, there are a few important facts and health benefits I’d do like to share with everyone. First off, let me share an important warning. I love fresh pomegranate, it’s an amazing fruit, but please be careful because it stains. It stains in a way that is really hard to remove- on clothes, surfaces, rugs, walls, pretty much everything they come in contact with. Clean up any spillage immediately, the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to remove. Please listen, because this comes from a fountain of wisdom. I have learned the hard way, after peppering many beloved pieces of clothing with combinations of deep red dots and a spray, I feel I’m experienced enough to give some helpful advice. If you want to avoid a similar fate, either wear clothing you’re comfortable getting stained or pay very close attention and keep a cloth or paper towels for cleaning! Secondly, I’d like to share a few ways in which the ingredients will benefit you. While these creamcicles are amazing enough for the refreshment they provide, they’re really good for you as well. Pomegranates-this gorgeous, ruby-colored fruit has been used as a food and medicine for centuries. There are many reasons for its lasting popularity. It's full of antioxidants, which are crucial for maintaining healthy bodies, and counteracts tissue and organ damage. Pomegranate is also a vitamin C powerhouse, which has anti- cancer properties. Regularly including pomegranate in the diet can help those battling chronic joint pain as well as decrease inflammation for arthritis sufferers. Cocoa- Raw unsweetened cocoa is really great for you too. Some people avoid cocoa because they feel it’s unhealthy, since it is the main ingredient in chocolate. While that may be true in the commercially processed form, raw cocoa is very nutritious. It’s a natural anti-depressant that helps to lower bad LDL cholesterol. It also contains a healthy dose of magnesium. The flavonoids found in cocoa help protect your heart. They taste bitter, and are often removed in processed variations for this reason. The more of it you consume raw cocoa, the more you begin to enjoy it. For those of us with palates accustomed to the processed form, the flavor is a bit of a shock. I admit and remember when I first tried unsweetened raw cocoa, it tasted bitter. However, as I have begun incorporating more and more natural foods and eliminating all processed ones, what I experience as delicious has changed, I notice my taste buds now enjoy new flavors, what was once bitter, is now creamy, smooth, and delicious. Try this quick recipe next time you find yourself unbearably hot, in the midst of summer’s unrelenting heat. Experience instantaneous relief delivered via your own homemade cool refreshing pomegranate cocoa creamcicles.